Page 67 of Meeting Her Mate
“It means we’re all ready to properly start our training,” I said. “You as well. You are a very brave werewolf, Vincent. One of the best of us.”
“Hey, don’t you go soft on me.”
“As the teenagers these days say, I’m just spitting facts.”
Vince threw his head back and started laughing loudly. “Man, you should never try to speak slang. It just throws off your entire alpha vibe.”
“I agree,” I said. “One does not spit facts. One states them. This whole generation has taken the spoken language and has shoved it up its own ass.”
“See, that’s a sentiment that I do agree with. No cap,” Vince said. “But enough about verbal jousting. Tell me about the voyage. Did you and Alexis have a great time or what?”
“You are the closest thing I have to a best friend,” I said. “So I will confide in you. I have taken Alexis as my mate.”
“You mean you’ve re-accepted her as your mate after publicly rejecting her in the first place,” Vince said. “It’s not my place to say this, and I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my bounds, but you must understand that accepting someone as your mate should be made public knowledge. Right now, this knowledge is shared merely between you, me, and Alexis. The entire pack deserves to know this,” Vince said in all seriousness.
“You are right. It will make the matehood official. What do you have in mind?” I asked. His words did not anger me. Vince had a way of saying the right thing in the right tone. It was hard to get irrational in the face of his logic.
“A party. Throw a party. You’ve been spending all this time with Alexis. It only makes sense that you spend some time with your pack members. They are your family. All of them bear the Grimm name, live in the Grimm Abode, and are descendants of the original pack that you brought over from Germany. Throw a lively party. Let there be a bonfire. The people shall sing and dance and feast and drink. Plus, it would boost morale more than any of your pep talks ever have,” Vince said.
“Then it is decided. I entrust you with this task,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Vince groaned. “Oh, man. Don’t shoot the messenger. I was just the idea guy. Someone else has to be the execution guy.”
“I’m only suggesting that you arrange the party because I’m very confident in your abilities,” I said, coaxing him further.
“Fine. I shall bear this cross,” Vincent said, making an imaginary cross in the air with his hands.
“Finally, a reference that I understand,” I said, clapping Vince on the back once more.
***
A red bolt shot through the black sky and, seconds later, burst into a vibrant display of color. A few bolts followed suit, serenading rainbows through the night. Below, partygoers yelled in excitement as more fireworks got lined and lit and blew into the sky.
The festivities were in full form. Yellow bulbs hung from the walls and roofs of the commune houses, and at the center, a large bonfire leaped to the sky. Around this bonfire, the women and men danced, arm in arm. Little kids ran across the commune with party streamers in their hands. Some of the teenage girls and the teenage boys of the pack were sitting in the seats around the bonfire, sneaking cigarettes, flirting with each other, and laughing raucously. The entire Grimm Abode was reveling with boisterous sounds of cheer and laughter.
Revelers lined around the tankards of ale and beer, pouring each other cups of cool drinks, sloshing their cups as they cheered deeply from their bellies and slapped each other good-naturedly on the shoulders.
Alexis sat beside me, a glass of wine in one hand, my hand in her other hand. She was humming to herself and shaking her feet to the infectious rhythm of the music coming from the speakers that Vincent had installed. Apparently, some singer known as Katy Perry was a big deal and her song “Firework” was funky enough to make everyone dance.
From time to time, people came to us and greeted us, congratulating us on the officiating of our matehood. I politely addressed everyone, shook their hands, hugged a few of them, and high-fived the younger members of the crowd.
“Vincent really pulled all the stops,” Alexis said, squeezing my hand. “Never in my life has there been a party of this sort in the commune.”
“It’s all for you,” I said, squeezing her hand back.
My senses were flooded with the aroma of roasted pork. I shot a look to my right, where all the cooking was taking place. Some of the older men had taken out their grills and were cooking hamburgers, bacon, steaks, and chicken. A few of the more gastronomically inclined sort were roasting an entire pig above a fire. They turned the skewered animal slowly, letting all its sides cook.
Vincent, the manager of this lively party, ran from one end to the other, making sure everything was in order. Even the oldest members of the pack, such as Fred, were out in the open, sitting in a circle around the bonfire, talking of the good old days, smoking their pipes.
“Come dance with us, Will!” Edna, one of the sprightly ladies, gathered around the bonfire, beckoned me to join them. I looked at Alexis for approval. She solemnly nodded with a brief smile, letting me know it was okay.
So, I got up from my chair and joined the dancing ladies, albeit a bit hesitantly. We twirled and whirled around the dancing flames, clapping our hands, throwing our heads up, kneeling as we circled the fire, then jumping to complete the circle. It was a beautiful form of dance that was inspired by the Vikings of old.
“Come, Alexis. Join us,” I said, calling out to her and extending my hand. She shook her head nervously. “Come on! It’s going to be fun.”
She gave in and joined me in the circle dancing around the fire. I lost track of time as I danced, whirled, twirled, jumped, and knelt around the burning flames, but by the time I was done, my entire body was drenched in sweat, and I had worked up a nice appetite.
Unable to stay on the dance floor any longer, I grabbed Alexis’s hand, and we raced through the party to where the cooking was happening. She giggled loudly as she ran alongside me.