Pack Mentality: Ring Ready

Chapter 9

"Coast to coast in under three hours."

Becky watched Seth gazing out at the ocean and tried not to laugh. She had gotten so used to the hugeness of the United States that she could forget how small Ireland was. "Well, to be fair, we drove across one of the narrower points...."

Seth wasn't swayed, however. "It takes longer than that just to get across Iowa." The amber glow from the sunset made him look bathed in gold.

She wrapped her arms around him and took a moment to enjoy the sunset over the Atlantic. It was something she had seen countless times over the years, especially when her parents couldn't afford grand vacations when she was young, but it was the first time she had shared it with Seth and that made it special. "Los Angeles has some nice sunsets too," she said pointedly. "And I just happen to have a place there...."

"I'm not ready to give Iowa up yet. I don't know if I ever will be." He rested his chin on Becky's head and breathed in deeply. To make the wedding a bit of a destination for her family as well, they decided to hold the ceremony outside of Galway. It was a treat for him too, since most of his time in Ireland had been spent in and around Dublin. "But you know I like Los Angeles," he added, kissing her head. "And you know you're stuck with me now, right?"

Becky laughed as she glanced up at him. This was one of the first times they had been alone all day and she was simply basking in the fact that now all the people she was closest to in the world knew two of the defining aspects of her life: she was a werewolf and she loved Seth. "Why? Because we have some paperwork and some jewellery?"

"No." Seth dipped her a bit before dancing her along the beach. They had found a craggy part that wasn't great for surfing or sunbathing and was thus deserted, so they and their wedding party were able to enjoy the sunset in peace. "Because our mothers get along." He pointed down the coast to where Holly and Annette were chatting animatedly, Holly gesturing enthusiastically at the ocean while Annette nodded. "So now you'd be disappointing two mothers if we broke up."

"Can't have that, can we?" Becky murmured, pulling him down into a kiss. In truth, she was grateful their mothers were getting along because she remembered venting to Annette when Holly wasn't treating her fairly. "But you know what that means: you're also stuck with me."

"Somehow I think I'll manage." Seth let her go just long enough to roll up his pant legs. "Want to wade in a bit?"

"Sure." Becky was wearing a shorter dress, not unlike what she had worn for the legal ceremony at Roman's house, and already had her shoes off, so she darted into the water, wincing at its chill. "I keep forgetting that temperatures feel so much more intense now."

Seth grabbed her by the waist and spun her around in a circle. "I'll make sure I have a ton of blankets for you at the house."

As they walked through the shallow water, Becky gazed at their collected family members: their mothers chatting away, her father pointing to the Aran Islands in the distance and saying something to her brother and Seth's brother. It was an even smaller gathering than the one at Roman's, but it made her heart feel so full. "Was anyone in the locker room suspicious when you asked for a week off?" she asked. "Well, I know who wouldn't be, obviously...."

"No." His hand went taut in hers and he fell quiet for a moment. "I... snapped a bit at Charlotte, so I should probably apologize for that when we get back."

Becky raised his hand to her mouth and kissed it. "Not necessarily. What happened?" She tried to word it as neutrally as she could.

"She saw me as I was coming in, so I hadn't taken off my ring yet." Seth smiled down at his wedding ring with a fondness that made Becky blush. Many wrestlers didn't wear their wedding jewellery in the ring for safety reasons, but Seth was determined to wear it every other minute he could. "She said something like When did you get married? and I fired back with... something like When did you start to care? But possibly with some expletives."