claimed the child. The objects were made by clan, used by clan, woven into the history of the clan. They didn't come from the external, human world... which had made it hard for her to decide on a gift, because she did come from the external, human world. And she didn't know how to make anything except an arrest.
Cynna ate the last bite of brownie with a sigh of pleasure. "That was good, but now I need liquid. Not water and not milk - I'm ready to party."
"Dr. Pepper?" Lily smiled at Cynna's current definition of partying.
"Right. If there's anything left. Man, there must be a thousand people here. Come on."
Lily smiled as she followed. Cynna hadn't come to the FBI via conventional law enforcement the way Lily had, so she'd never learned to estimate crowd size. "Roughly half that, I think, counting the kids."
"Still, that's a lot. Lots of presents, which is good." Cynna patted her protruding belly. "Lots of work for you, though."
"Not really." They'd reached the tubs filled with melting ice and soft drinks. Lily dug out a can of Dr. Pepper for Cynna and took a Diet Coke for herself. "Rule and the Rhej handled almost all of the baby party stuff."
"Yeah, but you did the shower, too, and then there's all those weirdo calls you've been getting."
"At least those cases are easy to clear, and otherwise things are pretty quiet right now."
"You know you shouldn't say shit like that."
Lily snorted. "You're superstitious?"
"Of course not, but you're never supposed to say things are quiet. That's when you get hit with three urgent cases or a performance review or you get sick or - "
Lily held up a hand, laughing. "All right, already. I take it back. Things are hectic and my plate is full, and yes, the party was lots of trouble. And worth every bit of it."
"Oh, now you've done it. I tear up over commercials these days." Cynna sniffed, grinned, and added, "I guess all this organizing is good practice for your wedding. Have you set the date yet?"
"Not yet." She tipped her can and drank.
"You're avoiding the subject."
"No, I'm thirsty." Lily glanced around. "I need to find Cullen. I haven't given him my present yet."
"Now you're changing the subject." Cynna was downright gleeful. "You're scared."
"I'm not scared." She loved Rule. She not only wanted to spend the rest of her life with him; she had to. The mate bond gave them no options there, but she'd stopped resenting that, so getting married would just put a legal gloss over what was already true. There was no reason to be scared; the annoying lump in her throat wasn't fear. It was... aggravation.
"I'm not scared," she repeated. "But I'm contemplating Las Vegas. My mother is insane."
"What flavor of insane are we talking?"
Lily gestured with her Diet Coke. "Every flavor a wedding can come in. The dress. The date. Flowers. Attendants. Doves."
"Doves? Doves as in big gray birds?"
"White ones, actually. She wants to release dozens of white doves when Rule and I say our vows. Not exactly the right aesthetic message when the groom turns wolf on occasion, is it?"
Cynna snickered. "Oh, yeah, some of your guests might miss out on the aesthetic message. They might think the doves were a party game. Flying appetizers."
Lily pictured a bunch of well-dressed men taking one look at the doves, Changing, and racing off yipping after them. A smile tugged at her mouth. "Maybe I should let her have her way. It might be worth it to see her face if... But no." Reluctantly she abandoned the fantasy. "They wouldn't really do that. Besides, I don't know if we'll have any lupus guests."
Cynna squeezed her arm. "You'll have Cullen. And I bet there'll be more, once they get used to the idea."
"Maybe." She didn't like thinking about what marriage might do to Rule's standing with his people and veered back to the part she had some control over. "I do not want birds crapping on me at my wedding."
"That's a strong argument against. I guess you've pointed out the crap problem?"
"Yeah, and
Cynna ate the last bite of brownie with a sigh of pleasure. "That was good, but now I need liquid. Not water and not milk - I'm ready to party."
"Dr. Pepper?" Lily smiled at Cynna's current definition of partying.
"Right. If there's anything left. Man, there must be a thousand people here. Come on."
Lily smiled as she followed. Cynna hadn't come to the FBI via conventional law enforcement the way Lily had, so she'd never learned to estimate crowd size. "Roughly half that, I think, counting the kids."
"Still, that's a lot. Lots of presents, which is good." Cynna patted her protruding belly. "Lots of work for you, though."
"Not really." They'd reached the tubs filled with melting ice and soft drinks. Lily dug out a can of Dr. Pepper for Cynna and took a Diet Coke for herself. "Rule and the Rhej handled almost all of the baby party stuff."
"Yeah, but you did the shower, too, and then there's all those weirdo calls you've been getting."
"At least those cases are easy to clear, and otherwise things are pretty quiet right now."
"You know you shouldn't say shit like that."
Lily snorted. "You're superstitious?"
"Of course not, but you're never supposed to say things are quiet. That's when you get hit with three urgent cases or a performance review or you get sick or - "
Lily held up a hand, laughing. "All right, already. I take it back. Things are hectic and my plate is full, and yes, the party was lots of trouble. And worth every bit of it."
"Oh, now you've done it. I tear up over commercials these days." Cynna sniffed, grinned, and added, "I guess all this organizing is good practice for your wedding. Have you set the date yet?"
"Not yet." She tipped her can and drank.
"You're avoiding the subject."
"No, I'm thirsty." Lily glanced around. "I need to find Cullen. I haven't given him my present yet."
"Now you're changing the subject." Cynna was downright gleeful. "You're scared."
"I'm not scared." She loved Rule. She not only wanted to spend the rest of her life with him; she had to. The mate bond gave them no options there, but she'd stopped resenting that, so getting married would just put a legal gloss over what was already true. There was no reason to be scared; the annoying lump in her throat wasn't fear. It was... aggravation.
"I'm not scared," she repeated. "But I'm contemplating Las Vegas. My mother is insane."
"What flavor of insane are we talking?"
Lily gestured with her Diet Coke. "Every flavor a wedding can come in. The dress. The date. Flowers. Attendants. Doves."
"Doves? Doves as in big gray birds?"
"White ones, actually. She wants to release dozens of white doves when Rule and I say our vows. Not exactly the right aesthetic message when the groom turns wolf on occasion, is it?"
Cynna snickered. "Oh, yeah, some of your guests might miss out on the aesthetic message. They might think the doves were a party game. Flying appetizers."
Lily pictured a bunch of well-dressed men taking one look at the doves, Changing, and racing off yipping after them. A smile tugged at her mouth. "Maybe I should let her have her way. It might be worth it to see her face if... But no." Reluctantly she abandoned the fantasy. "They wouldn't really do that. Besides, I don't know if we'll have any lupus guests."
Cynna squeezed her arm. "You'll have Cullen. And I bet there'll be more, once they get used to the idea."
"Maybe." She didn't like thinking about what marriage might do to Rule's standing with his people and veered back to the part she had some control over. "I do not want birds crapping on me at my wedding."
"That's a strong argument against. I guess you've pointed out the crap problem?"
"Yeah, and
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