HIS BABY TO BEAR - TWENTY NINE

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y N I N E

Jerome

"Would you please stop fidgeting! You're going to rip the suit to shreds. Your mother hasn't taught you a single thing about etiquette. Mitch huffed as he straightened Jerome's tie.

Jerome couldn't decide who was more nervous about his wedding: him or his team! Okay, who was he kidding? It had to be him. Mitch, Jordan, and the rest of the gang, on the other hand, came dangerously close.

"Are we sure we have everything in order?" Jerome inquired, directing Mitch's attention away from the seemingly impossible task of making his tie look presentable.

He felt like a bear in a penguin suit, and he wasn't far off the mark. While they'd all worn uniforms in the past, none of the Squad Six members were particularly skilled at wearing suits. They felt much more at ease jumping over roofs and chasing down bad guys in a pair of jeans and a tank top. Today, the only villain they had to deal with was a strict wedding schedule and possibly an unruly uncle or two.

The men gathered in a circle, the majority of them relaxed. It's more a matter of habit than anything else.

“Car?" Jerome inquired.

“Check. I've got that puppy revved up and ready to go when the party gets too much," Mitch said with a lazy salute.

“Guests?”

"Wrangled," Tim said, a lazy grin on his face.

He was appointed as the chief usher. Jerome reasoned that his big mouth had to be useful in some way.

“Minister?”

"He's been shaking in his boots since he realized this was a shifter wedding," Tom chuckled. "However, I got him."

“Perimeter?" Jerome inquired, a small smirk on his lips.

Yes, it was a wedding, but the majority of his guests were ex-military and active goons for hire. There were a lot of people out for his blood or the guts of his friends, so this wasn't going to be an unguarded wedding.

"I've got surveillance nests set up, and they're all checking in with me," Jordan said, getting a nod from Mitch.

"Patrols have been on the move since this morning," Alvin added mildly.

"Is there anything else I should mention, groomsmen?" Jerome inquired, a smile on his face.

There was a round of applause. When they set out to take on Manila, none of the men expected a simple grab-and-run mission to turn into this. And yet, here they were, all six of them, worried about Jerome's wedding to the most beautiful woman in the world. He was fortunate to have such friends—not just friends, but brothers-in-arms in whom he could entrust both his life and his wedding plans!

Jordan remarked dryly, "Bridesmaids."

"How about them?"

"I don't believe anyone has wrangled them yet." But I'm confident that I can handle security while also caring for them. "I liked that blonde one," Dan said, earning a hard whack on the back.

“Gentlemen, behave. Today, everything has to run smoothly. Save your womanizing for the reception,” Jerome said with a wink. “Thank you all for being here. And I think it’s time we go and get this party started.”

"Lock and load," Mitch hooted, followed by Alvin, who shook his head slightly.

As he walked past the rest of his squad and took his place at the front of the procession, Jerome's easy smile faded and was replaced by a solemn expression. They all strode down the aisles, which were set up in a lovely villa in the heart of wine country. As he walked past them to take his place at the altar, the sun shone brightly above him, and countless smiling faces looked up at him.

His heart was pounding faster than it had ever before. He hadn't seen Libby in over a day, and the thought of her being so close yet so far was gnawing at him. His bear paced nervously within him, making him want to break free and go find her and elope.

But he'd made a promise, so he couldn't break it. He wanted to give Libby the extravagant wedding she deserved. It wasn't anything extravagant, but they invited all of their closest friends and family. Jerome's team had so much brass and shifter power that they could have taken over half the country just by winning the first five seats.

Their own ceremony, held in the moonlight between just the bear and his bride, had taken place a few nights before. In a slight departure from his clan's customs, he had also brought their son to witness the moment when his parents promised to always be there for one another. It had been everything he had hoped for, but he knew he wanted to honor both sides of them, shifter and human. While both ceremonies were important, he knew that one spoke to him more than the other, and that was fine.

The wait seemed interminably long. Never before had he felt as if he was on pins and needles as he did now, waiting, watching, and anticipating. When Libby finally appeared and the music began, his hard mask of concentration fell away, and he grinned like a fool.

Spirits above, she's stunning, he thought dumbly, staring at her like an adolescent at the only woman in the world.

Her white gown hugged her figure perfectly, fanning out from her hips into a long train that made her appear to be walking on silken foam. The beads that adorned her bosom glistened in the sunlight, but they paled in comparison to the gleam in her eyes and the smile on her ruby lips. Her chocolate skin contrasted beautifully with the whiteness of the gown, and he could smell the bouquet from across the room, thanks to the honeysuckle notes in it.

Reid Andrew ran down the aisle in front of her, the pillow with the rings jumping up and down in his hands, and he watched in a trance as she approached. As he approached the end of the aisle, Alvin caught him and picked him up, and Jerome kissed him on the cheek. Seeing that little boy every damn time made his day and made him feel like there was so much to fight for in the world.

As Libby approached the altar, Alvin and Reid Andrew took a step back. She let go of her father's arm as he and Jerome exchanged handshakes.

"Take care of my little girl," he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I will, sir," Jerome said sternly, though it was difficult to tear his gaze away from Libby.

He had no intention of disappointing his new father-in-law. Her father nodded and moved aside, and Jerome lifted Libby's veil. As they stood in front of the minister, her gorgeous hazel eyes sparkled brighter than any gem in the world, and he took both of her hands in his. He could see their entire future laid out for them in her eyes. Ups and downs, highs and lows would all be sweet as long as he had Libby and Reid Andrew by his side.

She had that mischievous look in her eyes that told him she was up to no good again, and he couldn't keep the smirk from curling his lips even as the minister began to speak.

"You look stunning," he said quietly.

"Thank you very much. "I have some news, you know," she said, teasingly biting her lower lip.

"Can there be any news more important than our wedding ceremony?" Jerome inquired with a chuckle, drawing a scowl from the minister.

"I'm pregnant," she announced with a smile.

Jerome's world came to a halt, which was unexpected given that it had been moving in slow motion to begin with. His heart was on the verge of exploding with joy. Another tadpole! He snatched her in his arms and spun her around, wide-eyed. Libby laughed, and his team laughed as well.

"Libby, Jerome! We're not finished yet! " yelled the minister.

Jerome lowered Libby to the ground, his hands on her hips and belly.

"Are you certain?”

"Totally," she exclaimed, her face beaming.

"What in the world is going on, lieutenant?" Mitch inquired, jokingly.

"We're having another child!"

Jerome yelled to the entire audience, prompting a chorus of applause.

Laughter and well-wishes rang out all around him, but Jerome was only concerned with his bride. He kissed her passionately on the lips, ignoring the minister's harrumph.

"I love you, Libby," he said softly, his eyes welling up with tears.

"I love you, too," she said, her own eyes welling up with tears.

Could a bear be more content?

Thank You everyone for reading the first book of the FUR-FECT MATE - A SHAPESHIFTER SERIES. Coming up next, DOUBLE TROUBLE WITH TWIN WOLVES.

Again, Thank You everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.. Stay safe and I love you all…

Sweetpea xoxo