Lily took two casseroles out of the oven and set them on the stove to cool. "I made a lasagna for your dad, Honey. Will you take it over there when it cools a bit?"

"Sure, Babe. Why don't you sit down for a few minutes? You've been running around like a headless chicken." He smiled and patted the chair next to him.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Lily poured a glass of water, added a few ice cubes, and sat. "Ahhh...that does feel nice."

Jacob stood behind her and massaged her shoulders.

"Mmmm. Just what I needed. I'll tell you, Jake, these wedding plans are kicking my butt. Have we discussed eloping? It seems to have worked out fine for Leah and Jonah last week." She laughed. "Or we could call your dad over like Seth and Aiyanna did. At least he won't forget their anniversary...which is coming up next month. Can you believe Shaya will be a year old already?"

"Oh no you don't! We've got too much invested now." He leaned forward and kissed her neck, then continued his massage. "We've got the flowers ordered, the hall paid for, the caterer, your dress…"

"Okay," she laughed. "I wasn't serious anyway. You know I'm too much of a girl to elope! I want all the bells and whistles. And I want every woman there to be jealous when they see my handsome husband in his loincloth."

Jacob's hands stopped in mid-stroke. "Tux, baby. You meant tux, right?"

She chuckled softly. "Sure, honey. Whatever you say."

Returning to his chair, Jake grabbed a beer from the fridge. Popping the cap, he asked "Have you heard from the happy couple? They were supposed to be home this weekend. Jonah's going back to work tomorrow."

"Yeah, Leah called me this morning while you were on patrol. They had a great time in New York. Saw a couple of plays, did some sightseeing. Even sent us a postcard, which we'll probably get in another week or so." She laughed, a little uneasily. "Got me thinking about our honeymoon."

Jacob sighed. "I know, Lily. I've been wanting to talk to my dad about that. The imprint is always the 500 pound gorilla in the room that everyone pretends they can't see."

"Well, it hasn't been a real problem so far, but I get the feeling we're all holding our breath. Sooner or later it's gonna bite us. We had some scary moments last weekend when Sheila and Ray were out of town. You got the shakes pretty bad by Sunday, and it was a good thing they stopped here on their way home or it might have gotten worse." She reached and took his hand.

Looking up at her, he nodded. "I know. It's not like we can keep Sheila from ever going on a vacation or - God forbid - moving to another state. We need a permanent solution, and I'm not sure what that will be. I'm hoping my dad has a better handle on it."

Lily looked thoughtful. "There's no instruction manual anywhere?" She smiled. "I know these things are passed by word of mouth, stories and legends. But I wish we could google it. Actually, I tried."

Jacob's smile was weary. "Me too. No help there."

She laughed softly. "All I found out is that the wolves are stuck for life. The real wolves, I mean."

He squeezed her hand. "Well, I'm encouraged that my love for you has never wavered. I feel affection for Sheila, but it's different. Thankfully. Still, we do need a permanent solution. I'll let you know if Dad has any words of wisdom for us. Keep your fingers crossed." He picked up the warm casserole and grabbed the keys to his truck. "Won't be long." He kissed Lily's cheek and headed out the door.

"Hey, Dad. Got a minute?"

Billy Black smiled. "For my only son? Of course I do." He looked at his watch. "Leah's coming by in a little while to get some of my carvings for the rez store. You're not getting pre-wedding jitters, are you son? If you are, let me know. I might just ask Lily out myself if she's a free woman."

Laughing, Jacob took a seat on the porch near his father's wheelchair. "Never you mind, old man! I'll see if Lily will hook you up with her Grandma!" He turned serious. "It's this imprint, Dad. We've been handling it so far, but I see Sheila just about every day. She's like a sister to me, and she's going to be a bridesmaid in our wedding. I would just like to reassure her that she's not tied to me forever, ya know?"

Billy set down the bear he was whittling and looked at his son. "I don't know how to reassure you, Jake. Will your being a married man change anything? I don't know. We've never tested it. How'd it go when Sheila went away for a weekend with her fella?"

"I'll admit it was tough having her so far away. But I'm marrying a wolf girl, Dad. Surely that should appease the spirits."

"It makes sense to me, Jake, but we'll just have to wait and see. None of this is written down; there's no guidebook. You and Lily are going away for a few days, right?"

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, and I hope I won't be spending the whole weekend pining for my 'sister!' That sure would put a damper on our honeymoon!"

"Maybe your marriage will cancel it. Maybe if Lily has a baby...there's just no way of knowing, son."

Shaking his head, Jacob said "The tribal council seriously doubts that the wolf girls can even get pregnant, Dad. Lily and I have come to terms with that. We had to. We hope to adopt kinds some day, but we're not counting on having our own. It's a sore subject with Lily. She resents it, and I don't blame her."

He hadn't heard Leah drive up, though she was listening to their conversation as she gently closed the door of her truck.

"Never say never, my friend." Her right hand caressed a tiny bump just below her waist.