Reckless Regrets
Chapter 66

Kade

The meeting with the lawyer was smoother than I’d expected. Apparently, with all the lies that Thorne wove around that original paternity test, and filing that I was Cameron’s biological father, now petitioning to adopt him was relevantly simple.

“Mr. Thomas, will Ms. Frederick be petitioning for custody as well?” Devin, the lawyer, asked me.

“Yes, she’s my fiancé, and both of us would share custody of Cameron,” I replied, taking Morgan’s hand in mine.

“Looking over the paperwork, and speaking to the elders, along with some former Canyon Woods pack members, getting a judge to approve the adoption should be simple. But you and Ms. Frederick will need to be married beforehand.”

“It’s not good enough that we’re engaged? She’s marked, she’s our pack’s Beta, and she’s my destined mate. What difference does a marriage certificate make?” I asked.

“Your situation isn’t a deal-breaker, unmarried wolves can successfully adopt, but married wolves have an easier process. The two of you have everything going for you; the marriage will just tip the scales a little more in your favor,” Devin replied.

Morgan sighed and slumped down in her seat. She’d began planning for the wedding again, but she’d also been working on the bakery, helping to organize the second pack location, caring for Cameron, and growing a baby. I didn’t know if she could handle full-on wedding planning.

“Don’t worry, Sugar, we’ll figure it all out, and we’ll get our son, okay?”

“What if we don’t because I’m too indecisive? I’d be devastated,” Morgan replied.

“Don’t think like that. Cameron’s ours and no one else’s. We’ve got this.”

She nodded her head and seemed to relax a bit.

“How long do we have to get everything together before we can take the application to a judge?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t wait more than thirty days. Since the child is officially an orphan, if new legal guardianship isn’t established soon, he could be taken to a shifter orphanage temporarily,” the lawyer replied.

“An orphanage?! But why? Cameron has a home here! He’s happy and healthy and in school; he has other kids to play with, and he eats like a damn horse. Why would someone take him from this type of environment, just to put him in some overcrowded home where he’ll be just another face in the crowd? That’s stupid and f****d up,” Morgan shouted.

“Calm down, Sugar. He’s not saying that anyone is going to take Cameron away,” I whispered.

“Actually, Mr. Thomas, with Cameron’s bloodline, his case is going to be on the radar. Bill Thorne made a lot of noise before he died, and the fact that he killed his daughter and her mate and singlehandedly caused this situation makes it high profile. Don’t wait if you don’t have to. Let’s get the paperwork in soon, so the people in charge know how serious the two of you are about caring for this child.”

“Thank you, Devin. We’ll get back to you within the week to let you know what we plan to do,” I said.

He then stood up, collected his things, and left Morgan and me alone in the conference room.

“Are you alright, baby? We don’t have to rush into anything; I don’t want you to feel-”

“We’re getting married right now. Let’s go.”

Morgan stood up and headed for the door, but I was able to catch her and pull her back before she could reach the knob.

“Whoa, what are you talking about, Sugar? You don’t want to get married now; you want an actual wedding with the dress and the flowers and s**t. And you deserve that,” I reasoned.

“I want my family, Kade. You, this baby, and Cameron. The three of you are mine, and I won’t have anyone take any of you away. Let’s get married now, and once everything has calmed down, we can have a big fancy wedding. I’m not losing anything by doing this, but I am gaining a son. It’s what I want,” she stated.

I took her face in my hands and looked deep into her eyes, looking for any shred of doubt or hesitation, and I couldn’t replace any. She was serious about this, and I wasn’t going to deny her.

“I’ll ask Xander if he can get an elder here this afternoon; would that work?” I asked her.

“Are you okay with it? You didn’t wake up expecting to be a husband before the day ended,” Morgan replied.

“It’s like I’ve said since the beginning, I’ll marry you anytime, anyplace; this is perfect.”

She gave me her brightest smile and squealed with glee, and I couldn’t help but return her enthusiasm. Finally, this woman who I’d loved since the moment I heard her voice would be my wife. What better way to kick off the weekend than a spur of the moment wedding?

***

Morgan

I refused to let my inability to decide cause Kade and I to lose our son. The moment Kade asked me if I’d be willing to adopt Cameron, he took a piece of my heart, and it would always belong to him. I would sacrifice all of life’s frills if it meant that child would be ours forever.

So I had no regrets about having Kade contact an elder to marry us in Xander’s office. Zero regrets about wearing a simple white dress I had in my closet instead of an expensive designer gown. And I felt nothing but joy over the homemade pizza, pasta, and salad that would be our reception dinner.

“I cannot believe this! All the talk about needing to have ‘the perfect’ wedding and your venue of choice is Xander’s office? Seriously?” Taylor asked as she fixed my hair for me.

“Well, it’s raining outside; otherwise, it would have been in the gazebo. And it will be perfect; I’ll be Morgan Thomas when it’s over, I don’t need any more than that.”

“I have to admit, it’s like the ultimate love story,” Alaia said with a sigh.

I couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t be serious.

“How do you figure that?” I asked.

“Well, you love Kade; I mean, he’s your destined mate, so you have no choice. But you did have a choice with Cameron. You didn’t have to interact with him or build a relationship, but you did. And you ended up falling in love with him too. And now, you’re willing to sacrifice your dream wedding just to give you and Kade a little more credibility in the adoption process. You’re already making moves like a mother, putting your son’s happiness above your own. So, tell me, what love is stronger than that of a mother for their child?”

“Well, when you put it like that, it is the ultimate love story. I just need everything to work out. I won’t be happy until Cameron Thorne is Cameron Thomas,” I replied.

“Let me get your makeup done, and we can get this show on the road. Are your parents coming?” Taylor asked.

“No, they’re out of town for some boring conference my dad is speaking at. I talked to my mom a little while ago, and she’s upset, but there isn’t much we can do now; I’m doing this today. I’ll make sure they have advanced notice when we have the redo ceremony,” I said.

“What about Mitchell?” Alaia asked.

“He wanted time to come, but I told him to wait. His restaurant isn’t as busy as Fleur de Lune, but they get pretty packed on a Saturday night, and it would cause a ton of problems if the sous chef called out last minute. But he’ll be here tomorrow to spend a few days with everyone.”

“I’m so happy for you, sweetie. Do you remember the night Matt came to get me for our big date? The night he asked me to be his girlfriend and revealed that he was a wolf? You were so completely over men that I had to bribe you with Hot Cheetos to get you to help me get ready. I was a nervous wreck, and you looked at me like I had two heads. Fast forward a week, and you walk into Kade’s birthday party, shamelessly there just to eat the expensive food, and the rest is history. And now you’re getting married. And having a baby, and adopting a son! You’re all grown up, and I’m so proud,” Taylor cried out. Yes, she literally cried. I turned myself in the chair and stared up at her blotchy face and bright red nose; what the hell was she on?

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m about to go in heat, and instead of being overly horny like usual, this time, I get to be overly emotional. It’s hormones; it’s not my fault!”

“Hey, I’m the last one to look down on a girl for having a hormonal mood swing. Do what you gotta do, Tay.”

Alaia laughed and gently nudged Taylor out of the way before she finished my makeup for me. I wanted everything to be simple, so it didn’t take more than ten minutes before we were ready to head up.

We heard a quick knock on the door, then Matt poked his head in, sporting his perfect dazzling smile.

“Were all set in the office if you’re ready, Morgan,” he said. Nothing more, nothing less, but it was just enough to make Taylor start bawling all over again.

“Tesoro, what’s wrong, baby?” Matt sweetly asked as he rushed to his wife’s side.

“Apparently, this is an effect of her heat. You and Tyson have fun with that,” I replied.

“I’m just so happy for them, and I love weddings. Can we have another wedding, please?”

The look of terror that flashed across Matt’s face was comical. Their wedding was an entire event that involved passports, private planes, tons of s*x and booze, way too much Italian food, and horrible jet lag. It was fun, but it was exhausting. Just thinking about it made me want a good nap.

“How about we let Kade and Morgan have the weddings for right now, hmm? Then if you still want to, we can renew our vows,” he suggested. Matt would always be the sweetest of the men here; none of the other guys could compete with him in that department.

“Okay, I can do that.” Taylor wiped her face then smiled at me. “Sorry for the waterworks, this day is about you and Kade. Let’s go get you married.”

“I’d like that,” I replied.

The four of us made our way up to the fourth floor, and as we got closer to Xander’s door, my stomach began to turn flips. This would be the last time I’d stand in this spot as Morgan Frederick; the realization hit me like a sledgehammer.

“Holy s**t, I’m about to get married,” I muttered.

Alaia took my hand and rubbed her fingers across my knuckles.

“Are you alright, honey? Did you want to wait a few minutes before we went in?” she asked. I just looked at her, then back at the door, then back at her. My kindhearted, inked up, reformed bad boy was on the other side of that door, waiting for me to take him as mine for the rest of my life. Somehow, he’d changed me into a softer and more caring person, and I was beyond grateful.

“I’m perfect, and I don’t need to wait. I’ve waited too long already,” I finally replied.

She smiled and squeezed my hand as we stepped to the door together. Matt reached over to pushed it open, and there next to the desk stood the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on. His charcoal gray suit looked incredible on him, especially since his usually unruly hair had been combed back and tamed, revealing his beautiful face and those delicious neck tats. This man was perfection, and I was about to become his wife.

“Hey, Sugar. You ready to do this thing?” Kade smiled at me and said.

I didn’t have words, but I was always more of an action kind of girl anyway. I ran towards him and leaped up, wrapping my legs around his waist and attacking his mouth with a k**s. He’d just eaten a cinnamon Altoid, and the spicy sweetness it left on his tongue set a fire down below that was instantly raging. Kade growled deep in his chest as he squeezed me a little tighter and deepened the k**s.

“Beta Thomas? Usually, the kissing is saved for the end of the ceremony,” the little old elder sweetly leaned over and whispered.

I felt a small twinge of embarrassment looking into his adorably wrinkled face; he reminded me of my grandfather. So I peeled myself out of Kade’s grip and set my feet back on the ground.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m a little excited,” I stated.

“It’s completely understandable, sweetheart. So, are we all ready?” the elder asked.

We all nodded and took our places. Kade reached out and grabbed on to my hands, and the sparks that I felt at this touch seemed different, almost more powerful. Maybe it was the universes way of telling me that this wedding was always meant to happen this way. I’d been stalling for this exact moment on this exact day.

“Today, the Blue Moon pack strengthens it’s ranks, by solidifying another of the sacred bonds, as we join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…”