Chapter 1
"Zach! Gray!" Karen Mitchell yelled as she walked into the house, dropping her keys in the bowl by the table and placing the mail next to it. Taking off her coat, her eyes kept straying to the fancy letter on the top of the pile. It was addressed to both of her sons and was obviously a wedding invitation. "Boys!" Picking up the invite and leaving all of the other mail by the door, Karen went in search of her wayward sons.
She checked the kitchen (because boys) and not seeing them, moved to go upstairs and check their rooms. She stopped just by the doorway to the living room when she heard laughter come from the backyard. Karen paused and turned around, her eyes catching sight of her children in the backyard. She was slightly surprised to see them rough housing outside like when they were younger, before Zach presented and became...well, moody.
Ever since the incident, her precious little monkies had become closer. Gray was more outgoing and didn't always have his nose in a book now. He still loved all things dinosaurs, which she was surprised about, but as long as he only studied them through books and the internet she was fine with it. Zach seemed much more relaxed too. Happier, less moody, and more open. Willing to tell them things now and not just go to his room and lock himself away.
That probably had more to do with Owen than anything, she thought, smiling softly to herself as she went out the backdoor. Sitting herself down on one of the four patio chairs she waited for her sons to notice her. After a minute, when they still hadn't seen her waiting, she cleared her throat to get their attention, "Boys." All struggling ceased and both her boys stopping their squirming, eyes wide and sheepish half-smiles slowly forming on their faces.
"He-ey mom. Welcome home." Gray said as he pushed Zach up and off of him. Her eldest fell over onto his back in the grass as her youngest scrambled to his feet and claimed the chair next to her for himself. He had some grass in his hair and a few stains on his shirt that she'd probably have a hard time getting out, but it was worth it for the smile he had on his face. Zach let out a big breath before he joined them, sitting next to Gray and across from his mother.
She smiled at him, "I thought the days of making your brother eat dirt were over?"
"I was winning!" Gray said indignantly but Zach just smirked, "Sometimes he needs to be reminded that I'm older and therefore wiser."
"Are not!"
"Am too."
Before it could really start up Karen held up her hand with the invitation. "Care to tell me what this is?"
"Mail." Zach deadpanned.
Karen gave a laugh-less chuckle, "Ha-ha. Yes, thank you, I know." She slid the invitation to Zach, "Why are you and Gray getting invited to a wedding?"
Zach and Gray looked at each other confused before the Omega flipped the envelope over and broke the fancy wax seal. He pulled out a heavy card-stock picture with a bit of yellow ribbon tied around it. Immediately he recognized the smiling face of a very pretty brunette Beta who was being held in the arms of a rather handsome woman. "Oh! It's from Zara."
"Really?"Gray smiled and leaned over. Zach turned the picture just enough so that Gray could see it.
He took the ribbon off and two smaller cards fell on top of the glass table. Both were RSVP cards; one with his name and one with Gray's. Zach turned the picture in his hands and saw that it served as both the engagement photo and invitation. Inviting Zach, Gray, and one guest each to the wedding of Zara Kearney and Mikayla McGrath.
"Why would Claire's assistant be sending you a wedding invite?"
Zach went to answer but Gray beat him to it, "Remember when I told you how we outran the Pteranadons?!"
"Pteranadons?"
"Big Flying dinosaurs." Zach supplied, while making a flapping motion with his hands.
"O-kay, yes I do."
"Well we found Zara before we found Aunt Claire and Owen and she almost got taken by one of them."
"Wait, she's the woman who you guys saved?"
"Yeah!" Gray beamed at his mother, "Zach and I snatched her right from their grasp!" He made a snatching motion in the air and gave her a smug look.
Karen smiled fondly at her youngest son, "Well, then that's why she invited you." The Beta got up and rounded the table and wrapped her right arm around Zach and her left around Gray, "Without my two big strong boys she wouldn't be getting married at all and would be getting digested instead."
She leaned forward and gave both boys multiple wet kisses on their cheeks.
"Mo-oom!" "Not cool!" Zach and Gray tried to squirm away but Karen had a tight mothers hold on them as she covered their faces in her lipstick. "My brave babies!"
"No more!" "Gross!" "Help! Mom germs!" Zach was able to pull away but Gray, poor Gray, he was caught in the clutches of their mothers arms being smothered and smooched to death. "Zach! Help! Come on!"
Zach just stuck his hands in his pockets and made for inside the house, "Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices Gray."
"No. Zaaach!"