“A little higher!”
“Yes Luna Supreme,” Mr. Thomas says, holding the bundle of flowers a little higher
“No, a little to the left!” I say from below the ladder
“Here?” He moves it to the right
I facepalm myself “Come down, I will do that myself.”
He climbs down, holding the flowers out to me. I grab them and quickly climb up the ladder we set up near the stage, above which a flower archway has been made.
I hold the white and pink roses up but damn my short height, I can't reach it!
“A little more,” I stand on my toes, then one foot “Almost there… almost— and done!”
In my happiness at my success, I lose my footing and before I have the chance to hold anything for support, I tip backward and down, right towards the hard stone stage.
I clench my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact.
Then the wind is knocked out of my lungs, my eyes fly open to see a stormy blue one, ever intense and slightly mocking.
“You want to break you back today, Hazel?” Luke puts me to my feet, keeping his arms around me for support
“It would’ve healed in like what? Ten minutes?” I huff but place a quick kiss on his cheek. It would’ve hurt like hell though.
“Are you done bossing everyone around?” Luke asks, looking around the altar, the seats, the stage
“Well, I have to be bossy for once,” I grin “Angelina’s wedding needs to be perfect!”
“I expect to see similar enthusiasm when we plan our wedding,” he says, I have to laugh at his serious face
“Don’t worry, love,” I say, an underlying promise in my words “When our wedding takes place, it won’t take just a month to plan.”
“Good thing Angelina is a simple girl then,” I look sideways to see Casper walking towards us “Gloria has been
driving me insane by all the shopping trips.”
“That is a sentence I can use for blackmailing,” I say, cocking my head to a side
Casper laughs nervously, before looking back to see if his mate is anywhere close. He looks at me again, uncertainty in his eyes.
“You know she will throw me out of the room, Luna.” He says, a hint of real terror in his eyes
“You better help me with my assignments then,” I grin at him mischievously
Its been almost seven months since Luke, mom, and I moved to the New York HQ. True to his promise, Luke got me admission to a political science major. And Angelina, being the sweetheart she is, held her wedding during my semester break.
“By the way, where is she?” I ask
“In the bride room with Angelina,” Casper says, seemingly glad to have a change in the topic “They were wondering when you’re coming so I came to check.”
“I think I’m done here,” I look at the avenue with skeptical eyes
“Give it a break, Mia Regia,” Luke says “The bridal room probably has some imperfections for you to fix.”
“Hmm,” I glance around once again “Yeah, I’ll go check.”
I quickly descend the stairs and start towards the large summer home where all the guests are staying. On my way, I
grab a jug of orange juice and a stack of disposable cups.
I know there wont to be a flaw in Angelina’s look. Gloria is better than any makeup artist I know, even though she’s a warrior.
Besides something cool will do my overly paranoid friend some good.
I reach the bridal room and slide inside.
“Hey, guys—
My squeal cuts me off as I duck the flying jewelry, Angelina gasps at the sudden sound, whirling around in her ballgown like a wedding dress. Gloria is still busy tossing around jewelry, finding the perfect piece.
“Got it!”
The tall girl with bronze skin and dark hair holds up an elegant platinum chain with a teardrop pendant. Her dark eyes alight with success.
“Yes, apology accepted for almost killing me,” I roll my eyes despite my smile
Gloria flashes me a sheepish smile before putting the chain around Angelina’s neck, the perfect finishing touch to her angelic appearance.
“I think I’m fainting!” Angelina says, fumbling with a stray piece of red hair “I can't handle so much responsibility!”
“Chillax,” I say “I’m a part college student, part Luna Supreme and part betrothed, it’s not that hard.”
“But,” Angelina says “You’re an over-energized, hell stubborn person, and I’m me!”
“Lina, that’s why you’ll do a boatload better than me,” I grin at her “You’re amazing, you dumbass! You’re going to ace this, I know.”
“Yeah,” Gloria snorts “Remember that one time Elise stuck her foot out so Alpha Cole fell down the stairs face first?
He threw a fit after that.”
“Well, he was being an ass,” I say, pouring juice in a cup and setting the jug aside “Luke would’ve beheaded him for flirting with me like a desperate ape.”
“You should learn how to do that, Lina,” Gloria says to the bride
“Her mate would not let another soul near her, let alone—
Words fall away as I lose my balance, my foot tripping over a chain on the floor and I fall face-first into it, with no
Luke to save my bones this time.
“Ow,” I mumble, rubbing my cheek as I sit up
In the eerie silence, I look up and to my absolute horror, a big orange stain has found its home at the center of
Angelina’s flawless white dress.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Gloria starts wiping it with tissues
“Oh moon,” I run a hand through my hair as the stain stays persistent
“It’s ruined,” Angelina wails, her eyes brimming with tears “We bought this dress together and now it’s ruined!”
My mind runs a million miles per second as I pace around, Gloria ushers Angelina not to cry lest she ruins the makeup and her mood.
Think, Elise! This can't be happening! Not to Angelina, not because of you!
My darting eyes go to the window and I see a certain young couple walking around. Going to the window, I peek out.
“Carlos!”
His head whips up, eyebrows shooting to the sky at my probably worried-sick face.
“The car, it's urgent!” I say, fleetingly watching as he squeezes his mate’s hand before rushing to the parking
“Come on,” I grab Angelina’s hand and start to the door “We don’t have much time!”
“The guests are arriving,” Angelina moans in despair as I take a sharp turn, away from prying eyes towards the backside of the house “We’re headed for certain doom.”
I see my bestie waiting by a car, when he sees us coming, he straightens before his eyes land on Angelina’s dress and they widen.
“Holy mother of—
“I know,” I say, panic leaking in my voice “We need to hurry.”
I all but throw myself in the passenger seat, Angelina and Gloria stuff themselves in the back seat.
“How did this happen?” Carlos gets in the driver's seat “What are we going to do now?”
“To a dry cleaner,” I say, quickly fixing my hair in the rear mirror “The one where we usually get clothes from.”
“But what are we going to—
I stop listening to him as Angelina takes a sharp breath, my head snaps back to hers, her forest eyes are wide “He’s here.”
In the rear mirror, I catch sight of her mate’s car.
“What?” Carlos almost yells “But he wasn’t supposed to be here for at least another hour!”
The car behind us stops and two men step out, one of them instantly focusing on our car, confusion etched across his face.
Gloria leans forward from her seat and all but yells;
“Drive, bitch, drive!”
And we’re racing down the streets, I peek my head out of the window, my hair flying wildly. My eyes find the dumbfounded looks on the groom and his best man’s faces.
“Sorry, Ethan! I have to borrow your mate for a while!”
Through the busy streets of a little town near Minneapolis, we race to a dry cleaner. I briefly wonder what we might look like. A distressed bride, two bridesmaids, and a man in a suit, maybe the groom.
I enter the little shop, looking around my eyes land on the woman at the counter.
“Excuse me,” I ring the bell there, she lazily looks up from her nails “Hi, we have a little problem.”
I gesture at Angelina’s dress as she enters with the other two “We need that dry cleaned right now.”
“Sorry miss,” the worker drawls out “We return clothes after 24 hours.”
I hope Angelina hasn’t fainted.
I didn’t want to do this.
“Maybe you don’t understand the gravity of our situation,” I growl lowly, letting a bit of authority leak out “We need this done, now.”
The young werewolf’s eyes widen before her head lowers in submission “L-Luna Supreme! I didn’t recognize you, ma’am.”
“Now that we’ve established as much,” I say calmly “we don’t have much time.”
“Of course, make yourselves comfortable.” She nods hurriedly
Angelina is put out of her dress and into a plain pink only twenty minutes later, her dress is given back,
flawless clean.
“Hurry up!” I wave my hands animatedly as Gloria settles Angelina’s veil, still in the dry cleaner’s shop
“Shut up, let me focus!” Gloria says
“Shut up, both of you!” Angelina says “I think I’m having a cardiac arrest!”
“Do you have to?” Carlos says “I didn’t want to leave James to go to the hospital with you three.”
I kick him on the shins, he jumps around on one foot.
“I was kidding!” Carlos pouts at me “How can you be so violent towards me, bestie?”
“Save the act for your mate,” I give him a look “I know you always enjoy last-minute adventures.”
He flashes me his usual crooked grin “Damn right I do.”
“Done!” Gloria says
We stuff into the car again and once again, racing down the road, considerably calmer this time.
“Come on,” Gloria and I grab Angelina and start towards the altar
“Goddess,” Mom rushes over to us “Where have you girls been?”
“Last minute preparations?” I grin sheepishly
“Elise Marie Attwood! What sort of childish behavior is this? To think you’d grow up after finding a mate, a title, a
college and here you are—
“Oh give it a break, Juliette,” Morgan laughs, patting my mother’s back “They’re grown-ups! They can handle themselves.”
Mom sighs “Let's, exchange daughters.”
Morgan chuckles and presses a kiss to Angelina’s head “I’d rather not.”
“See?” I give my mother an exasperated look “That’s what moms are supposed to say!”
“We’ll discuss that later, dear,” Mom says “You’re already late.”
Carlos leads Angelina down the altar as Gloria and I make our way to our seats.
I slump into my chair next to a piece of handsome granite, finally relaxing.
“Troubles, Hazel?” Warm callous finger interlock with mine
“Causing and solving,” I flash Luke a grin “But I got everything right in the end.”
“So it was a good decision to send Carlos to the backside, I see.”
“Wait, you knew?” my eyebrows shoot to the sky
“Well, it’s not every day I see you screaming something at someone from a window,” Luke says to me, his face
impassive as ever “It happens once a week, and this week’s entry was already filled when you suddenly remembered you need a matching bridesmaid dress.”
I give him the stink eye “You’re a mean asshole, you know that?”
“Mean asshole that you’re madly in love with.”
I sigh and shake my head “Too late for regrets.”
Angelina and Ethan say their vows and I feel myself smile. After the huge misunderstanding a few months ago was clear, Ethan visited our pack to meet Alpha Jax and, surprise, surprise, he found his dream girl pouring tea for him.
Since that spectacle about my wedding with Ethan raised a lot of questions, we decided to act as if the Alpha’s family and my family already knew Luke and I were mates and kept it secret for the sake of security and that my mother wasn’t present at Ethan’s pack at my wedding and I didn’t have my memory due to my injury.
Luke held a grudge against his parents, Ethan, and a boatload of other people and it took quite some persuasion to make him forgive them.
The crowd erupts into wild cheers as the two adorable mates kiss each other.
Now standing up, I rest my head against Luke’s shoulders, his arm moves to wrap around me.
“I’m not the mean asshole now, Elise?” he asks
“You still are,” I say softly “But I still love you.”
His lips press against my hair “I know you do, Hazel.”
I grin up at him, about to say something when something hits my head.
“Ow!”
My hand snatches at it and I realize it’s a bouquet. The one Morgan had given Angelina.
Eyes wide in horror I look up to see everyone’s eyes on us. I caught the bride’s bouquet.
“Seems like our star couple is tying the knot next,” Casper wiggles his brows at us, Gloria on his arm
“We’ve been waiting for that grand event, Alpha, Luna,” Ethan says with a smile
“You better start preparing right now, Elise.” Angelina giggles
I look at Luke for help, but the bastard simply flickers a small smile in my direction before addressing the mass of people around us.
“That is entirely up to your Luna Supreme,” he says, face impassive “I’m ready to get married right now.”
“What do you say then, Luna?” Gloria says “Should we start shopping?”
I glance at the bouquet in my hands, the man by my side, and the family and friends around me. a smile tugs at my lips.
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
The change in their demeanors makes a laugh bubbled past my lips, especially because Luke looks like I just told him
I’m about to take over the throne alone.
“Really?” Mom asks “Do you mean it?”
“Maybe,” I shrug with a grin
Everyone groans and gives me looks, some amused, some tired, some exasperated.
“You do like keeping me on my toes, don’t you Hazel?” Luke says in my ear
“Don’t you know, Winters?” I smile innocently “It’s always a good idea to stay unpredictable.”
…