by I. T. Lucas
“You are only delaying the inevitable,” Turner said. “Compared to your lifespan, hers will be gone in the blink of an eye.”
“Perhaps. But I’m a young immortal, and I haven’t lived for so long that the passage of time has lost all meaning to me. Fifty or sixty years still seem like a lot.”
70
Jacki
“It fits perfectly.” Amanda motioned for Jacki to turn in a circle.
Jacki turned and faked a smile, but her heart wasn’t in it.
The dress was perfect, but after the bomb that Amanda had tossed at her feet, Jacki couldn’t bring herself to care.
Amanda had made it sound as if sex was the ultimate compatibility test, and that marrying Kalugal before they formed a bond was a mistake.
None of the others had refuted Amanda’s claim, which meant that it wasn’t just her opinion but something everyone agreed upon.
Should she seduce Kalugal tonight?
It wouldn’t be difficult, and Jacki didn’t care that they were not married yet, but what difference would one night make?
The only one for whom it had happened the first time was Carol, and she was already an immortal and definitely not a virgin. From the other ladies’ teasing, it was obvious that Carol had had a lot of experience in the sensual arts before meeting Lokan, and Amanda had been quite active herself.
Bridget had stayed out of it, reading news about the virus’s spread on her phone, frowning and shaking her head, so it wasn’t clear what her experience had been before meeting Turner.
“I brought you shoes.” Amanda opened the suitcase and pulled out a pair with spiky heels at least four inches high. “We wear the same shoe size, and these are brand new. I bought them in several colors and haven’t had the chance to wear the white ones yet.”
“I don’t think I can walk in those. I have white shoes with a comfortable heel.”
“Don’t be silly.” Amanda put the pair on the floor. “Those are Louboutins. They are very comfortable despite the high heel.”
Bracing with her hand on the dresser, Jacki stepped into one shoe and then the other. “I feel like a giraffe.” She walked from one end of the room to the other. “They are pretty comfortable, but the wedding is outside in the yard. The heels will get stuck in the grass.”
Amanda grimaced. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll have to sit this entire wedding out or wear flip flops, which I’m not going to do no matter what.”
Syssi chuckled. “You can have Dalhu carry you around.”
“I’ll figure something out.” She looked Jacki up and down. “I don’t think any last-minute alterations are needed. You can take the dress off, and we will tackle your hair.”
It was scary to let an amateur mess with it a day before the wedding, but the hotel’s salon was closed because of the virus. They were lucky that the entire hotel hadn’t shut down. But maybe the immortals had something to do with that, like thralling the management to keep it open.
After stripping out of the dress, Jacki handed it to Syssi, who put it back inside the garment bag it had arrived in.
“I have a question.” Jacki pulled her slacks back on. “Do you think that I should seduce Kalugal tonight? Or should I wait one more day for after the wedding?”
Amanda smirked. “You can seduce him tonight, and tomorrow night, and every night after that. Why waste time?”
Pulling the blouse on, Jacki looked at Syssi. “What do you think?”
“I think that one night is not going to make a difference, and if you always wanted your first time to be with your husband, you shouldn’t compromise. The bond is not likely to form after one time.”
“I agree with Syssi,” Callie said.
“Did you wait before you got married?” Jacki asked.
Callie snorted. “I was married before I met Brundar, and the only reason I got married in the first place was that I got pregnant.” Callie’s eyes saddened. “I lost the baby.” She shook herself. “But that belongs in the past. Anyway, when I met Brundar, he played hard to get, and it took serious effort on my part to seduce him. We are not married yet, and I don’t know if we ever will be, but we are mated for life, with or without a ceremony.”
“The ceremony is not just for you,” Syssi said. “It’s so all the people you care about can join in your happiness for one evening. That’s a lesson Kian taught me. When Annani pressed for a quick wedding, he was all for it while I was freaking out. Do you know how he convinced me?”
“I do,” Amanda said. “But the others probably don’t.”
“He said that this would be the first wedding ceremony in the history of the clan and that it would signal a new beginning and renew hope for the future. The celebration was more for the clan than it was for us. We didn’t need an official stamp of approval.” She looked at Amanda pointedly. “It’s about time that you and Dalhu celebrated your union in front of the entire clan too. It’s especially important now that we have a bunch of immortal bachelors available for our clanswomen. Seeing you and Dalhu tie the knot in an official ceremony, with the goddess blessing your union, will send the message that it’s okay to give the former Doomers a chance.”
Amanda huffed out a breath. “Everyone knows that I’m mated to a former Doomer. I don’t see why we need anything official.”
“Dalhu hardly ever leaves his studio, and not many people know him. He is an enigma, and only your close friends know how much he adores you and how happy you are together.” Syssi smiled. “What’s the big deal? You are the queen of organizing fabulous parties. You could put together the most elaborate celebration the clan has ever known.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that.”
“Tonight and tomorrow are all about Jacki, and then we need to wait for the damn virus to be gone, and after that, we have to celebrate Kian’s birthday. It will be a long time until I can even start thinking about a wedding party for Dalhu and me.”
It seemed like the only married couple in Kian’s party were Syssi and Kian, and the reason for that was more political than personal.
The more Jacki thought about it, the more convinced she became that there was no more reason to wait. She was going to seduce Kalugal tonight.
71
Jin
“I can’t believe that the wedding is tomorrow.” Jin wiped a hand over her sweaty forehead. “Are we driving or flying?”
Arwel pulled her on top of him and kissed her chin. “We can fly if you don’t want to take the motorhome. Kian wants Yamanu to shroud the mansion and the drones flying overhead, so he and Mey are taking the clan’s jet, and we can join them. But they are leaving early, so we will have to be at the airstrip at seven in the morning, and it’s a two-hour drive to get there. If we take the motorhome, we can leave later, and we won’t have to even change clothes. You can stay dressed in your birthday suit.” He kissed her neck.
“I’d rather fly.” Arwel was quite fond of the freaking motorhome, but Jin was sick of it. “Are we going to take this monster to the airstrip? Perhaps we can leave it for the Guardians and borrow Bowen’s or Leon’s car?”
“We can do that.”
Jin rolled off Arwel’s chest and snuggled up to his side. “I don’t have anything nice to wear for the wedding. I only brought casual stuff with me.”
“You can call Mey and ask her to bring you some of hers.”
“Yeah, that’s what I planned to do.” She smiled. “I always borrow from her when I need something fancier. Why waste money on clothes that I’m not going to wear more than once, right?”
He turned to his side and wrapped her in his arms. “I love how practical you are. But now that you are my mate, you can buy whatever you want. I have loads of money saved up.”
“That doesn’t mean we should spend it on frivolous things. You can invest in Tall and Fabulous.”
“Is that the name you and Mey have settled on?”
“For now. We are still tossing ideas around.” Jin reached for her phone. “I need to call her before I fo
rget.”
“I’m going to hit the shower.” Arwel slid out of bed.
“Are you going to shower in the cabin or here?”
“In the cabin. I don’t want to deplete the hot water for you.”
“Thank you.”
The motorhome had sounded like a good idea in theory, but it wasn’t as fun as she’d thought it would be. The water heater was tiny, the bed was uncomfortable, and Jin discovered that she was somewhat claustrophobic, and small spaces made her antsy.
Except, everything was annoying her lately, most likely because she wasn’t transitioning. There was also the virus to worry about, and Vlad’s mom bailing out on Richard had been an unexpected and upsetting setback.
The good news was that Wendy and Vlad seemed to be getting closer, and the best news was, of course, the wedding.
It still made her head spin to think that Jacki was actually marrying Kalugal. Jin wasn’t sure whether she should be happy for her friend or worried.
Kalugal was larger than life, a freaking demigod, so it was no wonder that Jacki had fallen for him. But had he fallen for Jacki? Or did he want her only because she was a Dormant, and he could make immortal babies with her?
Jin sighed. The only thing she could do was hope that everything would turn out okay, and that the freaking Fates knew what they were doing when they’d put those two together.
Selecting Mey’s number from her favorites list, Jin pushed up on the pillows and pulled the comforter up to her chin. The other thing she disliked about the motorhome was how cold it got inside.
“What’s up, Jin?” Mey sounded breathless.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“Yeah, my belly dancing practice.”
“Are you still at it? I thought you gave it up.”
“I need some form of exercise, and Yamanu loves it when I dance for him.”
“Aha. So it’s a double whammy. You get a workout during and after.”
“Precisely.”
Jin laughed. “By the way, Arwel and I are joining you and Yamanu tomorrow on the flight to San Francisco.”
“That’s awesome. I thought you were taking the motorhome.”
“We were, until I heard that you are flying over there. I need you to do me a favor. I don’t have anything nice to wear. Can you bring me something? And shoes too?”
“Didn’t Jacki tell you? The bridesmaids are going to wear saris.”
“She must have forgotten. But why saris? Kalugal is not Indian, and neither is Jacki.”
“They are from Eva’s wedding, and since saris don’t need to be fitted, they are a good solution when there is no time to prepare.”
“Yeah, but it’s freaking cold. We are going to freeze in them.”
“I’ll bring you pantyhose and a long-sleeved shirt to wear under it.”
“Can you also bring me a nice dress? Just in case I don’t like the sari.”
“I can do that.”
“And a cardigan to put over it.”
“You sound like you are cold.”
“I am. The damn motorhome is not well insulated, and it’s cold up here.”
“Why don’t you turn the heater on?”
“Because it smells iffy in here when we do, and then it gets too hot when Arwel and I get busy under the covers. I’m so ready to sleep in a comfortable bed in a nice hotel room.”
“Are you excited about the wedding?”
“I am. But I’m also worried. What if Kalugal is marrying Jacki only because she can give him immortal children?”
“Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind once or twice. Jacki is beautiful, and I like her as a person, but I can’t see her with someone like Kalugal. You said that he was a stuck-up snob, and she is so down to earth.”
“Maybe that’s the attraction.” Jin shifted to a more comfortable position. “Their differences make them interesting to each other.”
Mey sighed. “For now, when everything is still new and exciting. But what happens a year from now when they realize that they have nothing in common?”
“Who knows? Maybe they do. We will find out more tomorrow.”
72
Jacki
When they got home, Kalugal escorted Jacki upstairs, kissed her cheek, and handed her the garment bag with the dress and the other bag with the shoes. “I need to check on a few things, but it won’t take more than an hour. After I’m done, would you like to meet me in the library for a cup of coffee or a drink?”
Amanda’s words still reverberating through Jacki’s brain, she swallowed to moisten her dry throat. “I would love to. But maybe we can do that in the master’s sitting area instead?”
Kalugal smiled like a Cheshire Cat. “Of course. I’ll come to get you when I’m done.” He kissed her cheek again, opened the door to her room for her, and closed it behind her.
Letting out a breath, Jacki walked over to the bed, draped the wedding dress across it and sat down.
What should she do?
Should she wear the sexy nightgown and robe he’d bought for her? Let the robe part so the outline of her nude body would overpower Kalugal’s self-restraint?
Or should she just wait until tomorrow night like they had both agreed to do?
Except, now that Amanda had planted the seed of doubt in her mind, Jacki would be stressing over it throughout the ceremony and wouldn’t be able to enjoy herself.
What if they weren’t sexually compatible?
What if that elusive bond would never form between them?
Damn.
She had an amazing wedding dress, a brand new hairdo that looked awesome on her, and instead of floating in a bubble of excited happiness, she was anxious and worried.
Did that happen to all brides to be?
A wedding was a happy event, but it was also stressful, and she probably wasn’t the only one freaking out and questioning her decision. Except, she was probably the only bride aside from the deeply religious ones who was stressing about sex because she was still a virgin.
Jacki got up, opened the doors to the balcony, and stepped outside. As she lifted her face to the sky, hoping for a shooting star to give her a sign, the crisp night air was a welcome reprieve on her heated skin.
Perhaps instead of agonizing over whether she should make love with Kalugal tonight or wait, she should start working on her pledge to him. The few attempts she’d made so far had ended up in the bin, and she was running out of time.
What should she say?
If she went with what was in her heart, she would say that Kalugal was changing before her eyes. He seemed happier, more hopeful for the future. He was blossoming, but men didn’t like being compared to flowers.
It wasn’t manly enough.
Maybe she could say that she was happier and more hopeful than she’d ever dared to be? But that had been true before Amanda had scared her with her talk about bonds and compatibility.
With anxiety dampening her excitement, Jacki’s happiness had dimmed together with her hopefulness, and the right words eluded her.
Perhaps instead of reinventing the wheel, she could just go with the traditional words.
I, Jacki, take you, Kalugal, to be my wedded husband, and I promise in front of God and these witnesses to have and to hold you from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love, cherish, and honor you all the days of my life.
She could take out the part about sickness and health and be done with it. The traditional vow was probably better than anything she could come up with.
Maybe she should take out God as their witness too?
Jacki didn’t follow any particular religion, and Kalugal was probably an atheist. Back home, his people worshiped their murderous ancestor, but he obviously didn’t, and following his example, his men probably didn’t either.
Was there anything she could add? Or would that do?
For a moment, she contemplated emai
ling Jin and asking for her help, but she then discarded the idea. If she was about to use someone else’s words in her vows, she might as well use those that had withstood the test of time.
With that major source of stress eliminated, Jacki returned to the other one.
To seduce Kalugal tonight, or to wait until after the ceremony?
Lifting her face to the sky, she searched for a sign, but when no shooting star appeared, she looked down at the backyard and imagined it set up for the party.
Would there be music?
Right now, all she heard were the sounds of crickets and a muted television show from one of the neighbors’ houses. When an owl hooted and was answered by another, Jacki wondered if that could be the sign she’d been waiting for. But were owls considered a good or bad omen?
Damn. This was so stupid. What the hell was she doing standing out on the balcony and waiting for a sign?
That wasn’t like her. Usually, Jacki was much more decisive.
The root of the problem was that she was scared and didn’t want to admit it even to herself. A twenty-two-year-old should not be afraid of making love with her future husband for the first time, she should be eager for it.
73
Kalugal
After trying on the wedding dress and getting a beautiful new hairdo, Jacki should have been excited. Instead, she seemed perturbed.
Kalugal berated himself for joining the men on the terrace instead of staying in the living room and eavesdropping on the ladies’ conversation in the bedroom.
Someone must have said something to Jacki that had upset her.
But what?
Had Kian sent his sister to try to talk Jacki out of going through with the ceremony?
That was a ridiculous thought.
Kian had been surprisingly supportive of their decision to get married, and his cousin was not a good enough actor to fake it.
His sister, on the other hand, was star material, and not only because she was gorgeous. Amanda had an innate dramatic flair, and he had taken an immediate liking to her.
