“That’s why he had me bring a dress over for you, he figured as much after you’re last phone call.”
I step out of the tub wrapping a towel around me. “He knew I wouldn’t say no didn’t he?” I say yanking the door open and startling Jules.
“Actually, he told me not to accept no as answer. Also that I wasn’t allowed to leave here until I had you with me.” Jules says as I walk past him towards my bedroom.
“I bet he did.” I walk into my room and there is large white box on my bed. And a smaller deeper white box also. Jules walks in behind me. “He had you buy me a dress, not bring me one of my own?”
“Yes. Go ahead and open it.” I walk over to the bed and lift the lid off the box and see red lace and carefully lift up the delicate material, pulling it out of the box.
It’s a floor length gown in red with the top half a beautiful red lace that has capped sleeves with a satin sweetheart bodice neckline underneath.
It’s an A-line frame that suits my body perfectly and the body of it has red ruffles running on the diagonal across it. It has a belted waist with a diamante piece in the middle.
“What do you think?” Jules asks me nervously.
“It’s gorgeous Jules.” I say putting the dress back down and turning around to hug him.
“Phew!” he says embracing me tightly. “Okay, well don’t forget about the shoes.”
I lift the lid of the shoe box. “Oh sweet lord.” I mutter picking up one red Monolo Blanhik high heel in my hand. I turn on Jules narrowing my eyes. “Is this about him thinking I’m breaking up with him?”
“What? Since when? No, I assure you Paris would never be so stupid to believe he could buy you and keep you as bought.” Jules replies. “It is definitely about this situation that has cropped over in Manhattan, he seriously needs you for it and he’s given me the town car to collect you and drive you to it.”
It’s only then that I notice Jules is in a tuxedo.
“Oh, right. Okay, well I’d better hustle.” I say dropping my towel as Jules politely turns away from me.
I get myself made up and together in thirty minutes. Not bad for a full face of makeup, a simple hair do, two thick braids, joining together into one down back, with my hair flowing down my back, a few loose wisps to frame my face.
I explain to Bodil that I have to go and she just waves a hand at me from the lounge room as she sits eating popcorn and watching the TV, in her hoodie and jeans, bare feet up on the table before her.
Jules and I bolt out the front door. He chats with me driving over to Manhattan, and by chat-ting I mean grills me on my earlier statement about thinking of breaking up.
“You and Paris are so damn good together Bg, how could ever think of it? Don’t you see it?’ Jules asks me passionately concerned.
“I do see it, and if I’m honest with you,” I state.
“Yes please,” Jules interjects.
“It is a little scary. To have something so utterly wonderful and damn near perfect.”
“Why’s it scary if it’s wonderful and perfect?” Jules asks me perplexed.
“Because I’m scared I’ll fuck it up. My only real relationship before Paris was with Conall and that was all kinds of fucked up and it took me forever to realise that.”
“Uh, trust me, you have nothing to worry about. Paris isn’t Conall Wakely and neither are you. That werewolf was lucky to have ever had you.” Jules says back at me, he knows the history of me and Conall. He like Paris and the rest of well, everyone, does not like Conall Wakely being associated with me.
51
We drive into Manhattan and I don’t know where we’re going but I find it strange that Jules double parks outside of High Line Park.
My door opens before I can ask him what we’re doing and Addison Harrington is there to greet me. Jules reaches across to me and kisses my temple.
“What was that for?” I ask him with a little smile. I do love feeling loved by the boys.
“Just cause your back.” He says back me. “I got to find somewhere to park this.”
Addison holds out a hand for me to help me out of the car and I step out in Monolo Blahniks. He too is wearing a tuxedo dinner suit. It’s almost seven pm on a weeknight in Manhattan.
“So brief me, what do I need to know?” I ask Addison as I lift my dress with both hands and carefully walk up the steps outside the park’s entrance and ascend into it with Addison.
“I don’t think it’s anything to complicated. I think Paris just, you know, he’s not really the subtle type when it comes to these types of things, it’s why he needs you.” Addison says to me helping me up the stairs to the top landing.
“Gorgeous dress by the way.” He says, placing a kiss behind my ear as we walk off the landing into the park grounds and are met by Wiatt D’arenberg, in formal wear.
Like his older brother, it suits him. “Lead on.” Addison says letting go of my hand as Wiatt crocks his arm for me to slide my arm through.
We start walking off slowly together, down the path. The park is lit up with a trail of fairy lights strung along on either side of the path. We’re clearly headed towards a particularly stylized, not your regular type of pack party.
“Hi Wiatt, long time no see.” I say at him. He smiles back at me warmly.
“I know, what’s with that?”
“Oh, isn’t Addison coming with us?” I say realising Addison isn’t walking with us as Wiatt and I walk forwards.
“No, Paris’s instructions I’m afraid.” Wiatt replies. “Love the hair,” Waitt says checking out my braids.
“Thanks, I’ve never actually been in here before, this place is cool.”
“It’s a repurposed rail line, an elevated parkland that sits at roof level height in and trails along Manhattan’s lower west side.” Wiatt informs me as we walk past greenery and a skyline of buildings and space. “I like walking through here,” Wiatt says to me. “It gives me a sense of the world, makes me remember, I’m a part of something.” He says looking ahead as I look at his profile. “It’s pretty cool.”
I wonder if Paris told him to say that or if that’s just how Wiatt feels about life and the world with werewolves in it, in general. Before I can ask him I realize there’s another figure standing in the middle of the path, also in a tuxedo.
Actually two of them.
“Phelan? Thane?” I ask puzzled by my twin’s appearance and our older brother. Not only because I have no idea why he would be at a Manhattan Maen pack related event, but also because he’s cleaned up quite a lot since I saw him last.
“What are you doing here? I mean, not that I’m not happy to see you or anything,” I say as he takes over from Wiatt and we too start walking further down the path, again, as I glance over my shoulder leaving Wiatt behind.
Thane slips my arm through his on the opposite side. “Got an invitation to come see New York, like I’d turn that down.” He says humoursly.
“Wait, you got an invitation to attend this Manhattan Maen’s pack event?” I ask him suspiciously.
“Yep, from Paris himself.” Phelan answers me.
“But Jules made this sound like it was an emergency pop up situation.” I say as we walk on.
“Maybe he left it to the last minute, is he any good at organizing stuff? What man is?” Phelan comments. These two for all intents should not be here. Something is definitely up. Phelan leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
“You look fantastic sis.”
“Thank you, you look pretty good too.” I say with a wink as we continue walking forward e. I allow us to walk in silence for about ten seconds before I start in on Thane. “Okay, what is going on here?”
Thane looks across at me coolly. If anyone is going to be honest with me here, it’s got to be Thane. I gave him pack leadership for god sake, he owes me. “We’re walking. It’s a lovely night for a walk Bg, Manhattan at night is really quiet stunning isn’t it?”
“Yeah, you should see the view from Par
is’s apartment.”
“Yeah, good?” Thane asks me.
“Spectacular.” I state already seeing another two figures further ahead of us, also waiting.
“A bit like that dress.” Thane says leaning into me and whispering.
“Paris put you boys up to this didn’t he?”
“Do you honestly think we’d do something we don’t want to do because another werewolf told us too?” Thane says as they deposit me with my youngest half-brother, Joss and my oldest brother Aksel. I look at Thane as I take up both Sommers brother’s arms.
“I hope not.”
“You know not.” He smiles at me and he too kisses my cheek before Aksel, Joss and I begin our walk.
I can hear the sounds of music as we walk through what I believe is the Chelsea district skyline. But I can’t be sure. Jazz music floats through the air and again I look up at the fairy lights, decorating the way for me.
“I don’t suppose either of you two is going to tell me what is going on here?”
“You suppose right.” Aksel answers me with a grin.
“Hey, I’m walking in brand new high heels here, do you know how much I’m going to bleed into these Monolo Blahniks without an answer?”
“Not the first time you’ve bled Bg, but probably the first time for fashion” Joss fires off at me.
“Hey you little smart-ass,” I hiss back at him. “You wouldn’t know fashion if it hit you on the face.”
“True, so don’t hit me with your new bloody shoes, okay?” Joss smirks at me. I look from him back to Aksel.
“Really? You’re really both not going to tell me?”
“Sorry Bg, sworn to secrecy.” Aksel says as his grin gets bigger.
I shake my head as we approach yet another, lone figure in the middle of the footpath, He too like all the other men I’ve walked with, is in a tuxedo and looking stunning. He too like the other men I’ve walked with, is a special man in my life. I slip my hands out of Joss and Aksel’s arms and turn to them.
“Any last words?”
“You look beautiful.” Aksel says kissing my forehead.
I turn to Joss. “You’re look as gorgeous on the outside as I know you are on the inside.” Joss says making my eyes begin to tear. “No crying,” He says quickly. “You don’t have time for a patch up job.”
I laugh at him and wave goodbye to the two Sommers brothers and turn and walk three steps towards my favorite.
Markus Sommers. A man in my life who has meant so damn much to me that I can’t even find enough words to say how.
“Hey,” I say greeting him.
“How you doing?” He asks me as we start walking to where the music is predominately coming from. I recognise the singer, it’s Dean Martin.
“I’m beginning to do a lot better than I have been. So this is where you went off to earlier huh, when you said you were just going out for a while?”
“Busted.” Markus says as we keep walking the path of fairy lights, and the lights of windows in buildings beside the park line’s elevated status.
“Would there be any point in me asking you what is going on?” I try.
“None at all.” Markus smiles back at me. “But you know, I got your back.”
“Alright then, let’s plough.” I reply quoting a line from a favourite movie of ours as I place my other hand onto of his.
“Let’s.” Markus replies.
The music is getting louder now and I can hear that it’s not Dean Martin. I mean, it’s a Dean Martin song alright, but it’s not a Dean Martin recording of his song Memories Are Made of This. It’s someone singing a Dean Martin song and a band playing it live.
We round a bend in the park and under a backdrop of makeshift, trees that have been put into the park for this, with a backdrop of buildings and a perspective street view, I can see the moon. Large and round in the background and Paris D’arenberg standing on the grass of the park. By himself.
There is no pack here, no werewolves other than Markus, myself and him. It’s just Paris, standing before me, waiting for me. To his left side, a band on a platform, sings the Dean Martin song I’ve been hearing along the walk.
Paris too, is in a tuxedo and looking at me with nothing but love on his face. Why’d I think I needed space from him? He’s the good part of my life, how’d I forget that? Markus walks me towards Paris, we stop before him and I look at Markus who can’t stop smiling at me.
“I love you, Atijd.” He kisses my temple and straightens up. “Go get him girl.” I watch as Markus walks away from us, giving us a bit of space as he continues to stand nearby.
I find myself shaking my head and grinning as I turn back to face Paris. The only time I’ve been nervous around Paris was the first time we met. Right now, butterflies are tap dancing in my stomach and I have no idea why.
“Dance?” He asks me.
“Sure.”
He holds me in a proper and formal dance hold. It’s a well held secret, that Paris, is a great dancer. But he only dances like this, in formal wear and to Dean Martin. He told me that on our first date.
The band strikes up the song Gentle on My Mind. Paris skillfully glides me around the small grass square we’re situated in, so expertly that my heels don’t have a chance to even think about sinking into the grass. My dress swirls out around me and my smile grows bigger. My cheeks are beginning to hurt because I feel so good in his arms. How amazing is that?
“You are a vision,” He says as we move around in perfect synchronicity with the music.
We waltz like it’s as natural as breathing. Paris somehow just makes me know how to do this. My body just responds to his influence. I feel my nervous energy melt away with each swaying movement.
“The dress is perfect.”
He finally smiles at me as if shy. “I’m glad you like.” He says as we move around in grand style.
“And the shoes are fabulous.” Paris chuckles lightly and the band goes into That’s Amore. “They’re really good.” I say looking over at the band.
“Dean Martin tribute singer.” Paris says as we slow down as our Dean Martin singer mimic says something about us being in a dream. I can’t focus on the song as I lose myself into the depths of dark blue storm cloud eyes before me. “I guess I owe you an explanation for this rather elaborate lie. I didn’t mean to lie to you, or to have Jules lie to you Bg,” He starts off with holding both my hands down line. “But I honestly didn’t think you wanted to see my face again. I was little freaked out.”
“You? Freaked out?” I state surprised. “Unheard of.”
“Not when it comes to you sweetheart. You have all that power and so much more over me.” He says solely. “In all that’s gone on lately, all that we’ve been through, I forgot something very important.”
I frown unsure what he’s talking about. “What?” But to be fair I am just so damn happy right now, I can’t really think past this feeling.
“You’re birthday.” He smiles. My mouth drops open. The band goes into the song Memories Are Made of This.
“Oh, that? Don’t worry about it. I mean, we were on the run from a pack of deranged of werewolves.” I find myself dancing around High Line Park feeling more than comfortable to follow Paris’s lead. “No one else seemed to remember either, now that I think about it.” I state as we glide together and Paris pulls me in closer to him, so I can wrap my arms around his neck.
“I still need an iou on the birthday gift, the other one got trashed at your house when those bastards broke into your house and it slipped my mind when we came back.” Paris tells me.
I laugh at him. “Paris, that’s fine, this is enough. This is wonderful, this little surprise night of dancing with you, to Dean Martin songs, is perfect. I love it. My life just goes from these crazy extremes to another one all the time and this is one of them. I got a new dress and shoes and every man in my life who means something to me was here. It’s so amazing that you would do this for me.”
Paris slows us down to a
gradual stop as I realize the music has actually stopped. Paris looks at the singer. “Take two.” He says to the singer who nods his head.
“Although you know, cake wouldn’t go astray, birthday cake.” I say shamelessly.
“Pretty sure cake can be arranged. But there’s something else I’ve been meaning to say for a while now, well I have said before. But I think I’ve been saying it wrong, screwing it up.” He says dropping one of my hands and lowering to a bended knee.
The gasp that leaves my mouth is automatic. Paris produces a small blue box from his pocket and pops the lid back to reveal a sparkling ring with a large, solitaire sapphire on a plain band.
“Cadence Sommers, I want you so damn much I wonder how my heart can contain what it makes me feel for you. I’d be so honoured if you’d be my not only my pack mate, but my wife in this, crazy life. Will you marry me?” Paris asks looking up at me.
“Yes.” I fire off at him. “Yes, yes, yes.” I cry out jumping up and down.
Paris grins and pulls the ring out of the box and slips it on my finger, before pocketing the box again and standing up to face me.
“I love you sweetheart, with all my heart.” Paris says as I slide my arms around his neck and drawer in closer to him.
“And I, you, my alpha.” I husk before my lips meet him to ignite a passion that is never far from the surface of me when I am with him.
The band starts playing Ain’t Love a Kick in the Head. The song that on our first date, Paris and I sang to one another in jest.
“You seriously know how to sweep a girl off her feet.” I say as we begin dancing again. “I am loving all of this, how are you going to top it? My expectations have been raised.”
“Well, I called in a few favours to get the park to myself for two hours, the band I knew about, Jules and my mom thankfully did all the hard work.” Paris says looking at my dress. I laugh.
“My only instruction was it had to be red. Apparently they terrorized five sales girls at Neiman Marcus. Jules got one of them to wear a black wig so he could visualize the dress properly for you.” It’s hard not to laugh at the story. Jules is the most peaceful pacifist I know. Practically unheard of for a werewolf.
Red White and Werewolf Page 20
