by Tamara White
"Oh, thank God, Britt. I was freaking the fuck out!" I exclaim as I step back and take the dress gratefully.
She chuckles, guiding me to the closest bed where she makes me sit down. "Do you need some fairy godmother magic? Because I can help," she offers, and my shoulders slump in relief.
"Yes! Thank you so much. I owe you for this."
"Nah, that's what friends are for. Now, take a deep breath and calm down." I do as she instructs, my heart beginning to slow, but the butterflies in my stomach continue to churn sickeningly. "Good, now get dressed and then we'll work some magic."
I nod, taking the dress into the bathroom, pleased to see I won’t have to wear a bra with it. My tank top goes flying as I hurry to get dressed, and when I am fully clothed, I can't help but stare. The dress, while long in the back, is split down the middle like an upside down V, revealing my legs. It's a dress made to move in and I actually find myself excited for the chance to dance with Nik.
On me, the dress looks dressy, yet still somewhat casual. I was right about not needing a bra, finding the built-in one holds my breasts up nicely and seems to draw attention to the markings on my pale skin.
My hair is in disarray, and my eyes are bright with happiness. A date wasn't something I expected, especially not so soon after our group date, but I am excited to spend time one-on-one with Nik and find out more about him.
The idea of having a singular relationship with each of them, while all of us still being together, makes me happy. We all kind of just moved in together, skipping the dating and the getting to know each other phase entirely.
This may be just what we need.
When I come back out into the bedroom, it’s to see Britt holding the bouquet of roses I had set down on the dresser near my bags when I began searching for an outfit.
She breathes in deeply, taking in their soft scent with a dreamy smile before holding them out to me. I take them back, the action a bit possessive, which only makes her grin even wider.
"Do you know what lilac roses mean, Mer?"
I frown, unsure about what she means. She smirks, a hidden knowledge in her eyes. "Lilac means love at first sight. He's also given you thirteen rather than the traditional twelve most men would. He's using his old customs to woo you."
The obvious glee in her voice makes me want to blush. I hadn’t actually noticed anything special about the roses, or about how many there were.
Her smirk grows, but I still don't understand what she's trying to say. "He never did any of that for Felicia. He shared very little of his Russian heritage with her."
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Seriously? Why not?"
"Nope," she says, her mouth popping on the sound. "It seems he is very, very determined to prove how much you mean to him. Whereas she didn't want to know about what made him who he was, she just wanted the power that would come with it. She always referred to his russian heritage as nothing more than his ‘archaic customs.’ All she wanted was for him to marry her and make her his Princess, soul-tie or not. She should have known you can’t become a Princess just by wanting it. And no way in hell was Nik ever going to marry her. He may have let her treat him like crap out of loneliness, but it would have never gone further than that. Then in you walk, a real Princess without even knowing it. You captured Nikoli first with your soul-tie, this bond he couldn’t deny, and then he got to see everything that makes you the kind and wonderful best friend I know.” She smiles warmly at me, and I return the gesture.
"And then, he declares his love for you with those flowers. It’s so sweet, and I've never been happier for you."
I scoff, rolling my eyes. "Or maybe he just couldn't find flowers in any other colors. Maybe he didn't have time to research what each flower means like you obviously did."
She smiles in amusement as she guides me to the bed, and gets to work, weaving her magic on my hair and face. "Think whatever you want, Mer, but Nikoli is meticulous. He knows exactly what those flowers mean, and he wanted you to know what they meant as well. Why else would he have asked me to get your dress?"
I look up at her, confused, and she blows out a puff of air. "I'm a witch, Mer. Flowers are used in many potions, and Nik knows that. He would have known I’d be well aware of what they meant. He's a bit cheeky, if you ask me." She hums as she starts to move my hair with her magic, and I feel it pulling tight into a high ponytail.
I go over her words in my head as she plays with my hair, and I wonder if she's right.
Did he really give those roses to me in order to tell me he loved me from the moment he first laid eyes on me? Or was it just coincidence? And why wouldn't he just come right out and say it if that were the case? There's no reason for him to use flowers to tell me. I would have preferred he just be straightforward with me, although I will admit I find it cute that he gave me flowers that hold a special meaning, other than just as a nice gesture.
Maybe if it comes up on our date, I can ask him, rather than be left in the dark wondering what if.
Once Britt has finished magically curling my hair, she beams down at me, and I feel the soft touches of her magic as she applies my makeup. A girl could get used to this.
She takes a step back and frowns, tapping her chin. "There's something missing," she muses as she looks me over, and I fight to hold still under her scrutiny.
"AH! I know!" She bounces on the balls of her feet excitedly. "Stand up, Mer. I have an idea."
I get to my feet and wait as she concentrates, her magic building. She begins to speak as she waves her hands through the air, and I watch as my dress starts to light up.
"So, I know this isn't exactly orthodox, but I wanted to do something special to the dress. It will give us all a little reassurance and offer you a little protection," she says and I nod my assent.
I trust her with my life. If she says whatever she’s doing will help protect me, then I believe her.
Her hands glow silver as magic builds in her palms and she coats my dress in little sparkles. They settle on my dress, a tingle running through me before it settles, returning to its normal blue hue, just with an otherworldly aura.
My body tingles from the rush of magic, and I breathe a little faster, trying to get my beast to settle after the sudden surge of power.
Britt wobbles to the bed and sits down before she drops, looking completely exhausted.
"Shit! Are you okay? What did you do?" I ask, concerned by her pallid complexion. She looks like Talon did after not having fed for days. Maybe when a witch uses their magic, it drains their power, making them weak much the same way it would if a vampire or wolf didn't feed.
She smiles at me softly. "Don't worry, I'll be okay." She sighs, lying back on the bed as I look down at her. "What I did is a kind of warning spell. It will zap you if you're in danger, and will alert me or one of my guys, whichever is closest. Then, we can transport right to you if something happens," she explains and I look down at her in wonder.
My best friend is fucking amazing! I can't believe she did that, knowing it would drain her to this point. "You are awesome. You know that, right?"
A man groans from the doorway, and I look over to see Torie standing there, looking defeated. "Great, you've told her she's awesome, and now she'll be boasting about it for days."
I laugh, knowing it's true. She may not be modest, but she's still my friend. "She is awesome, and you should all bow down to her awesomeness," I tease as he walks into the room, dropping beside the bed and scooping her up in his arms. Her eyes are closed, and she has a soft smile on her face, but I can't help but worry about her.
Torie goes to leave, but I stop him by placing my hand on his arm gently. I look down at her still form. "Is she gonna be okay?"
He smiles warmly at me and pulls her closer to his chest. "She'll be fine. She just has trouble finding the balance when using her powers. She just needs to rest, but I’m sure she’ll be up and about within a few hours."
I sigh, relieved to hear it wasn’t as serious as
I thought. I would hate for her to use her magic on me and be down for days because of it.
He smiles broadly as we walk out into the front room. "Don't worry, Em. We'll be sure to restore her energy if she needs it.” He gives me a wink before making his way out of the room.
I watch the door close behind him, noticing he didn't use his hands to open the door or to close it.
My gaze swings around to Nik, who is standing at the kitchen counter waiting for me to speak. “Did he mean what I think he did by that?" I ask, Torie’s words replaying in my mind.
Nik grins appraisingly as his eyes roam over every inch of my body. "If you think he meant that they recharge their energy through sex, then yes, that’s exactly what he meant. They each hold a natural reserve and she can draw on that without intercourse, but there's something special about the way they're tied together that’s different than it is for most witches. When she has sex with one of them, it builds her natural reserve without depleting theirs. And if she has sex with all of them at once, well, apparently it supplies her with an influx of power that could rival the coven as a whole.”
Wow. I guess there's still a lot more that Britt and I need to discuss. How could she not mention any of that during our talk about all the trouble she’s been having in the coven? Wouldn't that ability show the coven she's unique and worthy of being treasured, not bullied into sharing her husbands?
"You ready, Em?" Nik asks, drawing me from my thoughts.
I nod excitedly and reach for the blue shawl he holds out for me, the color matching my dress perfectly. "Yep! Any hints on where we're going?"
He considers his answer for a moment and then gives a cheeky grin. "No hints. I want it to be a surprise, but I do need to ask if we can take your car tonight? Talon and Dev took mine," he explains with a pout.
I laugh and grab the keys from the counter. I hand them over to him, keeping them pressed into his hand as I meet his eyes. "If you hurt her, though, and I mean even a scratch, well, lets just say the consequences won’t be anything pleasant,” I tease, enjoying the way his eyes linger over my lips.
I relinquish the keys, and we step out into the hall together, heading straight for the elevators. As we step inside to go down I think about where he could be taking us. Wherever it is, he better drive carefully in my baby. I don’t want her scratched up.
Nineteen – Nik’s Time
Emerald
We walk through the coven to try and make our escape, but are stopped by my mother as soon as we step out onto the garage level. She has a camera in her hand and my father trailing behind her. I sense what’s coming, but I really don't want to stand around and pose for pictures.
Not that it really matters what I want because then she gives me this sad look, which makes me feel guilty for not letting her take them. So I give in, if for no other reason than to get us out of there faster. She is treating me like I’m a child, and that is when it dawns on me. She missed out on all of these moments with me when I was growing up.
To be fair, I didn’t have too many of those big picture-worthy moments in my life, but she missed out on the few I did have.
My mood goes from sour to depressed in a nanosecond, and at that point, I let her take all the pictures she wants. I pose with Nik for several and then take some with my father as well. Nik even gets hold of the camera at one point and takes a few family pictures of my parents and I.
Finally, they let us go. We say our goodbyes, and then Nik walks me to the car, opening my door for me. I sit down and rest my head back against the seat with a sigh. Who knew taking pictures could be so tiresome?
When Nik climbs into the driver’s side, he leans over and claims my lips in a soft kiss, surprising me. When he pulls away, it’s with a massive smile on his face.
"What was that for?" I ask, feeling a little breathless.
He smirks and starts the car. "The whole time we were in there, I could feel your anxiety. You didn't want your picture taken, and I could see it in your eyes. But then there was a moment when Sie got upset and you just… changed. Like something clicked in your mind, and you sucked it up and let them take all those photos."
I blush and look down at my hands, twisting my fingers as I do, trying not to let him see the worry in my eyes.
"I got angry that she was treating me like a child, but then I realized she never got that time with me. She never got to see me grow up, or go on my first date, or anything like that. Not that I did any of those things anyway, but I knew she deserved the chance to do what they would have if I was a teenager going on a date, which was to take a billion pictures apparently."
He remains silent and the only sound is the purr of the engine. I glance up and see a look of awe in his eyes. "You know, sometimes you amaze me. Tonight, you gave them something they will always cherish."
He leans forward and kisses me again. This time, however, the kiss is deeper and filled with need. I moan into his mouth, enjoying the way he nips my bottom lip when he pulls away.
He starts the car as I sit there with my heart racing. It’s totally not fair that he just did that. How am I supposed to survive a whole night on a date with him, when all I want to do is call the whole thing off and have him take me right here?
"Emerald, is this really your first date? As in first real date period?" Nik asks, breaking the silence between us.
I let my hair fall down to cover my face, and focus on the road. "Uh... yes, technically. The date with the three of you was officially my first date, but if you mean my first date with only one man? Then yes," I reply, keeping my voice neutral.
He doesn't respond right away, and I worry he may be upset by the news. After a minute, we turn down a little street lined with restaurants specializing in all sorts of foreign cuisines and he parks my baby. He turns the ignition off before shifting in his seat to study me intently. "Why didn't you tell us? If we had known, we would have made the night that much better for you. Though, I admit the idea of being the first to take you on a traditional date fills me with a possessive streak," he murmurs, running a finger down my cheek, then along the side of my neck until he meets my heaving cleavage. I gasp, my panties completely soaked through. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was trying to turn me on before dinner.
Well, two can play at that game.
I lean forward, fluttering my eyelashes. "Hmm, maybe we should hurry up and have dinner, so I can get dessert after," I suggest wickedly, my heart pounding.
He growls and leans forward, leaving only an inch of space between us. "Oh, I'll definitely feed you dessert, Emerald."
I give a sexy smirk and pull away, climbing out of the car before he can react. When he gets out, he glares at me across the hood of the car, and I grin back at him. "I'm capable of getting my own dessert, you know. I have three options to choose from after all," I tease playfully.
He throws his head back with a laugh, causing my heart to skip a beat. He always acts so serious in the coven, like he can't be free. To see the pure happiness on his face makes my heart swell with joy.
Nik comes around the car and wipes away a stray tear that escaped. "What's wrong?" he asks, a look of worry in his eyes.
"I'm not sad, I'm happy."
"Happy?" he asks doubtfully.
"Yes, happy. I'm happy because you're happy," I explain, and he cocks his head in confusion. "It can be a lot of pressure being with the three of you. At first, it was all new and exciting, but now I have worries about keeping all three of you satisfied. It's also kind of hard for me because you three already have this unshakable bond. Where do I fit in? Do I even fit in at all?"
He opens his mouth to speak, but I push on. "I know it’s going to take time, but I just worry. What if I don't connect with you guys in a group capacity? Individually, we all get along great, but there are moments where I try to pay attention to one of you, and I sense the jealousy, or disappointment from the others. It’s just hard to find the balance, and not to be a whiny girl here, but you guys don't exact
ly convey your feelings well. Unless it’s anger, that is. That I recognize, but whether or not you're all happy, I have no idea."
Nik remains quiet, gazing into my eyes as if trying to determine whether I held anything back. Then he sighs and pulls me into his arms, embracing me tightly.
"Emerald, I am so sorry. We didn't really think about how our actions would affect you, and we should have. When we get back to the coven, I promise we will all sit down and talk." He leans away to look down at me. "The reason for this date was kind of for the same reason you just brought up. I wanted to see if this would work, and figure out if you had interest in me outside of the group of us, I guess."
I shake my head and can't help the smile that comes to my face. "I guess we're both pretty insecure in this relationship, aren't we?"
"Come on, let’s go have a fun date night and forget all about this for a bit. For now, you're all mine and I want you to have a good night."
He leads me along the sidewalk until we come to a small restaurant nestled in between two apartment buildings. While most of the buildings on this block look pretty fancy, this place looks like a homey little restaurant. I glance down at my dress, worried that I'm overdressed, but then I look at Nik in his suit. At least I won't be the only one who stands out.
As we climb the steps to the restaurant, foreign sounding music that I don’t recognize slowly seeps out from under the doorway, and I find myself intrigued. Nik holds the door open for me, and I gasp in shock.
I no longer worry about my clothes as I take in my surroundings. While on the outside it looks rustic and unassuming, the inside is beautiful. There are just under twenty tables on the main floor, and a server dressed in a tux stands off to the side, smiling when he sees Nik.
A chandelier hangs in the middle of the room, and under it a small space has been left open for people to dance.
