by V. Vaughn
I smile as I recall the pictures in my scrapbook, where my obsession for gaudy color was apparent. I've since matured to something more understated. "No. I'm doing sage green and pale pink."
"Oh," my mother says with disappointment. "That's going to be a challenge to work with considering my coloring."
I roll my eyes at how she's making this about her. "You can wear a darker green and still match us, Rosemary."
"Yes. I suppose that's true. Although Carol will look lovely in sage or pink with her pale skin and auburn hair. Is that her natural color?" She leans forward more and lifts up a strand of her hair as she looks at herself in the rearview mirror. "Jayden, what do you think? Should I dye my hair that color too? I've always wanted to be a redhead. They're so sassy."
"I'm sure you can ask my mother," Alex says. "Perhaps you two should go shopping together."
"That's a wonderful idea!"
"It is," I agree. Because I'd forgotten how quickly Rosemary exhausts me. I don't know how I'm going to get through the next few weeks. But I'm also not sure I want to subject Carol to my mother, either. I don't have time to ponder it, though, because we've arrived at the caterer's, and I hop out of the truck.
As we approach the building, which also houses event rentals, I grab my mom's arm with the intention of reinforcing our boundaries. "I know you will have opinions, and I do want to hear them, but can you let us do the talking?"
"Of course, honey." She pats my hand. "I know you're a grown-up now. Don't worry."
Alex pulls the door open, and we step into air conditioning that merely takes the edge off the heat instead of being drastically cold. There are couches set up with a coffee table in the middle, and plush brown carpet sinks under our feet, muffling all sound as we walk. The door to Natalie's office is straight ahead, and it's open. She gets up from her desk and comes toward us holding a folder. "Jayden, Alex, how nice to see you."
"Hi, Natalie," I say. I gesture toward my mom. "This is Rosemary, my mother." While I know Natalie, who is a werewolf, is able to discern humans easily, I still widen my eyes to make sure she's aware.
Natalie winks at me before she holds out her hand to my mom. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you're having a lovely visit in Smokey Falls."
"It's nice to meet you, too, and I am enjoying my time here." Rosemary glances around at the tastefully decorated space. "What a soothing atmosphere. Almost boring. But I suppose you need it to calm nervous brides." She laughs, and Natalie joins her.
While Natalie is a werewolf and takes care of the pack's events, she also doubles as a wedding planner for humans in the area. "Most are fantastic, like Jayden," says Natalie as she opens her folder. "Shall we get started?" She hands us all a packet before we seat ourselves on the couches.
Alex sits next to me, pressing his thigh against mine as if he's offering me his strength, and paper rustles as I flip through the packet. It's a list of menu options, and I stop when I find the four-course-dinner page. I picture white linens on tables with a full place setting of white china, multiple cut-crystal glasses, and loads of shiny silverware. The image makes me smile as I imagine the elegance.
Natalie says, "As you can see, we have a variety of options. Since your wedding reception is going to be outside and you're going with a more casual atmosphere, I suggest the buffet described on page two."
The vision of sneeze guards, all-you-can-eat fried chicken in a greasy bin, and mushy vegetables flashes in my mind. I imagine sitting at a sticky table scarred with pockmarks and littered with red plastic cups of beer. "No. I will not be having a buffet," I say with conviction.
"Oh," says Natalie. "What did you have in mind?"
"Page six." I wait until everyone has found it. "Scallops are always nice. But escargot would be lovely, don't you think?"
"Those little snail thingies you have to use a tiny fork to get?" asks Alex. "I don't know."
I smile at him. "It's not hard, honey."
"Seems like an awful lot of work for barely any food."
"He's ri—" Rosemary stops speaking abruptly when I glare at her, and she makes the motion of zipping her mouth shut.
I say, "We can make sure the main course is substantial. How about steak?"
"Perhaps prime rib," suggests Natalie. "With generous portions."
"How generous?" asks Alex.
"Twenty-four ounces?" asks Natalie.
He says, "Make it thirty-two."
I frown as I picture Alisha and Chelsea with a two-pound slab of beef before them and chuckle. "Does that even fit on a plate? Perhaps we can offer eight-ounce cuts and —"
Rosemary interrupts me. "I'm sorry, Jayden. I can't hold my tongue on this. With the size of your Alex and his friends compared to skinny Chelsea, who probably doesn't eat, I think you should really consider the buffet option."
I look at Alex for backup as I say, "But that's so — so not what I want. People standing in line, just slapping food on their plate." I shake my head as I search for the right way to say I think it's tacky without insulting Natalie.
"Jayden," chides my mother. "Be practical about this."
"Practical." I squint in anger, because a whole lot of impractical things my mother has done come to mind. "This is my wedding, and I have to be practical."
"I agree with them on this, babe," says Alex. "You know how much I eat compared to you. And you know my friends. Can you picture them sitting still at a table to eat when there's a party going on?"
"Jayden," says Natalie as she looks at me with compassion. "My staff can place the food on plates for people. The nice part about a buffet is you have less wasted food and everyone gets enough to eat."
Tears of frustration fill my eyes as I glance around and wonder why I brought anyone with me, because I didn't expect them to be trying to talk me out of what I want. I think about how my mother entertained Alex this morning and can't believe she won him over so much that he's on her side. The way my high school friends tended to be whenever she was trying to convince me to make a decision she wanted. As if I'm sixteen again, tears come to my eyes, and I have to blink back the urge to cry. But unlike being that teenage girl who would let her mother win, I say, "No." I realize my voice has a hint of a whine in it, so I take a deep breath and state my feelings clearly. "This isn't what I pictured. I want something more—"
"Sophisticated?" asks Natalie.
Relieved that at least she gets it, I let out a sigh. "Yes. We may be having the reception in a backyard, but I don't want a barbecue."
"I understand completely, dear," says the woman as she reaches for my hand. "Let's not worry about how the food will be served right now." Her motherly touch soothes me as she says, "You can take time to think it over. Let's focus on what you want to eat."
"Okay." I swallow down the lump in my throat and let her walk me through menu options. We narrow down the choices to three options for three courses besides the wedding cake. But just like with my wedding dress, I leave without having made a final decision.
I can see my mother's disapproval all over her face as our feet thud softly on the pavement of the parking lot. She doesn't have to tell me that I'm wasting people's time or that I need to accept I can't always have things my way. So when she opens her mouth to say something, I hold up my hand.
"I know, Rosemary. But you promised to let me make my own decisions. Please respect that."
"I—" She catches herself and then says, "Of course, honey."
When we finally get back in Alex's truck, I'm grateful for the radio because I don't have to talk, and I stare out the window. Smokey Falls is a small town, and it isn't long before we're winding along a dirt road through the heavily wooded area most of the pack lives in. Alex reaches over to take my hand and squeeze my fingers, and I know I should focus on how wonderful it is that I am going to spend the rest of my life as his mate. I squeeze back to let him know I appreciate him and do my best to hold on until we're alone.
Eight
"It's going to be okay,
babe," Alex whispers against my neck when he comes up behind me to wrap his arm around my waist. "You'll find the perfect dress, and the reception is going to be the best party the pack has seen in a long time."
Toothpaste splatters in the sink as I spit it out. "There is no perfect dress, Alex." At least not one I can buy. I twist around to face him. "And at this point, we might as well throw a kegger since I'm not sure anyone cares but me."
"Jayden." He combs his fingers through my hair before he cradles the back of my head in his large palm. His eyes twinkle with his amusement. "You're pouting." He leans down and nips at my bottom lip. "Sexy."
I let out a sigh as I slide my hands up his firm arms to hold on to his shoulders. "I know this stuff is trivial to you, but I want our day to be perfect."
"Is that really what's bothering you? Because I think Rosemary is your real problem."
"She's insane. Right?"
He laughs. "She's a little crazy but in a good way."
"How can you say that?" I step out of his embrace as annoyance ramps up in me. "My god, she flirts with your friends as if she's my sister and not my mother. It's disgusting."
"It's harmless, babe. Your mom isn't that old."
I glare at him as anger rises in me. "That's not the point," I walk out of the en suite bathroom into the bedroom, and he follows me. "She's still my mother."
"It's not like any of them are going to act on it."
My earrings clatter on the bureau when I set them down. "You might be surprised. My mother has a way of getting what she wants no matter the cost."
"She didn't date any of your boyfriends did she?"
"No. But she didn't flirt with them, either."
"Duh." He grins at me as he yanks his shirt over his head. "Jail bait."
I scowl. "Alex. This isn't funny to me."
"I'm sorry. But I think you're making more of it than is necessary." He steps out of his shorts and underwear. "Family dynamics can be tough, and I know it's easy to revert to being like a teenager when you're around your parents."
"Do you think that's what I'm doing?" I ask as I peel my jeans off my legs.
"A little." Alex grabs the hem of my shirt and lifts it to help me remove it.
"I—"
He puts his finger on my lips. "Shh. I get it, babe. Rosemary pushes buttons you thought you'd gotten rid of. It's normal."
"Nothing about my mother is normal, Alex." I throw my bra toward the pile of laundry. "She's a controlling woman determined to make me feel inadequate."
Alex rakes my naked body with his gaze. "I'm not seeing that." He steps forward and slides his hands down my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. "She wants what's she thinks is best for you. You should have heard her sing your praises last night when you went to see Juliet."
"She did?" I ask as he grabs my hips and tugs me close.
"She did."
Alex kisses my neck, and I tilt my head back as I bask in his touch. My body can't help but respond to my mate, and the anger I had brewing is fading away.
He says, "Maybe you should try doing what I do with my mother. I nod as she talks and do whatever the hell I want."
I chuckle because I've seen his approach in action. "Huh." I grab his head as he moves to suck on my breast, and I let out a small sigh of pleasure. "I suppose that wouldn't be hard," I say, but my voice lacks conviction as my desire begins to cloud my brain.
"Nope. But guess what is?"
I shake my head as a smile creeps onto my face, and Alex grabs my hand to place it on his thick shaft. I grip the smooth skin to stroke him, and he lets out a sigh of his own. My worries take a back seat to my need to make love to my mate. Alex walks me backward toward the bed, and I release him to climb up on it. His strong hands yank me by my hips to place me on the edge of the bed, and after he gets on his knees he spreads my thighs.
"Lay back, babe. Close your eyes and let me make everything better."
I do as he says, and in moments, I'm moaning with the pleasure he's causing with his talented tongue. I squirm as I sink further into bliss and begin to lose control. Ecstasy rushes through me as my orgasm makes me quake.
I let out a sigh of satisfaction as Alex climbs onto the bed. "Better?" he asks.
Mischievous thoughts fill my mind. "It's a start."
He chuckles as he lies back and folds his arms beneath his head. "Take whatever else you want, babe. I'm here to serve."
I straddle Alex's hips and grab his cock to slide it along my slick seam, and his eyelids lower as he lets out a groan and grips my hips to thrust into me. "Ride me, Jayden."
Seating him deeply, I adjust my angle to create friction exactly where I want it, and I let myself go. Alex lifts his hips to my rhythm but lets me decide the pace. My second orgasm rises quickly, and when I'm close, Alex cups my breasts with his hands and pinches my nipples to send shocks of pleasure zinging through me. It helps push me over the edge. I cry out as the heat of my sweet release envelops me, and then soothes me when I collapse on top of Alex.
"That's it, my love," he says softly as he wraps his arms around me.
I sigh with the warmth of my bliss, and Alex lets me relax for a while before he rolls us over. Still inside me, he begins to move again. I mewl and quiver due to the heightened sensitivity of my sex, and even though I thought I was satiated, my body rises to the occasion. I begin to pant as I rock with Alex. He smiles at me, and I chuckle at the pride I see. "Yes," I say. "You play me like a well-tuned instrument."
My mate laughs. "Same, babe," he says before his eyes glaze over and his feral side takes over.
The low growl of Alex's wolf reverberates through his body, and I open myself completely to the complexity of our true-mate connection as it takes us on a wild ride. Alex's groans, the scent of us, and the slickness of our bodies moving together flood my senses and push us both to a climax.
I hang on to the tiny thread of control I have left until Alex tenses to explode. The moment he releases his essence, I fall, too, and we spiral into the vortex of a primal need as old as time.
We lie together, intertwined, with nothing but the sound of our breathing as we recover.
I've begun to doze off when Alex says, "This, babe."
He places my hand over his heart, and I feel it beating strongly against my palm.
"What we have is all that matters. I love you more than I believed was possible. And when I place a wedding band on your finger, our real dream comes true."
My heart swells as a warm glow fills me. The frustrations of the past few days seem small. "Oh, Alex. I love you so much too." I grab his hand and place it on the soft part of my neck that meets my shoulder. "When you bite me to make me a werewolf, a dream I never knew I had will come true too." Tears fill my eyes as my emotions leak out, and I kiss my mate with the knowledge everything really will be okay.
Nine
The week flies by as I spend time with my mother, seeing the local sights and introducing her to my friends. Much to my relief, Carol believes finding a dress for Rosemary is her duty. They spend a few days shopping together, which gives me a much needed break from my mother's input on my life. And I do my best to employ a version of Alex's technique with his mother.
Hot air blows as I heat my hair on a round brush. Today Alex, Rosemary, and I are tasting wedding cake samples at the bakery. Because so much of a wedding is about the bride, I thought it would be nice if Alex's groomsmen came to the tasting too. Roman had to pass, but Byron and Dean are meeting us at the bakery.
Satisfied my hair looks okay, I move on to my makeup, and the metal of an eyelash curler is cool in my fingers as I squeeze it on my lashes. Yesterday I conceded to a buffet for the wedding reception. Even though I didn't like the idea, I realized a fancy table setting would only make many of Alex's friends uncomfortable trying to determine which fork to use. I also had to admit that it makes sense to allow werewolves the option to get seconds and thirds.
Lipstick slides smoothly over my lips when I
apply it, and I take a final look in the mirror before I head toward the living room, ready to go.
My mom smiles when she sees me. "You look pretty, Jayden."
"Thank you." I take in her flowing peasant blouse, which is unusually modest for her. She's wearing it loose over skinny jeans along with high-heeled boots. It makes me think she's making compromises for me too. "So do you."
Bracelets jangle on her wrist as she stands up and says, "I'm looking forward to this. You know how I love cake."
"Best day-after-a-birthday breakfast ever," I say as I recall our tradition.
"Do you still do that?" she asks.
I nod. "You?"
"Of course." Rosemary winks at Alex. "Remember that."
"Cake for breakfast. Got it." He winks back as he holds the door open for us to leave.
"Hold on," my mother says. "I need to grab my cake from the kitchen before we go."
I frown at Alex, and he shrugs.
"Last night she asked me what my favorite cake was, and she was baking early this morning when I went out for my run with Byron. I thought she was doing it for dinner."
Rosemary walks out of the kitchen with a baking pan covered in tinfoil. "It's not pretty, but I thought the guys might want to try the flavor of the groom’s cake."
"The groom gets a cake too?" asks Alex as he shuts the door to lock it.
My knee-jerk reaction is to be angry my mother made the assumption I wanted a groomsman cake since it wasn't something I'd mentioned. But I take a deep breath to let it roll off my back. I say, "It's cut up and boxed as a party favor for guests to take home, and it's usually the groom's favorite cake. "
"That's nice. I like it."
It occurs to me that my mother may have gone ahead and made the cake because she figured out what I've been doing with her recent advice. So when we get in the car, I turn around to look at her in the back seat. "Thank you for making the cake for the guys to try. Any more surprises for me?"
She smiles sweetly. "I'm only trying to do what you want, Jayden. Since you have two pages dedicated to groom’s cakes in your scrapbook, I thought you'd like it."
