Chapter 76
Friday's POV:
The excitement I had for Raelynn's engagement surprise party was enough to numb some of the sadness I felt for myself. We were on our way to the roller rink and Raelynn still believed that she was going to a baby shower for Astrid. I actually fully intended to plan a baby shower for Astrid, sooner rather than later in case Fang got incarcerated. I sighed, trying not to think too much. Thinking led to worrying these days.
Raelynn looked gorgeous in a gold dress with a beaded bodice and a tea-length tulle skirt under satin overlay. I decided to match with her in a simpler gold mini dress with a full skirt and a sweetheart neckline with puffed sleeves. Both of our dresses shimmered under the dim lighting at the back of the limo. We were being chauffeured.
"You sure I'm not overdressed!" Asked Raelynn again. "No, Rae! You're not!" I insisted.
"I don't want Astrid thinking I'm trying to outdo her at her own baby shower!" Exclaimed Raelynn, adjusting her bodice.
"You look stunning!" I said encouragingly. "Stop worrying!"
"Thanks," said Raelynn, smiling. "So do you, Baby Sis!"
We pulled up to the roller rink. We got out and walked up to the double doors. After a long, silent hallway we met a pair of double door.
"I wonder why a roller rink for a baby shower!" Said Raelynn offhandedly. "I mean I'm not complaining I love to roller-skate..."
Raelynn was silenced when the doors opened and everyone yelled, "SURPRISE!”
She jumped, startled and hid behind me momentarily, her face in her hands. She moved her hands, blushing.
"But it's not my birthday! Friday, oh no! Is it your birthday? I had no idea...I'm so sorry...I..."
"Nooo!" I said. "It's not a birthday party."
Raelynn bit her lip. She looked around with wide eyes, stepping slowly forwards into the twinkling yellow lights of the rink. Raelynn's POV
The room was decorated lavishly with walls of gold roses everywhere. Every wall of flowers and each bouquet and centrepiece was dotted with magical moonlight roses, roses that were iridescent changing from silver to gold and back again. Tiny multicoloured flower faeries flitted in and out the flower arrangements, their high-pitched excited chatter and the flapping of their minuscule wings like a hum in the background. They too were iridescent, alternating between pink and purple.
The guests were all dressed well, grinning from ear to ear, gazing expectancy at me. What were they waiting for? They parted to reveal Ezra dressed to the nines. My eyes widened. My heart began to raced and I knew he could hear it. I sauntered towards him as he walked towards me. The guests who I recognised as my family members and friends formed a loose circle around us. I spotted Felicity dabbing her tearful eyes with a handkerchief. Malachi was holding her and looking intently at me. I glimpsed Fang, Maze, Thaddeus, and a few others. I smiled. I really hoped Maze could be ok with Fang one day. They were both my half-brothers though not related to each other and I loved them both.
Ezra's eyes were sparkling with tears. The guests were squealing gleefully.
"What's going on?" I asked him.
Ezra slowly got on one knee and pulled out a small gold velvet box. I gasped before he even opened it as it dawned on me what was going on. He opened the box, revealing a yellow gold band with a h.uge diamond...
"Ezra," I murmured.
"Raelynn! I love you more than anyone more than my own safe. I almost died without letting you know that you're the only one for me and I would be honoured if you would be my wife Raelynn, would you make me the happiest guy alive? Would you marry me?
My heart was beating frantically. I flushed. My eyes were brimming with tears too. I glanced at Felicity and Malachi, my long lost parents, who were emotional. I wondered what they thought of my Ezra. He was my everything. My father gave me a thumbs-up and my mom nodded. I grinned, grateful for their blessing.
Ezra seemed worried by my pausing.
"Ezra I love you," I said, sniffling. "Yes, yes I'll marry you," I clarified.
The guests erupted into cheers and Ezra slipped the ring onto my finger. He stood and snatched me up, holding me bridal style and kissing me with abandon. Heat flooded my body until I came to my senses and pulled away. My Dad was here! I blushed. I glanced at Dad but he wasn't looking anymore. He was making out with Mom! Friday was grinning at me. She came up to us.
"Sneaky, sneaky," I said to her accusingly but in jest. She shrugged. We h.ugged each other tightly after Ezra set me down.
"Congratulations!" Friday said.
"Will you be my maid of honour?" I blurted out.
She gasped and then broke into a huge grin. She nodded fervently and h.ugged me again. "Yes!" She squealed.
Maze bear h.ugged me.
"Congrats, Sis," he murmured, k!ssing my forehead.
"Thanks, Bro," I said, smiling up at him.
Fang pulled me into a warm embrace.
"Congrats, Raelynn!" He said.
“Thanks!” I replied, h.ugging him tightly, scared he would vanish. My heart was very full but I was still worried about Fang's sentencing.
My Dad and Mom embraced me and kissed my on the cheeks simultaneously.
"We love you, honey, and we love Ezra. He seemed great!" Said Mom.
"I love you, Rae, and I think Ezra is ok," said Dad, grinning.
Mom nudged him.
"He's slightly better than ok," added Dad.
Mom groaned.
I giggled.
Where were my other brothers, Fallon and Fargo, the twins?
"Where are Fallon and Fargo, Mom?" I asked.
Felicity paused looking around. She narrowed her eyes. "Fang where are your brothers?" She asked.
"Beats the hell outta me," replied Fang, snarfing down a cupcake. Ohhh, food. I hand't checked out the food table. I spotted some people roller skating and shrieked with excitement making my family jump. "I wanna roller skate," I explained.
Ezra grinned and held out his hand to me.
"Fang, call your brothers, please!" Instructed Mom as Fang was being fed a second cupcake by a much happier looking Astrid. She was doing better these days and I hoped Maze and Thaddeus considered that as well.
"Mom!" Complained Fang, his mouth full of cupcake.
"Katrina isn't here either," Ezra said in my ear as he laced up my skates.
"Really?" I asked looking around.
"She and the twins went for some random joy ride! I didn't even know those three knew each other!" Said Ezra, frowning.
He helped me to my feet. He was in his skates now too. He pulled me onto the rink and we made a swift circle, my hair fanning out behind me.
"I wonder..." I said more to myself than him. Katrina had been awfully Fang-struck. Maybe it wasn't Fang really, more his genetics. The fact she'd ran off with the twins made me think they were the ones she might have been bound too and she picked up that Fang was similar to the one and got confused. Now that she'd ran into the twins she realised they were actually the two. What if Katrina was fated to two werewolves instead of one vampire? Ezra would not be too pleased. I made a face.
"What is it, my love?" Said Ezra immediately.
I chuckled. "Nothing, really," I said.
"I think Katrina's crush on Fang might be coming to an end," I added.
"No way," grumbled Ezra. "She's crazy about him."
She had two hims now.
"I think she'll be fine!" I said. Ezra however would sh!t bricks if his little sister really was meant to be with werewolf twins!
Thaddeus' POV
I couldn't take my eyes off Friday.
She was so beautiful. My eyes followed her around the room. My wolf was purring. She looked exquisite in gold. Luna wore gold or white for their wedding to their Alphas. I definitely wanted my little Luna in white though. I sighed How was gonna make up with her tomorrow and still get my point across? She kept catching me staring at her. She would blush and
look away. I smirked to myself.
Tomorrow would be my day, the twenty-fourth day. I hadn't romanced my future queen properly in a few days. The days had been unbelievably hectic. I hoped for no more action-packed days but I felt that would not be possible with both Ezekiel and Farris at large.
I went over to the h.uge display of seven circular tiers of cupcakes. They were about a dozen different flavours and a couple hundred cupcakes total. There was a savoury buffet nearby and another dessert table with everything but cupcakes. Friday was poring over the cupcake flavours as though selecting one was a delicate process. I brushed against her on purpose and she stiffened. She glanced at me with wide eyes. I smirked at her. She glared at me. My wolf was giving off 'I told you so' vibes, angry at me for making our mate sad, but our mate had ordered a treasonous prisoner to just run off. My wolf reminded me that the prisoner was still my mate's father. It wasn't her fault she hadn't 't been blessed with a good or even merely decent father. I sighed and Friday took a step towards me with a worried expression then she seemed to think about it a bit more, changing her mind and huffing away. I burst into raucous laughter and she jumped and spun around. She almost smiled but stopped herself and went onto the rink. She was a bit unsteady on her roller-skates but Fang the fvck-up was helping her. At least he was trying. I sighed. I was gonna make her pay for her bad behaviour tomorrow but I was done staying away from her. My wolf started to purr again.
Katrina's POV
It happened very suddenly. One moment Fallon and Fargo were racing through the trees, me on one of their backs. It was exhilarating. The next moment we had stopped in a clearing where there were woodland faeries! They were so gorgers! I couldn't stop staring at them! Their wings were all unique and resembled b.utterfly wings with their varying colours and markings.
Their skin was slightly translucent and tinged in different pastel shades: baby pink, baby blue, mint and a muted yellow. High ranking faeries like royalty were a pastel purple shade. The light purple nobles also differentiated themselves by wearing gold whereas most of the others wore silver.
They all glowed, emanating a gold or
silvery light and switching back and forth as they moved about. They were dazzling. Their tiny faces were pointy but stunning like teeny
supermodels. There were faeries et
that were my size too, though none were in this forest. Those faeries lived in cities and were snow (or
winter) faeries and fall (5 autumn). The tiny ones were woodland (or summer) faeries and flower (or
spring) faeries. I was explaining all of this to Fallon and Fargo one minute and the next they were k!ssing me.
Fallon gripped my face in his huge warm hands and pressed his lips against mine urgently. He nipped on my lower l!p making me squeal, granting entrance to his impatient tongue. He was so hot, literally. He was like a furnace compared to my cold skin. Fargo snatched me away from Fallon and claimed my l!ps, his hand roaming my body. Heat was coursing through me.
I moaned into Fargo's mouth and I could feel Fallon fumbled with the ties on my hospital gown. I squealed. I was still wearing a hospital gown! I was an escaped patient! I was making out with twin werewolves! What was going on with me? Also, these twins were the younger brothers of the guys I was in love with. Was I in love with him or did I just love him? I was so confused. I extricated myself from the twins and took off running at top vampire speed.