“Is this revenge for Ethel threatening you?” I whispered to Rowan.
“You’ve seen nothing yet. You’ll be able to put your people skills to use here.”
I was vibrating with excitement.
Our room overlooked the gardens that were surrounded by forest, with a large clearing in the middle where a structure with a glass roof stood. Underneath it were tables without anything on them yet, and right outside was a wedding arch decorated with white flowers.
The room itself had an old-school feel with exposed brick walls and a fireplace, but done in a very clean and modern fashion. I parked my suitcase against the wall and plopped onto the large bed in the middle.
“Do we have an itinerary for the day?”
“Raina would love to give you one.” Rowan snorted. “But no. We can settle in, walk around the grounds, and meet with everyone at an informal dinner later at the restaurant below. But no pressure on any of it.”
I picked up a folded leaflet from the nightstand. “And tomorrow, we can have breakfast between seven and ten, then be all dressed and ready for the ceremony at noon, and for the wedding party at four.”
“How did you—oh.” Rowan snatched the paper from me. “Of course, she thought of everything.”
I lay back on the bed. “I like knowing in advance. This is nice.”
We’d spend the rest of the day enjoying nature around, and a quiet dinner as, apparently, most people would arrive on the morning of the wedding.
The ruckus of those arrivals was what woke us up—me sprawled on top of Rowan, and him with his hair all overhis face. We ordered breakfast to the room and prepared our clothes.
Rowan put on his grey suit, and matching socks and handkerchief to his lavender shirt, and added cufflinks with basketballs on them.
He caught me looking. “Raina gave them to me for my prom,” he said. “They’re my favorite.”
“And perfect for the occasion.” I wore a dark blue suit with a white shirt and thick-heeled fuck-me boots that I was planning to wear for the party later too.
The ceremony was beautiful, from the simple, heartfelt vows to families on both sides sniffling into their tissues. Rowan looked gorgeous next to his brother and sister in matching suits, so I kept taking an insane amount of pictures. On Troy’s side stood two petite women and a tall, lanky man who I overheard to be Troy’s siblings, all with hair that must have been tamed really hard to be kept in place. The werewolf gene was probably present in all of them. Troy wore a sharply cut black suit that contrasted beautifully with Raina’s flowing, lacy white dress, straight from a fairy dream.
I was crying with everyone else, moved by the event but also by the overwhelming support and presence of both their families. If I’d ever got married, the chairs on my side would be empty bar Ethel and a handful of friends.
When Raina and Troy drove off to take wedding pictures, we had a few hours before getting ready for the party.
Back in our room, I collapsed on the bed.
“Are you okay?” Rowan asked, standing above me with a worried expression on his face.
“Yeah. It was all so exciting, it drained me.”
Rowan sat at the edge of the bed and stroked my shin. “I was planning to mingle in the gardens to kill the time, but we canstay here, relax, listen to music, or play something random on the TV.”
“You go ahead. I think I need a nap.”
Rowan took my hand and kissed the inside of it. “As long as you’re fine here.”
“Oh yeah. Go.”
The darkness that sometimes would take over my brain was trying to tear through the veil of lighthearted happiness I’ve been feeling with Rowan for the past weeks. I couldn’t let it win.
With one last peck on the cheek, he was gone, and I drifted off, relaxing into the bed.
The day was the most beautiful of the year, with not a cloud in the sky and the perfect breeze from the lake. My father gave me away at the altar while my mom dabbed under her eyes with a white handkerchief. In front of me at the arch stood a big guy whose face wasn’t clear, yet my feelings for him were. Love. The chairs were full of people I recognized but couldn’t name, except Anabelle and Ethel in the front row. The officiant cleared her throat, and I turned to begin my vows, letting the joy seep into my bones. A loud screech of tires stopped me, and when I swiveled around, all the guests were seated in the middle of a motorway and a swerving car was heading their way. I screamed when my future husband pulled me to safety, just as a lightning strike brightened the sky, and the car rammed into my family.
“Milo! Milo, wake up.” Rowan’s voice brought me back to reality.
I was still flailing my hands and legs when I saw his concerned face above me. “I’m sorry.”
