AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I headed into the back bedroom with the dress and the instructions and read them over. Basically, I was supposed to bathe in a certain way to ensure that I was clean and presentable and to honor my future husband.
It didn’t sound too bad if I was being honest, but it did weird me out that they just sent instructions, and nobody had talked to me about it. I couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with Kai’s suspicions that Timmon was going to make this into a more traditional ceremony.
As I was getting the dress out of the package it had been delivered in, Kai came and stood next to me. “Can I see?”
“Does your culture not have any kind of issue with us seeing each other before the ceremony?” I asked, thinking about the human tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding.
“No, it's fully expected,” he said with a shrug.
I wasn't quite sure how to respond, so I just nodded. Personally, I didn’t see the point in the tradition anymore. Most couples knew what each other looked like, and families, at least as far as I knew, weren’t trying to trick the groom into marrying someone they weren’t attracted to.
I lifted the dress out of the bag it came in, revealing it to be little more than a slip. The idea of wearing this to a wedding didn’t exactly thrill me, but then I suppose I had to banish all my notions of what the wedding would be.
It wasn't a wedding in the sense that it would be a wedding for me and what I grew up thinking of as a ceremony like that. This was a wedding for Kai's people. It was symbolic. I needed to do it in order to prove to them that I was serious, that I was the key.
As soon as Kai saw the dress, his face paled ever so slightly, and I knew that he was even more convinced now that our ceremony would be traditional, according to Timmon, and not the more modern version that they had adopted, where they just exchanged a kiss like humans often did in our ceremonies.
I wasn't sure what I expected other than for him to pronounce us man and wife and demand that we prove our devotion to one another by having sex in front of everybody. Of course, on top of that, I had to be bitten by Kai's animal, not that I resented Kai for it, but more that I was frustrated at Timmon for dictating the speed of our relationship. I’d gladly do it; it just wasn't what I had expected when somebody said I had to get married.
A thought occurred to me, one I didn’t want to think about before I voiced it. “Should we—Should we kiss or something before the ceremony? You know, so it's not completely awkward?”
“We had already kissed, but you've forgotten,” Kai said with a sigh, as though he’d forgotten about my little memory issue.
“It's not like I did it intentionally. I don't even know what happened. All I know is that it seems like the memories that are gone are ones that meant a lot to me, and that breaks my heart.”
His eyes were stormy as he looked down at me. “So you’re saying our kiss in the kitchen would have meant something to you?”
I nodded and nibbled on my lower lip before replying. “I think so. I know you mean a lot to me, Kai, so if it was our first kiss, then that had to be important, right?”
Kai’s lips crashed against my own before I realized he’d moved. He wrapped one hand around the back of my neck and the other arm around my waist, crushing me to him.
My blood heated from his touch, and when his hand drifted down to my butt and squeezed, I gasped and arched against him. He didn’t fail to take advantage of the opportunity, and his tongue swept into my mouth, tangling with my own.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me as I had to fight the urge to climb him like a tree. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I hadn’t realized how long it had become until that point. I tugged on the silky strands, making him growl.
His hands slipped down to my legs, and he picked me up, moving us until he had me pressed up against the wall as we continued to devour each other. His hard length was pressed exactly where I needed him the most.
“About damn time,” a voice said from the doorway.
It took me a second to realize it was Griff. That was all it took for Kai to put me down and back away, and I couldn’t deny the frustration at the change.
“Everything okay?” I asked, sounding slightly out of breath.
“Message was delivered saying that the wedding will take place at twilight, so in a few hours,” he grumbled.
I sent a pulse of love down our mate bond and felt one in return. Griff needed to feed soon, I knew that but there hadn’t been any time, and tonight wasn’t going to be any different.
“We better get ready,” Kai said quietly before slipping out of the door like a ghost.
Griff stepped in and asked, “Want me to finish what he started?”
I shook my head. “I appreciate the offer, but he’s right. I need to get ready.” I moved to Griff and cupped his cheek. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want you, though. I do. All the damn time.”
“And I want you, dove. I’ll never be able to get enough of you.”
“I promise we’ll have some time together soon. This just needs to be taken care of first.” Finn appeared over Griff’s shoulder. “That goes for you, too,” I said to my Atlantean.
Griff turned to his friend and said, “We’ll make her scream later. Don’t worry, brother.” He threw a wink at me before walking out.
