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“That’s the cavalry, ready to get your dress on. No more Bailey-and-me dress-up time.”
“There’s always going to be time for that. Probably at the next mating ceremony? Maybe yours?”
“Keep up your shit, and I’ll run away to Aruba and keep a harem of island men. You’ll only see me when I come up for air.” Suddenly, nervous again, she went to open the door, but Ava caught her hand.
“I know I keep saying it, but if you need to leave today, I understand. I don’t want to force you to meet him if you’re not ready.”
“We’ve talked this to death for the last week. I may not know exactly how it will go, but I can’t avoid it anymore. Once I find out, I’ll go with my gut from there. If I decide I can’t take it, Cass will take me out of there lickety-split.”
“Don’t let her torture the poor guy. She has too much fun teasing Tuisa men as it is.”
“No promises.” Another knock, and she hurried to the door. Ava’s family was the perfect distraction from the topic of her mate. Despite pretending they had, they hadn’t actually talked about it that much, but it was always the elephant in the room. Little side conversations always left unfinished, sudden breakdowns, tears over ice cream, and her refusal to visit Tuisa, meant they both knew there was no solving her problem. She could only put it off for now. The plan they had for tonight was for her to stay far enough away so that her wolf wouldn’t go too crazy. Hell, she was worried about him feeling a pull too, despite the locket. So, anywhere she felt him, she would go the opposite way. Sounded easy enough.
Ava didn’t say it, but she could see the doubt in her eyes. They both knew that wouldn’t work. It had been hard enough in adjacent rooms months ago, and she would be hella surprised if her mate hadn’t felt her then. Thankfully, he would only feel a pull, and not actually know she was near without her scent.
Which meant she didn’t go anywhere without wearing her scent-disguising necklace.
Ava’s mom, grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law piled into the room with a burst of chatter, and she plastered a smile on her face. Hopefully, she could disguise the dread and anticipation she felt for the coming night, but that wasn’t likely in a room full of witches and the Tuisa Luna. Every single one of them had a knack for emotions. Hell, Deidre was a truth seeker.
She watched for a second as all the older women fawned over Ava, hanging up the specially blessed ceremonial dress they brought for her, before updating her on all the decorations and food being set up outside.
“Bailey, your hands are the magical ones today. Look at these gorgeous braids.” Cahaira, Ava’s mom, gingerly began tucking the small metal Celtic hair pins throughout, then tiny metal clamps with the green Connemara stones at intervals.
“It’s easy when there’s so much hair everywhere. I swear every time I finished a braid, there was more hair than I started with.”
She had styled her best friend’s hair in a halo braid at her crown, then half up and half down in cascades of sweeping, loose side swept braids over her shoulder. Her well-known ringlets of fiery red curls still flowed down her back, giving her an innocent and sweet look, especially against the white lace.
“How you managed to do your own makeup and hair at the same time? You’re a miracle worker, and I’m going to need you to teach me your ways.” Deidre, Cahaira’s sister, pulled Bailey’s own blonde waves forward, brushing them from her face tenderly before she met her eyes.
She smiled at Aunt Deidre. “Years of practice, that’s all. Gotta keep up my image.”
But Deidre cocked her head, her all-knowing eyes piercing into her soul, and pulled her in for a hug. The whisper in her earshattered the illusion she had hidden everything well. “You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but I can feel it. May I…help?”
Deidre’s magic specialized in healing, detecting genuine emotions, and imparting peace, and Bailey took a deep breath. Maybe it would help her make better decisions tonight. Almost imperceptibly, she nodded against Deidre’s shoulder, and gently, her magic flowed into Bailey’s body, pushing a calmness and re-centering her thoughts in a way she hadn’t felt in months. Not even Ava’s spells helped this much.
When Deidre finally released her from the hold, Bailey felt lighter, less worried, and more confident in herself. And, despite everyone in the room being able to feel the flow of Deidre’s magic, no one said a word, merely continued their own chit-chat, and preparations for the ceremonies. She breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to explain anything.
She could do this. And she would look hot while doing it. Ava may be in a gorgeous, flowing and wispy, white dress, but Bailey was determined to be the opposite of the matrimonial look. No dress for her, and nothing left to the imagination. She wore a skintight, black lace bodysuit that crossed her body from one shoulder down, across one tit, to the opposite leg. The black silk wrapped, teased and covered the opposite parts of her body not encased in lace, leaving one leg naked to the hip, and only the hint of a skirt in the back. It covered very little yet showed nothing specific. She had shopped for the perfect look for weeks because, no matter if she revealed herself to him or not, the first time her mate saw her, she would look hot enough to fry his brain. Her pride wouldn’t let her do anything less.
“It’s timeeeee!” Ava’s Nana, Kathleen—head of the Rathlin Coven—clapped her hands together with glee. Her own flowy dress floated around her as she headed towards the door, herding the group through. She stopped to give Ava a kiss on the cheek, and then pulled Bailey in as well, hugging her tightly.
“Relax, tonight, dear. No cameras, no work. Be yourself and go with what comes naturally. If you get in your head, then you’ll make it harder on yourself.”
She pulled back, knowing her best friend would never tell her secrets, but Kathleen always knew everything. “You need to lay off reading the runes, Nana. They’re making you crazy. I’ll always do what I want. Screw fate.” She laughed brightly, and Nana only shook her head and chuckled.
“I love your zest, Bailey. Give him hell.”
They exited one of the newly constructed rooms of the ballroom convention center and headed down to the grassy commons that united all the brand new buildings.
Ava, the new Alpha of the Aisling pack, future Luna of the Tuisa pack, and future High Priestess of the Rathlin Coven had only dreamed up and began creating this tri-city area three months ago. It had only been a year since Aisling had been in the terroristic hands of Alpha Thomas, an enemy to both Tuisa and Rathlin, until Ava united them all, fulfilling the prophecy. She had been determined to unite their worlds—her worlds—in one place, to find overlap where they could create a stronghold. The creation of NahleCheile, the neutral city that crossed all three borders would be a crossover zone, and the place of Ava’s new home. She could continue in all three of her roles ensuring the success of all three supernatural worlds. It was the perfect solution, and it gave all the packs and coven a reason to strengthen their partnerships and come together, pooling resources, traditions, and love.
Gorgeously decorated for dancing, food, and drinking, the ballroom was mostly empty when they rushed through. Everyone was outside in the common grassy area, or under the extended patio, waiting for the ceremonies to start, but Bailey held back. Watching Ava and her family head straight to the raised concrete platform that sat at the beach’s edge, sheseparated herself from them for now. Moving slowly through the crowd, she took in the entire set-up while Ava moved into place behind the podium and in front of a half-wall. Close to the water, it had the three symbols of the packs and coven engraved into the wall. This was new since yesterday.
All week she had been helping set things up, but now that it was decorated, things looked so different. To the right of the podium and directly opposite the convention center, across the commons, retail stalls and stores were in various stages of opening in the newest shopping center building. Although not complete, the shopping center would stretch southward down the coast, with open style restaurants facing the water and the newly constructed boardwalk, and eventually a playground and small water park would break ground next year.She was so proud of the things her best friend had accomplished. Ava was following through with every dream she had.
But here she was, stuck on a man.
Her friend was changing the world, and Bailey was determined to be a part of something bigger too. But at what cost?
