Chapter 9 Wedding Preparations

Elle’s POV

Axel kindly escorted her back to her tiny dressing room. When Arya saw him, she squealed excitedly and ran over to kiss him. She stood on her toes on one foot. Bending her knee so her foot was in the air, she reached up to press her lips against his eagerly. 

Elle’s mom dressed gorgeously. She wore a simple beige gown that accented her most beautiful features, while her makeup and hair looked exquisite. Arya absolutely knew how to dress someone up. Elle didn’t think the dress's color would work on herself, but it was so flattering on her mom.

“Hey, Honey.” Axel drawled in his way. His Irish accent hung from his words. 

Arya giggled. “Thanks for returning my pretty little project to me. But what did you do to her makeup?” 

She indicated Elle’s face, and Elle gave him an apologetic look. Elle handed Arya’s phone back. Axel quickly put up both hands. Shaking his head vehemently, he denied credit for that.  

“I didn’t do anything but bandage that hand.”

Arya glanced down at Elle’s hand before squinting her eyes accusingly at Axel. “Did you hurt her? Am I going to have to punish you?”

Axel looked as a dog would when its tail was between its legs. “No, ma'am. But I could always punish you.” His voice turned sultry indicating punishment had a different meaning than it did to Elle.

“We can discuss this more when we go home. Now, go take care of your best man business and leave the rest to us girls.” She swiftly pushed him out the door.

Elle whispered to her mom, “What is up with them?” 

Aspen laughed softly. “They have always had an unusual relationship, and it does my heart good to see they are still so much in love. Although, that’s how it happens there. I took a risk on my happily ever after when I left, but our wonderful family was worth it!” She tugged Elle into a hug.

“I am glad you had me too, mom.” She said uncomfortably as she tried to pull out of the hug. “By the way, he didn’t hurt you earlier. Did he?”

Her mother blushed but shook her head. “We were just saying goodbye, and he got mad. I think I Seriously hurt him. When I left with your dad all those years ago, he was having a tough day.” Aspen explained. Arya fixed up Elle’s makeup as she spoke with her mom.

“But can someone like him seriously get hurt?” Elle thought about how quick he was to anger and how scary he was. She wasn’t sure how human he actually was. 

“Of course, he can.” Aspen and Arya said at the same time. They pulled apart, looked at each other, and giggled.

“Axel said that he never hooked up with any woman. Isn’t that crazy?” Elle asked.

Her mother looked mournful as if she sincerely felt it was all her fault he ended up this way. “It doesn’t surprise me.” She answered calmly. “In the society that we are from, it's happily ever after or nothing. Whereas, in your high school, a girl could have a different boyfriend every week if they wanted to.”

“So this is like forever,” Elle said morosely. 

“Don’t look so sad. There will be plenty of good in your life. The family is a great place to figure out who you are and what to do with all the power you will have. This fact just means he will be faithful to you. He is yours as much as you are his.”

“But mom, why are they calling me Luna and Corvin Alpha?” Elle burst out suddenly. “Is the society you talk about like a wolf RPG?”

Her mother said, “Yeah, about that. I have to tell you something that I probably should have told you a long time ago. Corvin and the family, as well as others in the society, and myself…”

A loud commotion outside the door interrupted her, and a knock sounded. Elle impatiently watched Arya open the door. A priest in long black robes stood outside the door, and Elle could see others out there but not who it was. “It is time.” The priest said.

Elle turned to her mother and asked, “What were you going to say?”

“I will tell you after the ceremony, dear.” Elle felt disappointed and a little frantic because what her mother had planned on saying felt important. “Let’s get out there. Just want to let you know that you look so lovely. I love you, and I am so proud.” 

Elle’s mother’s love and pride radiated off her, which gave Elle a new sense of strength. She took in a fresh deep breath. Before Elle could respond, she was ushered out of the room and down the dark hall. 

Someone was playing the pipe organ in the hall. It was a slow song in a minor chord that sounded so creepy. She couldn’t help thinking that this was her new theme- dark and depressing.

Her mother entered the hall through a door on the side. She wasn’t going to be the one in the spotlight. When the door opened to let her mother through, Elle got a glimpse of the decent-sized crowd that had come to see her and Corvin married. It looked like about 15 people.

It made her feel so edgy. Elle swallowed and stepped up behind the closed doors she would be entering at any minute. She closed her eyes tightly for a second.

Elle’s adrenaline was pumping, which caused her to be more alert. The heightened state seemed to increase all of her senses. Everything around her was clear and distinct as she focused her breathing in an attempt to control herself.

She saw so much detail all at once, like the fly buzzing above the church’s registry. It had a broken leg on its right side that twitched uncontrollably.

The pipe organ was so loud. It made the whispering in the next room incomprehensible. Beyond the many types of nauseating perfumes the guests wore, she could smell their emotions. She had never realized that emotion had a scent. But it did.

The scent of her own emotions made her head swim. They left a nagging taste on her dry tongue, which was bitter and sweet. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. The panic had died way down, but it left behind a dull ache in her chest. Is that what acceptance felt like?

Elle blinked back her tears. She remembered the way Axel had reacted to ruining Arya’s makeup with an amused smile. At least they were a part of the deal. Somehow, the duo made this whole ordeal bearable and gave her hope for a future that was not miserable.

But Arya would be mad if she ruined her makeup. She really couldn’t do that now. It was too close to showtime. Everything culminated to the moment that door opened. Her stomach lurched as the doors swung open.