Chapter 3

The restaurant Ethan picked was close to our place. It was a charcoal grill house that was popular all over the Silverpine Pack.

But when I pushed the door open, I realized tonight wasn't going to be just the two of us.

Claire was sitting on the bench by the window, with Lily right beside her. Noah and Kate had the seats across from them.

The five of them were crowded around the table, deep in lively conversation.

I stood at the entrance, suddenly unsure where I was supposed to sit.

Noah spotted me first and waved.

"Ivy, you made it. We can squeeze in one more."

He pulled a chair over from the empty table next to them and wedged it in at the corner.

It faced right into the aisle the servers used. I had to sit sideways, and my shoulder barely reached the edge of the table.

Ethan didn't even look up. He was busy studying the menu.

"Let's get two sharing platters. One rosemary salt-roasted and one honey-smoked. How's that?"

I was about to say that sounded good when Claire leaned over.

"I'd rather have the venison marinated in cayenne. I heard their spicy grill is famous."

Ethan frowned.

"Didn't spicy food give you a stomachache all night last time? Let's not."

"Just a few bites." She smiled and shook his arm. "With you watching me, how much could I possibly eat?"

Ethan looked at her for a moment. In the end, he still called the server over.

"Swap the rosemary one for the spicy one."

I kept my eyes on the menu and didn't say a word.

They all knew my stomach couldn't handle chili. At grill places, I only ever ordered plain salt-roasted meat.

The rosemary venison Ethan had first ordered was exactly what I could eat.

But all it took was one passing word from Claire, and he changed it without a second thought.

Before long, the server brought out two big platters of grilled meat, along with roasted potatoes, creamed mushrooms, and a few sides.

Ethan picked up a knife like an old pro. He cut a piece of venison cooked just right and carefully trimmed off the charred edges.

"Claire, try this. Isn't this how you like it?"

He set the meat on her plate and even arranged the sauce next to it for her.

Claire thanked him with a big smile.

Lily immediately put on a teasing look.

"Ethan, why are you only cutting meat for Claire? My sister's the one bonding with you tomorrow, remember?"

Noah laughed along.

Only then did Ethan turn his eyes to me.

He picked a piece off the spicy platter without much thought and dropped it in front of me.

"Here. Saved you one."

The meat was covered in dark red chili flakes. After just one bite, my throat felt like it had been set on fire, and I started coughing hard.

Ethan quickly handed me a glass of ice water and patted my back.

"Sorry, I forgot again that you can't do spicy. Next time I'll order you something mild."

I held the glass and slowly caught my breath.

Next time.

We had known each other for fifteen years, and we had been together for four.

With him, it was always "I'll remember next time."

The table got loud again. No one paid any more attention to whether I was eating.

Near the end of dinner, Claire suddenly set down her glass, like she had just remembered something important.

"Ivy, I almost forgot to tell you. I already picked up the dress for tomorrow's ceremony for you."

As we had planned, she was going to be my bonding witness and stand beside me at the Moon Goddess's altar while I said my vows.

That had been settled ever since Ethan proposed.

"The color is gorgeous. It's a pale lavender."

She sounded thrilled. "I remember you always loved that color. Right?"

I looked at the eager look in her eyes and was quiet for a second.

My favorite color was actually dark green.

Claire was the one who had always loved purple.

It was just that whenever we picked things out together, everyone always asked her first what she wanted.

After a while, they all seemed to assume she and I liked the same things.

"As long as it fits," I said quietly.

Claire smiled at once. Then she made a face, like she was in a tough spot.

"But there's one more thing I wanted to ask you."

She leaned in a little and lowered her voice.

"I haven't been feeling great the last couple of days. I think my period is going to start tomorrow."

"The dress we picked has ties all the way down the back. It's really not easy to wear."

"Could I switch to my own purple gown? It's very formal too. It won't throw off the ceremony."

I nodded.

"Wear whatever's comfortable."

"Really?"

She grabbed my hand right away, and the troubled look vanished from her face.

"Ivy, I knew you'd understand. You're the sweetest!"

Ethan heard us and chimed in.

"As long as the colors match, it's fine. She's not feeling well. You're not going to make things hard for her."

He said it like it was obvious, like he had known exactly what I would say before I said it.

I looked down at my plate and didn't answer.

The conversation soon turned to tomorrow's ceremony.

Noah took a swig of beer and suddenly perked up.

"Hey, before the ceremony starts, shouldn't we set up some challenges for Ethan?"

"We can't just let him stroll Ivy up to the altar without breaking a sweat."

Lily lit up at once.

"Obviously! I've already got ideas. At the very least, he has to embarrass himself in front of everyone once."

"Then make him sing," Claire said with a laugh. "Remember how terrible his singing is?"

Ethan tossed his napkin at her.

"You're one to talk. At that Christmas dance in high school, you got the chorus wrong. Who ran up on stage to save you?"

"That was because the speakers broke!"

"Right. The speakers broke so bad that you were the only one off-key."

Claire laughed and shoved his shoulder, and Ethan dodged on purpose.

Lily and Noah fought to dig up more of their old embarrassing stories, and Kate pulled out her phone to look for photos from back then.

The five of them laughed so hard they were doubled over. Even people at the next table kept glancing over.

I sat alone at the corner of the table. The meat in front of me had gone cold long ago, and the fat had set into a thin white layer at the edge of the plate.

They talked about how to prank Ethan and how to decorate the altar.

They even argued for ages about which necklace Claire should wear tomorrow.

But not one of them asked me what I wanted my own bonding ceremony to look like.

This was supposed to be the most important day of my life.

I used to dream about that moment.

But now, listening to them plan my ceremony with so much excitement, I only felt like a stranger who had been invited to watch.

After dinner, we walked home along the river.

Ethan took my hand on his own. Claire and Lily trailed behind us, still plotting how to mess with him tomorrow.

The night breeze drifted in from the forest at the edge of the territory, carrying the smell of pine and damp earth.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" Ethan asked suddenly.

I glanced at him.

"It was okay."

"Good."

He gave my fingers a light squeeze.

"We're bonding tomorrow. Get to bed early tonight. I don't want to see a sleepy bride up at that altar."

I looked at the smile on his face, and a question came to me out of nowhere.

Ethan, if you got to choose who stood next to you tomorrow, would you really choose me?