Weddings and Widow

Axel’s POV

My soon to be mother in-law wasn’t in the bathroom, making me grumble and moan. Where did that old hag get to?!she wasn’t doing her makeup two seconds ago! It was as if the woman could sense a disturbance in the force; any time she filled my little girls heads with rot, she’s disappear. Oh where, oh where did that biddy go; oh where, oh where could she be? The child’s song went through my head, making me grimace a little. Damn kids songs and catchy toons.

She wasn’t in our kitchen, nor the laundry, or the office. I was about to give up entirely until I decided to go one last place; her room. I braced my back as I knocked on the door, getting a yell of enter from within. Entering the snake’s lair now… I moaned to myself, pushing the door open and stepping inside. “Darleen..” I nodded in greeting at her, the old woman sitting at her small desk like it was a throne.

“Axellion. Did you finally come to your senses?” She smiled at me as she patted her curly puffed white hair into place, he perfectly pressed pastel rainbow dress catching in the light with its sequins.

“I did.” I nodded at her, holding the box more tightly in my hand.

“Wonderful! Jude doesn’t need a man, especially one who leaves her alone with…” she paused and watched me as I kneeled in front of her on the floor. “What are you doing, boy?” She said with disgust and disdain.

I held out the ring box to her, opening it to show her the two rings inside. Two can play at this game, hag. She was going to be eating every word she was spewing, my careful reconnaissance of the woman after a year of living with her about to pay off tenfold. “Darleen. I have a question to ask you, and I hope you’ll say yes.” Her look of superiority quickly changed to that of confusion and bewilderment, her brown eyes going wide as her eyebrows scrunched together. “What in the hell are you doing, boy?!” She almost spat out her teeth, making me fuck my head to hide my grin.

“Darleen, I was wandering if you would stand next to me in the wedding as my best woman. You have done so much for Jude and for the girls, I could never repay you for the hard work that you have put in with them. So it would mean the world to me to have a strong matriarch stand tall and proud next to me to keep me in line and from fucking up those beautiful women you have raised.” Darleen stopped breathing then, the air in the room becoming as still as a painting.

Treat my mother like a queen. I barely remembered Melody and Teddy bringing me back to this house when I lost my legs, but I could remember every word Jude spoke to me as I laid in that bed. Her worries, hurts, fears, and hopes burned into my brain and etched onto my soul. I had a lot of making up to do, and one of those things was to win this woman to my side.

And one way I had figured that out was by sheer flattery. I’d noticed any time she was praised, she would bend hand and knee to show how wonderful she was. She was a classic case of inflated ego mixed with ass kissery and a smidge or narcissism to boot. Classic mother in-law. You’re mine now. I deepened my grin, watching her hand go up to her heart.

“Well…. I… um… I don’t know what to say..” she stammered, taking the ring box and turning it so she could see the delicate bands more closely.

Say yes, Goddess damn it. Teddy was marrying us, otherwise he would have been my best man; and Chip and Gage were already groomsmen. Chester said no because his mate was pregnant and was guarding her like a badger with honey. She was literally my only option to be honest, so it played into my plan perfectly.

“Well; who’s gonna give away my daughter then?!” She growled, making me groan inwardly.

“Walter agreed to it, especially since you are cousins.” She sniffed a little at that, thinking things over. “It would mean the world to us to have you standing up there when we say our vows instead of sitting like everyone else.” I pointed out to her.

At that, her eyes lit up as she snapped the box closed. “Oh, Axel, my boy! Welcome to the family!” She pulled me into a hug, making my growl a little as her perfume clung to my tan suit. “I just knew you would be perfect for Jude!”

I rolled my eyes and smiled at her as she looked up into my face. “Oh, heavens! We’re gonna be late! Hurry now, we can’t keep them waiting!” She began to tug me along to the door, her demeanor changed completely from how she had been treating me before.

And know I know how to handle you, so your ass is mine. I had won our game of wills it seemed, her checkers no match for my chess in the long run. One promise down, ninety nine million more to go. I was going to make sure every thing Jude told me she wanted us to do as a family would come true; starting out with this wedding our girls had asked for.

We made it to the large meeting room that had been set up for our wedding, our friends already gathered as more filed in from the back. I felt slightly ridiculous standing in my suit and pink tie but the girls had chosen our theme, rainbow unicorn sparkles, and there was no going back now. When the last person was seated, the music changed and the procession began, the first bridesmaid and groomsman coming in.