9781631054099GracefulAcceptanceBeck

by Paloma Beck

  “I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. We’ll see each other in a bit.” Trevor winked as he headed in the opposite direction to the parlor.

  * * * *

  Gathered in a circle with their fingertips touching ever so slightly, a wave of power like nothing else Davina had experienced pushed the breath out of her. She looked around at the other women. Each were transfixed on her. Shooting bursts with crackles like lightning claimed the air around her. While they radiated outward to include the full circle, the bursts originated from her aura.

  Dusk was just closing in and the mild temperatures that had moved in brought a stillness to the evening. There was no breeze coming in through the open windows. The concentrated scent of their burning incense was prevalent and reassuring. As women of the Magdalena Circle, they each had strengths of their own. When combined, they were a mighty force, likely unstoppable.

  Davina led the chanting that customarily began with the elders. Tonight, the spirit moved her to begin a new chant. Words she was unfamiliar with resonated out from her. “We are called. We are chosen. Come to us, Mother of all Mothers. Goddess, we are yours.”

  Their chanting grew louder as each of the women joined in. First Davina and Grace. Then Adelina and Chiara. Next Layla, Eloise, and Gemma. Finally Paige, Amelia, and Sadie. Their voices melted together in a beautiful harmony.

  The wind whipped around the circle, coming out of nowhere, moments before the ribbons of white swirled in the middle of where they stood. Similar to when those capable of teleporting appeared, a smoke of vapors plumed outward. Colors and lights nearly blinded them as the women watched. Davina knew what they’d see when the smoke cleared.

  Davina’s voice penetrated through the hum of the chanting as she called forth to Mary Magdalena. “Come to us, Mother of all Mothers, and bless us. Call forth the earth with its nourishment, the wind with its spirit and the water with its purity.”

  The chanting altered to “We are yours” as the women watched, transfixed by the miracle before them. The sparks of power that congregated above them faded to the brilliant sight of the Goddess herself standing inside their circle. Davina drew her eyes upward, hungry to take in every bit of the magnificent Mother. It was a testament to their faith as women of the Magdalena Circle that their Goddess manifested herself before them.

  Their chanting stopped abruptly as they awaited the Goddess’s message. Davina felt as if she was floating and a surreal cloud of joy carried her upward. She was bolstered with a newfound sense of calm that all she had prepared for was coming to fruition. It was a peace she’d never known.

  The Goddess raised her arms, the drape of her red gown hung to the floor, and acknowledged each of them with a smile that filled her face with joy. It was the joy Davina felt in her heart, made real through the Goddess. Davina kneeled down and the others followed her lead.

  Then the Goddess spoke, her words coming at them as if from a long distance. “You have pleased me, my faithful ones. The time has now come to pass. Words I had spoken and promises I gave will be made known. Release the curse, the sins cast upon your ancestors, and open the tomb of hope. Your destiny is yours to claim. It is, at long last, as it should be.”

  As suddenly as she appeared, the Goddess was gone. The same smoke and swirls of white ribbons coalesced into nothing as the room grew silent. No one wanted to be the first to speak. Each woman looked to Davina. She recognized that for what it was. She was their leader. It was as her prophecy had foretold. Davina had her mate beside her, and together, they would begin the new race.

  “My prophecy spoke of my leadership over a new race, with my mate by my side.” Davina smiled at Grace who watched with tears in her eyes. “I understand now that our children, the children from those of the circle, will be the new generation. They will be the race my prophecy references and they are new because they will not carry the sins as we have. Of this, I’m now certain.”

  Grace squeezed her hand. “Of this, I’m now certain.”

  One by one, each woman gave her agreement. Then Davina raised her arms, the others following, and focused her powers. A hum, the vibration from their joined powers, descended over their circle as they prayed for guidance, for thanksgiving, and for peace.

  As each returned to herself, the women noticed the room appeared to have been ransacked and the men stood on the periphery watching in concern. They had been so consumed by what occurred within their circle, they’d lost touch with the outside world. And by the looks on the men’s faces, they expected answers even as they went to their mates once the circle had been broken.

  “The Goddess spoke to us. It’ll take us some time to interpret but we can be certain now that the Sinsters were the seven spoken about in the prophecy,” Amelia, the first to regain her focus, explained.

  “The Goddess appeared to you?” Tony, Grace’s father, sounded incredulous, nearly envious.

  “Oh, father, she did. It was incredible, more so than anything we’ve researched,” Gemma exclaimed from the arms of her mate.

  Seamus, like all the other mates, held onto his woman as if she’d disappear. “I believe I speak for all men in this room when I say that what we witnessed was scary as hell.”

  The men nodded and Trevor explained when he saw Davina’s questioning look. “We saw nothing inside the circle but the wind tunnel in the center causing chaos. The room is wrecked.” He motioned around them. “When we heard the loud noises, we came running but there was nothing for us to do. We knew enough not to disturb you while casting the magic but it was a helpless feeling not to be able to protect you.”

  “Silly man.” Davina touched his cheek and kissed him gently. “We never need protection while in the circle. That’s when we are most powerful.”

  “Yea. Well, doesn’t change the fact that as Valendite Breeds, we are conditioned to protect our mates,” Madden added.

  “I understand. And you guarding our circle is the best protection you could provide. Truly,” Layla reassured not only her mate, but all the men in the room.

  “What now?”

  Everyone looked to Davina. This would take getting used to. When her mates flanked her, each taking one of her hands in their own, her heart leapt in her chest.

  “Now we plan our Pronouncement, and I know just the place for our ceremony. We’re going on a trip to Italy.”

  Chapter Six

  Grace didn’t think she’d get everything done before they flew to Italy next week. With Samhain approaching, the date for the Pronouncement, like all else, had been determined for them. To be honest, she was relieved it would be soon. The Acclimation period was wreaking havoc on her emotions and she looked forward to solidifying their Mating.

  By the time she and Davina arrived at the dress shop for their private viewing, her sisters were waiting. Just seeing the women she most cherished lined up in the large picture window watching for her arrival made Grace’s heart swell. She had never imagined her life would work out the way it had and she wanted to jump from the car to hug each of them, but she waited and followed security protocol.

  Aside from their standard security guards, each of the women also had a tracker installed in the bracelets they wore. Davina grumbled about the security. Grace heard her arguing with Madden this morning about remembering they were powerful women of the Magdalena Circle. Davina had even offered to show him her powers, and that was when Madden agreed to back off just enough to give the women their privacy. Truly, between her now stronger powers and the self-defense classes her father insisted on when they were younger, Grace was pretty kick-ass when she needed to be.

  Lost in thought, Grace jumped when the door suddenly opened and Tomas told them it was clear for their exit. Tomas took her hand while Stefan dropped a half step behind with Davina, and together they walked into the small dress shop where her sisters waited.

  Layla drew Grace and Davina into a warm embrace. “We are so happy for the two of you. After all the worries, you both found what you were seeking,”

&
nbsp; They were all talking over one another, excitedly sharing thoughts for the Pronouncement, when the owner came in from the back room. The short, round woman with the face of a grandmother cleared her throat to get their attention.

  “Let’s get to work. I was told there was no time to waste.” The woman clapped her hands and two slightly younger women came out with dresses of all styles in their arms. “You’ll both need to give me some idea of what you like. I’ve pulled only red gowns but there is still much assortment from which you may choose.” She extended her arms towards the girls now hanging red gowns from the hooks around the room.

  “And I was also told white sheaths for the rest of the women.” Another young woman walked out carrying samples of white dresses. “There is still a variety but less so with these. You will let me know which is best.”

  “Do we all need to be the same style?” Sadie asked as she was already holding a slinky little dress to her body.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Grace shook her head. “Just any of the white dresses.”

  And so the dress shopping commenced. Davina and Grace chose their favorites, narrowed down their selections to complementary styles, and began trying them on. Grace was certain she’d tried on a hundred dresses before she walked out with the one she adored. When she exited her dressing room, Davina pulled back her curtain as well. Their eyes locked before they both took stock of the other.

  “These are the ones, Davina.”

  “Yes,” Davina agreed with her.

  Both gowns were scarlet red, floor length, and single shouldered. While Davina’s hugged her curves, Grace’s flowed along her body. The shimmer of the silk appeared nearly iridescent and with every step the fabric gave off a glow.

  As they stood admiring one another, Eloise came around the corner calling for them, “How about…” Her words were halted with a gasp that shocked them out of their reverie. “Oh Gracie, you two are stunning. These gowns were made to be worn together.”

  The others must’ve heard the commotion and joined them in the small space of the hallway. At first a hush swept over the group as they took them in. Then echoes of Eloise’s sentiments confirmed what Grace and Davina already knew. These were the dresses they would wear to their Pronouncement.

  “These are the ones.” Grace nodded to the dressmaker who was making her way through the crowd of women surrounding them.

  “So beautiful, Gracie,” Paige said. “Now, you and Davina hold still while she pins you for measurements and take a look at the dresses we chose.”

  “If you don’t like the look, it’s all up to the two of you,” Amelia added as she raised an eyebrow to Sadie as if daring her to disagree. They all knew Sadie’s style was the flashiest of the group.

  Sadie grinned and shook her head. “She’ll love mine, even more than yours,” she teased.

  After another hour, taken up with measurements and deciding on her sisters’ matching white gowns, Grace was growing tired and needed something to eat. They changed into their casual clothes they’d arrived in and, able to sense her mate’s needs, Davina suggested they head back to the bookstore and café for coffee and cupcakes.

  “Cupcakes?” Grace asked. “Since when are you selling cupcakes?”

  Davina gave a conspiratorial grin and looked towards Paige. “Since your sister convinced me to consider expanding the café. The storefront next door was for sale.”

  “I bought it!” Paige exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “We’re going to connect our shops, expand the café portion along with the custom cakes I already do.”

  Grace looked between Paige and Davina, pleased that her sisters were so readily welcoming Davina into their family. “That’s great.” She took Davina’s hand and moved towards the door. “Now, let’s go sample the products.”

  * * * *

  Sitting in the café, Grace sampled one of each cupcake flavor. Thank the Goddess they were mini sized treats. The sugar rush was just what she needed after the hectic few days they’d had. She was happily sitting back and letting Davina answer most of her sisters’ questions until the conversation turned pointedly to her.

  “Do you all remember all the times Gracie told us she didn’t want to mate?” Layla asked.

  They all nodded and Grace felt her face growing red. She didn’t want to talk about this.

  “She was so concerned about it and we hadn’t a clue why. Why didn’t you tell us what was wrong so we could’ve helped?” Amelia wondered.

  “For a long while, I didn’t understand it myself so I wouldn’t have been able to explain it. Then once I realized I was attracted to women, we believed we were the chosen ones of the prophecy,” Grace explained.

  Nodding, Gemma went on, “Which meant you’d have to mate with a male, a Valendite Breed.”

  “Right. I couldn’t be the one to stop this incredible event. It would be selfish and I recognized that. I didn’t see any way around it so I accepted what my fate would be.”

  “You were willing to give up your happiness?” Layla asked, her voice holding a sense of awe that Grace felt unworthy of.

  “I am a woman of the Magdalena Circle.” Grace stated that fact as if it meant everything, explained everything. For her, it did. There was no other choice but to honor her commitment.

  “You are amazing.” Davina stood behind her and squeezed her shoulders.

  Grace shook her head. “It’s nothing any of you wouldn’t have done.”

  The women all looked from one to the other, serious faces, some frowning. Clearing her throat, Eloise admitted, “I’m not sure I could say the same thing, Gracie. You aren’t giving yourself enough credit.”

  “Perhaps your willingness to sacrifice is what brought your reward?” Gemma suggested as she looked up at Davina pointedly.

  “Well, it certainly worked out for me,” Davina spoke up. “I suspected for a long while that Grace could be my mate, especially given what I knew about my own prophecy. I waited though because I couldn’t reconcile how it could work with the Prophecy of Seven.”

  “And how did you finally know?” Amelia asked. “We’d been coming up against dead ends in finding any more information.”

  Amelia, Gemma, and her own father had been scouring old manuscripts trying to uncover details, but nothing ever turned up.

  Davina chuckled and kissed Grace on the top of her head. “Grace doesn’t even know this part. Trevor came to the café on opening day. He was chaperoning Paige and Layla, and while he waited, he had a latte. Later that night, he returned to drive me home. Remember there was the unseasonable storm.”

  Everyone nodded, remembering the storm and those few days. Grace nodded because she understood the significance of him drinking the latte with Adelina’s magic water.

  Davina continued her story. “Well, we actually kissed that night and something inside of me clicked into place. I didn’t let on and I stopped his advances in their tracks but I knew. I knew he was also my mate.”

  “So why’d you stop him?”

  “Something told me that claiming Grace had to come first.” Davina reached down for Grace’s hands and held them as she bent down and wrapped her arms around Grace.

  “You three are in uncharted waters. There is no other mating of its type. The only thing coming close is the Tre Adoro,” Gemma told them. “Anyway, the Tre Adoro is actually translated directly as the third love. His talents are only unlocked when he meets the female in the mated couple he is meant to serve.”

  “But that isn’t at all like the three of them. First, it’s two women and one man. Plus, they are all equal in what they bring to the triad. There are no special talents, no special physiological explanations,” Amelia argued.

  “I agree. My point, I guess, is just that their triad is unique and what I most wanted Gracie to hear was that she needs to create the relationship that works for them without fear of it being wrong. She never liked being different. I don’t want that to hold her back,” Gemma explained, eyes focused on Grace.

/>   “I know and I suspect my mates will stay on top of that. Thank you, sister.” Grace reached over to touch Gemma.

  Her sisters truly had no idea how much their acceptance of her mating meant to her. She couldn’t explain the dynamic of their triad because that was too personal, too private, but Grace knew that together, they were a more solid unit. They each brought different talents and strengths. And Grace could never say which one she needed, or loved, more.

  Goddess, she loved them already.

  “Will we meet Trevor’s family? Will they travel to the Pronouncement?” Layla asked.

  “Yes. They actually still live in Italy, very close to the site of the ceremony,” Davina answered. “He’s spoken to them to explain our mating, and they were concerned at first. Then they spoke with your father and apparently he knew just what to say.”

  “They’re of the old world. They did not embrace modernization and actually remain still in the Village of Origin.” Grace shook her head, concerned. “I expect our families descending upon them will be a shock to their quiet lives.”

  “True enough.” Gemma nodded.

  “There’s nothing quiet about our families,” Amelia agreed.

  “And speaking of quiet, or the lack of it as it is, I need to get home to Julianna before the men folk come calling.” Layla got up from her seat. “Who’s riding with me?”

  “We’ll all head back together. Poor Tomas and Stefan probably want to get off guard duty soon anyway.” Sadie began cleaning up the table and Davina moved around to help.

  “You realize soon enough we’ll all be heading home to babies. It’s the final stage after Grace is mated,” Layla sing-songed as she packed up her things. “We’re each to bring the first of the free women into the world.”

  “Any announcements, girls?” Grace asked. She was amazed when she took in the sheepish looks around the table, tight lips holding back grins of happiness.

  “Oh, we didn’t want to over shine your event so we weren’t going to make the announcements yet…” Eloise squealed.