September Moon

by Trina M. Lee

  I couldn’t bring myself to look at Jenner. I was sure he’d be staring at me with judgment and disgust. So when he laid a hand awkwardly on my shoulder I was astonished.

  “I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re going through,” he said. “But I hope you can find the strength to see this through to the end. I watched Arys suffer, tormented by dreams of a woman he thought he’d never know. I can’t let him fail himself now, after all this time. Now that you’re here and the two of you are together, please, don’t give up on whatever it is you have to do. Or else all of this pain and suffering will have been for nothing.”

  He left me with that and returned to the guest room. I sat there on the floor of my bedroom with my knees pulled up to my chest while shuddery breaths shook me and silent tears streamed down my face.

  Chapter Fifteen

  No amount of makeup made me look any less tired and ragged. As I looked at my reflection in the full-length dressing room mirror, I sighed and tugged at the bags beneath my eyes.

  “How does it look?” Kylarai called from outside the dressing room door. “Get out here and let me see.”

  The pale pink dress I wore was horribly ugly. Since it was impossible to lie to a werewolf, I’d have to do my best to grin and say nothing. There were sequins lining the bodice and puffy sleeves that made the dress appear like a reject from the 1980s. Kylarai had wanted the bridesmaids to wear pale pink, which wasn’t a bad color in itself, but on this dress it was all wrong.

  “Um, I don’t know about this one, Ky.” I emerged from the tiny changing room to a fit of giggles from Jez who stood there wearing a pink disaster far worse than my own.

  “Oh dear.” Kylarai frowned and sipped from a glass of water. She had declined the champagne that the store clerks had handed out to us. “That one looked a lot better on the rack. Ok, take it off. We’ll try something else.”

  “What are you laughing at?” I asked Jez. “You look like a walking bottle of Pepto.”

  “Hey,” she protested, flipping me off. “The 80s called. They want their sleeves back, Lex.”

  Poor Kylarai’s frown deepened. She’d found it funny during the first few dresses we had tried on. Having a rushed September wedding was stressful, and I didn’t envy the workload she had to deal with.

  “What else have you got?” I asked Ky, retrieving my champagne glass from a small table off to the side of the change rooms. For the first time in my life, and likely the last, I would have rather had tequila. Willow was becoming a bad influence.

  “Lucky for you both I’ve been saving my favorites for last. I knew you would hate those ones. I thought I’d have some fun with you.” Before I could turn away Ky held up her cell phone and snapped a pic of me in the hideous pink number. “This is so going on the internet.”

  “What?” Jez and I both said simultaneously. My laughter was genuine then. It was greatly needed after the night I’d had. “Not cool, Ky. Not cool at all.”

  The sales lady returned with another tray of champagne. Jez happily grabbed one, and I watched her take a large gulp. She caught me staring and shrugged it off.

  “Settle down, Lex. It’s just champagne. Would you like me to pee in a cup for you?”

  “And if I said yes?” I challenged with a smile, hoping I didn’t hurt her feelings.

  She groaned and adjusted the pink thing hanging from her slender frame. “Don’t go there. You have no idea how hard it was to get Kale to leave me alone at my apartment. He was like an overprotective parent.”

  Good. Instead of saying that aloud, I said, “He cares about you. Is that a bad thing?”

  Knowing she had no retort for that, Jez turned to Ky and held out a hand for the next dress. With her grey eyes sparkling, Kylarai pulled two more off a nearby rack and handed one to each of us.

  “I hope you guys like these; they really are my favorites.”

  I retreated back into the dressing room and hastily struggled out of the nightmare I was wearing. “Here,” I announced, tossing it over the top.

  The newest dress was actually pretty. I was more of a pants and boots kind of girl so that was saying something. It was the palest of pinks, soft and warm, easy on the eyes. I slipped into it and adjusted the corset style bodice to fit my frame. Laces tied up on either side, giving it a feminine quality that I found appealing. The skirt was cut above my knees in the front but fell to my ankles in the back. A sheer layer of tulle underneath gave it just enough poof to make it flow behind me. The dress was so gorgeous it could have almost been a wedding dress itself. Even with the dark circles beneath my eyes and the loose, messy blonde locks clipped atop my head, I was awed by how lovely it looked.

  “Kylarai, this dress is beautiful,” Jez gushed from her dressing room. “It’s way too gorgeous for a bridesmaid. I can’t possibly wear this.”

  I exited my tiny room to find her emerging in a long one-shoulder number that fell to the floor. It was cinched at the waist with a silver decorative piece. The skirt flowed as she walked, cascading around her like a pale pink cloud.

  We looked at each other and both squealed. “You look amazing,” I gushed. To Ky, I said, “She’s right. We can’t look this good at your wedding. Isn’t there some rule that bridesmaids are supposed to look like crap?”

  “So you like it?” She asked, relief obvious in her face. “I want you both to be beautiful. What good are wedding photos if everyone looks like shit but the bride? I want everyone to be a knockout that day.”

  “When do we get to see your dress?”

  “As soon as it’s ready. It’s being altered.” Ky paused, and her face flushed. She pushed her shoulder length brown hair back and grinned. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m getting married so soon. Are you sure it’s ok that we have the wedding at your house? Your yard is just so perfect.”

  It did my aching heart good to see that smile on her face. On impulse I pulled her into a hug. She smelled especially wolfy, pine and musky fur. Breathing in her scent of wolf and perfume, I was reassured. Good things did happen to good people. “If anyone deserves a fairytale love story, Ky, it’s you. If my yard is what you want then it is what you shall have.”

  When she pulled back unshed tears glittered in her eyes. Her smile couldn’t possibly get any wider. It was adorable.

  “Go take those things off so we can keep them perfect for the big day. If you need any alterations made, make a note of that, and I’ll have it done right away.” She dabbed her eyes and ushered me back into the changing room. I was disrobing when she called, “Are you going to tell us what’s up with you? Or are you going to keep pretending everything is peachy?”

  “What are you talking about? There is nothing up with me.” I was glad she couldn’t see my face. Hopefully she wasn’t close enough to smell my lie.

  “Arys almost killed her last night, and she doesn’t want to tell you and ruin your excitement,” Jez said loudly from her dressing room. “Sorry, Lex. But if you can’t be honest with us girls, you’ll keep it all inside and eventually spontaneously combust.”

  I glared at my reflection in the mirror as I pulled my jeans on and tugged my black Sons of Anarchy reaper V-neck into place. “Thanks, Jez. Nice to know you can keep things in confidence.”

  Kylarai was wearing that frown again when I emerged from the dressing room for the final time. “Alexa, are you all right? Please, don’t hide things from me. It feels like we’re drifting apart, and I hate that.”

  “I’m fine, really. We’re not drifting. I’m just trying to put some distance between us so that you stay safe. Just until this is all over.” I shot Jez a dirty look when she returned in her yoga pants and tank top. She brushed it off dismissively and drained her champagne.

  “Until what is over exactly?” Ky’s voice dropped when the sales lady returned.

  “Everything with Arys and Shya. It’s just best if you’re not around me too much until it’s all said and done.”

  She gave instructions to the sales lady regarding the
dresses while I worked hard at stifling a yawn or two. The champagne had left a bitter taste in my mouth. I politely refused when offered another. Jez started to reach for another, looked at me, and changed her mind. We really needed to talk about the other night.

  When we were alone again, Kylarai turned to me expectantly. “I understand. Really, I do. But please don’t shut me out. I need to know what’s going on with you. I care. Coby cares too. More than I think you realize.”

  “I know. That’s why I need to protect you both by keeping you out of this. I’m already afraid that having me in your wedding will be a mistake.”

  “Do not say that. The wedding wouldn’t be right without you. It’s my special day, and I want you there. No worries. I mean it.” Kylarai held out a hand to each of us. “I’m so happy to have you ladies in my life. This would be a very lonely life without you. Now, let’s go for dinner. I’m buying.”

  We went to a restaurant down the street that was known for its fabulous ribs. The three of us gathered around the table, chatting and laughing, enjoying the atmosphere. It was so carefree and human. For a short time I was able to put my worries aside.

  Kylarai shattered my brief reprieve by getting serious on me again. “Lex, I don’t mean to pry, but please tell me what’s going on with you. What happened with Arys last night?”

  Shutting her out wasn’t fair. We were still pack, despite the technicality that said we weren’t. She was my friend, my family. Stifling a groan, I took a deep breath and filled her in on everything I’d neglected to say.

  When I finished she shook her head and sat back with a bewildered expression on her pretty face. “Your shared purpose is so close to coming to pass that it’s driving you both batshit crazy. That hardly seems fair.”

  “Nothing is fair in this world though, is it?” I grimaced, stirring the ice in my strawberry daiquiri. “It is what it is. All I can do is hope the scroll turns up so we can get this over with. If it doesn’t happen soon, Arys is going to kill me anyway. He’s been expecting it so long that the wait is breaking him down.”

  Kylarai sipped from her virgin pina colada, looking thoughtful. “Not everything is unfair. You’ve got to try to see the silver linings, Lex. You’re focused so hard on the storm clouds that you’re missing the light show completely.”

  “Agreed,” Jez jumped in with a knowing look. “Life is a journey, right? This is all leading you somewhere. Good things do happen to people like us. Eventually.”

  There was an awkward lull in the conversation. Kylarai broke the quiet with a cheerful, “So how’s Kale? Good I hope. I wanted to invite him to the wedding, but then I thought that might just be incredibly awkward. What do you both think?”

  I exchanged a look with Jez who laughed into her martini. I did my best not to discuss Kale with Ky. It was just too weird given their brief time as a couple.

  “It’s not like you were in love with him, right?” Jez pointed out. “Couldn’t hurt to send the invite. Knowing Kale, he won’t come. He’s kind of a downer that way.”

  Ky was no idiot. She read between the lines with ease. “So what I’m hearing is that things are really strange between you two, and I shouldn’t invite him.”

  “It’s your big day, Ky. Whoever you want to be there should be there. Don’t make those decisions based on me.” I patted her hand, finding her aura warm and pulsing. It struck me as odd that it was so noticeably vibrant.

  The waiter arrived with our order, giving me the perfect opportunity to change the subject. There just was no easy way to discuss having my best friend’s ex tied to me like a prisoner of his own desire.

  I dove into the cheeseburger and Caesar salad I’d ordered, finding it just perfect. Damn I was going to miss this. Eating a cheeseburger should not make one an emotional wreck, but suddenly I was fighting the urge to throw the damn thing in a fit of irrational anger. Why should everything be taken from me?

  There was no one to blame but myself. And perhaps circumstance. Stuffing those feelings back down inside, I savored the burger, making note of each smell and flavor. I wanted to remember this later when the only food I craved would be human.

  “So where did Shaz take Coby tonight? Are they having a real bachelor party? Strippers and all that fun stuff.” I asked, thinking it seemed like a safe enough topic.

  Kylarai had asked Shaz to take Coby out. Shaz had asked me repeatedly if I wanted him with me instead, but I had assured him that having a good time with Coby was the best thing he could do for me right now. His reluctance made him that much more adorable. Letting Shaz go was going to be one of the hardest things I’d ever have to do.

  “I didn’t even want to know,” Ky said with a laugh. “I told Shaz not to tell me what he had planned. Just to bring back my fiancé in one piece.”

  “Well, what about you?” Jez said between mouthfuls of grilled chicken. “You deserve a final big bash too. We should party.”

  “The wedding is coming up so quickly. I don’t have time to party.”

  Jez was aghast. “There is always time to party.”

  “Maybe a little too much time,” I added, giving her a pointed look.

  Jez frowned and pushed the chicken around on her plate with the fork, avoiding my gaze. “I know I fucked up, Lex. But we all suffer, and we all deal in our own way. You can’t punish me for that.”

  The tone of our dinner went from fun and friendly to tense and awkward in a split second. It wasn’t fair of me to act like judge and jury. I was just afraid.

  “You scared the hell out of me, Jez. I’ve never seen you that far gone before, and I hope I never see it again. I’m sorry. I’ll back off.” Hoping for a smile, I offered her a fry from my plate. “Peace offering?”

  She swiped the fry from my hand with the speedy reflexes of a cat. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t punish you for caring.” Turning her emerald-green gaze on Ky, she said, “Ok, so about this bachelorette party. Where would you like to go? Bride’s choice.”

  Kylarai was about to protest when she seemed to rethink it. “There is a band playing tonight I wouldn’t mind seeing. They’re local. Coby turned me on to them.”

  At the mention of a local band, my stomach flipped. Please don’t say it’s at The Spirit Room, I thought.

  “They’re playing at The Spirit Room,” she continued, dashing my hopes with just those few words.

  Jez raised her eyebrows, expecting my protest. I swallowed hard, finding the cheeseburger was now sitting heavily in my stomach. “Sure,” I said with a forced smile. “We can do that.”

  “Do you want to go see the ‘peelers’ first? I don’t mind. I can appreciate some nice man flesh. I just don’t want it touching me,” Jez quipped with a flip of her golden locks.

  A giggle erupted from Ky. “As much as I appreciate the offer, no thank you. I have more than enough man flesh at home.”

  That was a relief. I wasn’t sure I could stand to watch buff men tear their clothes off and gyrate for screaming women. While the human women would hunger for one thing, I’d be hungering for another.

  “Someone may as well have some action at home. At the rate we’re going we’ll be old, sexless spinsters in no time,” Jez said with a nod to me. When I frowned in response, she added, “Sorry, Lex. You have been pushing your men away though.”

  “Only Shaz. It’s for his own good, you chatty thing. Don’t think I’m enjoying it.” I flung a fry at her, disappointed when she caught it.

  “No more talk of depressing stuff. Aren’t we supposed to be celebrating?” Ky brought our attention back to her, holding her glass up expectantly. Jez and I raised our glasses as well. Kylarai stared at us each in turn. Her cheeks were rosy, and she seemed to glow with an inner happiness. “To friends. And to overcoming the odds, no matter how bleak they may seem. To hope and the certainty that everything happens for a reason.” Kylarai clinked her glass against ours and beamed like the sun itself threatened to burst from within her.

  I studied her, seeking the source of her
inner illumination. Sure marriage made a woman beam, but there was something else there. A gentle touch of her aura slapped me in the face with the answer. I struggled to maintain my composure. Was this for real?

  Her aura was strong and solid, humming with a healthy vibrancy. Focusing intently on her energy, I was able to pick out another, weaker aura beneath hers. Unless I was very wrong, Kylarai was pregnant.

  * * * *

  We arrived at The Spirit Room after dark, early enough that we were able to find a table near the stage but not so early that the place was empty. Now that the sun had set, I was anxiously anticipating an appearance by my crazed vampire. Which one? A nasty voice in the back of my mind taunted.

  Arys hadn’t tried to contact me mentally or by phone. I wasn’t sure if I should be worried or relieved by that. Leaving the house without Jenner had been simple enough thanks to the afternoon sun. Now that darkness had fallen, I expected one of my self-appointed protectors to show up.

  The first band of the evening took the stage. They were hard rock with a lot of growling and screaming. Not quite my kind of rock, but it sure beat Top 40 crap.

  “I just can’t decide where we should go for our honeymoon,” Kylarai was saying. “Coby wants to lie on the beach in Hawaii, but I’d much rather go somewhere romantic like Paris or Vienna.”

  “I vote Europe, for sure. Why not visit both Paris and Vienna? Walking through those cities would be a dream.” I leaned forward, resting my face on my hands, and imagined strolling through the stone streets of Paris.

  “I dated a chick who works for a travel agency. We parted on good terms. I’m sure I could get you guys a deal.” Jez’s offer was met with a gleeful squeal from Ky who clapped her hands together excitedly.