“Lovely,” Lafawnya said.
Lindy opened her eyes and stared into a full-length mirror the teens were holding. She gasped in surprise. The dress was a gorgeous ball gown, a shade of blue that matched her eyes perfectly. The drape at the back of the dress made it appear as if she had wings folded against her back, and the pinched waist and low-cut bodice made her look like a pinup.
One of the teens handed Lindy a pair of satin sandals that matched the dress perfectly and were studded with what looked like diamonds. “The dress is beautiful, Lafawnya, thank you.”
She bowed and then smiled. “It was my pleasure to dress the bride of our glen’s only wulfen.” She slipped a dark purple ring on Lindy’s right index finger. “May you have a sweet life, Melinda, wolf from the Mortal Realm, and find much happiness with your mate.”
Lindy thanked the dressmaker and the two teens after they helped her disrobe and hung the dress in the closet. She dressed in her regular clothes and walked them out to the front room, where Crimson said goodbye and held the door open for them.
“How was it, sweetheart?”
“She had scissors that came flying at me!”
He laughed. “Tools of the dressmakers’ trade. She used to use brownies, but they don’t live on this side of the mountain anymore.”
“Brownies?”
“They’re about the size of a gnome and have brown skin and hair. They are very helpful and like to make things.”
“Why did they move to the other side of the mountain? What’s on the other side?”
“The other side of the mountain is very dangerous. The Fae Realm is home not only to fae, but also to other creatures. Strange beasts, fae that have been rejected from our glens because of their criminal behavior, and other undesirable creatures. The closer you get to the top of the mountain, the colder it is. We weren’t twenty feet up the face of the mountain, not even one-tenth of the way. The top of the mountain is covered in snow and ice and a layer of thick clouds. The side of the mountain facing our part of the realm is lush and green while the other side is void of anything but stone and dirt. There aren’t glens in the traditional sense, but territories protected by the different groups.”
“Why would the brownies live there if it’s dangerous?”
“Some time ago, brownies decided they didn’t want to work in servitude to fae any longer, so they moved to the other side of the mountain. They have magic that can make them and their homes invisible, so they live where they can do their own work and not have others telling them what to do.”
“Well, I guess I won’t ever meet a brownie, but they sound neat.”
He cast the protection spell over the house and closed the door, turning with a low growl and snatching her against him. “You were gone quite a while, chelle. I missed you.”
She sank against him, reveling in the feel of his lips when he kissed her and the way her body fit his so perfectly.
* * * * * *
“Crimson Ta’rek!” A shrill voice screeched from outside their home while Lindy was reading a book about the mating ceremony and Crimson was working in the bedroom on his own outfit. “You slippery wollbeast!”
Lindy stood, setting the book on the low table in front of the couch.
Crimson came out of the bedroom. “Oh, hex.”
“Who is that?” Lindy asked as the woman continued to screech Crimson’s name and call him creatures that sounded very unpleasant.
“It’s Giwyn.”
“Ah. The one you found naked on the bed when you got out of the shower?” She smiled at him, and he snapped his teeth at her.
“I didn’t ask for her to be there,” he said indignantly.
“You sure you’re really a wolf? I don’t know any unmated males who would turn down pussy like that.” She tapped her fingernail to her chin.
“You would have preferred that I ravaged her?” he snarled, and she laughed.
“Of course not, but it’s kind of funny.”
“It is not.”
“Yeah, it is.”
He grabbed her by the back of the neck and kissed her hard. “Is. Not.”
Still snarling, he stormed through the front room and threw open the door. He appeared utterly calm when he leaned against the doorjamb and said, “You bellowed?”
Lindy moved to stand next to Crimson, and he took her hand and squeezed it. Giwyn was thin and willowy, with flame-red hair that looked anything but natural. She might have been pretty, if her face hadn’t been screwed up into a haughty sneer.
“Your mother promised you to me, Crimson Ta’rek,” she said angrily. “You kicked me out of your bed, and for what?” She looked at Lindy, and her lip curled up in disgust. “So you could rut like a beast with a commoner from the Mortal Realm? You know our ways, Crimson. She will never be accepted, no matter what ceremony you plan for yourselves, and you’ll shame your family name and destroy your mother.”
Crimson straightened from his casual stance and angled himself slightly in front of Lindy. “My mother will be fine, but I’ll be sure to let her know you care. And as for my bride,” his voice began to change from smooth and controlled to rough and deep, “there is nothing common about her or our mating. She’s already been accepted by those who matter to me, and since you don’t, I suggest you take the short road to Hades and get off my property.”
Lifting one hand, he snapped his fingers and flames burst from the ground in front of Giwyn; she shrieked and fell back as a wall of fire built up between her and the house. She screamed in fright as Crimson lifted his hand and the flames grew higher and brighter. Lindy shielded her eyes from the intensity as Giwyn ran down the path and climbed hurriedly into a white carriage led by an orange horse that dashed away down the street as Crimson let the flames die.
Fanning herself to cool down, Lindy said, “Is she right?”
Crimson snorted. “She’s never been right about anything to do with me.”
“But your parents? Will our mating cause problems for them?”
“Of course not.” He turned and pulled her inside the front room, shutting the door. He sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. Cradling her face in his hands, he kissed her sweetly and thoroughly and then said, “The only people who would find fault with our mating are those who don’t believe in truemate spells or feel as if mating with those outside our realm is taboo. Those kinds of closed-minded people don’t matter to me in the least, or to my father or my friends.” He leaned back against the couch and hugged her close. “I don’t know what my mother will think. She’s probably home now, and I’m rather surprised she hasn’t shown up to demand an explanation. One day, chelle, she’ll realize that I’m happy with you, and she’ll want to share in our joy. But if that day never comes, then that’s okay, too. Because I wouldn’t want my mother’s approval if it meant I couldn’t have you.”
She leaned back far enough to look into his beautiful green eyes. Her heart swelled, and she opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him but decided it was too soon. She would tell him on the night of their mating, when they vowed themselves to each other in the old ways.
“Thank you for standing up for me. For us.”
“It’s what mates do.”
* * * * *
The following morning, Crimson was out of bed and dressed by the time Lindy woke. He brought breakfast to her in bed and said, “I have to go help my father with some preparations for the ceremony tonight. I’ll be back before dinner and will bring my parents’ servants to help you get ready. My father will come to pick you up and take you to the ceremony.”
He kissed her goodbye, and she lazed around in bed for a while before she got up and took care of the dishes. She had the whole day to herself, but nothing to do. She’d read the book on the old ways ceremony several times the day before and had read a volume of history of the Fae Realm as well. Although she had always thought fairies were creatures of peace and harmony, there was as much strife and war in their past as in the Mortal Realm. Wa
rs between glens. Royal families fighting for control. Problems in the court system with bribery and discrimination. The fae version of racism based on powers was still clearly evident today, where those with noble powers were considered better than those with non-noble powers.
And then there was Hades Ridge, the mountain range separating the fae glens and what Crimson had said about those not welcome in the glens. According to the history of the realm, there had been wars fought from one side of the mountain to the other, but not in a long time. The military kept the mountain guarded, and those on the other side were content to keep to their own side.
Deciding she didn’t want to read anymore, she headed to the bathroom and took a long, relaxing bath. She wanted to do something special with her hair but didn’t have her curling iron or hot rollers, and of course, without electricity, there was no place for her to plug things in anyway. Finding a pair of shears in the kitchen drawer, she cut strips of fabric from a cotton tank she had brought with her. Then she separated her hair into sections, twisted them tightly, and coiled them into loops, using the strips of fabric to tie them in place. She was glad that Crimson wasn’t home to see her looking so ridiculous.
She wished she had something constructive to do. If she were home, she would have cleaned, invited Faith and McKenna over to chat, or gone for a walk. Crimson’s house was spic and span, and aside from making the bed, there was nothing for her to do. Faith and McKenna couldn’t come visit because Crimson had to use his fairy ring to go into the Mortal Realm and would have to bring them here, and although he’d promised that if they chose to stay in the Fae Realm permanently she could go to visit her family and friends whenever she wished, she knew life would go on without her in Allen. She and her friends had always planned to raise their kids together.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in the Fae Realm. She was crazy about Crimson, and she thought his glen was neat, but she couldn’t picture herself being the only real werewolf around. Missing the camaraderie of the pack on the full moon. Hunting in the woods where she’d grown up.
She reached up and touched her hair and knew it was now dry. Banishing the depressing thoughts to the far corner of her mind, she returned to the bathroom and undid the twisted loops of her hair. She and Crimson had three more days in his realm before they returned to the Mortal Realm for a week. She was looking forward to sharing her realm with him. And maybe he’d want to live there permanently. She smiled at her reflection as she ran a wooden comb through each lock of hair, mentally crossing her fingers that he would want to live in her realm.
When she was done with her hair, a mass of glossy, curly blonde locks adorned her head. She still had some time before his father came to get her.
Today is my wedding day, she thought giddily. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she’d be marrying someone as amazing as Crimson. When she was little, she’d pictured her wedding like some gauzy, princess affair patterned after a fairy tale. As she’d gotten older, the fairy tale had morphed into a reality that hadn’t been nearly as sweet. She’d imagined she would marry a human or wolf and the most exciting thing in her life would be the full moon hunts. Everything about her life since she’d met Crimson had been exciting, but more than the excitement that surrounded them was the love and affection she felt for him and that he felt for her. He hadn’t told her that he loved her, but she could feel he did and knew he would tell her when the time was right for him. For her, it would be tonight. She would marry him in the traditions of his people and then she would give him her heart completely.
“Miss! Miss!” a voice called from outside of the house. Lindy’s sensitive hearing picked it up, and she moved toward the front door as the female voice continued to call for her. “Miss! Please! It’s Crimson, he’s injured!”
Crimson was injured? Her pulse raced, and fear coursed through her. For a heartbeat, Lindy wondered if she should not open the door, but then she remembered the protection spell and knew no one could get in, even if she opened the door. As long as she stayed inside the house, she was safe from harm. Her heart began to pound as she opened the front door, worry for her mate making her wolf howl.
One of the young girls that had come with Lafawnya was standing just outside the protection spell. “Miss! Please come out. I’ll take you to Crimson.”
Lindy’s hand gripped the door as she stood in the doorway. Something was off about the girl. She was trembling and rubbing her hands together, and her eyes were darting around nervously.
She’d never been told the names of the girls, so she said, “What’s going on?”
The girl took in a trembling breath and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Something struck Lindy in the chest, and she gasped as paralysis spread quickly through her upper body. She tried to force her arm to slam the door, but she was frozen. A man stepped from behind a tree and walked quickly to the girl’s side and grasped her arm. “Well done.”
As tingling heat spread through Lindy and sleepiness overcame her, the girl said, “You said you’d help me if I helped you.”
“And I will.” With a quick motion, the man stabbed the girl in the neck, and she fell to the ground, clutching at the wound that spurted blood like a macabre fountain.
The man turned his gaze to Lindy, and he lifted his hand. She heard a tearing sound and watched as the protection spell was rent like a piece of fabric. The protection around the house sparked, the tear in the spell widening. Lindy desperately tried to move her body in any way, but the paralysis had taken over completely. All she could really do was breathe and blink her eyes. She couldn’t even form words to speak.
The man spoke words she didn’t know with a low but powerful voice, and a thin gold line extended from his fingertips, shooting through the air and wrapping around her neck. The golden line, which felt hot and tingled against her skin like electricity, wove down her body. He jerked his hand, and she felt her body being lifted from the ground. The sleepiness intensified as she neared him, and she wanted to bare her fangs at him and growl, free the wolf simmering under her skin, but she could do nothing but glare at him.
He was tall and thin, with long, black hair and a thin goatee. His eyes were a blue so pale that they were almost white, and she felt chilled to the core as she stared into his eyes.
“Why’d you kill Jilla?” Giwyn asked as she strode from the trees surrounding Crimson’s home. Somehow, Lindy wasn’t surprised to see the haughty fairy was involved in whatever was happening to her.
Lindy’s eyes kept fluttering shut, but she forced them open, trying to take in all she could. In her mind, she screamed for Crimson, wondering if their connection as truemates was strong enough for him to know she was in trouble. If she died today, she would regret never telling him that she loved him.
“Because she was a liability,” the man sneered.
Giwyn looked at Lindy with disdain. “Have a nice life, mortal. For however long it will last.”
“Depends on who buys her,” the man snorted.
Lindy tried to force her eyes to remain open, but they slid shut and refused to heed her demands. Her wolf howled for its mate as she felt her body being moved and heard the sound of hooves pounding furiously on the road.
And then…nothing.
Chapter 16
Crimson hadn’t liked leaving Lindy during the day of their mating, but there was still much to be done. He knew she would have gladly come along to help, but since he was doing things according to the old ways, it was the male’s responsibility to ensure the ceremony went off without a hitch.
When his father had mated his mother, the females in his mother’s family had handled everything, which was the modern way. The females decided on everything from the location of the vows to the food that would be served afterward. His father said he’d never been bossed around so much in his life as he had been the day he mated Crimson’s mother. Generations ago, the females had begun to take over the planning and execution of the mating ceremonies, and they
became less about the actual mating and more about the lavishness of the party.
But this was not a typical mating ceremony. With his father’s help, he had scoured ancient texts to ensure the ceremony adhered to the old ways and respected his ancestors as well as Lindy. When he mated her tonight, those in attendance would know how much he valued mating her. He hadn’t chosen her because his mother thought she was a good match socially. The truemate spell had brought them together, but her big heart, beautiful smile, and sweet nature were what made him want to mate her and vow himself to her forever.
The ceremony was going to be held in the garden behind his parents’ home on a large marble stage. Riyad had been tasked with decorating the stage with beautiful and fragrant flowers.
Riyad came into the room where Crimson was polishing silver candlesticks that had been used by his great-great-great grandfather during his mating ceremony. They were heavy and ornate, and in desperate need of a good polish.
“I’ve finished the flowers.”
Crimson looked up from the candlestick. “Thanks. For everything. I mean it.”
Riyad leaned against the wall and folded his arms. “The old ways are complicated, but I have to admit that they’re resh. When the glen sees what used to happen during mating ceremonies, there’s going to be a demand for traditional matings.”
“If the females will give up control of the ceremonies.” Crimson chuckled, rubbing at a spot of tarnish. After inspecting the candlestick, he picked up another one and began to polish it.
“It seems as if females have no say any longer, anyway.” Crimson’s mother’s voice rang out, her words sharp and laced with bitterness.
Crimson dropped the candlestick in surprise as his mother walked into the room. His father had gone the night before to the spa and told her about Lindy. She had returned with him, but when Crimson had shown up that morning, she had refused to see him. He wondered if she would refuse to attend the ceremony.
The Wolf's Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen Page 14