Wedding Day!

MADDIE

I looked at my dress in the mirror, admiring the way it hugged my curves.

It had been a long, restless night at the penthouse after yesterday’s fight. To my surprise, things had actually started to get back on track.

Loch and Hael had tried to completely destroy Dane and Aneurin. Luckily, I found my voice just in time to stop my mates from getting their way.

When we arrived back at the penthouse, they were too exhausted from their battle to punish me right away.

They were still pissed about the Dragonstone. But we eventually came to an agreement.

I promised them I would submit to ~any~ punishment they saw fit…

~If~ they behaved as my plus-twos to Darshan and Thea’s wedding.

Of course, they didn’t have to agree. But we all had so much more fun when I was a willing sub.

As I continued to admire my dress, Loch entered the room wearing only his leather pants. It took me a few moments to rip my eyes away from his chiseled abs.

“You’d better get ready!” I said. “The wedding’s only a few hours away.”

“I hate weddings,” Loch growled. “Can’t we just stay in for the day? After all, we still haven’t punished you yet.”

He spanked my ass hard. I glared at him in the mirror, trying not to let him see how much the sting actually turned me on.

“You’ll get your chance to discipline me,” I teased. “But only if you make good on your side of the bargain.”

“We’re Twin Leading Breeds,” Hael said, entering the room. “~You~ submit to ~our~ needs.”

Hael was dressed just like Loch, in nothing but leather pants. I was getting annoyed at how fucking delicious they looked.

Hael moved closer and bit my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine.

“I can’t wait for this fucking day to be over,” Hael grinned. “Oh, the things we’ve got planned.”

More shivers went through my body. It was hard to stop myself from tearing off the dress and letting them take me.

I took in a deep breath and steeled my nerves.

“Get your suits on!” I demanded. “These are my best friends. We can’t be late!”

Loch and Hael grumbled as they made their way toward the closet.

I smiled. They drove me crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. At least they weren’t causing trouble. Today was ~not~ the day.

***

As soon as I saw Thea in her dress, everything sank in.

My best friends’ big day was finally upon us.

Thea couldn’t have looked more beautiful.

I’d expected to be a part of the procession. I hadn’t seen her much lately, so I thought maybe I would only get to be a bridesmaid.

So when she’d asked me to be her Maid of Honor, I was blown away.

Then again, I ~was~ one of her best friends…

Her ~other~ best friend was in the room with me, looking at the bride-to-be as she held back tears.

My friendship with Zayda was almost non-existent. We weren’t just on shaky ground—it was as if a fault had split open between us.

But weddings seemed to bring everyone together. I had to at least try and show some kindness toward my former friend. No matter how I felt about her recent choices.

Even though we hadn’t really talked with one another, we were still as cordial as we needed to make Thea’s day one she wouldn’t forget.

“You look gorgeous,” Zayda said to her.

“Agreed one million times over,” I added.

Thea’s face scrunched up once more as she tried to keep it together. It wouldn’t do if the bride had mascara stains down her cheeks and on her white dress.

“Do you really think so?” she asked.

Zayda and I nodded vigorously.

~Of course we did.~

Thea’s dress perfectly accentuated every curve on her rock-hard body. Hell, looking at her made me jealous, and I didn't even want to get married!

It wasn’t just Thea who looked amazing. Everything for this wedding had been planned and executed to perfection.

Of course it helped that Thea and Darshan had well-paying jobs at a top-tier restaurant. But they had worked extra hard to make sure that nothing was out of place.

“You look like an angel,” Darshan’s voice called out.

All three of us turned in horror. Low and behold, the groom-to-be was standing in the doorway with a massive smile on his face.

Zayda and I instinctually formed a barrier to block his view.

“Darshan!” I yelled. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

“It’s bad luck,” Zayda added.

“Oh, come on!” he retorted. “It’s not like I can actually see anything.”

That didn’t matter. Rituals were not going to be broken today!

“Stay here,” I said to Zayda. “I’ll take care of this.”

I hooked Darshan’s hand in my own and walked him out into the hallway.

“She looks beautiful, though, right?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” I replied. “And so do you.”

***

I stood on the stage in awe at the ceremony around me.

Darshan and Thea had somehow managed to rent out a majestic old church that always seemed to be booked.

The building itself was a sight to behold with its high ceilings, gothic arches, and mahogany pews. The touches added for the wedding had taken it to a whole other level.

Garlands of white and blue flowers lined the balcony encircling the inside of the chapel.

Warm summer sunlight sifted through stained glass windows, washing the interior in a kaleidoscope of colors.

I looked out at the mass of bodies lining the pews and chairs, unable to believe that Darshan and Thea knew so many people.

The music suddenly swelled, and Thea made her way down the aisle, accompanied by her father.

Oohs and ahhs echoed throughout the church as everyone watched the gorgeous bride make her way to the altar.

Darshan was already waiting with a smile that no one could ever wipe away. Harry was his best man, and he nodded at me from across the stage.

~This was really happening!~

Thea arrived and stood next to her soon-to-be husband. It was impossible to hold back my tears, and I let them flow freely down my cheeks.

The officiant began the ceremony, but I couldn’t focus on his words.

Seeing my two best friends about to pledge their lives to each other was sending me into a minor existential crisis.

How had my life come to this? I had always been such an independent woman, making sure to do everything on my own terms.

It had gotten me this far, and I knew that with a little more focus the sky was the limit. But there was one nagging thing that held me back…

The brand.

Being branded by the Dobrzyckas was both a blessing and a curse.

It showed me a world that people only saw in movies: lavish penthouses, the finest foods, and designer clothes I’d only ever dreamed of wearing.

The only problem was that it wasn’t my choice. And making my own decisions was a ~huge~ part of my life.

Two of my best friends had found true love. The best part was that they made their own choice. No one forced their feelings or made them spend the rest of their lives together.

What would my life look like if I’d never stolen from the Dobrzycka family? They made it seem like our connection was destined.

Deep inside, I knew they were probably right. Every time I was around them, my heart went into overdrive. It was impossible to keep my cool around my mates. They had me in the palms of their hands, even if sometimes I wondered what it would be like to be free.

Would we ever get married like Thea and Darshan?

My mates seemed cynical about holy matrimony. But then again, our bond together wasn’t so dissimilar to being married…

I was torn from my reverie as Thea gestured for the wedding band. I handed it over. She slipped it on Darshan’s finger, and they shared their first kiss as a married couple.

The applause was deafening, and not a single eye in the entire chapel was dry.

I was so happy for my friends and the new life they had together.

But I couldn’t stop thinking…what would be different if I’d left Requiem City and never looked back?

***

While the ceremony was a pleasantly subdued and thoughtful affair, the reception turned everything up to eleven.

I’d barely managed to change into a more casual dress when the band started the first of many sets.

After all the tears were wiped away, people were all smiles and ready to party.

I made my way to the open bar and ordered a gin and tonic. I looked at the back of the churchyard and found myself in awe.

There was a large patio on which a big table and chairs had been set up for dinner. A short way past that was a dance floor and small stage where the band played rocking covers of all our favorite songs.

At the very end of the stage was a yard adorned with beautiful, manicured foliage that looked like something out of a fairytale.

I sipped on my cocktail and admired the unbelievably perfect day. Not a cloud hung in the sky, and for once the sunshine wasn't overwhelming.

Let’s just hope it would stay this way…

I felt a familiar burn on my shoulder. It was my brand.

Loch and Hael were nearby.

When we had first arrived at the wedding, I’d had to attend to my duties as Maid of Honor. Loch and Hael had promised to be on their best behavior when we parted ways.

I could only hope they had kept their promise.

It didn’t take long to pick them out of the crowd—they stood head and shoulders above everyone else. Of course they were walking right toward me.

“Did we tell you how perfectly delectable you look, little mouse?” Hael asked, eyeing me up and down.

I tried not to blush, but it was impossible. I couldn’t deny that my dress did look damn good on me.

“You two don’t look so bad either,” I replied.

They were both dressed in matching black suits. Loch had chosen the all-black look, while Hael had added some color to his attire with a dark green tie that complimented his hair color.

On anyone else, it might have looked stupid, but they knew how to wear suits like no other men…or dragons, for that matter.

“It was actually quite a nice ceremony,” Loch said. “Thank you for the invitation.”

I nearly choked on my cocktail hearing these words from Loch’s mouth. It wasn’t like him to be satisfied with anything except his own wealth and good looks.

“Well, you were my plus-twos,” I replied, flabbergasted. “I’m glad you decided to attend.”

“We haven’t seen you for a while,” Hael admitted. “It was starting to get unbearable.”

“It’s barely been an hour!” I exclaimed.

“And that’s too long,” Loch said with a smirk.

My brand burned hotter than it had in a very long time. I wanted to grab both of their hands and take them to the confessional booth. I had a lot of repenting to do, and Loch and Hael could definitely teach me a thing or two about reaching a higher power…

It took every ounce of energy for me to hold back my desire.

~Not at a wedding, Maddie!~

Zayda slid in beside me at the bar and ordered a Virgin Manhattan.

It was normally a stiff drink, but this one was made with several different types of juice. Hell, after everything she'd been through, I wouldn’t blame her if she ordered an actual cocktail.

She smiled at me and then turned to Loch and Hael.

“Gentlemen,” she said.

“It’s wonderful to see you,” Hael replied.

“If you’ll excuse us, dinner is about to be served. And I must admit, I’m famished,” Loch said dryly.

The twins walked away, and I shook my head with annoyance.

“God, they know how to ruin a moment,” I said.

Zayda laughed at my joke. She held out her glass, and we did a short toast before we each downed our drinks in one gulp.

I looked into her eyes and felt a spark of the friendship had we once had. It was still there, buried under layers of sediment and unnecessary bad blood.

I wanted to apologize and try to get our friendship back on track. But when I opened my mouth, the words that came out were completely unexpected.

“Shit’s been so crazy lately,” I blurted.

Zayda was taken aback.

“Yeah,” she replied. “And why do you think that is?”

I saw the annoyed look on her face and realized I’d walked right into a hornet’s nest.

“Well, I guess it’s a number of things,” I answered.

“And they’re all my fault, right?”

Her eyes burned with resentment.

“No, not entirely,” I admitted.

“What a fucking relief,” she said. “It’s nice to know you might take ~some~ of the blame for once.”

“Sure, I’ll take some of the blame,” I retorted. “Only when you admit that Xander has you completely mind-fucked!”

Zayda took in a deep breath. She was so angry I could nearly feel the heat radiating from her body. How had this conversation gotten out of hand so quickly?

I searched my mind for some way to end this stupid argument, but I had nothing. Not even our best friend’s wedding could save our relationship now.

Then we heard the screams.

At first, it sounded like an overzealous attendee.

But as I watched people hurriedly moving away from the patio, I realized something was wrong.

A figure fell from the sky and touched down in the middle of the reception. Metal wings glistened in the sun. The body was made of half metal and skin, like something out of a sci-fi movie.

He had blue-black hair, a chiseled chest, and an unusually handsome face…

“Xythor?!” Zayda shouted. “But how is he here?”

That was a damn good question.

She looked at me with equal parts confusion and embarrassment. It sure was a surprise to see a dead man crash a wedding reception.

Zayda had told me that Xander had plans of resurrecting Xythor, but I thought it was just another one of my father’s bullshit schemes. Guess not.

But why was Zayda’s undead boyfriend crashing our best friends’ wedding?

“What the fuck is going on?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I thought I left him locked up in the lab…”

Her voice trailed off as she realized she’d said too much.

“He escaped Xander’s lab?” I asked, pointing to the abomination on the patio.

She opened her mouth to answer, but it was too late. A giant roar echoed throughout the church grounds, shaking the concrete beneath our feet.

I saw Xythor charging two figures, and my throat dropped all the way into my stomach.

It was Loch and Hael. With two puffs of smoke, they’d transformed into their dragon forms.

An all-out battle was about to begin.