Chapter Forty-Four #2
“It’s your party. They can wait for you.
Everything is in place. People are already arriving, but don’t worry, we’re sending everyone to the gardens for the reception.
We’ve got the string quartet playing, and the canapes and drinks are being passed.
It’s okay.” She eyed my three littlest siblings getting out of the car.
“Show me where I can get ready? I need five minutes alone. We have two rooms, right?” I asked.
“We do.” She smiled. “Let me show you where to go.”
“Grace?” Evan’s voice came through the door as there was a soft knock.
“You can come in.” I sat on the chaise in the pretty little room that Eunice showed me to. Mostly dressed, I was just taking a moment to drink my champagne and compose myself.
Okay, and eat a bunch of the beautiful pastel macarons off the ornate tiered tray. I’d never mastered baking macarons.
Evan slipped in. “You look beautiful.”
“Hi. I just needed a moment.” I stuffed another macaron in my mouth.
He shut the door and sat with me on the lounger. “Take all the moments you need.”
“Did you need to put anything in here?” I rested my head on his shoulder.
“No. Everyone and everything is in the other room eating all the snacks. Oh, you have nicer snacks. May I?” Evan eyed the macarons.
I handed him the tray. “Try one, they're so good.”
“Mmmm. Delicious.” He sighed happily, eating one of the pastel cookies.
“Try this.” I handed him the bottle of champagne.
Evan chuckled and took a swig directly from the bottle. “We’re so classy.”
“Yep. Especially with the back of my dress undone and no shoes.” I took another cookie. “I’m probably getting crumbs all over it.”
“Doesn’t matter. Spencer will still adore you.” Evan snagged a kiss, which tasted of macaron.
“Is Spence okay? Thanks for handling everything with Nick earlier.” I put my head back on his shoulder.
“I’m happy that I was there to help. Um, I told Uncle Nick everything. He remembers his research and the omegas. They didn’t take that away.” Frowning, he took another sip.
“Huh.” I hadn’t expected that.
Evan looked at the closed door. “Spencer will probably be here soon. He’s having a drink with his dad; they haven’t had a chance to really talk alone yet.
After I brought Uncle Nick to the house, we came here, he and Auntie got, um, reunited, then the three of them had a talk.
Now Auntie is absolutely entranced with your little siblings–and I’m here with you.
Brennan and Jett went to get all of your siblings’ things and are going to store them in the other room.
Something about them all going with Creed to stay over at the adventure park? ”
“Sounds good.” I took another drink. “So, Spencer and I will do the individual photos his publicist wants so we can send out formal mating announcements, followed by a pack photo, then we’ll take our places and welcome everyone to the party?”
“Hey, if any of this is stressing you out, screw the formal photos. The photographer can get candids during the party and be done with it,” Evan assured.
“I’m okay. It won’t take long.” I took another drink of champagne. “Who are the Agents in Glasses? My brothers think that’s who Agent Weigmier is, and Compass BioTek works with them.”
“I mean, if it existed, you’d probably need to work with them for any advanced space travel projects.” Evan grinned. “It’s a movie franchise about agents who help keep aliens and other planets a secret. So, I guess Agent Weigmier could be part of it?”
“Oh, I suppose if we create warp engines and create faster-than-light travel or perhaps harness this world’s equivalent of Einstein-Rosenberg bridges to travel across the universe, we might run into someone or something.” I nodded. Makes sense to me.
“Grace, are you ready for me?” Spencer knocked on the door.
“No, but you can come in,” I replied.
The door opened, and Spencer walked in, holding a large bag. Heat rushed through me at how sexy he looked.
I held up the bottle. “We’re just day drinking.”
Spencer kissed me. “I’ll have some of that.”
Taking the bottle, he took a sip and sat down on the other side of me.
“Hi, Darling.” His look went smoldering.
“Hi, Dearest.” I sent a heated look back.
“Fine. I’ll do up her dress and leave.” Evan grinned. Handing me the macarons, he stood.
“Would you like one?” I offered Spencer the tray.
“I would. They look almost as tasty as you.” Winking, he took a cookie and bit into it suggestively.
So smooth.
“Save it for tonight.” Going behind me, Evan zipped up my dress.
“Oh, I will.” Spencer waggled his eyebrows and leaned in and kissed me.
Evan shook his head, laughing. “All done. See you for photos.”
“We’ll be out soon,” Spencer replied.
Evan hugged him and kissed me on the cheek. “Congrats, you two.”
He slipped out the door.
For a moment, Spencer and I just sat there, eating cookies and passing the champagne bottle back and forth.
“How do I look?” Verity had curled my hair and done my makeup. I had on the peach blossom necklace and earrings that he’d given me for my birthday. Riley had loaned me a beautiful headband to wear.
“Perfect. And me?” Spencer asked.
“Like I want to kiss you.” I kissed him. “We’re having our mating party.”
“We are.” His forehead touched mine. “And my father is here.”
“Agent Weigmier has great timing.” Quickly, I told him what happened as I leaned over and got a couple of things out of my bag that was on the floor by the chaise.
“That works with what the three of us came up with. We had to tell everyone something.” Spencer added in the gaps.
Nick remembered his research? That was surprising. But it could be useful. I was still curious about Rosalind and me going to another world.
However, I’d ask him about it another time.
I smoothed Spencer’s hair with my hand. “How are you doing?”
“I have my father back.” His eyes went misty. “Oh. Before I forget. Your shoes.”
Spencer handed me a box with a brand-new pair of pale gold ballet flats that matched the dress.
“Thank you.” I kissed him and sat down on the chaise as he slipped them on my feet. His eyes met mine, and my core warmed at the sheer devoted sexiness of the motion.
“I got this for you.” Still on his knees in front of me, he pulled a little ring box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a gold band with three emeralds and several smaller clear stones. It was big and fancy, but at the same time, classy.
“Spencer, it’s beautiful,” I breathed. We ordered rings for each other but kept them a surprise.
“Just like you.” He slipped it onto my right hand.
We talked about which finger I wanted to wear it on. I liked how here you wore your rings on whatever fingers you wanted. It made sense if you had rings from multiple mates.
“Here.” I handed him a box. “Evan helped me choose it.” It was a titanium wedding band engraved with the Greek key design, set in a larger gold band. I slid it onto his finger.
“Darling, I love it.” Spencer leaned in and kissed me.
“Um, I have something else.” I handed him a box. Inside was a tie tack that matched my necklace. I pinned it on his tie. “Perfect.”
Spencer kissed me again. “I love it. I have something for you, too. Though you don’t have to wear any of it today. I think your jewelry choices are perfect. My grandfather brought it, per our mating agreement.”
He got out a beautiful carved box and opened it. I sucked in a breath as I took in all the pieces of jewelry in it, some quite lovely and others…
“A family as old as ours had a lot of heirloom pieces. Some are more interesting than others,” Spencer laughed.
“We keep them in the family by passing them around. It’s not an insult.
It actually means they accept you, because they might be ugly, but they’re part of our heritage.
One day you can pass some of them on as gifts to other family members. ”
I held up a hideous bejeweled broach that looked like it should be in a museum. “Like this?”
“Yes.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled.
A blue stone caught my eye. I fished out a delicate bangle with blue stones. “This. I’ll wear this.”
Because I needed something blue. I meant to get a blue thong and had forgotten. Not to mention, Evan had surprised me with a beautiful gold bra and panty set.
“A lovely choice. This was my yiayia’s, and it means a lot that it was included.” Spencer slid it onto my arm.
“Thank you.” I kissed him. I’d look through everything later.
“You know, I think it’s a little silly that you give me all these things and I don’t give you anything other than a ring and a small piece of jewelry.
I’d like to get you a hedgehog, when you’re ready,” I offered.
What else did you get the billionaire who had everything?
Okay, I knew it was about transferring assets and tradition. The alpha showed they could take proper care of a mate, and the gifts were supposed to let the mate know that they were wanted by the alpha’s family. Jewelry was historically a way to amass money of one’s own. But still…
Leaning in, he gave me another kiss. “That sounds perfect. I think I’d love a pet hedgehog. I actually wanted to get you something special, just from me. What do you think of this?”
Taking out his phone, he showed me something that looked a lot like a small version of our guest house.
“Is that a chicken coop?” I asked.
“Yes, this company makes chicken coops that match your home or guest house so that they’re not eyesores. Since Brennan brought up chicken coop appearance, I thought this would be the perfect compromise. I admit, the spaceship ones are cute, though they seem difficult to clean,” he explained.
A chicken coop. “I love it.”
“There’s a service that will care for our chickens when we’re away. I should see if they’ll take care of hedgehogs,” he added. “They’re called Chicken Tenders.”
I giggled. Chicken Tenders. So funny.