Ayira The Princess #3
“I am going to ask her to marry me,” he said with his head lowered.
My mouth fell open with my heart bursting with joy for Maggie.
I should have known that’s what he was planning on doing.
“I–––” He paused and although it was subtle with his human ears, I could see his left ear slightly relax against his head like he was listening for something.
I could hear Maggie rushing upstairs, screaming in laughter which wasn’t hard to believe.
A drink or two and she was already tipsy.
“I wanted your help in planning this since she considers you her closest friend here.”
“Naturally,” I said softly with a raise of my chin.
“You need to ask her parents. We’re southern women.
The way we are raised to expect respect from even a stranger, let alone our partners.
You have to make an honest woman out of her and that means asking for her father’s hand before you can take her as your wife. ”
He sucked his teeth, becoming irritated at the thought of another man coming before him. The idea of a werewolf, let alone one who presents as an alpha humbling himself to ask another man for something he already believes is unheard of in his mind.
“You know this to be true. She is not from a pack where her mate is her everything. There is a hierarchy. You must ask for her hand in marriage.”
“I know. She’s been…going on and on about her parents and I don’t know if she’s told y’all, but she’s been trying to find a way to break the contract.”
“I’m aware,” I nodded.
“I need you to keep her away from her parents…put her mind on something else.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to–––”
Namir paused again as his nose and ears worked in overtime, but it was just the girls running back down like children. He stepped further onto the walking path as I followed behind.
“I’m going to make sure her parents are there when I ask for her hand in marriage,” he nodded. My shoulders dropped at the admission, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“You need my help?”
“Possibly,” he said as he pulled out his phone. His nose suddenly flared with the warning. “If you’re not comfortable texting me, I understand but know that I’ve already marked her. I’m not seeing anybody else but her.”
“I understand,” I nodded as I gave him my number. If he thought for a second, I was attracted to him, he had another thing coming. “Who all knows?”
“Me, her brother…my brother, and Solomon.”
“Solo?” I repeated, wondering when they became close enough for that type of information. “The siren?”
“Yeah. I will explain–––Ayo!” Namir suddenly shouted. “Why are y'all walking on my green and not running?!”
When he walked off after calling out to a group of me, seconds later, the front door swung open. Isis stood with wide eyes and a big smile looking at me.
“You have to see this!”
I glanced back seeing Namir blending in with the rest of the students.
Slowly, I stepped in hearing TLC’s No Scrubs playing as Maggie and Ayira danced around the coffee table with Asha on the couch with the remote in her hand singing the lyrics.
I leaned against the wall, staring at a joyful Maggie Grey.
Behind her eyes, you could see the sadness she was trying to mask.
Somehow, Ayira matched like a perfect puzzle piece as she took Maggie’s hands and danced, showing her how to move her hips.
Her white hair floated around her and the thin tank lifted against her belly as the aura changed, blending into Ayira’s bright energy with ease.
“Back home, this is how I was taught to dance.” Ayira picked up her foot to slap with her own hand before putting her hands high in the ceiling as she rolled her hips.
Maggie attempted to do the same until Ayira did some sort of spin, waving her hips again like a belly dancer before raising her hands to clap three times to the beat.
“We dance in a circle to represent the sun and hold hands like this! It is to give thanks for rising and giving us life! Then we would clap three times to feed the flames and make them grow. The serpents would dance around the sun like this!”
She held Maggie’s hands high in the air as they spun around with their feet kicking in the air in unison. Asha rapped like her life depended on it, reciting the lyrics like she was in the music video. None of it truly made any sense musically but they were happy.
“Look!” Isis beamed as the pillow began drifting up into the air. Objects began floating around the two girls as they repeated the same dance. She was truly stepping into her own. Isis happily leaned against me. I laid my head on hers and watched my girls.
If only I could ignore the sinking feeling that this might be one of the last times we get to enjoy a good moment.
Something was always bound to happen. Namir marrying Maggie, almost in a rushed fashion, felt like something else was about to take place, and he was just taking the necessary steps to protect her.
I have such a bad feeling about all of this.