Interesting Meetings #5
I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. Dalton wouldn’t even notice her tone was teasing.
I urged, “Go get them, Paige. Well, you know… should they end up in your territory.” Paige laughed, “Ohh I’ll give them hell.
You know I will.” I acknowledged, “I do know that.” I hung up as Dalton was ranting about how they wouldn’t get near her.
Xander was behind me in the next second warning, “I will sense your teasing tone if you do that to me.” I laughed, “Probably not at the moment, but later… sure. Alphas hear or perceive their mate to be in danger… and they go very Alpha male about it.”
My mate nipped my ear and whispered, “You and your friends tend to run to danger.” I snorted, “It’s not running to it, if danger comes to you.
It’s being prepared. We also know we are better than them.
” I gasped, “Oh gosh... that sounds brag-y… it’s not.
.. it really is a fact... Paige is better than them.
I could kill those two guys easier than I’m breathing right now. ”
Xander informed me, “My mom sent her tornado at them. Their escape was near where she was and my mom does not take kindly to unknown Witches or Warlocks in this territory.” He paused before adding, “Particularly in her current mood. Plus, after what they helped do to you, which she was linked about. So, it’s all good. ”
I laughed, “I’d bet Haley’s very upset in her current mood as you say.
Did she kill them?” Xander smirked answering, “Not quite.
Now, back onto the topic of our Mating Ceremony.
Plan whatever you want. Go dress shopping.
All I want is the traditional Wolf, Fairy, and Hackura components.
Well, if we don't have our Hackura bonding ceremony before then.”
I asked, “That’s it? You don’t have anything else you want?” Xander smiled, “The only other thing I want is you and I married at the end. You can plan it and the day after you are marked, we can have it. If you want more time, that’s fine.”
My mate warned, “If you want as much time as Paige I might combust, but I can give you that.” I snorted, “No, I don’t need as much time as Paige. I struggle with a few things about it, but at the end of the day... I want you to be my husband.” I blushed saying it out loud.
Xander asked, “What do you struggle with?” I answered, “Jason will be standing up there with you… when I’ve been thinking he’d refuse to even come… if you agreed to give us chance… so… he’ll definitely be there.” Xander started to speak.
I held my hand up saying, “Don’t offer to not have him up there.
I know my brother is important to you. It would hurt Jason’s feelings if he wasn’t, and I don’t really want that.
I know he doesn’t actually hate me... I know he didn’t say all that…
or write those things to me. I’m trying to work through all that.
It’s honestly a small struggle... I’m just trying to be honest and share and. .. stuff.”
Xander kissed me then asked, “What else?” I sighed, “My dad. He’s alive. He can walk me down the aisle…..and my feelings about that are difficult. I’m happy but I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I stopped dreaming about our mating ceremony years ago.”
I whispered, “The ideas and dreams come back, but some of them hurt. I just… I didn't think it would be this way. I didn’t think I could have all this, and now I can... it’s weird…
Gosh, I’m weird. I can have everything I dreamed of before everything changed.
Plus, my new family I made while I was gone can come… I just…”
Xander kissed me again. My mate pulled back to say, “You are dealing with a lot, and I completely understand what you’re saying.
You didn’t think I would accept you. As much as it pisses me off, they made you believe that, because it was NEVER true.
I still understand why aspects of this are hard to cope with for you. ”
I wiped my tears away asking, “You don’t care about the colors for our Mating Ceremony?
” Xander laughed, “I assume red will be one of the colors.” I nodded saying, “If you don’t mind.
” My mate replied, “I don’t. I want the colors to be whatever makes you happy.
Because whatever makes you happy, makes me happy. ”
I immediately said, “Then it will be mostly red with some white and little gold.” Freya chimed in, “I like it.” My wolf would have seen my memories of my dreams for our ceremony.
Xander kissed me then declared, “That works for me. Whatever you want. I want you to have your dream mating ceremony. Start planning whatever pieces of it you are comfortable with. Don’t think about the pieces that give you anxiety. ”
I nodded saying, “I’m thinking our Mating Ceremony could be the weekend after you mark me…
or the one after if I shift on a Friday or something.
” Xander’s joy shot up from my foot. My mate spoke cautiously, “We can wait. If it’s too much with your feelings about your family.
I am a patient man when it comes to you. ”
I sighed, “It’s a lot but… I’m tired of waiting for big moments with you.
We are already having to wait…” Xander interrupted, “We don’t have to, I’ll marry you tomorrow.
” I replied, “I know. Part of me just wants something about us to be normal…and my wolf doesn’t seem to think anything about us will be. ”
Xander laughed, “We are normal. How we are with each other is perfectly natural and normal. We may have things that are in our way, and we might even have things in our way later. I love you though, and it’s the most natural thing in the world to me.” I replied, “I love you too.”
Xander kissed me then pulled back, “So, about what happened downstairs…” He trailed off. I groaned, “Which part?” Xander asked, “Obviously those are Warlocks from Nashville. I thought they came with the Hunters and were killed.”
I cringed explaining, “That was just one coven. As you know…there are lots of covens in Nashville. Not all of them are bad but… I mean… a lot are so….there is that.” Xander told me, “If you’d give us the names of the bad ones, we’d take care of them.” He had a point. I agreed, “Ok.”
Xander smiled, “That was easy enough. Elise has you set up to observe some Luna disputes Monday. I’d like you to observe some of my meetings after hers.” I asked, “What day?” I tried to sound nonchalant but I wasn’t sure I pulled it off.
I asked Freya, “Would saying I peeked in on their meetings previously… be bad?” My wolf snorted, “It would give away more than you want.” Xander answered, “The same day. Elise, Buttercup, Micah, and Jane hold their Luna disputes in the morning. Zoe attends if she can, but she’s the head of the kitchen now.
That’s her passion and we have more than enough Luna’s to help out with disputes. ”
“I want you to sit in on some of our afternoon meetings. Normally, Elise would join, but she’s got some things to catch up on afterwards.” I definitely already knew all those things about the Luna’s and Micah as the Alpha Male…but I didn’t say that.
I agreed, “I could do that.” Xander replied, “I love you.” I smiled saying, “I love you too.” We laid in bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
When I woke up, I went to dance. My phone stopped playing my music when I got a call. I answered out of breath, “Hello.” Tiffany’s voice came across the line, “Hi, Melanie.” I whispered, “Tiffany.” She replied, “Yeah, it me. Tiffany. How are you?”
I cleared my throat, “I mean… I’ve been worse…
that seems obvious since… word definitely went around about where I’ve been…
so… yeah… I’m good now.” My old friend laughed, “And your Xander is your mate.” I replied, “I told you that.” Tiffany agreed, “You did. I reached out to T for this number when I heard about what went down with you.”
I hummed, “Well… I thought you had my number… and… obviously… your calls were intercepted… to my phone….and mine to yours….so you probably didn’t leave me on read… and not reply.” Tiffany growled, “I did not. I have missed you so much.” I admitted, “I missed you too.”
Tiffany sniffled, “I can’t believe I was running around with the phony you.
She had that dang necklace charmed so I saw the real her while everyone else saw you.
I ate freaking cookies that didn’t even taste good.
I don’t know if you know but your dad sent a Vampire to un-compel me.
Because I should’ve thought it was psychotic the fake you used your name as a stage name. ”
I replied, “I mean… you didn’t think she was me though… so you have that going for you. I think my family is pretty mad about that… since… she’s nothing like me.” Tiffany agreed, “She’s not. I was compelled to be her dang friend. My family didn’t like her at all.”
I hummed, “Well, she kind of sounds….horrible so I’m not shocked they didn’t. Anyone who agrees to what she did and knew what happened to me…is awful.” Tiffany agreed, “For sure. So, in other news I’m married.”
I chuckled, “I know. I mean congratulations… on… being mated… to your long time crush.” My old friend laughed, “Oh my god. It’s so good to talk to hear you being you.
Dancing wasn’t the same without you. So many of us lost our drive for it once you weren’t competing. ” More like they were burned out.
Tiffany agreed, “That too.” I groaned, “Dang talking out loud when meaning to have internal thoughts.” She chuckled, “I literally adore that you didn’t grow out of that.
” We talked for a bit more before I said, “If you want… you don’t have to…
but I’ll make sure you get an invitation to my mating ceremony… but you don’t…”
Tiffany cut me off, “Excuse me? I really deserve this invite over literally most people. I heard about your Xander for years. I’ll even promise not to bring up the invitations he didn’t reply to.
” I said, “Yeah… I mean... let’s not.” Tiffany snorted, “Only for you. I can’t wait to see you, Mel. When is it?”