Chapter 23
Beryl
Guardians of Glitter Bomb Territory
Life fell into an easy pattern as we got ready for Mom’s wedding.
When I wasn’t going to work with Jade or running errands, I helped her and Bree get things set up.
Each and every time I saw my mother’s mate, she looked a bit more pregnant as if her egg had decided to start growing inside her.
I was pretty sure that wasn’t the case, but still I worried.
“We’re having the same milestone as Jondi,” my dragon pointed out one afternoon while I was driving into town to buy more caviar because Bree was craving it. “We’re becoming an older brother too.”
The scaley guy was right. Only, I hoped that Jondi wasn’t as worried as I was about everything.
He knew about the threats because Jade didn’t hide much from him.
He didn’t know the extent of them or that they were against Jade personally and not just the playroom.
Sure, assholes and violent people could be anywhere, but sometimes I wondered if letting him know just how often they were around made the kid more anxious.
Jade and I had talked it in circles a few times.
It always ended with Jade saying, ‘If we’re not honest about how the world can be, he’s going to get hurt and then he’s going to look at us and ask why we didn’t warn him.
Or what if something happened and one of us came home hurt?
He’s not constantly on watch, but people hurt kids too and I want mine to know what to do.
Hell, he raised the dead the night he thought you were going to eat him. So, I think it’s working out okay.”
He wasn’t wrong. Still, I hated the idea of Jondi or Jade being afraid of anything. Given my way, I’d have wiped out everything that scared either of them.
“Maybe Jade is right and eating people is the answer,” my dragon chimed into my thoughts.
It probably wasn’t the best answer, but it was the quickest answer.
I arrived back to the farm with the backseat of the Wing Mini full of bags loaded with caviar because octopus dragons ate a lot to Mum and Bree arguing. I hadn’t heard them argue before but with the wedding stress and how long Bree had carried her egg I should’ve expected it at some point.
“What’s going on?” I asked, arms loaded down with bags of caviar as I looked between them. Bree was tearing up and Mum looked like she was ready to pull her own hair out.
“Tell her all the kids don’t need to dress up!” Bree said, her bottom lip quivering.
“Just find the damn rock, Mum!” I said, walking into the kitchen to set the bags down.
Mum followed on my heels and I almost told her not to drag me into it, but now I had a kid.
Plus, wasn’t sure if Jondi wanted to wiggle into the little suit Jade had him fitted for the day after we got back into town.
He barely wanted to try it on when we picked it up.
“It’s not the same! They’re going to be so cute! The photos will be ones they love when they’re older!” Mum said.
“Hey, I’m not marrying you! Once it’s decided, we’ll do our best to make sure Jondi is here in whatever fits the theme, but she’s crying.
Your pregnant mate is crying. If she doesn’t want them to dress up just let it go.
I haven’t a damn clue why it’s so important to her, but it is.
It’s like you told me just get the damn rock! ”
“I just want everything to be perfect for our wedding!” she said, tossing her hands up in the air.
“Mum, you’re not marrying the wedding. I don’t think Jade and I are even going to have a wedding. We’ll have our little mating feast but we’re not having a wedding. Your wedding is going to suck if your bride is crying the whole time because you argued with her over one little thing.”
“I just want them to have fun at the wedding! If we’re going to do the blow-up water slide thingy…” Bree said, twisting open a jar of caviar and slurping it down.
“After the ceremony,” Mum said way more gently than she had talked to me. “We’re already squeezing ourselves into so much clothes! I don’t know why they have to do it too!”
I almost left the kitchen but stuck around because I had a feeling that the dress code for the wedding was about to change.
“I’m so big, Diamond,” Bree sank into a chair at the table. “I’m so big and the dress is heavy and scratchy and…”
“What do you want to do?” Mum asked, sitting down in the chair next to her and opening a few jars of the caviar so that they were ready for her when she wanted them.
“Maybe we can do it differently than how they used to,” Bree said.
“I like the idea of everyone getting together and the whole wedding ceremony and stuff. Sure, if people want to dress up, let them, but it’s hot and the kids are going to play in the water after the wedding – I’m going to have to be sprayed down between the ceremony and the reception. ”
Mum’s eyes lit up and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not until she said, “We could just tell everyone to come ready for sun and water.”
“Really? That would mean changing so many things, though!” Bree said.
“Well, we can tell everyone to save their fancy clothes for when the baby is born. We’ll have a party then to celebrate or when they turn one or something,” Mum said.
“Or they could wear them to my and Jade’s mating feast if they wanted to,” I offered, because some people would bitch about the sudden change in the dress code. Though, most people in the GGB had clothes for all occasions already.
Mum bit her lip and looked at me.
“I’ll help spread the word. You don’t even have to ask,” I chuckled. “Just don’t make Bree cry. I’m going to cry.”
“That’s because you’re having sympathy emotions because of Jade,” Bree sniffled.
“Speaking of, I have to go meet him at the playroom so we can have a moment alone before we need to pick up Jondi,” I said and kissed both women on the cheek before heading out the backdoor.
I had just started up the Wing Mini when Jade’s voice played through my thoughts.
“Alpha, I think I’m about to have to eat somebody!”
Maybe I should’ve told someone else or shouted over the group link but all I could do was floor the gas and try to get to my mate.