I’m Getting Married to Mothman (Mothman in Love #3)

1.

Heather

I ’ve always dreamt of my wedding day. Heck, back when I was a kid, I’d make my Barbies kiss and craft avant-garde dresses for them out of old lace trimmings and tissues. The poofier the better. When I got older, I’d flip through Pinterest and magazines and daydream about what kind of dress I’d wear. I decided ages ago that I’d have an autumn wedding, and I knew in my heart that, one day, I’d walk down a flower-lined aisle with my mom holding my arm. I’d gaze at my partner, tears in our eyes, as we prepared for our next chapter. Despite my many plans and daydreams, I never expected Mothman to be involved—especially as the person I’d fallen madly in love with—but here we are.

If the gossip blogs got a hold of this, it would be “A BURNT-OUT INFLUENCER AND CRYPTID MEET IN THE WOODS, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WILL SHOCK YOU!”

And they’d be right because true love is something I never thought I’d find out here, especially with the local forest monster.

As the two of us sip tea after a long day of final decisions, I couldn’t be happier at this twist of fate. In one week, we’ll be husband and wife. The weight of the titles doesn’t feel restrictive or daunting. Ever since this man fell off my roof two years ago, I knew I could spend the rest of my life with him.

“I’m so happy.” I sigh, taking his clawed hand in mine.

“Which is why you have been shouting at me about centerpieces for the last few hours?” His deep voice rumbles as he rubs his temple with his free hand. Okay, I’ll admit, maybe, just maybe, I’ve been a little much today. However, plum and burgundy are not the same color. Of anyone I know, Moth should know this. He’s spent years in the woods among nature, right?

“Babe, there is no one I’d rather shout about centerpieces with,” I tease, releasing my grip on his hand to hold tight to his middle. My chin rests flat on his stomach as I watch his perfect mouth rise into a fang-filled smile. You think I’d be used to our height difference by now, but seeing him like this makes me want to call off all my plans for the night and climb him like a tree.

“Yes, that has become very clear.” He chuckles. His large hands grasp my hips, hoisting me up until our lips are flush and—God, what we’re we arguing about again? His mouth presses tenderly against mine. Colors. A wedding. The only thing that really matters is I get kisses like this 24/7. A giggle rises through my chest until I’m laughing and feel his smile against my lips.

“I could be so much less chill. You know that, right?” I deepen the kiss as his hands cage my waist, and you know what? Maybe burgundy and plum are closer than I thought…

“Mmm,” he murmurs, and okay, I could also be more chill. Honestly, he’s lucky we agreed on an intimate ceremony and reception, despite my overflowing Pinterest board and the pressure from both families to do something grand. When we got to making the guest list, it became clear we only wanted our close friends. Which means I’ve gotten to splurge on little details, like the aforementioned centerpieces. I get the dreamy autumn aesthetic I’ve always wanted, Moth gets a quiet affair, and most importantly, we both get a partner for life. Plus, Holly has smuggled over half of our decor from the fae realm. I think she’s still trying to make amends with me for trying to break Moth and I up last year, which has honestly been pretty cute. Of all the sisters-in-law I could have ended up with, I’m glad to have Holly. Sure, she’s still a little stabby, but I think the two of us are finally becoming friends.

Glancing up at the clock, I untangle myself from my cryptid fiancé and make my way toward the door. Holly will be here any second to take Rosie, Clara, and me to the bachelorette party she’s spent the last few months planning, which means they’ll all start arriving any minute now.

“I know I’ve been a little nitpicky.” I sigh, turning my attention back to my husband-to-be. “But I just want it to be perfect.”

A sympathetic smile crosses Moth’s face. His concern for the aesthetics of our wedding day may not be as strong as mine, but he still understands how important all of this is. After a few simple vows, he and I will be married. The whole thing should be terrifying. In the grand scheme of things, we haven’t been together for all that long, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

I love Moth more than I ever thought possible, and I can’t wait ’til I get to call him my husband.

His deep red eyes soften as he rises, pulling me tighter into his arms. Despite my tension, I melt against his body. We’re in this together, all of it.

He scoops me back in for another kiss before placing me back on my feet. His clawed fingers tenderly brush a few stray hairs away from my face. “It will be everything you desire.”

“Hellooo, who is ready to party?” Rosie’s voice catches my attention, followed by a few knocks on the door.

“The humans have arrived.” Moth sighs, leaning down to rest his forehead against mine. With his height, it must look comical.

“Probably shouldn’t call your friends ‘the humans.’” I stick my tongue out before heading to the door.

He grumbles, and I catch a hint of something underneath the grumpy expression I can’t quite put my finger on. He might be getting more comfortable around Rosie and Clara, but even after all this time, it feels like he’s holding back on our double dates. Hopefully, one day, he can fully be himself around more people than just me.

“Soon I’ll be all yours,” I say, fluttering up to a quick peck on the cheek.

“You are already mine, and I am yours,” he whispers, tenderly stroking the length of my face before retrieving a dramatic cloak from the rack by the door to drape over my shoulders. “But yes. In just a few days it will be proclaimed in front of everyone.”

I laugh. He’s always so serious. When I open the door, falling leaves cascade from the trees in red and burnt orange. They shower upon my friends’ heads, who all appear to have simultaneously arrived.

Holly stands stiffly between the couple, and honestly with their loud hair color and style, it’s hard to tell who’s a human and who’s a faerie without the wings.

“Are you ready for your hen party?” Clara says, looping an arm in mine, as the trio guide me down the steps of the wraparound porch and into the woods.

“Was I supposed to procure birds?” Holly stops in her tracks, her face suddenly a ghostly shade of white.

“You forgot the hens?” Rosie gasps, placing her hand on her chest. I watch Holly’s face go blank as she straightens, puts her heels together, and nods with the determination of a soldier.

“I will remedy this at once,” she says, rushing off to God knows where.

“Holly, wait! No, they’re kidding!” I shout after her, laughter overflowing from us at her bewildered expression.

“So, no birds?” my future sister-in-law asks, tilting her head.

“No birds.” I nod. “I’m sure whatever you’ve prepared is perfect.” And preferably doesn’t involve swordplay.

“Enjoy the evening.” Moth comes down the steps to steal one more kiss I will happily give. His lips taste like worry and wanting—the need to keep me close, but the knowledge that sometimes, we have to spread our wings separately.

Sprout has followed us down from the house. His fur has gotten so long and fluffy he appears to be floating like a dark cloud down the steps. As per usual, he’s walking closely at my heels. The two of us have become pretty inseparable in the past year.

“Sprout, watch over Heather,” Moth commands, reaching down and gently patting his head.

“ Arf! ”Sprout sits at attention as if he’s a guard dog and not a oversized marshmallow.

“You trust a dog over me?” Holly whines, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yes.” After what she pulled when we first arrived in Eclipsica, I can’t say I blame him. I may have forgiven her for trying to break us up, but I’m not sure Moth has let his guard down.

“I’ll be home soon,” I say, letting my wings unfurl and fluttering up to give him another kiss—a good one this time. You’d think after the dozen exchanged in the past few minutes, one of us would be sick of it, but when it comes to Moth, I only want more.

“So, where did you park?” Clara asks, looking up and down our driveway for Holly’s car, because of course my human friends are going to assume we’re taking a logical mode of transportation and going to a run of the mill venue for my bachelorette.

But there’s nothing ordinary about the night Holly has planned, at least I can guess that much, the details are supposed to be a surprise.

“Oh, um,” I exhale. How exactly am I going to explain this? Holly leads us deeper into the woods until we reach the shining gold spot in the hollow of a large tree.

“How do you feel about spending the night in the faerie realm?” I ask.

I had no idea what to expect when Holly took charge of my bachelorette party, but this is beyond perfect.

The east side of the castle houses a well-maintained garden with hedge mazes—actual hedge mazes! Not only is it the dreamiest backdrop for a party, but you can almost hear the echoes of drunken escapades from the past with every step. I imagine faerie royals chasing each other through the overgrown hedges of the maze, drinking wine, and having the time of their lives. Best of all? Now we get to add to the gorgeous memories.

My buttery yellow dress spills out of the dainty white garden chair, and the smell of lavender punch and faerie wine practically sings through the air. Holly has spared no detail, making sure the tables are lined with allergy-friendly treats. She even dressed to theme in a light-colored periwinkle dress that matches her hair, a breastplate with butterflies etched into the silver over top.

She hands me a cone of rose candy floss with a look of uncertainty on her usually stoic face.

“I love this so much,” I say, taking a bite of the cloudlike candy and letting the honeyed taste of flowers melt across my tongue. Incredible. Reason 1001 for not making assumptions about people. I never thought Holly would pull off such an amazing and thoughtful garden party.

“Mother helped me with the decorations. To say I achieved this on my own would be untrue,” Holly admits, casting her eyes downward while her feet shuffle almost nervously, “But I am glad this makes you happy.”

Happy is an understatement. I’m overjoyed, but also relieved. I half-expected a night of ax throwing and dueling. Instead, she’s fully customized this night for me. Best of all, most of my very best friends are here.

Ruby, who looks like a literal star dressed in silver sparkles, the gown beautiful against her dark brown skin. She greets us at the portal with hugs and a warm introduction to our human party guests. Widow shut the dress shop down for the night just to come celebrate.

Sure, Rosie and Clara are … understandably shocked about the whole portal travel thing. They spend the first thirty minutes whispering, “What the fuck?” which, like, honestly, is so fair . Thankfully, they’re adjusting, I think. Widow whisking them away and offering them clothing samples to “match the theme” certainly is helping. Still, they mouth the words “What?” to each other now and then—which seems like an improvement, so I’ll take it.

Now we’re all in pastel colors, and despite the human realm being in the thralls of autumn, it’s nice to enjoy a night that feels like spring, we even adorn Sprout with a yellow ribbon so the two of us match.

Together, we sip alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, while listening to one of Rosie’s killer Spotify playlists. Holly even hired Oak to paint our portrait, and considering no one can stop giggling, that might have been a terrible idea.

“You may together be the embodiment of a lovely bouquet of flowers, but you are absolutely the worst group of models I’ve ever seen,” he huffs, setting down his paintbrush. “I beg you: stop moving .”

His frustration makes the giggles worse. I’ve been sticking to the punch for fear of a flare-up so close to the wedding day, and clearly don’t need booze for the sillies to kick in.

“Oh, here!” Rosie says, handing him her cell phone. After a quick tutorial on how to use the camera, Oak captures our picture in an instant, and I promise to have it printed so he can use it as a reference if he ever wants to finish the painting.

“Such technology is certainly a novelty here,” he says wistfully, giving me a look I pretend not to see. There are things Oak and I have talked about in the past year that I don’t want anyone else to hear—or, frankly, discuss tonight.

“You are truly having a good time?” Holly asks, snapping me back to the present, blissful moment. “I conferred with our chefs to make sure nothing would trouble your diet, and since you enjoy photographs, Moth suggested the backdrop and portrait—I did not plan for music or games, so I am thankful for your humans.”

“Holly, seriously, relax. It’s perfect.” I pull her into a hug, and she stiffens against me; we’ve come a long way since the drama of last year, and though she still has some walls up, it’s nice to see her trying. I just wish she would worry less. Holding a grudge against her is impossible, even if I wanted to.

“Okay, games!” Clara rummages through her purse, pulling out a stack of papers and pens, passing them out to each of the guests.She is still a little jittery, but she seems to have finally gotten comfortable. The suit she’s wearing is covered in peonies in deep blue, and considering most of the time I see her she’s wearing overalls, it’s cute the way she twirls, letting the coattails billow as she walks.

“Oooh, I have wondered what kind of games mortals play at these affairs,” Oak says, ditching his post to lounge on a picnic blanket between Ruby and Widow. With the grace of a cat, he rolls on his stomach, propping up his head with his hands. “What will the stakes be?”

“Oh, well…” Clara holds up her own paper to show the group “It’s a mystical thing called a survey, one of those ‘who knows the couple best’ kind of things, and the prize…”

“A cluster of gemstones?” Ruby asks, a competitive gleam now flickering in her eyes.

“A satchel of gold?” Oak offers. I note, with a smirk, that he seems to be sitting awfully close to everyone’s favorite seamstress. They would make a cute couple.

“The blood of our enemies?” Holly asks, and everyone roars with laughter. Well, everyone except for Clara, who gives me a wide-eyed look. I shake my head and lip the words, “ She’s joking .”

“Close!” Rosie chimes with a wicked grin. “It’s a gift card to a local coffee shop.”

My lovely gaggle of faeries tilt their heads in confusion while I stifle a laugh. Considering we live in the middle of nowhere, my sweet neighbors had to drive upwards of an hour to get that little piece of plastic. It’s not a gift to be taken lightly.

“Sounds like the winner gets a field trip to the mortal realm,” Oak announces loudly.

The group erupts into chaos before straightening up, as if they’re ready to take a college exam and spent the entire night studying.

“She is my future sister-in-law,” Holly sneers. “I will win and have this adventure.”

“Well, she’s our best friend,” Ruby says, wrapping an arm around Oak, ever-so-slightly pulling him away from Widow, who I notice is now wearing a frown on her bright red lips. “We will be formidable rivals.”

“Not so fast!” Rosie argues, not so quick to give up the fight. “She’s our best friend too, and playing as a team is not allowed.”

“Okay, you are all my best friends, so calm down,” I say with as much authority as I can muster. Honestly, how can I pretend I’m not loving this? A few years ago, I could easily count my genuine friends on one hand, and now I’m surrounded by these wonderful people, and they’re fighting over me! This may be one of the best moments of my life—until the wedding, of course. I love them all so much.

“Question one!” Clara announces. “How did our happy couple meet?”

“Oh, that’s easy: he fell on her roof,” Rosie replies— loudly. Everyone scribbles down their answers with smiles across their faces.

“Shh.” Clara shakes her head. “Do you want to win this or not, babe?”

“Sorry!” She laughs. “Ignore me.” And if the others want to win, I hope they ignore her. Technically, Rosie is incorrect—but, by the smug expression on Holly and Ruby’s faces, it’s a detail I don’t think they remember as they copy Rosie’s answer.

“Wrong! Heather fell out of a tree and Moth saved her,” Clara announces, placing a hand on her hip as if she knew all along and the answers aren’t written on the card in front of her.

“How romantic! Why don’t you ever tell that part of the story?” Ruby asks, casting her amber gaze in my direction.

“Because I thought he was going to kill me.”

“Ah, people love a twist—leave it in next time,” Clara teases, shuffling the deck of cards, gaining a look of approval from Holly. “Okay, second question! Where was their first date?”

“That grubby little diner you took me to on my last visit!” Holly replies with her head held high. If she managed to pay attention to the rules, she might actually win this thing.

“You’re going to need to write down the answers if you want to win,” Clara reminds her, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Who said ‘I love you’ first?”

Me. I don’t mention that I shouted it during a fight, but whatever, it still counts.

“Who is messier?”

Honestly, that’s a tie. We both leave coffee cups all over the house, although my clothes are normally scattered as well. Moth still hates wearing pants.

“Where will they be going on their honeymoon?”

Queen Plume offered us their summer chateau in the Butterfly Court. It’s apparently in the middle of fields of flowers, totally secluded and, considering I still haven’t seen much of Eclipsica beyond Moth’s territory, was hard to say “no” to. Meanwhile, Clara and Rosie are trying to peer pressure us into doing a joint theme park trip in Florida for their anniversary, which Moth is understandably on the fence about. The truth is though, we haven’t actually decided on anywhere, though Moth seems like he has something sneaky he’s been planning.

The group shouts, writes, and debates their answers while I comfortably sit watching the chaos unfold before excusing myself to refill my lavender punch.

Oak sidles up beside me. Ugh. I guess there’s no use putting this off any longer.

“Dropping out of the game?” I ask. I know he wants to talk, but I figured he’d be more competitive…

“You know I’m seeking answers of a different kind,” Oak says, tapping his foot expectedly.

“Oh, come on, it’s a party. My party, ” I whine. It’s not that I’ve been avoiding him the entire party … except I have. Oak and I have been exchanging letters over the last few months. He throws one through the portal and I send one back before it closes. Unless I miss it, then I have to wait until he realizes and sends another message. Moth thinks it’s nice–like an interdimensional pen pal.

The brunette faerie leans in closer to me, a hungry gleam in his eyes. “Have you told your betrothed what we’ve discussed?”

“The thing is…”

“Which is a ‘no.’” Oak runs his fingers through his messy hair.

“It’s a yes. We’ve talked…” I shake my head. “And it’s a no. I just didn’t know how to tell you because…”

Because it’s all I have been thinking about, besides, of course, the wedding.

“You have mentioned the cabin like it’s something you’ve outgrown,”he grumbles, crossing his arms. “And we’ve talked at length about how your creativity could—”

“Oak! That doesn’t mean I want to move to Eclipsica!”

He hushes me, but luckily our friends are too focused on the game to pay attention to our very annoying conversation.

“Clearly you have not explained our exciting business venture well enough!” he says, his amber eyes flaring. I feel badly that I’ve made him wait this long for an answer, but our communication has been shoddy—and a shining example of why this just won’t work. Still, the idea of it makes something in my heart ache with longing.

A portrait studio attached to Widow’s dress shop. It would use a mix of mortal supplies—like instant cameras, film, ring lights and other bobbles—and Oak’s talent when it comes to painting. When he saw how I art-directed for Moth’s portrait and my portfolio, Oak became interested in bringing me on as a partner. The few times he’s visited our cabin we’ve made some really fun pieces too; same for whenever Moth and I visit the castle. Not only have we become great friends, but we work well together.

And the thing is, I love the idea. Sure, I’m overwhelmed by the logistics—like how do we explain bringing mortal tech to Eclipsica? A studio like this would be run-of-the-mill in the mortal realm, but here? The novelty alone would drive business to us, but also to Widow’s shop, which, thanks to Queen Plume and Ruby wearing her pieces in court, is finally blooming.

“Moth said he’d support anything I wanted…”

I enjoy spending time here without the pressures of royal life—Oak knows that. Still, I’m happiest at home with Moth. It’s a soft, comfortable life, but that doesn’t change the fact that it feels like something is shifting…

“So then … I don’t understand.” Oak rocks back and forth on his heel. “You want to say ‘yes,’ correct? Why is it not a ‘yes’?”

“Because I don’t want to move here,” I explain. Not when my half my friends, mom, and home would be a world away. “The magic you use for letters is—”

“Finnicky?”

I nod. Making a leap this big could change everything, and that’s not something I’m willing to do. Last year, we made our choice. I’ll help Oak out by giving him some equipment and whatever novelties he needs, but commuting to work with only one portal? Yeah, that’s not going to work.

“But what if—”

“It’s not like I can get on a bus.” I sigh, shaking my head. “Oh, a bus is like a big mode of transport—”

“I know what a bus is, Heather,” Oak snaps.

“Okay, well! The magic is weird, and I can’t rely on you or Holly to pick me up every single day. What if something happens to Queen Plume’s portal and I’m stuck here?”

The few times we’ve hung out, Oak is always at least two hours late. He says time runs differently in the faerie realm, but I suspect it has more to do with him losing track of time with a certain seamstress. Who, given the way she is looking at me from across the garden, absolutely knows what we’re talking about.

I have been actively working on the whole people-pleasing thing. I’m not about to give in to peer pressure at my own bachelorette party!

“What I am hearing is,” he begins with hope in his eyes, “if I can find some way to reliably steal you away, we can discuss this again?” I glance toward our friends. Holly stares for just a moment before returning her attention to the game.

Ugh, I need to keep it down. She would jump at the chance to have us move closer.

“Oak,” I say warningly, but the ache for a new creative opportunity burns in my chest. “Look, if you did somehow figure out a way to make the commute normal, I would love to. It’s just—even now, the idea of something happening and not being able to get back is terrifying. Besides, I still haven’t even told my mom about all of this. I want to before the wedding, but it’s just…”

“A lot?” he offers, finally seeming to understand. He lays a delicate hand on my shoulder.“Let us table this ’til after your nuptials, yes? I am sorry for my overzealous nature, but you should know that I’m ordering a sign next week. I’d like to know if I should engrave your name upon it.”

“Nuptials and honeymoon. Look, either way, I don’t need my name on a sign. I’ll set you up with all the goods before opening day, okay?” I plead. “You’ll make something amazing with or without me.”

“I do not mean to pressure you, my friend.” He perks up, shaking the crestfallen expression into something that resembles a smile. “Whatever you decide, I will support, but I truly think a collaboration between the three of us could be wonderful. I can feel the creativity ready to burst from your veins.”

“Me too,” I agree. “But I like my cozy life in the mortal realm too. I wish I could have my cake and eat it or whatever.”

Oak opens his mouth to speak, but we’re interrupted by a chorus of shrieks, clapping, and my steely sister-in-law’s protests.

“I won!” Ruby shouts, rising from her seat as the party cheers.

“Not fair! She’s written half of the things I answered verbally.” Holly crosses her arms.

“I mean, you kinda gave those answers to everyone.” I laugh, giving Ruby a thumbs up. Heck yes, if anyone deserves a day out for coffee, it’s the busy mom in the group. Regarding the rest of the bridal party, I raise my mocktail into the air. “Now, who wants to run through a hedge maze?”