dress, the colors, the flowers… none of them really matter all that much to me.” I gently closed the magazine, still balancing the stack in my lap so as not to topple them over. “I just want to mate with you. Claim you and be claimed by you. I’ll wear a paper bag if that’s what it takes to walk down the aisle.”
“And you’d look just as gorgeous.” Damien squeezed my toes lovingly.
“You’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear, but I know we can do better than a paper bag.” Ryder scrunched up his nose like he’d just smelled or tasted something gross. “No mate of mine will be without a dress to wear. Then again…” His expression cleared before his lips curved in a wicked grin. “Having a private ceremony and going naked has some appeal and would save time on the honeymoon.”
Joshua reached up and slapped Ryder upside the head, a playful gesture rather than one meant to hurt.
“Luckily,” I interjected, “Rini has offered me her dress. She’s a little smaller than I am, but it cinches in the back with ties rather than a zipper, so I think it will fit.”
“That’s great news, sweetheart. No matter what colors we choose, food we serve, or dress you wear, it’s going to be an incredible day. I can’t wait to call you mine forever more, Nix. I just wish…” Damien trailed off, and his hands stilled. I righted myself in the seat, and Joshua scooped up the magazines so I could reach Damien and try to ease the sadness that infiltrated his gaze and cut straight to my heart.
“You wish your family could be there.” I didn’t even need to say it, easily reading his thoughts in his broken expression.
“Gaspard would have loved to walk you down the aisle.” He gave me a watery smile. “He always thought of you as his granddaughter. He’d be proud of you, Nix. Proud of all of us.”
“I know, Batman. I know. He was like a grandfather to me too, and believe me when I say I know he’ll be there.” I placed my hand against his chest, directly over his heart. “He’ll be there just like your parents will be, and my mom.” I’d been trying hard not to think about her too much, hoping to avoid the melancholy mood her memories would put me in, but it was hard to approach such a pivotal moment in life that was supposed to be surrounded with family and not wonder about what my life would look like if she’d been alive. I could almost picture her helping me into my dress. I could see Celeste gushing over the picture I made before Raphael kissed my cheek and turned me over to Gaspard to head down the aisle to the six stunning men in tuxedos. It was easy to get lost in such a beautiful picture.
“Come on.” Damien sniffed and cleared his throat, standing from the chair and offering me his hand to pull me up. “Today isn’t for sad memories. It’s for creating new ones.”
“Besides” —Ryder waggled his eyebrows at me— “the next part is the grand finale.”
I followed him to the guest room, happy for the diversion from the thoughts that wanted to swallow me. At first, all I saw was Theo leaned against the wall, waiting for us, and it took me a moment to pry my gaze off of my bare chested mate to glance around the room. The entire room had been rearranged. All the twin beds had been pushed against the wall to make room for the massage table that sat in the middle of the floor.
“What in the world? How did you… where did this even come from?” I gaped.
Ryder appeared sheepish. “They had a spa at the hotel. It’s just not in use right now, so I commandeered one.”
“And made us drag it outside, into the cabin, up the steps, and in here,” Killian informed me from where he lounged on one of the beds. “Guess who did most of the heavy lifting?” He rubbed his shoulder.
“Aw, Abra. Do you need a rub? I hear there’s a really nice massage table available,” I teased, and Theo chuckled while Ryder grinned mischievously.
“I’m sure you could rub something for him, but it won’t be his shoulders,” Ryder quipped playfully, and my Puca launched a pillow at his head. My jaw dropped open as it sailed across the room and smacked into Ryder’s face hard enough to make him