Page 60 of Beyond the Darkness

Connie was still laughing as he shut the sliding glass door behind him.

Hudson unlocked his phone and started browsing. “By the Flames, there are so many! Kit, I have no idea what—”

“Okay, okay.” Kit did a search for popular styles of invitations. “Let’s narrow down some. You like these?”

Hudson wrinkled his nose. “That’s a bit flowery.”

“See? You do have an opinion on this. Okay, what about this?”

“That looks sort of western and rustic,” Hudson said.

“Hmmm. Okay, how about this?” Kit asked, showing Hudson something that had a more vintage look to it.

“Oh. I do like that.”

“So, something timeless and elegant. That certainly fits. We’ll see what Connie has to say too.”

Kit leaned back in the chair, still scrolling. He definitely wanted their input, but he had an idea of which way his dragons were going to lean. That Hudson liked the more elegant invitation style didn’t surprise him. Connie would probably want something striking.

The night had cooled slightly, and the soft glow of the pool lights made the ambiance nearly magical as they scrolled on their phones.

Kit had no idea how much time had passed until he heard the squeak of a cart’s wheels drawing closer. Leaving his phone on the patio table, he patted Hudson on the cheek, then ducked inside to help Connie.

Once they had everything spread out on the table, they sat down to eat. There was a nice offering of Italian dishes that Kit couldn’t wait to dig into.

They chitchatted while they ate. Over dinner, Kit found himself relaxing fully into the joy of planning their wedding with his mates at his side. Each suggestion brought new excitement or a shared look of agreement.

After they were done, Hudson put everything back on the cart and returned it to the kitchen. When he returned, they picked up where they left off.

“So, invitations.” Connie flipped his cell phone around. “We have options ranging from classic embossed cardstock to more exotic materials like vellum or even hand-painted details.”

Hudson nodded appreciatively. “Something grand, I think. It needs to stand out.”

“Hudson likes the more classical and vintage look,” Kit added.

“Something grand and classical. Got it,” Connie said. “What about this?”

Kit leaned over to look at the designs. “Ooh, what about that one with the gold leaf accents? That looks elegant. And vintage.”

“I like that,” Connie agreed. “It’ll complement the event’s theme well. We can customize it with a bit of personal flair—perhaps add a little twist that hints at our unique... nature.”

“Maybe a subtle watermark of a crest or symbol that represents a dragon?” Hudson suggested.

“I love that idea,” Kit said. “We’ll do that then. Something meaningful, but not too obvious to those outside the paranormal world.”

Connie made a note on his tablet. “Consider it done.”

As they mulled over finer details, like RSVP cards and envelope liners, they finalized the minor details and reviewed the timeline once more. Content after productive planning and full of food, they settled back into their chairs.

“Each guest should feel like they’re part of something truly magical,” Hudson concluded as the discussion wound down.

“Yes. A celebration not just of our union, but of all the worlds coming together.”

Connie reached over and squeezed Kit’s hand gently. “Exactly.”

“This is really happening,” Kit murmured, looking between Hudson and Connie.

“It is.” Hudson took Kit’s other hand in his own.

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