Page 1 of Wolf Fated
1
“You look like you’re going to a movie star’s funeral, not a wedding.” Mom crossed her arms, an exasperated expression on her face.
“I look washed out in white, Mom.” The gown was a strapless black velvet that felt like silk against my skin. My elation of showing my mom and sister the dress this morning when they’d just returned from a cruise sank like an anchor in my gut.
“What about cream, that’s an off-shade of white?” Mom tilted her head. “There’s an old saying…what is it? Oh yes. Whoever wears black to a wedding is doomed from the start.”
“You’re so old-fashioned, Mom.” Dawn shook her head but flashed me a grin. “I think it’s absolutely fabulous. Black fits perfectly against your coloring and makes your hair look brighter. You’ll be beautiful for your wedding.”
“Thanks.” I pushed aside the tears forming in my eyes and blinked rapidly. Now I had doubts about what Stephen would think when he saw me in it. “And there’s even a slit up the side.”
“Well, no one will know you’re a bride wearing that.” My mom huffed, shifting on my bed.
“Aunt Grace had a bright red dress for her wedding.” Dawn stood and gave me a quick hug before touching the gown and nodding like she agreed with me that it would be fabulous.
“For her fourth wedding.” Mom snorted. “The woman is a man-whore and the scarlet gown fit her loose morals perfectly.”
“Mom,” I admonished. “She’s your sister.”
“And in this case, the bad apple fell way far from the tree.”
Dawn and I stared at each other in disbelief at our mom’s rudeness. Her thoughts were probably like mine how alike we both were and yet both of us adore our Aunt Grace. Sometimes when I was growing up, I’d wished she’d been my mom.
“Where’s my pretty bride?” Stephen stood in my bedroom’s doorway.
I squeal, spinning my gown behind my back. “Don’t look!”
“You’ve not got anything I haven’t seen before, Brookie.” He leered at me.
“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and especially in her wedding dress.” I shooed him with my hand.Why does he never take superstition or my feelings seriously?Like how I hated the nickname Brookie, but I’d given up asking him to stop. Or maybe it was growing on me after nearly ten months of dating.
He shrugged a shoulder and pulled my mom up from the bed, mimicking an old-timey dance. Her giggles filled my small bedroom.
“Oh, Stephen.” My mom blushed and swatted a hand on his shoulder. “You scoundrel.”
Why was he hanging around? We were going to have a decade of bad luck. “What are you doing? Get out.”
“Ouch.” Stephen placed a hand over his heart. “You’ve wounded me. Guess I’ll have to send back our Vegas wedding plans.”
“Don’t you dare.” Dawn placed her hands on her hips and stood between me and Stephen.
“What? No kiss before I go?”
“You can kiss her tonight at the wedding.” Dawn pushed against his chest, getting him out of the room, then shut the door.
“Oh, come on, Brookie,” he whined, tapping on the door with his fingers in a broken rhythm. “I’ve missed you since yesterday.”
“Save it,” Dawn locked the door. “We’ll see you this evening.”
“You’re both too harsh on him.” Mom patted down her blonde hair. “He’s paying for the whole thing for us, the least you two can do is show some appreciation.”
“Why?” Dawn walked over to me and helped me de-wrinkle the garment bag to put my dress away. “It’s a small Vegas wedding, they could’ve eloped for more.”
"Bite your tongue at such a thing." Mom smoothed the collar of her button-up shirt. "That's something for people who get pregnant before marriage."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Lots of people elope and not because of anything scandalous."
"Look, I can ask Stephen if we can move the wedding back here." Though I was keen on celebrating our honeymoon somewhere I'd never been, and Vegas had been one of the places on my bucket list forever. Which was why when he suggested we have a small wedding there at the famous A Little White Chapel, I jumped at the chance. Plus, Mom couldn't stay past Sunday because of her job at the bank, so I wouldn't have to worry about her nitpicking the entire time. And if we had the wedding here, she'd show up at our doorstep for at least the first two weeks and I really wanted time away.
