Page 114 of Fated to be Enemies

She turned on her boot, blue hair swishing behind her as she started back for No Man’s Land. “She can’t seriously plan on walking.”

“Of course not,” she called over her shoulder. “We brought a truck. I’m taking it to pick them up.” She glanced back, dark blue eyes filled with secrets. “You coming?” she asked Danni.

My mate looked up at me. “Ready to meet my moms?”

“Will you allow us to stop at the Blood and Beryl embassy on the way?” I asked, taking in her practically naked body. In a quieter voice, I added, “I can’t imagine that introducing myself while covered in blood, dirt, and come would go over well, love.”

Pink colored her cheeks. “Good idea.”

“I’m rolling both windows down on the way,” Adora said. “Unless you want to ride in the back with Nova.”

“Adora,” Danni chastised. Her sister threw her hands up and kept walking.

I looked at Danni as we started after her. I’d made this woman my fake mate, presented her to my Court, turned her into a shifter-vampire hybrid queen—and she’d done it all, albeit while occasionally vomiting and breaking a few relics.

Now I was being introduced to her mothers.

The tables had turned.

“Not so fun when you're the one in the hot seat, is it?” Danni chuckled.

“I could think of better uses for your smart mouth.”

She laughed. “Same, babe. Same.”

CHAPTER 37

Dannika

Was it a mating ceremony or a coronation? Were they one and the same? I knew he’d told me it wasn’t a big deal. But then he’d also said there was a public consummation—though he’d insisted that had been a joke. Still. My nerves were shot. How bad was this going to be?

Nova lay on the rug, asleep, snoring contentedly. I sat with my hands in my lap, my remaining fingers interlaced and twirling my thumbs in a circular motion. My wrist had healed just fine, but the finger hadn’t grown back. I didn’t actually know why, but I also didn’t care. I had nine others. As long as I could flip someone off, my sister agreed.

Moments ticked by, and I glanced at the clock again. It had only been thirty-seven seconds since the last time I’d looked. My neck was stiff, and I angled my head to stretch it some.

“Stop fidgeting,” Adora said as she finished braiding my hair. “If you keep looking around, I’ll have to start over.” I blew out my cheeks, then nodded. Staring at me in the mirror, she shot me an incredulous look as I moved my head yet again. “Really?”

I smiled awkwardly and mouthed, “Sorry.”

Why was I nervous? There was absolutely no reason for me to be. I didn’t have reservations. This was my mate. It was the official mating ceremony of Blood and Beryl. I was being crowned queen. I’d known this part was coming, and it wasn’t a lie. This was real. True. It was forever. And none of that scared me.

“You’re afraid of saying personal things in public,” my sister muttered with hairpins in her mouth. She carefully placed them to hold my braid in a crown around my head. I pressed my lips together, smiling and trying to hold back a laugh. She knew me. So well, in fact, that she knew I’d be anxious and wondering why I had those feelings. And somehow, she had the answer.

“I guess so,” I responded in a quiet voice. “None of the other stuff scares me. I’m ready to be queen.” I absentmindedly rubbed my fingers over my left forearm, where my new tattoo had healed. My marking, tying me to the Laskaris name forever. I had no regrets.

Pulling a pin from her mouth, she looked at me in the mirror, meeting my gaze. “Everyone knows this is an intimate celebration. They respect it. I doubt you’d be the first person to stutter or blush. The fact that you love him isn’t news to anyone.” Tucking the pin into my hair and looping more of the braid, she muttered, “Trust me. Everyone can hear how much you love him every night.”

I snorted, tilting my head down, then tried to stiffen my body when she grumbled loudly. “It just feels weird to say something so private in a public space.”

“I can’t argue with that, but you’ll be fine. You always underestimate yourself when it comes to how badass you really are.” I raised my eyebrows at her. “It’s true. Look at your history and what you’ve overcome. You fight back, even if you think you’ll lose. You protect others at your own expense. You were willing to do this very thing when it wasn’t even real. And sure, you would have totally vomited afterward, but now? You’ve got it. This is just announcing the truth, and that you are good at. You always have been.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, my eyes watering.

She winked at me, then wrapped the final piece of the braid around and tucked it in place. She stepped back, studying the work she’d done. “Damn, I’m good. If I ever did this type of thing—which I won’t—I’d want to do my hair the same way.”

“You don’t think you’ll ever find a mate or someone you want to be with for life?”

She scoffed, furrowing her brows. “And stay tied down?” She shook her head. “My tomorrow is not guaranteed, so I’m going to get laid today. And every other day.”

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