— Kaden —

Of course the Brotherhood had sent a bunch of ultimatums to most of my allies, which explained why a lot of uninvited guess showed up asking for an audience.

I didn’t get the news of this until Jean-Philippe told me. Somehow the fact that he and my sister were mates seemed to have eluded the Brotherhood, which was weird considering how little control they had, even in public.

When Jasmine saw her boyfriend arrive the day before the wedding, she ran to him and spent most of the day with her lips glued to his.

It had been a good thing that I’d gotten the information I needed before then.

I spend most of the day sorting the new pack.

It was still unnamed, but everyone had accepted the new ranked members. And Jayson was organising things for the rest of the day as my mother dragged me away in the late afternoon.

“We need to finish fitting your suit for tomorrow,” she had told me as she apologized to the packs and took me away.

Elaeya inclined her head to us in goodbye and went to do, I don’t know what.

Mom took me to one of the drawing room to see Morea.

“I think the two of you are well matched,” she told me as she helped me put the jacket on.

“I think so too,” I said.

“Any cold feet?” she asked.

“No, just wished we had more time to appreciate the moment, but I’m not so sure we’ll have a lot of that for a while.”

She pursed her lips.

“You’ve told her, right?” she asked smoothing the fabric on my back.

“Told what?”

She stopped moving. I looked over my shoulder, she looked like she wanted to punch me.

“What?” I asked.

“That you love her, idiot.”

“She knows this already,” I told her.

“Please tell me she knows because you told her.”

“I didn’t need to, she already knew.”

She started hitting me on the arm, and it was not soft slapped either. I don’t ever remember having my mother hit me.

“Ow,” I whined. “Mom, what is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with me?” she asked clearly upset. “What is wrong with you? What did I do to make such an idiotic man?”

“Hey,” I complained. “She’s not an idiot you know, she can sort things out on her own.”

“Of course, she’s brilliant. And it’s written all over your face that you love her.”

“So what is wrong then.”

“Saying it is not the same thing, Kaden. Words make everything different.”

I looked at her incredulously.

“Words have power,” Morea said.

* * * * *

“Man, this place is pure chaos,” said Alik to Sam.

Both were chilling with a beer on the terrace looking at everyone running around like headless chickens.

I shook my head at the view, happy that I was done with the fitting.

“What has gotten to you?” Sam asked me.

I shook my head again. “I’ve just gotten an earful of the so-called power of words.”

“That’s a thing?” he asked.

“Yes, it is,” said Alik. “Words have power, that’s why most spells have words, why oats and promises should not be broken lightly. It’s why you wolves’ claiming works to begin with.”

“Huh?” said Sam. “You learn something new every day.”

I frowned, but nodded at the men and left.

— Elaeya —

“Hey,” Kaden told me as he came in late for dinner. He kissed me on the cheek.

“Hey,” I told him back.

“How has been things so far?”

“Okay, Alik suggested training my magic.”

“As he?”

I nodded.

“What would that mean?”

“I’m not sure yet. He thinks I could need more in-depth knowledge. I’ve been mostly operating on instincts. Most of what I know is not beyond the skill of a witch, the rest I do without knowing.” He put his hands around my waist which had me bend my neck back to look at him. “He thinks it could help me. I’m not sure the scale of what this could mean, but I trust him.”

“I do too. He’s more than proved himself.”

I nodded.

“When would this start?”

I shrugged. “He said it could start with some book recommendations, a few exercises fitting in both our tight schedules and then see how much we can do from there.”

He nodded. “Sounds fine to me.”

I smiled at him.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“Tremendously,” I admitted. “But also happy.”

That got him smiling. “Are you hungry?”

“I’ve already eaten,” I admitted. “You?”

“I had a bite during the fittings,” he said with a devilish smile.

I titled my head questioningly.

“I think there we should get going before someone decides to separate us for the night.” He bent down and swung me over his shoulder.

I giggled instantly.

“Besides, I’ve been told we have to talk,” he said as he marched us upstairs.

“About what?” I asked.

“If you don’t know yet, then I’m definitely not gonna give you a hint.”

* * * * *

A lot of people decided to drag Kaden and I in separate direction today. They marched inside the home like a herd of rhinoceros which woke us up groggy, and they barged inside our room uninvited. We barely managed to shoo them away to let us dress up, before he was taken I don’t know where.

Shae and Celia took the lead of this sisterhood of she-wolves. Eva, Nadine, Jasmine, Lisa, Gwen, and Amy were there, as were Kate and Ana, Timothy’s mate. She looked like she was trying really hard to enjoy herself.

At the request of Eva, I was whisked away to a spa in Blakeden where we were all given massages, manicures and pedicures. Ylva was shadowing me, but she’s refused to be fondled by a bunch of strangers.

I did notice that they did not manage to drag my mother into this. I was sure she had used the last minute preparation of the wedding as an excuse.

“We couldn’t even give you a bachelorette party,” complained Eva, her voice muffled by the towel under her face, as a skilled masseur was working on her back.

“I never needed that,” I said.

“It’s not because you don’t need it that it means you can’t have it.”

“Are you saying this because this is what you want?” I asked her, which elicited a few snickers.

“Bingo,” said Nadine.

“I would have been fine with a small discrete celebration. I don’t need all this. I am not doing it because I want to, but because it is asked of me and I understand the meaning and significance behind this,” I said.

“You understand responsibilities well for your age,” said Celia.

“It doesn’t mean that responsibilities can’t be enjoyable. I can assure you it will be lovely,” said Shae.

“I am sure,” I admitted.

“It scares Darren,” said Eva.

“What?” asked Nadine.

“The wedding, I think he thinks this is a little too much for him,” Eva said. “He doesn’t say much, but he’s not used to that much of, well everything.”

“It’s a lot to adjust to,” I admitted.

“If both of you want something smaller, it can happen honey,” said Shae. “But you have to understand that none of my kids will elope for a drunken wedding at an Elvis chapel in Vegas.”

That got a few laughers.

“I want a princess wedding,” said Jasmine.

After we had been pampered enough, we all had our hair done, and makeup.

I never thought preparing for a single event could take an entire day.

— Kaden —

My mother had organised for me to prepare for the whole day. Which was obviously ridiculous. I was pretty sure I could escape for half a day before a searching party was sent. I tried to sneak off, but it didn’t seemed to work, especially after they ceased my phone.

I nearly ordered them otherwise, but I realised using my power again people whom my mother used her power on, was probably not the kindest thing to do to them.

Then I thought of mindlink. That was such a novel thing, I didn’t think of using it most of the time, but Elaeya and I have been practicing last night, among other things.

So I connected with the wizard.

A few minutes later, the world dimmed and he appeared before me, put his finger on his lips, telling me to be silent, and signed me to follow him.

We walked out as quietly as possible, which can be pretty darn silent with the right efforts, while everyone in the room went mad as they realised I had just disappeared.

“So that’s a veil?” I asked him once we were away.

“Yep,” he said.

“Make sure to hide my scent so they don’t track me all morning, and I’ll pay in alcohol.”

He extended a hand to me. “You got yourself a deal,” he said as I shook his hand.

Eventually, we sneaked to one of the old unused buildings in the woods where I’d sneak up when I needed a break as a kid. Sam brought us food and coffee, my grandfather joined us with cognac, my uncle Nolan brought brandy, my father some more Brandy, and my cousin Soren brought entertainment. Nathan, Travis and Williams were there too. Darren managed to sneak in took.

It was a lot more low key than a bachelor party, but we had fun while it lasted, until someone tracked us.

“Hey, you should have told me, I would have been the life of the party,” said Mishka as he sneaked in.

“How the hell did you track us?” asked Alik. I was curious too.

“I didn’t track him,” he said pointing his thumb at me. “I tracked you,” he pointed his index at Alik.

“How?” he asked aghast.

“Trade secret,” he said. “Anyways, I’m here to tell you everyone is going batshit crazy and I thought it would be a good idea to inform you before the news reached the women that you disappeared.”

My father winced. I got up.

“Party’s up,” I told the guys.

I had been careful not to drink too much as I thought it might send the wrong message to go to my wedding hammered, but not everyone had been so reasonable.

I smirked as I watched them struggle and slipped out.

The rest of the day was mostly to make me look not too bad beside Elaeya. I didn’t had to know what she’d wear to know she’d look incredible, she’d look incredible wearing a sac of potato, or just plain naked. Especially naked.

As long as I didn’t made her ashamed, then it should be fine.

I’m not bad looking, I know that, but I probably look too scruffy to model. Which might be why my mother had me shaved and my hair cut shorter.

I had been all over the place in the last, at least, six months, so I started to look like a caveman.

I guess she thought I could do better than this.

The air was sharp on my newly shaved face. Maybe I should have shaved only after the winter.

I put on my black suit, glad that no one tried to put me in a tux.

And then I left for the venue to see just how powerful words can be.