The tension was rising as the ceremony was approaching.
News leaked that Alpha Damon came to attend this event without his Luna, and people wondered why he would leave her behind. It was unusual. Other than their relationship being fresh, there was also the point of werewolves not leaving their mates after marking because they didn't know when the heat will strike.
A she-wolf might go into heat days or weeks after marking. Her body would get flushed as hormones go out of whack, stimulated by the venom of her mate. A she-wolf in heat would get aroused to the point of her mind getting clouded with the need to copulate, and only after a male ejaculated inside her, her heat would subside temporarily, and then the urge will return in a cycle that can last for several days.
Freshly mated werewolves would be hostile toward other males because pheromones from a she-wolf in heat will make any unmated male go crazy to the point of forgetting about hierarchy, friendships, and blood relationships when facing the primal call to extend their species. The only ones spared from that effect were mated werewolves as the mate bond would block inviting scents from any female that's not their mate.
Because Damon showed up without his Luna, people speculated if she already had her heat and was now at home, pregnant with his pups. But that didn't make sense, because an Alpha wouldn't separate from a female who was pregnant with his pups. He would either bring her with him or stay home with her. And that ignited another round of rumors that included the option of Alpha Damon abandoning his mate. Considering his lively past of womanizing, it was not impossible.
Maya warned Talia that people will twist her absence as Damon's Luna into something bad, but Talia thought that it was more important to lure the enemies than to save some face. Besides, she already confronted Damon's ugly past (more than once), and she survived. How bad can this be? Soon, they will reveal the truth, and everyone will shut up, and until then, Talia wanted to take advantage of people's ignorance.
Talia believed that other than the power-hungry Alphas, there were also Guardians lurking in the shadows and if they knew that she was Damon's Luna and the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack, they would act with caution.
Mates would protect each other regardless of the dangers, and if people don't know that the most powerful Alpha of their generation was the one guarding her, they will be more relaxed, and Talia hoped that they will be reckless enough to make a move and expose their evil intentions.
In the room with bridesmaids…
Mario was the final checker, walking among twelve females that wore matching blue dresses with golden details. He would touch the hair, tug a hem, and make a lot of 'hmm-hm' sounds no one understood.
Talia craned her neck to see her left side. The makeup artist applied concealer over Damon's mark, so now it was almost invisible. If anyone paid close attention, they would notice small grooves, but that would be it. She was pleased with this outcome, and she hoped that Damon was able to conceal her mark with equal success.
Talia's attention was drawn toward the witch by her side.
"Are you alright?", Talia asked Cornelia in a whisper.
Cornelia was staring at her high-heeled sandals like they were her mortal enemy. "How am I supposed to walk in these?"
"Can you use some magic?", Talia asked.
"Do you want me to fly?"
"No, no. Just to make yourself more… stable.", Talia said.
"Sorry, but I'm not aware of such a spell.", Cornelia said bitterly.
"Don't worry about that", Mario startled them both because his head was now between Talia's and Cornelia's as he approached them from behind. He heard them talking about magic and spells, but he assumed it was just a codeword for making it happen.
Mario pointed at Cornelia's sandals. "This is just until downstairs, and then you can lean on your walking partner as you go hand-in-hand. After the ceremony is over, you can change sandals for flats."
Cornelia looked at golden flat sandals and she really wanted to put them on right now, but she knew that was not an option. She asked already and Mario had a mini mental breakdown.
While thinking about leaning on some male, Cornelia had another concern. With the whole afternoon being crazy, Mario took away their phones. He said that was to ensure no one takes photos and sends them to spoil the big a-ha entrance Tatiana was going for, but that also meant Cornelia had no way of contacting James.
Was he at the party already? She took a few peeks through the window to see the crowd gathering in the garden, and even though she didn't spot James, she guessed that he should be there.
Was he thinking about her? She was not sure.
What if he was surrounded by slutty females? Just by thinking about it, Cornelia was on the verge of blowing this place up.
In the room with guys…
James was checking the time every few seconds.
He was wearing a blue suit with golden details, just like other groomsmen. It was a bit tight in the shoulders, but it was bearable.
James couldn't wait to get out there and see his chocolate-colored Goddess. Will she be happy to see him? He surely hoped so.
When he got a text from Talia asking him if he wanted to join the groomsmen, he accepted immediately because it would give him the perfect excuse to postpone going down there where the crowd was with three females he should pay attention to.
When he reached into that room, James saw Alpha Maddox, Alpha Damon, Alpha Cristian, Beta Oliver, Alpha Anthony, Beta Caden, Shaman Gideon… it was quite an impressive lineup.
James' mood worsened when they told him that he will need to walk down the flowery aisle while holding a female's hand, and he was about to refuse, but then Damon pulled him to the side and told him that Cornelia will be his walking partner and James wondered if his ears malfunctioned.
"Wait… wait…", James spoke breathily to Damon while balling his hands into fists repeatedly due to anxiety. "Are you saying that my Cora is here, part of the ceremony, a bridesmaid?"
"Yes", Damon confirmed. "She came here in the role of Alpha Natalia's special advisor. Due to unforeseen circumstances, one bridesmaid couldn't make it, and Cornelia agreed to take her spot."
James felt like the sun emerged from behind the clouds and the world got colors, and he was finally able to breathe. Really breathe... and his brain was working again!
This was fantastic!
Cornelia had the status of a special advisor to the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack. James knew that his father was itchy to get close to Alpha Natalia, so James can definitely spin this in his favor. He can stick close to Cornelia with an excuse that he is establishing that highly coveted connection to the Midnight Guardians pack.
And the fact that they were walking partners for the ceremony could serve as a not-suspicious way for them to meet.
James was nearly bouncing from excitement. The best part was that Cornelia didn't know that he will be part of the ceremony, and he really hoped she will like this surprise.
