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“Yep!” She smiles wide. “I spent way too much money on matching bracelets for us.”
Josten tosses a hand over his chest, mocking. “Aw, you shouldn’t have.”
“Sorry,” she sneers, “the set didn’t include the size ‘jumbo man wrist’.”
“Jumbo?” He raises a brow, looking down at his arms. “These are the wrists of a warrior.”
“Warrior of naps, maybe.”
“I do slay naps,” he agrees with a grin. “So, are we ready or what?”
The house is chaos. Brushes are flying, shoes are scattered across the floor, the kids are playing some spinning game at my feet.
“You’re not coming?” I ask Navah, pulling the stone bracelet Liya gave me up my wrist.
“Someone needs to stay and watch the young.” She smiles down at the boys nuzzling at her legs. “Isn’t that right, my strong boys?” She brushes her fingers through their hair. They yelp and howl, showing just how similar to actual puppies they are, even in their unchanged form. “That’s right.” Navah lowers, bringing them into her arms. “You two make your Alpha so proud.”
I lean against the wall, admiring the display before me. She treats them as though they were her own. They all do. With the wolves, it’s one big family, even though there’s no actual relation. I love that the boys have that, that even though they aren’t pure, they still have a home. They still have people who care.
Soft fingers slip around my wrist, tugging me down the hall. “Girl, we’ve got to get you ready.” Liya ushers me forward, pulling me into her room, where a few of the girls are already slipping on their dresses.
“Can I do your hair?” Vera asks. “What color do you want your nails?” She holds up my hands, examining my unmanicured fingers.
“Oh, uh…” I glance around the room, seeing what the others have done. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”
She bites her bottom lip, grinning like that was the answer she was hoping for. Vera places her hands over mine, closing her sapphire eyes. I watch her awkwardly, waiting for her to let go and get the polish. Instead, her grip only tightens.
“There. What do you think?” She pulls away, cheeks glowing with pride. When I look at the place where her hands were on mine, I let out a shocked breath. My nails are longer, filed to a soft tip. An almost glowing teal covers their edges, cut with a clear peach for the bedding. Thin painted branches weave from the sides down, spotted with light pink blossoms.
I lift them up, admiring the small details. “That looks amazing.”
“Perks of having a witch friend.” Liya grins, holding out her own hands for me to see the artwork on hers. Different shades of purples are woven together, shining like crystals to imitate the inside of a geode.
“Now, what are we going to do with this?” Vera runs her fingers through my hair. “I think we should keep it simple.” She plays with it for a few minutes, then adds a finishing spray which smells like lemon cookies.
Liya hands me a small mirror so I can see. It’s styled half up, half down. The back is twisted elegantly, seeming to fall into itself with nothing holding it in place, while a few strands of lightly waved tendrils fall around my face.
It’s not until I look around at all the other women that I even realize how fairytale-like it all is. Beautiful dresses, sparkling shoes, a freaking ball. The inner child in me, the one who never had such dreams as a night like this, is at a loss how a world like this can even exist.
Just as we finish the final touches on our looks for the night, the door swings open, and in steps several very handsome men. I’ve never seen a group of guys wear suits so well. Then again, I’ve never seen a group of guys in suits.
Vera is at the mirror, applying a layer of red gloss. Josten makes his way beside her, fiddling with his tie. He isn’t paying attention and nearly stumbles into her.
“Sorry.” He quickly moves back, dropping his hands to his sides. “I like your dress.”
“Yeah?” she asks, slipping the gloss into her embroidered clutch.
“Yeah, it’s very… I mean… it’s really green.”
“Thanks, weirdo.” Vera laughs.
A whirl of secondhand embarrassment comes over me for my friend, and I can’t help but chuckle to myself seeing the fully awkward awareness stamped across his face.
“Come on,” Liya grabs my hand, smiling. “We don’t want to be late.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
RHENN
