Chapter 37
King Harvey’s mother walks out of the room with her husband.
Doris takes her place and looks at me.
“Elena, King Harvey is still not fully healed. His arm is tender, and he needs more tending to.” King Harvey’s mother explains, then sternly looks at me.
“Oh, of course, I will take care of him.” Pulling up a chair beside King Harvey, I offer a hand to him, he takes it with his left hand and squeezes lightly.
The skin on his right arm looks fully flesh but is very pale, and very smooth like porcelain. It looks like it would break if I touched his wounded arm. The small honeycomb pattern on his skin is mostly gone, but there are faint white lines.
“Pain, Harvey?” I ask as I lean down to look at his arm.
“Little.” King Harvey exhales. “Exhausted. I didn’t sleep night.”
Out of nowhere, King Harvey summons strength to pick me up and place me on the bed as he lays down beside me.
“What was that?”
“I will heal faster if I rest, Elena. I am tired.”
King Harvey nods and shuts his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
His hand rests on my waist.
Seeing that he is sleeping for the moment, I go off to the bathroom and pull-out napkins, a soft towel, and then get a small cup of cold water to wash off a couple of flakes of burnt skin that are on his wrist.
King Harvey doesn’t even react when I gently wipe down his wrist and successfully take the few pieces of burnt skin off him. When I see he is breaking out in a sweat, I move to turn on the air and replace the hot towel with a cold wet towel and drape it across his forehead.
A soft smile graces his face. His peaceful smile on his handsome face makes me blush, but there is no time to adore him, Doris is returning.
Nervously, I swallow my thundering heart and look up and see Doris smiling at me.
“Let me help you,” Doris whispers.
“Thank you.” I whisper back as I hand the damp towel to Doris. She knows what she is doing.
“Elena, what is a wedding like?”
I take a deep breath to calm down and clear my head. Can I do that with shaking hands?
“It is in a church. Both sides of the family come to visit and watch the wedding take place and a priest blesses them. Then, they have a small dance and party after.” I bow awkwardly at the end of my sentence and hope she doesn’t find me insane.
I have no cover right now; King Harvey is fast asleep.
Doris nods thoughtfully. “…We do not have churches as you do, Elena… you would like it to be your church?”
“Y-yes, because the mating ceremony is his ritual, so we agreed to split it… if that is okay, Doris.”
Doris stands up and moves to stand right in front of me, she gazes into my eyes firmly, studying me.
After several minutes, she nods.
“That will be fine, Elena, as long as you survive the mating ceremony.”
“I-Is it dangerous?” I swallow down my fears and the bile forming in my throat, I go to sit at the small table King Harvey was at to rest.
“I am sorry, I don’t know, but King Harvey is very kind to you. I am sure it will be fine.”
“Thank you for being kind,” I whisper, looking down. “Oh. King Harvey mentioned he will bury my mom in his family mausoleum…”
“Elena, do you not believe Harvey will keep his promise to you?”
“Y-yes! He will! But his mother dislikes me so much...”
Doris laughs sweetly. “Oh, Elena, I have a beloved son. I expect my son to respect me and do as I say. I am not in control of everything he does, he is not my husband. King Harvey’s mother will eventually respect his choice. His offer to you is very lovely and endearing, and your wedding…”
In two steps, Doris is out of the room and in two more, she returns to take a seat across from me.
She is holding a massive plastic binder filled with fabric, scraps, and small pieces of ribbon.
“What is that, Doris?”
“Well, the wedding must be planned. So, shall we discuss it? Is there any color you would like?”
I am shocked at her kindness and through the relief of knowing my mother will be laid to rest respectfully, I weep.
Doris reaches out and presses her hand to the top of my head as if I am her pet, but I am too overjoyed over my mother to care. She pushes the binder to me, and I understand, I start to flip through it.
Beautiful thin strips and swatches of fabric in every color and shade flood my vision. I would like pearls. I look up and King Harvey’s mother is staring at me.
“Doris, I would like for you to show me what a traditional werewolf wedding is like.”
“Here, go to the last page.”
I flip to the last page and see a spread of King Harvey’s signature red, with a gold lining on the strip of fabric. There is a golden gem in the center, and it is beautiful, but I want pearls.
“I think this is beautiful, but could I have pearls instead? I trust your decisions for the rest if you don’t mind.”
Doris eyes widen in shock. “You truly wish for me to design the mating ceremony?”
“King Harvey must heal, I must train, and you are the best candidate to have a respectful ceremony.” I reply.
She nods respectfully and I can see I have won her over further. “Very well, Elena.”
King Harvey groans and rises out of bed, then is at my side.
“Elena, I will read to you the book about mating.” King Harvey says.
I nod at him and Doris leaves.
Taking a seat beside me, he simply begins to read. My heart flutters with every word, and in my emotion of pure relief and desire, I lean over and kiss him.
