Sirens

Chapter 50

ONE MONTH LATER

I sit in the palace grand dining room with Calix by my side as we look out over the crowd of people from other packs we invited. 

"When are you going to make the annoucement again?" I whisper.

Calix swallows the rest of his wine before answering, "Once dinner is done. It'll be soon, I promise."

I nod and go back to eating my food. It's hard to focus on the flavors of the food with all the racing thoughts inside my head. It's also hard to eat the food because my hands won't stop shaking and my foot won't stop bouncing. 

Eventually, it gets to be too much and Calix places a hand on my thigh to steady me.

"Relax," he murmurs. "I'm just as anxious as you are and you're making it worse."

"Sorry," I mumble back. "Does it look like almost everybody's done?"

"Just about. I'm going to wait a couple more minutes before I make the announcement."

I nod and try to back to eating a bit more.

A couple minutes later, Calix taps my thigh to get my attention.

I look down to see his hand palm up in my lap. I take it and he taps the side of his glass with a spoon. 

The noise of the crowd dies down and everyone's attention shifts towards us as Calix and I stand up. 

Calix clears his throat before saying, "My mate and I have an announcement to make. Two months from this coming Saturday, we will be holding our Mating Ceremony at the Grand Temple of the Moon Goddess."

The people smile and clap, but I notice some people among them who look very disappointed or upset, particularly Gemma, who looks like she's about to crush her glass.

Now it's my turn to speak. "My mate and I will personally send out invitations to your packs. I sincerely hope all of you will be able to be in attendance."

People at other tables lean over and whisper to each other, talking about what I hope is clearning their schedules. 

Then, Calix raises his glass and says, "Let us all toast to the Mating Ceremony!"

People all around the room clink their glasses together and say something along the lines of, "Blessed be the mate bond."

As the celebratory cake rolls out of the kitchen, my heart skips a beat as I realize I'll be picking out the flavors of my own cake.

Two weeks later, I'm standing in a drawing room with a designer, Deborah, and Cynthia, arguing over Mating Ceremony gown designs.

"No, no, no!" Deborah exclaims as she rips yet another piece of paper into pieces. The designer looks horrified. I know she spent extra time on that dress design. "These gowns are unacceptable!"

"Debroah, there's not a single dress I like that you picked out," I snap.

"I'm trying to make you look presentable! No no plunging necklines, no open backs, no slits, no sheer fabric, form-fitting, or strapless gowns!"

Right as I'm about to tell her off, Cynthia comes up from behind Deborah and gently pats her shoulder to get her attention.

"Deborah," she says gently, "this is a Mating Ceremony at the end of summer. It's going to be very hot outside. If the queen doesn't have some room to breathe in the dress, she is going to pass out in front of everybody during the ceremony, just like how the Alpha King's great-great-great-grandmother did."

"Thank you," I tell Cynthia. She gives me a smile. I knew she'd be on my side. 

Deborah sighs. "We'll come back to this tomorrow."

"Fine," I huff. "I'm not changing my mind on some of these dresses, though!"

Deborah storms out of the room and slams the door. Cynthia pats my shoulder and goes to help the designer pack up.

Once all of them are gone, I flop down on the couch and let out a long sigh.

Picking out a dress for the Mating Ceremony is much harder and much more stressful than I anticipated. 

A few minutes later, someone knocks on the door.

"Come in!" I call.

The door creaks open and Calix steps into the room.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"How's the cake coming along?" I ask. I know he just came from the kitchen after talking with the head chef, based on the schedule he sent me this morning.

"Pretty good," Calix replies as he sits down next to me on the couch. "He said him and his wife would be able to make the cake during the week before our Mating Ceremony."

"That's good. Did he approve of the flavors? Or have any recommendations?"

Calix nods. "Strawberry cake with lemon frosting and a vanilla cheesecake filling, right?"

I nod. 

"He said the flavors sounded good and thought they would blend well together. As far as recommendations go, he didn't have any to give me. You look exhausted. Mating Ceremony dress designing going harder than you thought?"

I sigh and lean into his chest. "Yeah. If Deborah forces one more hideous design on me, I'm going to hire a designer in secret and have her create a strapless, sheer, low back, form-fitting gown with a neckline that goes down to my belly button and a slit that goes up to my ass."

Calix laughs. "As much as I'd appreciate that, I don't think some of the conservative packs would agree with your decision. And Deborah might murder you."

I sigh again. "Yeah, I know."

"What kind of dresses is she forcing on you?"

"High neck, long sleeve, long train, and solid with multiple layers. And of course, it has to be expensive and unique."

Calix looks like he's thinking for a moment. "Would you like to see my mother's Mating Ceremony gown?" he asks after a bit.

I shrug. "Sure, why not."

Calix leads me into the palace's vault and into one of the very back sections. 

This section of the vault is full of past queen's Mating Ceremony dresses on mannequins displayed inside of glass cases.

"It should be around here somewhere," he mutters as he looks around.

"There's not as many as I thought there'd be," I say as I too, take a good, long look at all of them.

"Sometimes the dresses are reused. The public is never able to tell, though, because they're always altered. Others have been ruined at the wedding or after. I remember there was a queen who was so disliked by a pack, they spilled wine on her dress. Another time, the queen changed out of her dress at a house close to the bonfire the temple holds when there's a significant Mating Ceremony, and the house burned down.

"I hope that doesn't happen to my dress," I say as I continue to look at the dresses.

"Ah, here it is!"

I turn around to see Calix pointing at a dress.

It's a long-sleeved, high neck, lacy dress with a long train. There's no slit, clevage slowing, or an open back.

I scowl and cross my arms. "That looks exactly like the dresses Deborah's trying to get me to wear."

Calix shurgs and places his hand on the glass. "It can be altered. And the dress is surprisingly light. My mother put an underskirt under it to make it look like there was more layers."

I sigh. "Fine. How do you think I should alter it?"

"Take off the sleeves. Make the neckline a bit lower."

"Isn't it a bit . . . old?"

"It's as old as I am," Calix replies, taking his hand off the glass.

I blink. "Okay. I'll check with the stylist and see if there's anything she can do with the dress."