Fighting Fate

Chapter 30

I was racing around my house, the only thing that could be heard as I shuffled around were the clicking of my heels on the hardwoods. "Calm down, Amour, we will get there," Erik said as he walked out of the master bedroom. I looked back at my fiance and couldn't help but be happy.

"I know. I'm sorry. But when we planned this festival, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect." In order to smooth things over and make better friends with the witches of New Orleans, I suggested a free Mabon festival. A Harvest festival that didn't include killing teen girls. 

It wasn't just my money that funded the event. Some of them also gave and we got donations. Everyone who lived in New Orleans was invited. It would be children from all over the city in addition to all nine covens and two packs. Erik and Jackson were almost done with the negotiations.

Jackson knew it was likely that Erik would eventually hold Fenrir. That meant even if he was an alpha now, he would have someone above him at the time. But they also agreed to wait until the actual invocation for Erik to take his rightful place. Until then they would run the pack by a small committee of six members, the Alpha, Beta, and an Elder from each pack. More had to be decided but I was excited about Erik being able to move permanently to New Orleans.

Erik walked over and placed his hands on my hips. "Take a deep breath," he said to me and I did as he said. Still felt an insane level of anxiety.

"This is really important. Things are finally at a really good place with majority of the covens. We need to stand together."

"And we do. That's the secret part of this festival right? All of us coming together?"

"Not all of us."

"You invited the vampires. Is it really anyones fault but their own that their King said no?" I didn't talk to Marcel personally. Josephine did. But he said he refused and thought we were being naive. What I began to realize is peace worked against his goals. He couldn't be on top if everyone was getting along. Still his issues of inferiority. Nice to know it affected more than just our relationship.

Erik drove us to the fairgrounds where the festival would be taking place. I originally wanted it right on bourbon Street. It wasn't about the money, I'd pay. Klaus even offered to pay. But then I was told that it would be hard for security. So we drove a little out to unknown lands. I mean it was fifteen minutes away from my house but still.

The festival was already in full swing by the time we parked and got out. There were only a couple of rides for the kids. Mostly there were activities to celebrate the end of the harvest. They could build things. "It looks amazing, my love," Erik said to me as he kissed my temple. I grinned. It did look pretty good. All the fall colors around.

We walked through and Sabine, Athena, and Cassie were at the front. I greeted them with kisses on the cheek. "How is everything?" I asked them.

"Fine. Just like the last time you called, forty minutes ago. And like the last time you texted which was seven minutes ago," Athena sassed.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so anxious."

"Erik, why don't you go get your fiancee some honey bourbon lemonade?" Athena suggested then guided him off. I looked to Sabine and Cassie in concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But we heard a rumor today from Katie." She was still dating Thierry.

"Okay. What?"

"Marcel, he's been alienating himself. You were right about Aya being there and Marcel tapping that," Sabine said and I chuckled at the idea of Athena rubbing off on her partner. "What? He is. Apparently, his higher ups are starting to get antsy. Like he's putting his new friends above his old loyal ones."