Chapter 678
Micah motioned impatiently to the door. Katelina followed, holding her huge skirt up with one hand, balancing the bouquet in her other arm. The bald vampire rolled his eyes and took the floral bundle. "Hold the damn skirt up with both hands and come on."
As they headed down the corridor, they passed a pair of vampires who stared. Katelina ignored them. She had more important things to worry about, like making it to the atrium, then down the aisle, then not screwing something up.
I am never doing this again.
While they waited for an elevator, Patricia eyed Micah disapprovingly. "Quit tugging on your tie."
"It's fucking strangling me."
Xandria loosened it, then unbuttoned the top button on his shirt. "There. Better?"
"That looks horrible!" Patricia said.
Xandria shrugged. "He has the kind of look that can carry it off."
"You mean tattooed and wild?" Patricia asked darkly.
Micah leaned closer to her. "You wanna see how wild I am, babe? Drop that baby faced loser and I'll show you."
Katelina lifted her skirt and stamped hard on his foot. "Don't hit on my mother. That's disgusting."
"Yes, it is!" Patricia snapped. "Not because I'm your mother, but because I'm obviously not interested."
The elevator swished open. Katelina gratefully stuffed herself inside. She thanked God that once this was over her mom and Micah would never be in the same room together again. Despite being invited to Maine, Patricia and Brad insisted on staying in Ohio, though they'd moved to a neighboring town. For reasons Katelina couldn't fathom, Brad was still going to college. She'd tried to explain the futilityhe would eventually be immortal, and what good would a pharmacy tech degree be?but her mother insisted he wanted to do it. "Besides, we need to earn a living in the meantime."
I told Jorick Mom would make a lousy vampire.
Katelina looked through the glass wall of the elevator as they descended. She could see the atrium's massive waterfall tumbling seven stories down a wall of rock to end in a gurgling pool. At its feet were scattered giant palms, miniature trees, and other plants that made the room feel like a jungle. Normally, benches were mixed among the foliage. Today, the potted plants were shifted to create dense forests along both sides of the room, leaving a thick clearing straight down the middle. The benches were arranged along the sides, a red carpeted aisle between them. In front of the waterfall stood the officiant at a little podium and, in front of him, at the end of the carpeted aisle, was a large arch made of trailing white flowers.
"Amaranthus," Xandria had said. "Did you know Amaranth means eternal or unfading? Isn't that perfect for a wedding flower? It's like a symbol of your love."
I hope so, Katelina thought.
She scanned the gathered guests. On the groom's side she picked out Maeko and her boys, and some of the Executioners. On the bride's she saw Verchiel, sitting by Brad. Near the front, she thought she saw Sorino and Kai. She wasn't sure she'd invited them.
The elevator doors opened. Katelina's mother tugged her into the corridor. Loren stood at the doors that led into the atrium. Dressed in a suit vest, slacks, and a white shirt with the sleeve tied below his missing arm, he'd loosened his tie like Micah's.
Xandria motioned to his suit jacket, heaped against the wall. "That's going to get dirty."
The teen stiffened and looked everywhere but her. "I'll dust it off."
Katelina winced. She could feel the tension between them. Though she hadn't told Loren about Xandria and Zander, he'd found out, anyway. When he confronted her, Xandria shrugged and said, "It's not like we're soul mates." And that was the end of that. She'd stayed on at Oren's while the teen headed back to his beach house in Maine, where Micah followed. Katelina spent the months after listening to Jorick complain about their "neighbors", and Micah bitch that he'd been "that close to California, but didn't fucking go."
He could always go alone. Then they'd both quit bitching.
Her mother interrupted her thoughts. "Kately, are you listening? We're ready to go."
Loren picked up his coat and shook it out. "Do I go in and get a seat?"
"No, pipsqueak, you have to stand out here and miss it." Micah smacked him on the head. "You're a door greeter. Everyone's been greeted already. What the fuck do you think?"
Loren rubbed his head. "Yeah, okay. Geeze. You could have just said yes."
"That made more of an impression, huh? Get in there. Signal them and all that bullshit we practiced."
Loren gave a sheepish look before sliding inside. The teen hadn't been at the rehearsal. When faced with having to see Xandria, he'd opted to hide out instead. Katelina understood, she wouldn't want to participate in a wedding where her ex was involved either. If only she knew another bridesmaid candidate.
Though the doors were shut, Katelina could hear the murmur of conversations inside. Soft music started. Micah opened the door with a wink to Patricia. "You get to start things off, ol' lady."
"I'll show you old lady, you"
"Go," Katelina hissed desperately, her imagination creating a full out brawl in the corridor.
Her mother gave Micah a final glare, then sailed inside. He counted under his breath, like they'd been instructed to do, while Katelina gripped her bouquet with both hands. Oren would be entering from the side, taking his place as best man, then Jorick would follow, to stand in the middle. Her heart thumped as the finality crashed over her. She was getting Marriedwith a capital M. Tied to Jorick, for life.
Oh my God.
Micah cracked the door to peek inside, then opened it wider and motioned Xandria through. Katelina watched her disappear. It was only a matter of moments before her entrance; before she got Married.
Oh holy crap.
Micah checked through the crack, then moved to her side. "All right. Take my arm and" He looked at her face. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I can't do this," she murmured weakly.
"Can't do what? Go in there in front of all those people? Fuck that ain't no big deal." He paused. "Or do you mean you can't fucking get married, because-.yeah. Not happening, Princess. I stuffed myself in this goddamn monkey suit, so you are going down that aisle if I have to drag you."
"But it's forever!" She clutched the flowers tighter. "Like, really forever."
"That's the way it works. You either have to break up or you're together. There ain't no other option. Are you going to leave him?"
"Of course not!"
"You plannin' on him leaving you?"
She glared at the idea. "He better not."
"Then looks like you're gonna be with him forever. Shut up your whining and come on."
Before she could point out the differencenot that she was sure what it washe pulled her through the door.
