Chapter 98

Chapter 98

With the problems involving Fabian resolved, I was able to focus on the next big event in my life: Nikolas and Eliza’s wedding. Set to occur that Sunday, it was actually going to be a small event with only a few family members and friends in attendance, but everything had to be perfect. Nikolas and Eliza deserved nothing less.

That Saturday, Andrew and I stayed at Eliza’s house in anticipation of the wedding. It was the only way we could be at the beach on time to set up. We would have gotten a motel room, but Eliza insisted that we were family now; it would have been improper for us to stay anywhere else.

We arrived at 6 pm., and Eliza made her famous pot roast for dinner. Eliza made Andrew and me walk Donner before dinner was served, and we took the opportunity for a quick rendezvous at the abandoned cabin where we almost had our first time. When we made it back to Eliza’s house, Nikolas and Eliza were already seated, giving us knowing smirks.

“Welcome back, you two,” Nikolas said, barely holding back a snicker.

Neither of us responded, feeling like a couple of teenagers caught in the act.

“You know,” Eliza said as she started to pile the roast on our plates, “I sent you out to walk the dog, not to give the dog a bone.”

I blushed fiercely. To Andrew’s credit, his expression neutral, always the good politician. Under the table, though, he stroked my leg with his, as though to comfort me.

“Oh, calm down,” Eliza continued when she saw how mortified I was. “I’m just teasing you. I was young once, too.”

Her eyes darted over to Nikolas, and a small smile lit up her face.

“In fact, you don’t have to be young to feel that way.”

Nikolas chuckled, but it seemed a bit forced, uncertain.

My eyes narrowed at him. This wasn’t his usual flirtatious behavior with Eliza. I wondered if something was wrong with Nikolas but quickly brushed those concerns aside, assuming that it was just pre–wedding jitters.

“So, all joking aside,” Eliza continued, “how have you two been? Any news?”

I knew that she was trying to get Andrew and me to announce that we were dating, but we weren’t about to go public with that–yet.

“Oh, the city’s been quite a handful lately, let me tell you,” Andrew said, taking the reigns in redirecting Eliza’s focus. “I’m sure that you’ve heard about the human terrorist attack on the werewolf community center…

Andrew kept Eliza and Nikolas entertained for most of the meal with tales of his latest exploits in trying to keep the peace between humans and werewolves. They were most captivated by his retelling of the shooting at the werewolf community center, but they had. many questions for the werewolf on werewolt violence at The Masque questions that Andrew skillfully danced around. All the while, he managed to avoid any mention of our relationship.

During the meal. I watched Nikolas carefully any time that his own relationship with Eliza was brought up. Although it rarely happened. I noticed that when it did, he would fall unusually quiet and seem to retreat into himself. Contemplative, he seemed, and almost

solemn.

One time when he noticed me staring at him. Nikolas mustered up a smile and cracked a joke, but it felt forced. The joke itself fell flat. Certainly not like his usual personality around. Eliza, but more like the unhappy man he was without her.

After dinner, as we cleaned up. Nikolas touched me on the elbow.

“Crystal,” he whispered to me, “can I talk to you out on the porch?”

I looked over at Eliza and Andrew, who seemed to be deep in conversation, then nodded. 1 set down the dishes I was carrying and followed Nikolas out the front door to the porch.

Like at Nikolas’s house, there was a swinging bench, though better maintained. With a contented sigh, Nikolas sat down. I followed soon after him.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked.

“It’s Eliza,” Nikolas said, his tone sad.

“What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

“Yes, yes, she’s perfectly fine. I just..I don’t know about this wedding.”

I furrowed my brow and turned to face him.

“What do you mean?”

“Eliza is so beautiful and full of life. There’s no way that she’ll be happy being married to someone like me.”

“Of course, she will. Didn’t you hear her in there? She’s smitten by you.”

“What if she changes her mind?”

laughed.

she’s not going to change her mind by tomorrow, I assure you.”

Maybe not tomorrow, but what about the day after that, or the day after that? I’ve already

Chapter 98

had a heart attack. I can’t keep up with her.”

“Eliza doesn’t care. She wants you. She’s made that clear.”

Nikolas ran his hand down his face.

“Okay, let’s say that she does go through with the wedding tomorrow. How long am I going to live afterward? A year, ten?”

Tears trailed down his cheeks. I could feel my own eyes start to water, and I quickly wiped the tears away to keep from adding to his despair.

“Do I really Eliza through that?” Nikolas continued.

ant to put

I took a deep breath to steady myself.

“Do you plan on breaking up with her if you don’t get married?”

“Well, no.”

“Are you going to stop being a part of her life altogether?”

“No, of course not!”

“Then it’s not even a question of whether you get married or not. You’re going to be a part of cach other’s lives until the day one or both of you die. It’ll be painful for whichever one of you survives, but at least you’ll have that time together, and wouldn’t you rather it be spent as husband and wife?”

Nikolas stared down at his hands as they lay limp in his lap.

“I suppose.”

I grabbed his hands with both of mine and held them firmly but gently.

Eliza loves you. She shows it every chance that she gets. She is not going to change her mind. about marrying you.”

I stared him straight in the eyes, trying to convey all the maternal kindness and assurance that I could muster.

“Your wedding is going to be splendid, the wedding of your dreams. You will have nothing to worry about so long as Andrew and I are there. You will marry the love of your life, and she will marry hers.”

squeezed his hands as tightly as I could without hurting him.

Okay?”

olas nodded and squeezed my hands back.

Chapter 99

You’re right Of course, you’re right.”

1 smiled.

“Good. Now, let’s get back inside before they start to think that we’ve run off together.”

Nikolas laughed heartily and patted the back of my hand.

“Yes, that would not be good. I’m sure that your boyfriend would kill me for that.”

I rolled my eyes but did not say anything to that.

As we reentered the house, Donner alerted Andrew and Eliza to our presence. They greeted us in the living room, Eliza planting a big k*ss on Nikolas’s cheek.

“I was afraid that you two had run off together,” she joked.

Nikolas side–eyed me, and we laughed.

“See, I told you!” I said through my laughter.

While Nikolas and Eliza exchanged k*sses and loving comments, Andrew wrapped his arm around my shoulders, bent down to my ear, and whispered. “So, what was that about?”

“Just some cold feet,” I whispered back. “I took care of it.”

Andrew smiled slightly. When he thought that Eliza and Nikolas weren’t looking, he k*ssed me on the forehead.

“That’s my girl.”

“Yup. Everything’s been taken care of,” I said, more to assure myself than for anyone else.

Yet deep down, I knew that not everything was taken care of. There were still two loose threads, and they could ruin the entire event if they reared their ugly heads: Nikolas’s sons.