47: Jayce

He was leading Lily through the pack house blindfolded, the others following close behind them.

After breakfast, everyone had gathered to go over what was left on the to-do list. Luna Isis had

taken over as the wedding planner, relieving Lily of the burden. Luna Ella offered to be the

photographer, bragging a bit about her photography studio in Louisiana. Alpha Javon offered to be

the ordained minister for them, and Archibald practically demanded to cover the music. Lily looked

uncertain about the Alpha controlling the music for the reception and Jayce couldn't blame her. He

was devious with his antics in Hawaii, tempting his King with beautiful women. Never again will he

be swayed other than by his Queen. Nathan and Selene were talking at the back of the group,

discussing the layout of the venue set up Lily had picked a couple weeks ago. He couldn't wait to

see it himself, but first, he had to show Lily the reception hall

"Jayce." She giggled his name, the sound making his heart flutter. He tightened his grip on her

hand. He came to a stop in front of two large tan doors that had gold engravings of leaves and

flowers on it, Lily bumping into his arm. She groaned, rubbing her nose. He let go of her hand,

seeing her reaching out for him.

"Stay there.” He told her, and she lowered her hand. He pulled open the doors, grabbing her hand

and walked her inside a few paces before stopping once more. He moved behind her, listening to

the gasps from the women as he pulled off her blindfold. Lily blinked before her eyes widened at

the sight before her. He had escorted the party to a large ballroom. A crystal chandelier hung in the

center, sparkling in the light from the sun. Off to the sides were doors that lead off to the balconies.

Scattered before them were a dozen tables, each one decorated with a white silk tablecloth with

dark green embroidery at the edges. Fine China laid out perfectly, the silverware having that fresh

clean shine to them. At the center of each table was a lantern, specifically the lanterns from the fall

solstice. To his luck, him and several other staff members found enough that didn't get high enough

and saved them.

As Lily walked further in toward the center, the tables spaced out, forming a large circle in the

middle of it all for the dance floor. Off to the right was a long table where staff members had plates,

napkins, silverware at the ready, but still remained barren. Off to the left side was a DJ booth set up

on a stage with lighting and speakers already plugged in. In front of them was another long table,

decorated with the same cloth material as the others. There were four lanterns spaces out on this

table and as Lily got closer to it, she let out a gasp. It was their lanterns, along with Erica's and

Damion's. Lily turned back toward Jayce and he waited impatiently for a response.

"Do you like it?" He asked her, his nerves on edge. She smiled brightly, throwing her arms around

his neck and locked lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss.

"I love it!" She squealed when she pulled away, looking around the room again, "It's simple, it's

delicate. It's absolutely gorgeous.” She told him, the smile never leaving her face. He smiled at her

response.

"I'm glad you like it. I am worried about the food though.” He mentioned. Lily looked over to the

table, her eyes widening.

"The food! Renee and Melanie offered to take care of it, but I haven't spoken with them.” She

groaned, covering her face. He watched her panic and anxiety kick in, so he grabbed her arms

firmly, looking into her eyes. She stared back, her breathing quickening.

"Breathe, Lily. We'll talk to the She-Wolves when we leave here.” He told her. She nodded, but he

could still hear her heart racing. He pulled her in close to him and ran his fingers through her hair,

hoping to help calm her down. He listened to her inhale deeply.

"I love your smell." She mumbled against his chest. He cocked a brow down at her.

"It's the same cologne I always where." He told her. She peered up at him with her green eyes that

always drew him in.

"What kind of cologne makes you smell like rain?" She asked him curiously. Like rain? He looked at

her perplexed when Luna Isis walked up to them.

"This is a beautiful set up, my King. Perhaps we should move on to the venue?" She suggested. He

moved his attention to the Luna and nodded. Maybe it was the Mate bond that they shared that he

had a specific scent for her, just like she smelled of lilies to him.

"Of course. Lily has decided on the central park in front of the Christmas tree.” He informed her.

Luna Isis inclined her head thoughtfully.

"Wonderful, we should head out now then. We have limited time due it being Christmas Eve, many

places are either closed or closing early." She said, turning and made her way over to Javon. The tall

gentleman caught her out of the corner of his dark brown eyes and smiled. He looked around and

spotted Luna Ella taking pictures from certain angles of the decorations. It still hadn't settled in his

mind that he was going to be married tomorrow.

The small party leaves for their next destination. The roads and sidewalks had little to no traffic, so

getting to the park had been faster than it normally would have been. Once they had arrived, Lily

got out of the car, practically jumping in place as he made his way around to her. She was smiling

and giggling from her giddiness. She grabbed his hand, tugging him along the way.

"Come on, come on." She said urgently, leading the way. He found himself smiling as he watched

her golden hair bounce against her red wool coat as she walked. Off to the side he noticed Elias

running through the snow, Derek and Penelope walking side by side as they watched him. Since

Derek confessed everything to them the night before, his attitude changed. He started to show

more affection toward Elias and Penelope. Jayce returned his gaze back to Lily. It was all because of

her that his family felt more together, more complete than it ever did before.

Lily came to a stop when the path widened and the large Christmas tree towered before them. It

had the lights and star set in place. There were a few children playing beneath it, some shifted while

the others remained in their human state. A small group of women were sitting and standing

around a bench when the Alphas and Lunas approached. One of the She-Wolves with red hair stood

up from the bench, waving her arm in their direction. Lily let go of Jayce's hand and ran over to her.

Another woman stood up with the first, her light brown hair straight and stopped at her waist.

"I'm so glad I finally got to see you. I'm so sorry that it took me until now to talk to you.” Lily

immediately apologized to the women. The red head smiled, shaking her head.

"Don't worry about it. We know how it is. How are you?" She stepped forward, hugging Lily. Lily

stiffened at the contact, but slowly released the tension and returned the gesture.

"I'm good, I hope you both are well. We're just finishing the last touches.” Lily stepped to the side as

Jayce walked up to the women. They all looked at him, inclining their necks respectfully.

"Congratulations, Alpha.” The red hair spoke up.

"Thank you. It was my understanding that you offered to help?" He asked them. The brunette

nodded, gesturing to the group she was with.

"Absolutely. If you'd like, we can have everything set to go by this evening at the pack house.” She

offered.

"That will work. I will notify my kitchen staff of your arrival.” He said. Something hit his back, making

him spin around to see Elias standing behind him, his hands holding a snowball. He froze up after

he was caught, squealing and made a dash toward Derek. Damion was laughing alongside Erica.

Soft giggling came from beside him and he found Lily covering her mouth to stifle the giggling.

"That's funny?" He asked her. She shook her head, but her giggles didn't stop.

"It was cute.” She said. He looked from her to Elias who was peering around Derek's legs with an

innocent puppy look. He waved him over, kneeling down in the snow. Elias hesitated at first, but

soon left the safety of Derek's space and ran up to him.

"That was a good shot." He complimented his little brother. Elias eyes lit up happily, still holding the

snowball. He turned Elias around, facing Damion's direction. Erica had him occupied, so he took the

chance. "Bring your arm back as far as you can get it." Jayce whispered to him. Elias nodded,

bringing his arm back. "Keep your eyes on your target. Then, when you are ready, release.” He told

him. Elias poked his tongue out as he focused, shifting his feet before throwing the snowball. It flew

in an arc through the air until it crashed against Damion's chest. Damion let out a soft grunt, looking

in their direction and smirked.

"Is that a challenge?” He called over to them as he bent down, scooping snow into his hand and

started to form it. Elias already had another snowball ready and with a gentle nudge from behind by

Jayce, he charged forward, throwing the snowball. This time though, Damion ducked in time and it

hit Alpha Jackson in his arm. He let out a laugh.

"That boy has quite the arm.” Jackson commented, brushing the snow off. Another snowball

collided with his chest, turning his attention to the Beta who was doubled over.

"You're such a child." Erica told him. Damion focused on her, lifting her up and tossed her into a

snow pile. She screamed, sinking into the snow a bit.

"What? I thought you needed to chill out.” Damion chuckled as Erica crawled out of the snow, the

white powder covering her body. Lily was laughing beside him, along with the mothers.

"Oh Queen!" Erica called out to Lily as a snowball was chucked through the air at her. On instinct

Jayce stood in front of Lily, letting the snowball clash against his chest. "That's not fair!" Erica

complained, already preparing her next snowball. Jayce listened as the mothers behind him seem to

scatter away from the scene when something cold clashed against the back of his head. He

stiffened, glancing over his shoulder to see Lily standing about fifteen feet back in the deep snow.

He felt the snow break apart, some falling beneath his jacket, making him shiver.

"Oh?" He asked her as he bent down and gathered snow in his large hands. Her eyes widened,

turning to run, but with the snow being so deep, she ended up tripping and falling into it. He ran

over to her, forgetting about the fight, "Shit, are you okay?" He asked as he leaned over her while

she sat up. Her shoulders were shaking, and he worried that she had hurt herself when her laughter

filled his ears. It was so pure, so innocent. So beautiful. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold.

He had never seen her laugh like this before.

Jayce dropped to his knees beside her as she continued to laugh from her soul, taking her face in

his hands and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss, feeling her smile in it. He pulled away

slowly, looking down at her tear filled eyes, for once being from the joy and fun she was feeling

rather than the sadness and fear she had become used to. He wiped her tears away and in that

moment, nothing else mattered to him.

Happiness can be something silly.

Her words echoed in his mind again, making him smile at her. She reached up, caressing his cheek

lightly with her cold fingers. He finally took that moment to glance over to the group they had

arrived with. The Lunas were watching the Alphas, Damion, Erica and Elias play in the snow. To his

surprise, Derek was with Elias, supporting him against Damion and Javon. He'd never seen the

Alphas cut loose before, even when they all knew each other growing up, being an Alpha took

priority over the simplest of things.

"They look to be having so much fun." Lily commented beside him. He looked back down at her

before falling back into the snow. He shut his eyes as the cold dampened his internal heat. If this

what it felt like not to be a King for a day, he'll have to do it more often.

He felt weight over his legs as Lily straddled him. He sat up, taking her face in his hands and kissing

her again. She smiled against his lips, her hands on his neck. A soft click drew his attention away

from Lily to Luna Ella who was taking pictures of them in the snow.

"Don’t mind me!" She yelled to them before taking pictures again.

"We don't have any pictures together, do we?" Lily asked him. He looked at her, seeing the pout on

her lips. They didn't have much of anything as a couple. He rose to his feet, brushing the snow off of

him and helped her up.

"Let's change that.” He said to her. Lily smiled, nodding excitedly. He was going to change plenty of

things in order to keep her happy from now on.

After spending another hour at the park taking pictures and playing in the snow, Lily recommended

hitting a coffee shop for hot chocolate. He waited outside with Damion, the Alphas and their Lunas.

They were discussing the plans for tomorrow from start to finish, but Jayce's mind and eyes were on

the woman inside the shop. He watched Lily, observing her every move while she ordered hot

chocolate with Erica and Elias. Chuckling sounded from beside him and he steered his sight away

and placed it on Damion who was going through his pictures on his phone. Jayce peered over

curiously, seeing pictures of Erica by herself or both of them together. Damion tilted his phone away

suddenly.

"You can't see the rest." Damion stated before putting his phone away. Jayce only shrugged, looking

around as citizens passed on by. They gave congratulations and holiday greetings. Jayce patted his

front pocket in his jeans, looking back inside to Lily. The sun had gone down and it was still late

afternoon, stars sparkled in the clear sky above him. His breath fogged in front of his eyes. In the

first time in a long time, he felt cold.

Lily, Erica and Elias hurried back out while holding a few cup holders. Lily passed a cup holder down

to Elias and he carefully made his way over to Nathan, Penelope and Derek with it. Derek ruffled the

child's hair as he helped pass around the drinks. Erica handed a tray over to Damion who helped

pass around to the other Alphas and Lunas. Lily stepped up beside Jayce and handed him a cup.

When he popped open the lid, the scent of chocolate and peppermint filled his senses. He took a

sip, ignoring the burn on his tongue as the heat soothed his body.

"It's delicious.” He commented as Lily wrapped her hands around her cup, savoring its warmth. She

sipped hers carefully, a light layer of the white foam on her upper lip. He chuckled at her.

"What?" She asked him.

"That looks nice on you." He joked, gesturing to the foam mustache. She ran her fingers over her

jawline slowly.

"You think so? I thought about growing it out.” She wiggled her brows at him, making him laugh

more. He enjoyed her silly behavior more than he realized. He touched his own chin, feeling the

stubble again.

"Should I grow mine out?" He asked her. She inclined her head, her eyes tracing his jawline, then his

lips. Her cheeks turned pink for a moment.

"I think you'll look handsome regardless what you decide on." She reached up, pushing his hair

back. He had let it grow out and now it was grazing his shoulders.

"I want to make sure I look good for you." He said as he took another sip.

"Trust me, that is not hard for you to do." She shifted her gaze away, drinking again only to make

the foam thicker on her upper lip. He watched her before taking out his phone and took a picture of

her. She blinked when the shutter went off and she gazed at his phone.

"I needed a reference photo.” He said as he tucked his phone away. She let out a laugh.

"If you wanted a picture of me, you could just take it. I've taken pictures of you.” She said, but the

look that crossed her face made her regret what she said.

"When did you take photos of me?" He asked her. She avoided his gaze, running her finger over the

rim of her cup.

"Maybe when you were sleeping.” She mumbled. He raised a brow at her, "What? You look adorable

when you're asleep.” She argued. He felt his cheeks grow hot. He's adorable? "I also may have taken

a couple when you get dressed or undressed.” She sipped her hot chocolate, but the red her cheeks

were clearly visible underneath the street light.

"Did you now? How is that fair for me then?" He asked her. She glanced up at him, chewing her

bottom lip before taking out her phone and sent a message. His phone pinged, and when he

checked it, it was an image of her in their mirror just in her bra and panties.

"What's that?" Damion asked as he tried to steal a glance at the photo, but Jayce snarled

possessively, putting his phone away.

"Alright, I believe we have everything situated for tomorrow." Luna Isis declared, bringing the group

together again. "I went ahead and sent out invitations to the other packs that don't already have

Christmas plans. I also went ahead and got in contact with the news station to get the wedding on

live broadcast.” She went down a list on her phone.

"Who will be reporting?” Lily asked her. Isis looked over to her, then back through her phone again.

"A man by the name of Milo.” She confirmed and Lily sighed in relief. Jayce looked down at her with

confusion.

"I may have told the producer that Velma wasn't allowed to interview either of us anymore." Lily

sipped her drink.

"What are we doing next, Luna Isis?" He asked her. She tucked her phone away.

"Well, I suggest we head back to the hotel and homes to pack some clothes.” She suggested. She

met everyone's gazes, "Tomorrow is the wedding, the groom and the men will be staying in one

part of the pack house for the evening, while the bride and the women stay on the other side.” She

told them.

"Wait, we're spending the night away from each other?” Lily asked, her hand grabbing Jayce's arm.

He didn't like the idea of leaving Lily's side either.

"Think of it as a last minute Bachelor and Bachelorette parties for the both of you.” She said.

"I love a good bachelor party,” Alpha Archibald chipped in while pulling out his phone, "I'll call to

see if any dancers are available.”

"Absolutely not!" Lily and Jayce spoke in sync. They did not want Archibald planning anything with

the party or women. He grumbled as he put his phone away.

"It's just one night, right? There's no harm for that." Jayce said, looking down at Lily. She still didn't

look pleased by the idea, but she eventually agreed to it.

"Okay. If that's the idea.” She said and Luna Isis smiled, nodding.

"Excellent, we'll meet at the pack house at seven.” She said and the Alphas and their Lunas went

their separate ways.

"Don't worry, Lily, I'l make sure that old man doesn't cross the line." Damion bowed to her, making

her giggle as he escorted Erica to his truck. Elias was holding Penelope's hand.

"We'll meet you at the pack house.” Derek inclined his head at them before taking Penelope's other

hand and lead her to his town car. The small affection swayed his mother since it was a rare

occurrence for her. Jayce, Lily and Nathan stood outside the coffee shop for awhile longer, enjoying

their hot chocolate still.

"I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow.” Nathan finally said. Lily smiled softly.

"Me to." She told him. She walked over to the garbage can to toss away her drink, "I have to do

something before we go to the pack house. Is that okay?" She asked Jayce as he walked over and

tossed his away.

"That's fine, is there something you need to do for your next draft?" He asked her. They began

walking toward the house together.

"No, Erica said I can wait until after the New Year to get my next draft complete. I wanted to record

something on the piano.” She said, her hand finding his and slipped her fingers between his. He

squeezed her hand gently.

"Record what?" He asked her curiously. She smiled up at him, putting her finger to her lips and gave

him a wink.

"It's a secret, so no eavesdropping.” She told him. His brows furrowed, but he agreed to keep his

distance, but his mind was in overdrive? What did she want to record exactly?