Sorry it took so long but you cannot rush a good story. Hope yall like it, you know I like it when you tell me what you thought.... hint, hint. nah no pressure.. maybe just a little. Anyways- Enjoy! :)
If you are thinking this is to slow, that is because I'm trying extremely hard not to rush through this story. I like it this way. I already have 38 pages on word and the story has barely begun. :D
Roxie was surrounded with no escape. Holding her head in her hands trying to ward off a migraine from the bright colors around her did no good. There was nothing but flowers, everywhere, and three giddy women fluttering around in all directions. Miranda gave Roxie a sympathetic glance patting the girl’s shoulder as she passed holding a bouquet of flowers. Day three in the town and they were already diving into wedding plans. First thing on the list, flowers.
“Rosie, darling, what do you think of these colors?” Miranda asked holding up the arrangement of red and white flowers. “While it is a Christmas wedding I don’t think you want red and green do you?”
Rosie shook her head transfixed now on the bouquet touching the flower petals with the tips of her fingers. “I love the red and white idea. Maybe a snowy theme with red accents…”
“Snowy?” Questioned Roxie, lifting her head to glance at her twin and ask, “Is that even a word?”
“Yes,” Rosie retorted throwing a fallen flower bud at Roxie. “You know one day you’ll be planning your own wedding and you won’t want me being a Debby downer.”
Roxie sighed audibly, “I’m never getting married.”
This caused the third woman of the bunch of four, Josie, to pause. “Do you really mean that?”
Roxie mentally kicked herself for forgetting she was in the presence of her “mate’s” mother. “Yes, Mrs. Armoon, I mean that.”
“It’s Josie, dear, and I do hope you change your mind on that. Whatever has set you so against love cannot be worth dwindling on for a life time.”
Rosie nodded taking the red flowers from the bouquet and adding them to a different grouping of white flowers. “Oh… this, this is perfect.” She giggled spinning around and walking as if down the aisle holding the flowers in her hands. “What do you think Roxie?”
“I think I still haven’t given my approval of this whole thing…” Roxie trailed off seeing the look of dismay on her sister’s face. “But the flowers look beautiful. You’ll completely outshine them though, of course.”
Rosie smiled brighter than the sun handing off the flowers to Miranda who went to talk to the florist while Rosie gripped Roxie in a lung squeezing bear hug. “You are so sweet Rocks.”
“Sweet and sour, now get off.” Roxie laughed pushing Rosie away with a roll of the eyes. Josie smiled at the two, silently wishing for the day Roxie would accept the mating. Roxie had been completely ignoring Hunter for the last few days. Any time he tried to talk to her she simply ignored his existence and continued on doing her own thing. She was stubborn, completely set against being with Hunter. Looking at her Josie could see a darker haired version of herself at that age, just finding out she was Noah’s mate and not wanting to be tied down at all.
Roxie watched Rosie flutter around, a classic nervous bride filled with happiness and excitement. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in her features as she and the two older women laughed over flowers. They weren’t finding anything that Rosie found absolutely perfect for her yet. Roxie sighed smiling slightly when Rosie threw her a panicked look. She couldn’t help it, her eyes roamed around the flower shop locking onto to several pieces. Despite her objections to the whirlwind wedding and werewolves, Roxie was excited to be helping plan her sister’s wedding, excited her sister was getting married in general.
Roxie stood, rubbing her hands together as they itched to create something magnificent. Roxie was artistic, from her cooking majesties to her ability to make a prom dress out of random material scraps and any extra cloth that could be cut off their clothes. With one hand she motioned to Rosie a simple wave that had become a well known signal between them over the years. Rosie turned around giddy with excitement, briefly explaining to the women to turn around as well. Roxie would create a master piece, but only if no one else was watching.
Roxie brushed her hand over an assorted grouping of flowers and spotted the ones she wanted. A vast white flower sprawled itself out over a bed of red as dropping white like falling snow on willow tree branches hung perfectly around the edges creating a hanging halo. Tying it altogether in a bunch and grabbing one of the ribbons the women had been playing with she tied it in a neat bow.
“Rosie, you owe me big time for this one.” Roxie muttered moving some petals around in final touches. Rosie would love it, that Roxie was sure of.
“Well you better let me see it to confirm then.” Rosie’s voice teased filled with anxious anticipation.
“Turn around then,” Roxie smiled holding out the bouquet in front of her for Rosie to see. There was a moment of silence as Rosie stared at the flowers before bursting into tears.
Miranda and Josie both jumped exchanging worried glances. Rosie sniffled and pulled Roxie into a bone crushing hug squeezing the breath out of her, hardly minding the poor bouquet that Roxie barely managed to save.
“I was…” sob, “So worried,” sob, “that you wouldn’t get involved at all. I thought you would just walk away and then…” Roxie pat her sister’s back lovingly, resting her head against her twins allowing their curls to twist together.
“I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” Roxie murmured, not missing the gleam of satisfaction in Josie’s eyes at her words. “At least not until the wedding is over.” It was all she could do not to laugh at the resulting scowl that came to Josie’s face.
It was soon to be replaced by a knowing look, or more of a challenging look. Josie held in a smirk, she was definitely challenging Roxie to hold out that long. She knew from experience just how long Roxie would last in this game. Male wolves loved a chase after all, and Roxie was running fast.
“So you like the flowers dear?” Miranda questioned when Rosie calmed down and gazed at the bouquet examining every inch. “It is perfect. I love it. You are a genius Roxie. Can you make up a center piece while I go hunt down the shop owner?”
Roxie nodded and watched her twin link arms with Miranda, winding through the maze of flower rows in search of the florist. “What’s your game plan?”
Roxie thought about ignoring the question but figured it undoable, “Game plan?”
“For not being Hunter’s mate,” Roxie had to admire Josie’s fearless attitude. She got straight to the point, no fluff and all truth.
“I don’t exactly have a ‘game plan’. This isn’t a game.”
Josie laughed, “Then you certainly don’t know enough about wolves or men. This is definitely a game dear, a great challenge, one he’ll take very seriously with the prize waiting for him if he wins. They’re dogs my dear, they love chasing and fetch.”
Roxie let out a sound of annoyance and eyed Josie suspiciously. “And you condone this behavior?”
Josie’s lips twitched for a moment before she burst out laughing. Roxie stared on perplexed at what she did to bring about such laughter. “I’m sorry Roxie, but you sounded older than me for a moment. In fact, you sounded a lot like my mother did whenever she’d scold me.”
Roxie scowled turning away abruptly to grab a nice looking vase and fill it slightly with water submerging one of the red flowers from the bouquet twisted with one of the willowy white observing the effect. Grabbing a candle she set it in not bothering yet to light it and then balanced the large white flower on top of the vase.
“That’s quite beautiful, you have a good eye and imagination.” Josie commented circling the creation. “Rosie will like it?”
“Of course, I know my sister well.”
“As twins should… you must feel threatened by this whole mate thing I guess. Her mate is tearing her away from you. Is that what puts you off the idea so much? Or is it the prospect of love and trust that does?”
Roxie shook her head finding that she was at a loss for words.
“Maybe the commitment then, forever is a long time after all…”
“Forever?” Roxie gulped trying to wrap her head around the thought. “I’ve heard you all say is before, that mating is forever, an eternal love, but is it true? I’ve never known love to surpass the blood connections of family. At least, not to last long that is, certainly not forever.”
Roxie tried to remember the last time she had seen a couple looking truly in love. The only images she could concur up were ones of the werewolves she had seen so far… and her sister and Ethan. They all looked at each other with the same devotion, the same passionate emotion that made her heart ache slightly in a way she hadn’t felt before. But she could live without such feeling for another person. Love didn’t exist, lust yes, but not love.
“I can see Hunter will have a lot of barriers to break with you. How many walls have you put up around your heart may I ask?”
Temper flaring considerably Roxie answered back rather loudly, “No you may not ask, but for your information none. There are no walls around my heart.” Lies. “I just don’t want any of this!”
“Why not?”
Roxie balked taking a step back as if Josie had hit her. Why not? Why not fall in love? Why not open up and trust someone other than Rosie? Why not give Hunter a chance? Because love can break your heart, Roxie told herself. Because anytime before that she’d really opened up she’d always gotten hurt. Because Hunter may break my heart, Roxie swallowed a mournful sob and shook her head.
“Why not?” It was not an echo but another question. Why not love? Well why not, not love?
Josie held back a smile at the feisty behavior just on the edge of snippy. “Roxanne, you should at least have a good reason to reject your soul mate. Do you fully understand what mates are?”
Roxie was about to nod then stopped to think about it a moment. Rosie and Ethan had explained, though Roxie wasn’t fully sure if she knew everything. Sticking to the basics she replied, “Rosie and Ethan explained.”
“Oh did they then? Well Roxie, let me go over the facts with you again. Mates are as I said soul mates. They are set in stone at birth, planned out so that for each wolf born another is born to be his or hers. We need someone to complete us, to make us whole. We truly mate once, for life, it used to be that mates waited for their one true, though it is sadly lesser done these days. Rejection is the worst thing that could ever happen to a wolf. Even careless wolves that reject their mates often go back to them eventually, it’s too painful to stay away once you’ve found the person your heart wants. Human mates often throughout our history have rejected their mates at first because you all haven’t been raised as we have. We know for sure that our mates are our other half. There is no question in our minds that once we find our mate we will love them forever despite whatever flaws they may have, however long they try to resist us. Even if they reject us we love them forever, once you’ve met your mate you never love anyone else. It’s binding, you’ll find if you leave us that trying to love another man will be impossible. Even if you manage to never develop feelings for Hunter in the time you are here you would still leave and never love another. It’s instant love, instant bonding. I know it’s terribly frightening, to know you are completely committed to someone you don’t even know.
I felt the same way. I was a wild rogue without a family or home. I didn’t want love or a mate. I wanted to be free, to live my life the way I wanted. When I met Noah… Well male wolves love a chase. I’m sure he would have chased me to the end of the world and back again. And I’m telling you know dear, unless you want to be caught, never flat out run from Hunter.” Josie paused to look and see if Rosie and Miranda were returning yet.
“So is there any way out of it? Or would you even tell me if there is?” Roxie winced hating to be so rude to the woman. All of these people had been nothing but nice to her and Rosie since they arrived.
Everyone smiled and hugged them and greeted them like they were old friends. It was strange to Roxie who had never been around such people much. The twins had had unusually rotten luck when it came to foster parents. Throughout their lives they’d gotten stuck with a family who had some major fault or another or just thrown into an orphanage for weeks or months or years before being moved to a new place.
“Anyways dear, I think I’ve stressed the point of how truly permanent and important mates are. The actual mating itself begins the moment the wolf senses his or her, usually his, mate near. Females rarely are the first drawn to their mate unless their mate is human. Once the mate is found it’s as simple as looking in each other’s eyes or touching their skin and it’s done. There’s no backing out. Then the male bites the female and the mating is continued, though I think you can fill in the rest of the details for yourself.”
“Did you say bite?” Roxie tried to remember if she’s been told this before but couldn’t remember. It was new news, and one she didn’t really know how to react to.
Josie pulled aside her shirt a little to expose the area at the base of her throat and shoulder. A scar sat on her skin wore proudly by the look of Josie’s face staring at the bite mark. Roxie gulped as Josie explained, “The male bites the female to tell other guys to back off. It shows you are his and no one else may have you. It’s all in love really.”
“Does it hurt?” Roxie reached up to touch the same area on her skin, it was smooth and unbitten just as it should be. But something in Roxie wanted to know what it would feel like to have a bite mark there marking her as someone else’s love forever. Resisting the urge to slap some sense into herself, Rosie listened to Josie.
“Oh yes, it hurts incredibly, even more so I’ve heard for humans since you don’t heal like we do. But the pain only lasts a little while, and after its nothing but pleasure.” Roxie could see Josie’s eyes glazing over in memory and squirmed trying not to think of what the woman was day dreaming about.
“Does Rosie have a bite mark?”
“Do I have a what?” Rosie choose that time to reappear without Miranda. “Miranda is working out some more details. I wanted to see how the rest was coming. Is that the center piece? It’s magnificent Roxie! You are wonderful! Now what were you two speaking about?”
“Mates,” Roxie muttered playing nervously with some flowers. “Josie just showed me her bite mark and I was wondering if you had one.”
Rosie blushed deep red for a moment before nodding, a small smile crossing her face as she pulled back her shirt just enough to show the bite mark. It was a lot newer looking than Josie’s since it had to have been made in the last two weeks and was still a little redder in coloring. “It marks me as Ethan’s mate forever.”
“Yeah, forever…” Roxie shook her head in annoyance as she handed off the center piece. “I’m starting to get very sick of that word.”
“Lighten up Roxie, you have a mate to, if you’ll just accept him.” Rosie kissed her sister’s cheek and skipped away with the center piece leaving Roxie once again with the mother of her mate.
“Where are the boys anyways?”
“Hunter and Ethan? Oh…” Josie glanced at her watch. “Well, look at the time, it’s already noon. They’re probably waiting for us at the restaurant now.”
“Restaurant?” Roxie got a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her there would be no getting out of this encounter.
“Yes, Ethan and Hunter will be joining you and Rosie for lunch. Miranda and I will need to head back to the house sadly,” Roxie had a hunch Josie wasn’t sad at all about it, “but the White Rose Café is only about two blocks from here and the boys will give you rides home.”
There was another word Roxie didn’t like, “Rides?”
“Or a ride, thought I’m sure it will be rides. Those boys love to drive their own cars everywhere.” Josie laughed like it was a grand joke and then laughed some more when she saw the look of dread on Roxie’s face. “Roxie, with that look on your pretty face, you look more like I did years back than you know. Roxie, please take my advice, I lasted a long time resisting Noah, but in the end I wished I never had. Wasting so much time running from him is going to do no good when he’ll only catch you.”
“Alright, are you two ready to go to lunch. The flowers are done, so we can rest a little easier knowing that one thing is checked off the list at least.” Miranda and Rosie flounced back to them arm in arm none the wiser to the conversation at hand. Then again, thought Roxie, Miranda is a werewolf with advanced hearing. Roxie was right since Miranda had been listening in and was ready to start discussing matchmaking plans with Josie the minute they were out of hearing range of the girls. “Come on Josie, these girls have mates to get to.”