Free Web NovelChapter 181: Wedding Preparations
It was all too easy to change the topic. Dahlia quickly jumped on it excitedly, detailing everything she needed help with. The invites were out, but the decorations for the church weren’t done, her dress wasn’t complete, the menu wasn’t finalized, and she didn’t have a full bridal party. There was no one good enough to be her maid-of-honor.
I guessed no one liked her enough to be subjected to such a painful role. If I liked her more, I would feel more sorry for her. I didn’t have enough friends to be my bridesmaid either.
Alpha Thorton finally spoke, "Dahlia, how about you make Harper your maid-of-honor?"
I choked, and I wasn’t the only one.
"What?" I asked, just in case I misheard.
"Daddy, how can you ask that?" Dahlia pouted and crossed her arms. She eyed me up and down, seemingly cataloging my every flaw. "I don’t even know Harper well enough. She’s a human! She won’t be able to do it!"
’Harper is right here and she has a pair of working ears, thank you very much,’ I thought bitterly to myself. She didn’t have to speak about me as though I was a dumb dog that didn’t understand language.
"The both of you will be family soon enough," Alpha Thorton said, gesturing to me. "She is the fated mate of Damon’s own twin. Practically a sister. Consider this an opportunity to bond and make memories with each other."
"Hmmm," Dahlia hummed to herself, considering her father’s words. I hoped that she would reject me anyway, but then she smiled and nodded.
"Daddy, you’re right, we shall be closer than sisters in future, so why not start now?" Dahlia decided, clapping her hands. I tried to hide the look of dismay on my face. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"Alpha Thorton, with all due respect, I know nothing about weddings," I said frankly. "I wouldn’t want to ruin Miss Dahlia’s big day by accident."
Of course, I was aiming to ruin it on purpose. Details.
Dahlia waved a lazy hand. "That’s fine. You’ll just have to do whatever I tell you to do. I’ll even make sure it’s not so hard, and Darach will help you with the heavy lifting. You’re a human after all, so I won’t work you like a horse. See, aren’t I kind? I’ll look after you. I’m your new sister after all."
"Thank you," I said, smiling with all my teeth, because what else could I say? Dahlia was speaking to me as though I was her poor pet dog. If we didn’t have the earlier arrangement with Hornstead, I might ruin the wedding myself by stabbing someone with the dessert knife.
Blaise held my hand and squeezed it, wordlessly reminding me to tone down on my murderous impulses.
"Let’s start after dinner," Dahlia said cheerfully, clasping her hands under her chin. "I know just the right task for you!"
***
The right task for me was to curl miles and miles of ribbons with a pair of scissors. Apparently, everything else had been a little too important or a little too difficult for me to do. While I was appalled by how little she thought of me, I was still grateful to not be relegated to the heavy lifting work outside.
I stared blankly at the heaps of ribbons piled in the corners of the room. They were in various shades of cream white, baby pink, and soft gold. I couldn’t help but sigh. There were definitely worse jobs than curling ribbons, at the very least.
"I need them to drape elegantly all over the walls and corners," she instructed firmly. "When you’re done, I will need help with the flowers. I can’t decide which type looks better in the bouquet."
"Of course," I said, trying my hardest to plaster a smile on my face. "Why not ask your brother for help? Darach seems rather skilled with flower arrangements."
At the mention of Darach, Dahlia merely rolled her eyes. "That’s all he’s good for," she said. "Darach had always been useless growing up. He had always preferred hiding away in his little garden rather than train."
I raised an eyebrow, sparing just a glance at the ribbon as I curled it to ensure I didn’t accidentally cut my fingers. Otherwise, I made sure to give all my attention to Dahlia― it seemed to work well when wiggling information out of her.
"Oh?" I asked, "How so?"
"Daddy once had hopes he would become Thunderstrike’s future alpha," Dahlia said. "After all, there was a chance I could’ve won the election one day to become the future luna queen before Shadowpelt fell. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to stay and take care of Thunderstrike after Daddy’s retirement."
Then, she snorted and rolled her eyes again, huffing in ridicule. "But Darach never showed any results in training. He preferred hiding away in his little gardens and greenhouses that eventually, Daddy gave up on him entirely. Quite ironic," she said, "perhaps Darach should’ve been Milo’s fated mate instead. He would certainly do well there in that ridiculous rundown farm."
My ears pricked with attention at the mention of Milo. I hadn’t expected that Dahlia would willingly bring him up in conversation, especially when she so desperately tried to erase his existence just so that she could be with Damon.
I placed the ribbons I was done with to one side, keeping a steady stream of work as though I was a factory machine. However, only the Moon Goddess knew that my heart was entirely on the gossip Dahlia was providing.
"I bet you must’ve fallen for Damon immediately, huh?" I mused, stamping down the urge to shove the scissors right into Dahlia’s gleeful smile at the mention of my mate. "I didn’t think anyone would reject their fated mate, especially if the other party was the future alpha of a pack!" fгeewebnovёl.com
Ironic, considering how that was exactly what I tried to do, not that Dahlia needed to know.
"So what if he was the future alpha?" Dahlia said with a snort. "If it weren’t for Daddy’s insistence, I would rather never interact with Hornstead ever again. They’re a bunch of conservatives who are obsessed with their farmland and nature. There is only so much a couple of apple trees and a few chicken coops can bring the pack, and it’s most definitely not on the road to become the pack who will replace Shadowpelt as the leading pack of the wolves."
Her chest puffed with pride as she beamed. Clasping her hands together, I could practically see the stars and hearts in her eyes as she cooed.
"Damon Valentine is the only man who can lead a pack to the top of the food chain, and as the alpha of Fangborne, that makes him the most important and eligible man to be my husband. No one, not even a fated mate assigned by the Moon Goddess herself, can change my mind on that!"
