Smitten (21 page)

Max’s status as a single man made their occasional nights together scandal-free. No one cared about her sleeping over and warming his bed because it was expected, and most of all, because they’d been labeled adorable by the press. Reporters went out of their way to photograph Ēostre, and they loved her impeccable style.

“He’d better not poop on my dress at the wedding or he’ll be a roasted bird,” she half-teased, half-threatened.

“Astrid would never forgive you.” It hadn’t taken long after the parrot became part of the White House for them to discover Astrid had a unique talent with animals that extended beyond zebra keeping. She loved them, and they loved her in turn. Her natural proclivity for animal handling transferred to her dragon form when creatures were given a chance to adjust to her presence.

Max and Teo had never seen anything like it in a cub so young. She was remarkable in every way, and with each new discovery, their full-blooded brethren grew even more intimidated by her, and by proxy, Teo’s son Javier, who also was part human.

Their planner waited for them in the Palm Room, a woman in an elegant white and gold pantsuit who greeted them with an amiable smile. She had rosy cheeks and a pleasant face surrounded by a halo of golden curls.

“Are you two having jitters yet?”

“Hardly, Glinda. We were discussing the ring bearer,” Ēostre replied, stealing a glance at her future husband.

Glinda’s smile widened. “I think it’s absolutely adorable to include Spartacus. So long as he minds his manners.”

“He and I will have a chat man to man,” Max assured her, wearing a big grin on his face.

“Dragon to bird, you mean? Now come along. Let’s discuss the final preparations.”

They stepped back outside and travelled the few feet to the garden grounds. Tulips in every color bloomed amidst the rose bushes and trees.

“Now, the staff will complete the arrangements on the day. Here is my finalized layout.” Glinda opened her binder, revealing digital sketches printed on fine paper. From the garden where the ceremony was set to take place, to the East Room’s reception, they reviewed every detail and made minor adjustments as needed.

“This will be more spectacular than Teo and Marcy’s wedding, and that’s saying something.” Glinda winked. “I’ll provide a copy of the final plans to your security office, of course.”

“He’ll hire you to plan a birthday or something to get back on top,” Max said. “His ego will demand it.”

Both women laughed, but Glinda spoke up first. “More money for me. Now then, I’ll keep in touch up until the day but other than that, we’ll see each other at your wedding.”

“Thank you, Glinda. You really are the best.” Ēostre hugged her.

After their planner departed, Max took Ēostre’s hand in his and led her back through the gardens. “Last chance to say screw it and elope to Vegas.”

“Absolutely not, Bel. We are going to have a lovely wedding.”

He brought her hands up to his mouth and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “We are. One you deserve.”

***

Ēostre twisted in front of the mirror to view her reflection from all angles. She was adorned in a masterpiece of champagne silk, flattering her curves where it flared out from the hips and created a majestic train. The lace embroidery reminded her of flowers and matched the chosen theme of their wedding: spring.

At first, Ēostre and Max didn’t expect their fellow dragons to show interest in the event, especially those scorned by the recent — at least by dragon standards — decision to end the secrecy, but they proved her wrong when other wyrms and younger dragons arrived in force, even the creatures whom she thought were least likely to respect a mortal-laced affair.

“Tlaloc did not come to attend the ceremony, but he wishes you both well and wants you to have this on your day,” Xochiquetzal said for her mate. The black dragoness shook her head and placed the contents of a velvet-lined pouch into Ēostre’s hand. Small shards of polished dark blue volcanic glass glittered beneath the lights, connected by strands of silver.

“Xochi, this is beautiful. Did he—?”

“No, Tlaloc did not make this,” her friend said, chuckling. “He does not have a single artistic bone in all of his body, but I love him just the same. This was a bauble he commissioned many centuries ago from none other than Maximilian himself, as a gift to me, and now we would both like for you to have it. It is blue obsidian, glass from a special volcano he and Belenos once explored as young drakes. So you see, my mate may not agree with what you plan to do, but he loves you both, and would see you happy no matter the disagreement.”

Ēostre blinked her stinging eyes and swallowed through the tension constricting her throat. “Thank you, my friend. Help me put it on?” She adjusted her veil and tugged it aside for Xochi to secure the necklace.

“You’re beautiful,” Chloe gushed. “This is going to be amazing, you’ll be the most gorgeous bride to ever strut her shit through the White House.”

“I don’t want to strut through shit, I want to look elegant,” Ēostre said, scandalized by Chloe’s choice of words.

Chloe laughed. “No! It means you’ll be on point, fantastic, looking fabulous, and all that.”

Astrid twirled in her pale, rose pink gown. She wore a woven flower crown in her hair, the stems artfully twined together. “I feel like a princess.”

“So do I.” Centuries of experience in preparing princesses for the crown hadn’t prepared Ēostre to feel like one herself. “I
feel
beautiful, too.”

“You’ve always been beautiful, Grandmother. Today just means everyone who doesn’t already love you gets to know it, too.”

She crouched down and pulled the girl in for a hug, careful not to muss her hair. “Thank you, sweetling,” she whispered.

Astrid kissed her cheek. “I’m going to go see what Grandpa Max, Daddy, and Uncle Teo are doing. I hope they aren’t drunk again. Daddy had so much tequila last night he couldn’t walk.”

“Astrid!”

“Well, it’s true,” the girl said, much to her mother’s embarrassment.

“They’d better be sober,” Chloe muttered darkly.

Ēostre promptly burst into tears the moment the little girl left. “She’s so sweet.” Once they began, the waterworks wouldn’t stop until her chest heaved in spasms and her eyes stung. Chloe and Xochi, like a bridal rapid response team, descended swiftly with tissues.

“Hey now, no crying. You’ll ruin your make-up.”

“She is right, Ēostre. This is your day for happiness and peace. Embrace it with joy instead of tears.” The Latin dragoness gently pushed a strand of Ēostre’s hair back from her face. “For such a silly mortal celebration, I have grown fond of attending these events. Humans are capable of creating the most beautiful and amazing traditions,” she mused.

Ēostre sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t know why I’m in such a fuss. I know we’ve already mated, that this doesn’t mean anything, but…”

“Because it
does
mean something to you, Ēostre. It’s your wedding day, and brides are allowed to get emotional. Still, I’m so glad we opted for the minimalist look,” Chloe said while dabbing Ēostre’s cheeks. “Because if we’d put a full face of makeup on you, it’d be ruined right now.”

The door cracked open again, allowing Chloe’s friend Marcy to lean in. “It’s time! Come on, chicas… you look amazing and everyone is waiting. We have a full house, all abuzz with dragons, supernaturals, and shade-wearing special agents.”

“Daddy’s on his way, too.” Astrid slid past Marcy into the room.

“Okay. Perfect then. Astrid, you’re up first.” Chloe turned her daughter toward the doors, but the girl peeked back and blew Ēostre a kiss.

“I love you, Grandma.”

“I love you, too.”

Astrid led the way down the aisle and sprinkled multicolored rose petals across the grass. Chloe followed behind her daughter in a matching dress, walking on satin slippers in lieu of heels.

“You are the very definition of elegance, Mother.” Saul stepped in the doorway and offered his arm. “Are you ready?”

Ēostre looked up at her son. Something told her he was asking about more than the wedding, and she had to wonder if she was ready to officially profess her love to not only their fellow dragons, but to the rest of the world as well. “I am. I really am, Saul.” There was no turning back. She’d already given Max her heart.

“Then let’s get you to your husband-to-be.”

On her son’s arm, Ēostre couldn’t imagine a day more perfect. As they stepped out into the garden the bridal march began to play, beautiful harp music filling the air with an ethereal quality. Everyone in attendance rose to their feet but she barely saw them. Hey eye, her every focus, was on Max.

“Don’t rush,” Saul muttered under his breath, giving her hand a squeeze. “While it might be amusing, it’s far from dignified.”

His humorous observation made her smile and loosened the last bit of nervous tension in her stomach. Each step forward brought her closer and closer to Max. Her mate. Her future.

He filled her vision, a handsome figure in his black tux with a ruby red tie and vest. The smile on his face was brighter than a volcano’s heart and his eyes were solely on her.

“I leave you with a good man. One I’ll be proud to call my stepfather,” Saul murmured in a low voice for the pair of dragons alone. He gave her fingers a last squeeze before he placed her hands in Max’s. “Take care of her.”

“You have my word,” Max promised.

Saul took his place at Max’s side as Best Man, the guests retook their seats, and the officiant stepped forward. They had purposely chosen a secular ceremony, preferring to leave religion out of the equation. Dragons, who had been venerated as gods themselves at one time, didn’t believe in any particular religious deity.

“Welcome, everyone,” the man greeted. “Today is a day of celebration, and even a little bit of history. Before today, the only president to get married here in the White House was President Grover Cleveland, in 1886. But this isn’t about history. This is about Maximilian, Ēostre, and their love.”

Ēostre listened to the words about love and commitment without ever taking her gaze from her mate’s. Despite the show for the human world, she took every word to heart.

“Do you, Maximilian, take Ēostre to be your wife?”

“I do, with everything that I am.”

“And do you, Ēostre, take Maximilian to be your husband?”

“Completely.”

The officiant smiled at them both. “The bride and groom have asked to exchange their own vows of love and fidelity as they present one another with their wedding bands. Maximilian, if you’d begin, please.”

“A moment please, I need my ring bearer.”

They reached the moment of truth. Ēostre hadn’t actually seen Spartacus successfully perform what Max wanted. Her mate insisted for it to be a surprise.

Movement near the back rows caught her eye, Watatsumi with Spartacus on his arm. Everyone turned then to watch as Max held out his arm. He whistled once and his parrot took to the air.

Please don’t fly off. Please don’t fly off,
she prayed. She had faith in Maximilian, and absolutely none in the naughty bird that had become part of their lives.

The African Grey soared across the garden. For a moment, as he made a circle around the rose trellis that served as their wedding bower, Ēostre was certain the bird would make a break for it with their shiny rings — not that she looked forward to wearing the bands for anything more than symbolism. It was the sentiment behind it that mattered most to her.

He didn’t. He landed neatly on Max’s upraised wrist and dropped a small pouch into the man’s hand. Promptly, without missing a beat, he threw his wings up in the air and cried out, “Special day!” Tilting his head as he remembered the rest of his well-practiced surprise, Spartacus made a kissing noise up to her. “Love Ēostre.”

“Good job, my friend. Thank you.” Maximilian turned a smug smile back to his mate and spilled the rings from the pouch onto his open palm as Spartacus launched himself off of Max’s arm and settled on the top of the trellis. A few attendees clapped or laughed at the display.

“That was lovely.” Ēostre took the ring meant for Max and cupped it in her damp palm.

“A wise man once said less is more,” Maximilian began as he clutched her hands in both of his. “And when it comes to summing up my feelings, Ēostre, I find no amount of words can adequately communicate my love for you. From the first day we met, I knew my heart could belong to you and no one else.”

The simple gold band he slipped on her left hand was adorned with delicate etchings in a floral knotwork pattern. She recognized Max’s handiwork in the design.

“I never thought my heart would open again after past heartbreak, yet you snuck in, took me as I am, and brought light to my darkened spirit.” Her fingers trembled. Her entire body buzzed with joy and love, so much that she didn’t know how she managed to contain it. Her dragon wanted to fly. To break free and soar in an elated aerial dance with her new husband. “You are the sun who brought me clear skies, Max, and each day with you has been brighter than the last.”

“Beautiful words from both of you. Here, among your family and friends, and before our entire nation, you have affirmed your love and choice to join your lives. Therefore, it is my honor to pronounce your union as man and wife. You may kiss your—”