Chapter 101

"Love you, see ya tomorrow." I said as Raph and I kissed goodbye the evening before the wedding.

"I love you too." He gave me a tender kiss that left me in a daze and a silly smile playing on my lips.

My nerves were probably going to explode. My mind could hardly comprehend that I was actually getting married. To Raph. Tomorrow.

I walked up the stairs and began my evening ritual. I braided my still damp hair back, I had showered this morning, and did one last shave just to make sure. I rubbed some lavender cream into my arms and legs then bushed my teeth, well.

I laid down in the bed, alone, but luckily Parker hopped up deciding we would snuggle tonight.

I don't know how I managed it, but I finally fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~

I glanced at my phone on the nightstand and sighed. Still two'o'clock.

I twisted my lips as I stared up at the white ceiling.

I was supposed to be in town at the hotel by five, or five fifteen.

Parker rose to his feet and stretched seeing that it was time to get up. He walked over to Raph's side of the bed and meowed loudly at me.

"Mmhmm, he's in town getting ready for the wedding." I said as I rolled over to try and catch an hour or so more of sleep.

~~~~~~~~

FOUR'O'CLOCK

Raphael had been pacing his hotel room for the past half hour.

His wolf, which had calmed down, mostly, for the last couple months since their engagement, was now clawing at the walls, his canines elongated, wanting to mark their mate.

He ruffled his hair and massaged his temples.

"Not today. Please, not today." He mumbled to himself.

"Hey, man! We're here. Your best man and these losers." He heard his Gamma announce. A growl followed.

"Sorry, Alpha. Your best man, the Alpha, and these losers."

The door to his bedroom opened, "Hey man, what's wrong with you."

Raph put his head in his hands and ran them through his hair, he stood up with a forced smile careful not to show his teeth, "Nothing, nothing's wrong. Come on, we've got to be at the church in two hours."

~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, okay. Let's do a rundown, shall we." I asked my cat who was staring at me like I was some weirdo.

"We've got all the necessities in the car, packed. Food, Raph says that he has that prepared at wherever we're spending tonight." I paused, my thoughts lingering on tonight.

"Ahem, anyways. Okay, we'll need my phone," I checked my back pocket, "Good. Charm and Julie said that they'll have make-up. Check to make sure that everyone will be where they're needed." I pulled my phone out and called my mom.

"Hey, are you on your way to the church?"

"Yep, all, one…" She continued to count off the other people, "All five of us."

"Great. You remember where it is?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Did you sleep last night?"

"Mmhmm. Now I have to call Daddy, love ya mommy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

I exited the call and checked the time, three forty-five, "I've got time." I murmured to myself as I went to find my dad's contact.

"Daddy?"

"Hello." He answered. I smiled. Something about my dad's voice made me want to smile.

"You and Brad on you're way?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're just a few blocks."

"Great. I'm on my way now." I hung up and grabbed my shoes, a coat and a toque. Charm would be driving me up.

"Who cares if I'm early?" I asked Parker as I stroked his velvety ear, "Duma will be here later to take care of you, okay. Mommy and daddy are going away for awhile." I gave him a peck on his head then rushed out the door.

"Charm! Oh, thank goodness, you're up, come on we gotta go." I said as she opened the door to her house.

I turned to look at her, "Charm?"

"I am sorry Brooke, but I do not think that I will be able to make it to the wedding." She said rubbing her pregnant belly.

"Oh, dear. Why not?" I asked.

"I am sorry. I am just feeling really out of sorts." She replied.

"Oh no, but I need your car." I said in a dragged out tone.

"I am so sorry, Brooke." She hung her head, her green eyes sad.

"But you have to be at the wedding. Your going to practically be Raph's mom. Listen, you don't have to stand there as a bridesmaid, you can just sit in the front row." I smiled nodding my head encouragingly, "And, I can drive."

A small smile formed on her lips, "Alright."

"Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you, okay, let's go." I opened the door and took a few steps out.

"Oh!" She gasped.

My head snapped in her direction, "What? What is it?"

"It is nothing, the baby just kicked." She smiled looking down at her swollen bump.

I smiled, not knowing quite what to say. Don't get me wrong I love babies, but having never been pregnant myself or had a baby I was never quite sure of what to do in these situations. Toddlers were more of my forte.

The dresses were already at the church along with everyone else except for the bride.

~~~~~~~~

We got to the city in just under an hour and a half, no, of course I hadn't been speeding. Okay, Charm had been grasping the handles like her life depended on it.

"Sorry." I said as I turned the car off.

She cleared her throat, "No, no. It is fine." I moved to open my door but she stopped me, "Wait. There is something I would like to say to you."

I stopped and waited, when she still hadn't made a sound I turned to look at her. She looked deep in thought, her short red hair was curling just below her ears and she was absentmindedly twisting it.

"Charm?" I asked.

"Yes… I am not sure how to say this."

I waited continually glancing at the time.

"Tonight." That one word was enough to make my tapping fingers freeze.

"Tonight, you and Raph will, ahem, mate. When a Lycan is, ahem, intimate with his or her mate, they will… mark them. Like this," She pulled her shirt collar over just a bit to reveal a portion of her shoulder, and there, a few inches from the base of her neck, was a bite-mark around six inches long.

I swallowed. I'd read about the… mate mark in a few of my books, but they'd never gone into detail of how it had gotten there. I'd assumed that they'd been bitten but had never really thought about Raph biting me.

Just the idea of it confused me. I touched my shoulder where Charm's mark was and felt that strange numbness that had been there for the past few weeks.

"Will it hurt?" I asked quietly.

She nodded looking down, "Yes, it will at first, but it…" I looked so to see she was blushing I felt heat rise to my cheeks as well, "It will soon feel… nice. You will see tonight."

She readjusted her shirt then grabbed her purse and exited the car. I waited a few seconds to gather myself then I exited as well.