Xena''s POV


    "Is that what you like?" Luna Kestrel''s soft voice floated beside me.


    I stared at the picture, feeling a sense of belonging settle deep in my chest. "My wolf, Una, She''s silver, and Ryder''s wolf is ck. It feels right. The words came out in a whisper, my throat tight with unexpected emotion."


    I heard Ryder stand up and walk over to see the image. "I think you''ve made an excellent choice." His hand moved up and down my back, warming me through the thin fabric of my shirt. I looked up at him, knowing he could feel my uncertainty through our bond.


    "I''m so excited about this! I just bought new white linen and have been dying to use it!" Luna Kestrel took the picture and went to sit down. She pulled out a massive binder filled with different samples. I watched her practiced movements, feeling a twinge of pressure. This was all so new to me.


    Ryder gently pushed me back to the sofa.


    "I have many design options for centerpieces and decorations. Ryder tells me you n all the school events. I know you have a gift for these things. Really, anything you want. We can mix and match different designs, or whatever." She flipped through pages. She really did have samples of every fabric or color she mentioned.


    I considered my options, thinking about how much I hated centerpieces when


    nning events. Most were so borate you couldn''t even see the person across


    from you. And after the event was over, no one remembered what the centerpieces looked like anyway. I wanted our wedding to be different, to


    authentically reflect our rtionship-simple but powerful.


    "Just a ring of baby''s breath around ck candle holders in the center of each table,” I said, hoping to keep it simple yet elegant.


    "Perfect. What about fabrics?"


    "I don''t really like satin. I prefer more of a matte feel."


    "I actually have a ck table runner with silver in the middle, but it''s a bit sparkly." Luna Kestrel flipped through her book until she found the picture of what she was describing. I looked at the option, picturing how it would look throughout the


    venue.


    "I don''t mind sequins, but that might be too much with the baby''s breath," I voiced my concern, hoping to find a bnce.


    "You''re right. I''ll save this for the gift table?"


    "Sounds good." I nodded, feeling a little tension release, as Luna Kestrel seemed to truly understand my vision.


    "Great. Anything else you''d like?"


    A romantic image formed in my mind. "Can we do an evening event? With sr lights surrounding the tent that will light up when it gets dark?" I imagined Ryder and me dancing under those soft lights, and warmth spread through my chest. "Absolutely!" Luna Kestrel pulled out different tent options they had, and whether we wanted walls. There were examples of how the dance floor could be arranged and made into a stage. Looking at the options, I tried to envision how our special night would look.


    "These all look fine." I nodded, as for a dance floor, the options really were limited.


    "If·


    f you don''t like these, we could get different styles."


    Oh no, use what you already have. No reason to waste money like that." I quickly responded.


    These are the sign styles we''ve used before. Again, if you don''t want these, we can do something different."


    "Could we get some wood slices and paint them ck? I took calligraphy sses. I could write each sign. The thought of creating something with my own hands for our wedding sent a thrill through me.


    "That''s doable!" Luna Kestrel smiled at me. I saw the appreciation in her eyes, and it made me feel more confident in my choices.


    I''d like to have a fixed meal n rather than buffet style, if possible I have certain expectations for my events, and people always rave about my food."


    "Of course," Luna Kestrel nodded in agreement. "So, here." Luma Kestrel stood up and showed me different food options. "For appetizers, I prepared these three different choices. The first is smoked tuna with goat cheese on crostini. The second is spicy Mexican meatballs with a slice of avocado on top, in a puff pastry. Thest one is crispy stuffed mushrooms."


    They all looked amazing. I''d never been one to shy away from trying new things, but if I''d read these descriptions in a restaurant, I might not have ordered them. All wererge enough to require a few bites to finish, and typically a te would have several.


    I picked up the tuna and took a bite without hesitation. Ryder followed suit.


    "You haven''t tried these?" I asked him. He shook his head.


    It was absolutely delicious. The tuna had the perfect smoked vor. The goat


    cheese added a hint of sweetness against the crispness of the bread.


    Watching Ryder savor the food, I felt a strange satisfaction. All of this-the


    wedding nning, food tasting, every moment we spent together-made our future feel more real.


    Chapter Comments


    LIKE