Page 8 of Christmas Embrace

“You’re a beautiful bride.” Sydney unconsciously fiddled with her naked ring finger where she’d once worn Kade’s diamond. She drew a deep breath and bit her lip, struggling to tamp down her emotions.

“Are you sure? I want to look perfect for Luca.” Samantha glided her hands over her waist, fingering a seam of beading. “Do these pearls look straight? This one looks a little off to me. I think they may have to be resewn.”

“It looks perfect.”

“Are you sure?” Samantha cocked her head, studying the stitching.

“Absolutely. You can always ask the seamstress when she comes back if it will make you feel better.”

“My parents are coming,” she continued as if she hadn’t heard Sydney. “It’s been rough going with me moving to New Orleans. They weren’t thrilled with it, you know. My nerves are shot.”

“Your parents love you and they know you’re getting married to an incredible man. He’s your soulmate. That’s all that really matters.”

“Hopefully they’ll be okay with Luca as a son-in-law. You know how he is.”

“Yes, yes I do. Luca can be…well, it’s just that he…” Sydney briefly hesitated. “You know. The human thing.”

“He hates humans,” Samantha said, locking her eyes on Sydney’s as she stared at the mirror. “You know it’s true.”

“Hate is a strong word. I’d say more like…is indifferent.”

“They’re weak,” Samantha replied in her best impersonation of Luca.

“Food,” Sydney countered with a small laugh.

“Oh Goddess. My parents are not food.”

Sydney circled around to face Samantha and took her hands in hers. “Luca adores you. He’s a bear. But a loving bear, nonetheless. He’s going to behave.”

Samantha lowered her gaze. “They don’t know.”

“They don’t know what?”

“My parents. They don’t know everything,” she repeated, her words slow and deliberate. “About me. About Luca.”

“Oh. Well. Hmm.” Sydney paused and gave a closed smile, attempting to muster support. Not all humans approved of paranormals. “I don’t know your parents all that well but if they are anything like you, anything at all, they will be okay. They love you. They want to see you happy.”

“I told them I met Luca at a tech conference, and he offered me a tech job at Issacson Industries.” A nervous chuckle escaped her. “Shortly after Kate was born, we flew up for the day so they could meet her. Dad is a civil war buff, so he had a great convo with Luca about Gettysburg but it’s not like they’ve seen his fangs. I know some humans are aware, but my parents are conservative. Go to church every Sunday. Happily live in suburbia. Mom enjoys Bunco with the girls. I didn’t even tell them I was pregnant until pretty far in. They weren’t crazy about me giving birth and not being married. I once tried to tell Mom about the magick and being a high priestess, but she quickly went into a rant about how someone gave her sage and how she doesn’t care for woo woo malarkey. Pretty sure she used that word. Malarkey. I’m surprised she didn’t bring up Hell. If she only knew where Kate was born…oh Goddess.”

“Your mom and dad love you. She’ll come around eventually.” Sydney attempted to calm her.

“I couldn’t explain why I didn’t give birth in a hospital, so I told her I had a home birth. A home birth, Syd. Seriously. That’s what I said. How was I supposed to tell her I gave birth in a demon cave? Who even does that?”

Sydney stifled her laugh.

“I can’t have any of our special friends shifting or doing anything crazy,” Samantha continued.

“Logan will keep his wolves under control,” Sydney assured her.

“Well. Ready or not, she’s going to find out today that I am a high priestess and what that really means. Wait until they get a load of Leo.”

“It’s all going to work out. It’s meant to be. I have to believe that for all of us. It was destiny. The Goddess saw fit to make you high priestess.”

Samantha took a deep breath and nodded.

“Personally, I think there was magick in you long before your feet ever touched down in New Orleans,” Sydney speculated.

“I wasn’t a witch. But maybe sensitive,” she admitted. “Sensitive and in denial. I don’t know.”