"One last thing," Greta said as she looked August over.
"What?"
"I know Sylvia gave you the necklace, and it's beautiful. But it doesn't match. Is it okay if you don't wear it just for tonight?"
"Oh," August looked down at the purple sugilite pendant that Sylvia had given her at their first reiki session. She rarely took it off. "Of course."
She unclasped the necklace and left it on the small end table next to Grae's bed.
"Then I think we're ready," Greta nodded.
While Greta was doing August's hair and makeup, Sam had returned and both males had gotten dressed. Now Greta could hear them pacing impatiently downstairs and the occasional grumble from her brother about how much he hated dressing up.
"This is one tradition I don't understand," Grae mumbled, pulling the erald velvet sleeve of his jacket.
"You and both," Sam chuckled with his hands comfortably in his pockets watching Grae fidgeting with the bowtie around his neck. "Mom explained it to like this: it is only for the rarest occasions that we choose to commorate it this way. The suit or tux alone shows that this event is important to you, these people are important to you, and your role as a mber in this pack and its tradition is taken seriously."
Grae groaned and gave his Beta a sidelong look. "I'll be right back."
He went back into the bedroom, took the jacket off and loosened the bowtie. There was no way he was going to comfortable all night long in all of this. It didn't even make sense. They were going to be outside around a fire later. No one wore clothing like this to the regular bonfires.
There was going to be so much going on tonight, and he didn't want to be fidgeting with his stupid clothes the whole ti. With that thought, he made up his mind and removed the bowtie, unbuttoned and removed the perfectly pressed dress shirt and dug through his closet for sothing else that would work.
Greta was going to kill him. He smirked and pulled on the black tank top before putting the jacket back on and buttoning it.
"Much better," he mumbled, glancing in the mirror to make sure it didn't look too ridiculous before heading back out the bedroom door.
"What are you wearing?" Greta's voice reproached him as soon as he erged.
"Sothing more comfortable," he grumbled. "What are you wearing?" His eyebrows shot up at the fitted red satin dress that showed off every bit of her figure, glancing at Sam behind her who had an amused look on his face and that unmistakable adoration in his eyes whenever he looked at his mate.
"Sothing fabulous," she smiled and turned with her hands on her hips so he could get the whole view. The slight swell of her belly was accentuated with the close fit. His heart fluttered with the visible evidence of her becoming a mother. His little sister was going to have pups of her own.
"You look beautiful," he said as he approached and kissed her cheek. "I just hope my mate is more decent."
"This isn't decent?" she asked, glaring at him.
He chuckled at the flicker of anger from her and put his hands up in surrender. "I'm just kidding."
"Well you better not kid around with your mate and make her second guess anything," she said through her teeth. "And she's dressed more decently than you. That's for sure," Greta rolled her eyes. Leave it to Grae to buck tradition when it ca to clothing.
Grae heard footsteps coming from upstairs, which could only be from August. He left his sister behind with Sam and walked through the living room so he could et her at the bottom of the stairs. There was sothing he wanted to give her before they left. He felt in his pocket to make sure it was still there but froze when he got to the staircase and saw her coming down.
"You look handso," she smiled, alighting on the bottom step and staying there where she wasn't so short in comparison to him. "Erald green like the forest," she said, running her hands down his sleeves affectionately, "and so soft."
When she t his eyes again, she dropped her hands, clasping them together in front of her. "What's wrong? Is this not okay?" She looked down at herself worriedly, smoothing her hands against the skirt as she did. Little bits of gold fluttered around her onto the floor.
"It's…" he started, trying to find his voice and failing.
He was quite literally speechless. He had never seen anyone more stunningly beautiful than the female before him. Greta had done sothing to bring out the natural piercing blue of his mate's eyes. Her fluttering black lashes were long and delicate, and there was a blush on her cheeks that was growing darker as he stood there not finding words to reassure her. And that dress… His mouth hung open as he scanned every inch of her before grabbing both of her hands that were fidgeting insecurely waiting for his response.
"You are breathtaking," he said, his voice breaking toward the end. "You're always breathtaking but," he licked his lips and swallowed because his throat was suddenly so dry and gravely and… how was he supposed to let her go out like this and be seen by the whole pack looking like a goddess?
She could feel the force of the feelings that he couldn't put words to, and she smiled shyly, pulling him closer to her with their intertwined hands and pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you," she said, smiling with the knowledge of what was unspoken by him.
"You're going to be so cold," he breathed against her and chuckled softly. "So stay by my side, please. I'm going to have to scare off anyone who dares look at you anyway."
"There's nowhere else I would want to be, Bun Bun," she spoke against him, and he growled softly, making her laugh.
"I have sothing for you," he rembered, pulling the wooden ring box from his pocket. "I know where you co from there is a custom where partners exchange rings…"
"We already share so much. You didn't have to get anything," she glanced back up at him with glossy eyes.
"I know. I wanted to," he shrugged, waiting for her to open it.
Sylvia had tried to help him, but he didn't know what to get for her. He just knew he wanted to get his mate sothing, and now as he waited for her to open the box, he felt unsure about it. Maybe she would think it was stupid.
August pulled the box open and saw two bands nestled together. One was a black tungsten with a small crescent moon engraved in the center and the other was silver with a similarly engraved sun.
She grinned, imdiately understanding the significance and slid the silver sun on each of her fingers, seeing which one it fit best. After it nestled perfectly into place on her middle finger, she took the other band out.
"Is this one for you?" she asked, offering him the black ring with the crescent moon. He nodded silently. He seed shy about it, which was so unlike him. It was cute. She took his hand to slide the band on his ring finger where it fit perfectly. "I love them. You are my sun, Bun Bun. I will follow you anywhere," she grinned.
"And you are my Moon. And my Little Red. And my Luna," he said in his deep gravel with those intensely vulnerable dark eyes.. "Now let's find you a coat."
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