3. Claire: Reception
CLAIRE
The transition from the wedding hall to the reception happens in what feels like a whirlwind. With my stomach tightens into a knot of nerves as I walk into the hall hand in hand with James. My husband. He smoothly leads me down the aisle, and I try to keep my breathing steady as we go, a smile plastered to my face as we face our guests.
The reception hall is done up in the same shades of amber and silver as the rest of building. Everything had been put together by my mother, Luna of Silver Moon along with the rest of the pack mothers. As we step into the transformed space, I can’t help but admire all of the work they put into decorating the space for us. As we guests follow us into the hall, the air is laden with anticipation, my heart thudding a disjointed rhythm.
James and I play the role of gracious hosts, greeting guests while thanking them for their presence. As the line of guests from various Packs drift toward us, the longer we stand there, the weight of everything begins to settle on my shoulders. With every smooth smile I feel myself drifting further and further behind the mask I’m expected to wear. Side by side with James, I feel my interactions with the guests become something teetering on mechanical.
James plays his part perfectly. I can’t help but wonder what’s going through his head. His smiles seem genuine and I don’t know him well enough to know if he’s feeling the strain of everything now as much as I am. When things begin to settle down, the line of guests dwindling, I gesture to my mother that I’m going to get something to drink. She nods, hurrying over to take my place beside James.
I find a quick minute of solace in the corner near one of the food tables. A glass of champagne in hand, I steal a moment to catch my breath. It’s there that Paige and Landon, my best friends, find me. Their smiles are bright, but stiff enough for me to see the worry that lingers in their eyes.
“You look so beautiful,” Paige says as she wraps her arms around me in a hug.
Landon chimes in, reaching out to squeeze my arm, “Yeah, you're glowing."
"Thanks," I offer a smile, "Both of you. It means a lot that you're here."
Paige playfully nudges me, her eyes searching mine. "Are you holding up okay? This is a big step, Claire."
Landon adds, "We just want you to be happy. You know that, right?"
Their concern wraps around me like a gentle embrace, and for a moment, the weight on my shoulders eases. "I know, guys. It's just... a lot to process. But I’m doing alright. I appreciate you being here to support me even though none of this has been exactly conventional.”
Paige nods, worrying on her bottom lip, “When do you have to leave?”
“We’re leaving for Ember Claw right after the reception.”
A subtle shine flashes in her eyes that she hurriedly blinks away, “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’m going to miss you, too.” I tell them, my throat going tight. The only solace I have in leaving my two best friends behind is that I’m doing all of this for them. For Landon and Paige and the rest of our people. We need this alliance between the Packs more than ever.
One of the pack mothers finds me, ushering us over to where the food had been laid out. The long table, adorned with exquisite arrangements, is slowly filling up as I make my way to my seat. Remembering that I’ll be sitting next to my new husband during the wedding feast rekindles my fluttering nerves.
Taking my designated seat, I feel it when James settles beside me. The spark of attraction I sensed while walking down the aisle returns, a subtle undercurrent to the commotion of other guests taking their seats. As the feast begins, platters of food being carried from the kitchens, James leans subtly toward me, his lips near my ear.
His words are low enough so as not to be overheard, as he murmurs to me, “Quite the celebration, huh?" He makes a subtle gesture towards the spectacle around us.
I turn slightly to peer up at him through my lashes, offering a small genuine smile, “It is. It turned out really beautiful. I’m sure it wasn’t easy putting things together as quickly as they did.”
James meets my eyes, his gaze sincere. “Speaking of beautiful, Claire, I haven’t had the chance to tell you this yet, but you look stunning.”
His words, unexpected and earnest, inject a surge of hope into my veins. He continues,“ I know we haven't had the luxury of time to get to know each other before this, but I'm looking forward to changing that now."
“I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, too.” I tell him, a small flicker of warmth breaking through the clouds of uncertainty.
His smile is nothing short of charming, the boyish dimple in his cheek drawing my eye. "I know that the start of our relationship has been… unconventional, to put it mildly.” His last few words end with a chuckle and it draws a small genuine laugh from me as well.
He dips his chin, leaning even closer to my ear again to be heard over the servers placing plates nearby. I have to fight back a shiver, at the feel of his warm breath along my skin as he continues, “But I want you to know that I genuinely want to make our marriage something real. Something that we both be happy in.”
I wonder if he’ll still feel this way when he realizes that the chances of me acquiring a single Shifter form is growing less and less likely by the day. Will he still want to make our marriage real when he realizes that his new Luna is essentially powerless— when he discovers that my parents essentially schemed their way into an alliance?
No, you don’t know for sure that it’s a lie. I quickly remind myself. There’s still the chance that you’ll shift. It can still happen.
Even with my twisting, unsure thoughts, a new and unexpected hope blooms in my chest. It’s an intoxicating warmth that slowly spreads through my veins, “I’d like that too.”
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear you say that,” he says, smile growing impossibly brighter. The sincerity in his voice resonates through me.
Beneath the cover of the table where no one else can see, he grasps my hand in his larger one, giving it a subtle squeeze. My heart stutters at the unexpected contact. And for a moment, the barriers between us seem to soften. It’s a tentative step into uncharted territory. And with it, a fragile flame flickers to life that whispers of the possibility of something real, something that could be worth fighting for.