Devour (24 page)

I
pull the door open and find Jane on the other side. A huge grin spreads across my face and I give her a hug.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to help pick out your mating gown, of course. Now hurry up and toss some jeans and a tee on so we can get going. Everyone’s waiting downstairs for you.”

“Define everyone,” I
say.

Your
Mom, Ginger, Lana and I are all waiting on you. No one wanted to interrupt your beauty sleep so I volunteered. I knew you wouldn’t kill me,” she says grinning.

I run into my c
loset, suddenly excited. As I’m getting hastily dressed, all I can think about is Cody. We finally get to be together. Awesome.

A
fter slipping on my sandals, I’m ready. I tug on Jane’s arm and we leave my room, both of us grinning.

“You know, this is going to be you
, too, soon. Chase only has a month to be bonded.”

“I know
. We are going to start the process first thing Monday. We definitely have chemistry, I found out,” she says as she winks.

I just sh
ake my head and laugh. That’s my best friend alright.

Once we h
it the bottom of the stairs, I’m surrounded. Everyone begins to talk at once. We have to hurry so I can get a dress before all the shops close down.

“Okay, there needs to be less talking and more walking.
I want to find something amazing to wear tonight.”

We all shuffle out and I’
m surprised to find a black limo in the driveway. Everyone piles in and Mom cracks open some bottled blood. As the car leaves my house behind, Mom passes the champagne flutes around and gives a toast.

“To my baby girl, who is now all grown up and ready to take on the vampire world.
We are so proud of you. You will make a great mate and a wonderful ruler. May great things happen for you and Cody.”

Everyone shouts
, “Cheers,” and I giggle. It’s hard to believe I thought I was actually happy before. Nothing compares to finding one’s true mate.

After a few more minutes of toasting and sipping
blood, we pull to a stop in front of an upscale dress store. The dresses in the window are exquisite.

“It’s so late, how are we going to get in?”

“Baby girl, we paid them to stay open late. I want you to find the perfect dress for the most important day of your life. Now let’s go on in.”

We all file out of the limo and an older lady greets us at the door.
Once inside, the lady locks the door behind us and turns on the lights. My heart gets stuck in my chest when I see all the beautiful dresses. They look amazing.

I barely ha
ve a chance to sit before I get shoved into a dressing room and everyone starts handing me dresses. I try on dresses of all shapes and sizes.

Finding one that actually fits, I exit the dressing room.
It’s a black, strapless dress with a large slit up one side.

“Oh no, that isn’t going to work.
It’s sexy, yes, but it’s not THE dress,” Jane informs me.

I’m relieved, because I’m not too fond of it.
I go back in for round two. I try on a blue dress with tooling on the skirt, a ruby dress with a train, and a purple dress that looks suspiciously like my coming out dress. They are all no’s.

Then
, amidst the piles of dresses, I find it. I hold it up and know it is meant to be my mating dress. I focus on nothing but getting the dress on. It looks stunning on me. I’m in awe. It’s a halter dress with a completely opened back that drapes just below my hips. It’s a gorgeous, emerald colored satin.

Excited, I can barely contain my squeals as I exit the dressing room one more time.
“This is the one!!” I shout enthusiastically.

After a
Moment, everyone agrees that it’s the one. I rush back to get dressed and leave the rest of the dresses in the room. The poor lady will have to put them all back, but we just don’t have time to help.

“Now we need to find you accessories and lingerie,” Lana says
, grinning.

My cheeks flush, but I make my way to the lingerie and search for a pair of lacy
panties since I can’t wear a bra with this dress. I spot a pair of lacy tangas that match the dress and I grab them excitedly.

We finish by finding a pair of simple
, emerald earrings. Once we gather up my purchases, I remember that I need shoes. I hurry over to the shoe section and settle on a pair of silver, sparkly, open toed, kitten pump heels.

Mom
pays for my purchases and we are back in the limo heading home.

To my surprise, when we get home, everyone piles out.
I wasn’t expecting help getting ready. Mom sees my expression and tells me that it’s tradition. I reluctantly agree and we take my outfit straight upstairs.

“Go get in the shower
, princess.” Jane mocks Cody’s nickname for me.

“Yes, my mated best friend,” I say as I give her a cheeky grin.

I hurry to get into the shower, but take my time once I’m in there. I carefully shave my legs and under my arms. I want tonight to be absolutely perfect. I’m a little nervous as well.

After getting out, I wrap a fluffy towel around myself and one on my head.
I open the bathroom door and steam seeps into the room. I can’t help but feel the excitement buzzing throughout.

Mom
tosses me a pair of shorts, my green tangas and a button up shirt to slip on. I shut myself in my closet and get dressed. I pull on my mental connection with Cody just to give myself some comfort.

Ginger makes haste, working to pull my hair up in a fancy up
do. I dread the thousands of bobby pins that I’m going to have to remove after this.

A loud banging and persistent ringing of the doorbell break us out of our conversations.
I frown, knowing that everyone I want to see is here. Cautiously, we make our way downstairs and I see Finn open the door. Shock doesn’t even begin to cover my reaction to who I find standing on my doorstep.

Hannah
Monte. Boy, does she look pissed. I look around to see the weary looks on everyone’s faces. My Mom begins to go toward her, but Hannah just pushes her way inside.

She looks awful.
Her eyes are red and puffy. She has tear tracks down her cheeks. I can see her grinding her teeth, trying to hold her anger in. Holy hot sauce, is she mad.

All I want to do is push her out and shut the door.
This is my binding night to Cody. I don’t want her to taint the memories of it. It doesn’t look like I’m going to have a choice though. Damn.

“You’ve ruined my life
, Callie Andell!! First, you steal my mate and have the gall to flaunt your romantic whirlwind with him. You’re a selfish bitch! Then, you have to go and ruin my family! How sick is it that you stood by and watched as they murdered my father?”

“I’m sorry
, Hannah. I never meant for any of this to happen. You know that Cody and I are true mates and you liking him doesn’t change that. As for your Dad, I didn’t have any idea that was going to happen. Alexander’s word is the law and we were helpless to stop it.”

“Whatever
. You’re a stupid cow. You get everything handed to you. You don’t even notice Cody’s existence until the blood ball and all of a sudden you swoop in and claim him. It makes me sick!”

“Calm down
, Hannah. You’re going to give yourself a panic attack,” I say in a soothing voice.

“You can shut up now.
I’m not finished. Then, you break the rules and while others suffer, you get rewarded! How is that fair? Now you get to be heir to the throne and will live in the castle with Cody, happily ever after. You suck, Callie!”

“I can’t help what Alexander decides.
I have to do whatever he says. Did you hear the part about the breeding law? I have to skip college so I can train and have babies! How is
that
fair?”

I’
m getting worked up now. Hannah brings out the worst in me and I want to reach over and smack her. She needs to take a breath and step away before I do something I will regret.

“Oh
, blah, blah, blah, Callie. That’s such a tragedy. You get to have adorable babies and rule all the vampires. That is hardly a sacrifice. You don’t deserve everything that’s been handed to you!”

Suddenly, like it is in slow motion, my temper ignites.
How dare she try and ruin this day for me. I raise my hand up and slap her across the cheek. Hard.

My hand stings from the contact and I shake it off.
Hannah stares at me, wide eyed, with a look of horror. She obviously didn’t think I would do anything and that I would just sit and take her crap. Well, she’s wrong.

“You did not just do that.
I have nothing to lose at this point; you took it all from me.”

Then,
Hannah proceeded to throw herself at me. We drop to the hardwood floor and I focus on dodging her punches. She looks feral and I realize that she’s totally lost it now. The bitchy Hannah is gone and replaced with someone unrecognizable.

Finally
, Jane and Lana manage to pull her off me. I take a deep breath, now that the pressure of her weight is off me. Then Ginger speaks up.

“Girls, why don’t you drive
Hannah home? She’s in no condition to be driving and I think it’s time she leaves.”

“Yes
, ma’am. We’ll be right back,” Jane says respectfully.

Everyone is silent as Jane and Lana carry
Hannah out of the house. She fights them at first, and then resigns as if it’s too much trouble. My Mom shuts the door behind them and rushes to me.

Mom
wraps her arms around me. “Oh, honey. I was so scared for you! Are you okay? Do you want a glass of blood?”

I think about it
for a minute and then nod. I’m so shaken up that the blood will calm my nerves. Mom calls for the maid to bring the cocktail and I swallow it down in seconds.

As soon as I have visibly calmed down a bit, my
Mom and Ginger guide me up the stairs and back to my room. I reach out once again and tug on my connection with Cody. He is distressed and I give off calming vibes.

I don’t want him worked up over what happened.
He may read my mind, but I want him to know I’m excited for tonight. I send him an image of us together and let him feel my lust and impatience.

I’
m broken from the connection by Mom accidentally stabbing me with a bobby pin. She is mumbling something about having to redo all their hard work, thanks to the tiff in the foyer.

I smirk, knowing my
Mom feels the same way about Hannah that I do. She’s a few eggs short of a carton.

Ginger opens my big makeup case and begins to apply my makeup
. I’m getting antsy and excited. In just a short while, Cody and I will seal our bond and become true mates forever.

Even the thought of living in the castle and ruling can’t dampen my enthusiasm.
Tonight is about me and Cody and only us. As nervous as that makes me, I know I can trust him.

I’
m just about ready to get dressed when Jane and Lana return. I’m curious to hear how that went.

“So
, what’s the verdict? Did you get her home in one piece?” I ask.

“That was the most unpleasant thing I have had to do in
, like, forever. At least she isn’t trying to steal my mate,” Jane says with a smirk.

“Her
Mom didn’t even come out to retrieve her. We finally just left her at her front door. I didn’t want to set foot inside their creepy house. It just felt wrong,” Lana adds.

I sigh an
d turn towards my closet. It’s time to get dressed. Excitement and anticipation course through me and I smile like a lovesick, school girl. I can’t wait to be with Cody, finally all alone.

“It’s time for me to get dressed guys.
I’ll be right back.”

I turn
and shut myself in my closet once again. I strip down to my panties so I can put on my dress. The dress is hanging at the end of the closet and looks amazing. After pulling it off the hanger, I slip it on and fasten the hook at the base of my neck.