16. Dress shopping

16

DRESS SHOPPING

T oday is a day I have equally dreaded and looked forward to since I got engaged: dress shopping.

I love the idea of putting on a beautiful dress and getting married. But succubi are the most judgy species on the planet and I know I won't be excluded from their scrutiny.

Then there is the fact that Mom and Tiffany will both be there. And I know the two of them promised not to fight anymore, but I'm not expecting miracles. There is no way the two of them are suddenly going to become besties.

As I head out front, where the car is waiting, Eden is standing by the front door. She passes me a large to go coffee cup.

I happily take it from her. "You're an angel."

She grins. "I figured you'd need the caffeine tonight. It's going to be a long night."

Uh, true.

She puts a hand on my shoulder. "But don't let them get you down. Today is a happy day. You're picking out the dress you're marrying Damek in. It should be a joyous occasion."

Her words ease my anxiety.

She's right. Who cares what the succubi think of my dress? The only thing that matters is what I think of my dress. Well, and Damek, but I doubt he will care half as much as I do. He'd think I look beautiful no matter what.

When we get into the SUV, Mom eyes my coffee. "Where did you get that?"

"Barbara," I answer, naming the lady who works in the kitchens. She makes the best coffee drinks.

Mom groans. "Why didn't I think of that? I woke up way too early this morning. I don't know how you guys sleep all day and stay up all night."

"Now you know how hard it was for me to be up during the day," I say.

Mom frowns. "Oh, I know exactly how miserable it was. You didn't keep a normal schedule as a baby or a toddler either. And it's not like I could let a hyper two year old roam the house while I slept."

"Madeline was a hyper toddler?" Tiffany asks.

The SUV takes off toward the first dress shop, so I buckle my seatbelt.

"So hyper," Mom answers. "I don't have the speed of a vampire, so keeping up with her was difficult."

Tiffany grins. "Damek was the opposite. He was very chill as a toddler. I didn't know him until he was two and a half years old, but he was an angel. I wonder what their children will be like."

My cheeks grow warm as I listen to my mom and my future mother-in-law discuss what they think their grandchildren will be like.

Goodness, I almost think I prefer them fighting to this .

Shouldn't we get married before they start talking about grandkids?

When Mom tells Tiffany about how succubi have large families, Tiffany gets hearts in her eyes. She claims she always wanted a large family.

Uh.

I sink further in my seat. Eden gives me a small smile.

At least there is one sane person with me.

During the entire drive to the dress shop, Mom and Tiffany discuss what they think their grandchildren will be like. And as happy as I am that the two of them are getting along, I wish they would discuss something else.

As soon as the vehicle comes to a stop, I jump right out of the vehicle. The guards rush around me, the lead guard glaring at me as he orders the others to sweep the area. Eden steps out beside me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"They're just excited," she says.

They're excited, I'm terrified.

"I think I want to be married for a few years before I have kids," I tell her.

She chuckles. "Your dad and I had lots of comments before Lucien was born. We couldn't go anywhere without somebody asking about us having children. It was quite awkward considering we didn't even share a room at the time."

I cringe thinking about it.

That's right—they were married a few years before they shared a room. I still have no idea what my dad was thinking. Eden is so easy to like. But if he had fallen in love with her straight away, I never would've been born.

Once we're given the all clear, Tiffany and Mom lead us into the dress shop. The two of them are chatting eagerly to one another. I do my best to ignore whatever they're saying. But when we walk inside, I hear a group of girls chatting loudly.

Wait—I recognize those voices.

"Madeline!" My cousin, Sophia, squeals as she runs over to me and hugs me. Behind Sophia are three more of my cousins, Harper, Willow, and Paisley.

"Sophia, what are you doing here?" I ask.

"Your mom invited us." She grins widely. "Did you think we'd want to miss dress shopping with you?"

I look between my four cousins.

Out of all my cousins, Sophia, Harper, Willow, and Paisley are among my favorites. They've never treated me as cruelly as the rest of them.

Harper sighs. "We wanted to come. All of the cousins have been so jealous of you! Imagine how envious they'll be when we tell them we got to see your dress!"

"They'll just be green !" Paisley claps her hands.

"Jealous?" I raise an eyebrow. "Of me?"

"Because of the speech your prince gave. He ignored everybody's flirting and only had eyes for you," Willow explains. "It's the kind of love that only exists in books. It was so romantic."

They are jealous of me? Because of what Damek said? If anything, I figured they would be mad. My succubi cousins had never been turned down a day in their lives. I can't imagine it felt good to be turned down by my finacé.

"Madeline, introduce me to your cousins." Tiffany comes to stand at my left side.

"Tiffany, these are my cousins, Sophia, Willow, Paisley, and Harper." I point to each of them. "This is Queen Rune, she's Damek's mother."

Harper steps forward. "Your son is just so dreamy. All the cousins are half in love with him."

"Please tell me you have another son." Paisley steps up on the tips of her toes and bounces a little.

Tiffany looks from my cousins to me and raises an eyebrow.

"Sorry, but Damek's brother is taken," I say, remembering the mention of Duncan's girlfriend. I'm not certain that his parents approve of her, but I guess whoever she is doesn't look so bad when compared to my enthusiastic cousins.

Sophia pokes out her bottom lip. "What a shame."

I grin, feeling a little mischievous. "I have a younger brother, though."

"Wouldn't that make him our cousin?" Willow wrinkles her nose.

I shake my head. "Nah. He's not related to you guys."

Eden chuckles. I turn to look at her and see that she has her head turned to the side so I can't see.

Julien is so full of himself—he only thinks he can handle a succubus.

"I'll introduce you when we go home," I say, turning back to Sophia. "You guys are staying a few nights, right?"

"We can stay long enough to meet your brother." Paisley grins widely. "And any other single vampire men you happen to invite over."

"Madeline," Mom calls.

Mom is standing next to a worker, chatting away.

Uh, no telling what she told her my ‘style' is.

"They have a room ready for you," she says.

"Coming." I groan, realizing that I'm in for a long night of trying on dresses.

Seven hours and four dress shops later, I found my dress. Nobody could agree on a single dress and I was about ready to give up and go shopping on my own. But the last shop we went to, I found it. Everybody agreed straight off. So the tailor got my measurements and they're going to make the altercations. And I am so glad it's over.

When we get back to the house, Julien is there so I introduce him to my cousins. They instantly take to him and he walks around with a girl on each arm. Willow and Harper refuse to let go of him and he's got a huge grin on his face.

I roll my eyes when I see him smirk at me.

Tiffany headed home and Mom went straight to bed. Both claimed to be exhausted. I don't know why they're exhausted for, I'm the one who had to try on a million dresses.

Eden leads us to the kitchen where snacks are waiting for us. Eden grabs a plate before leaving Julien and me alone with my cousins.

"You just have the longest lashes," Harper coos.

"And the prettiest eyes," Willow says.

"Are you sure you don't have any incubi blood?" Paisley asks. "Because you're so charming."

I think I'm going to be sick.

Sophia smirks. "You were the one who reminded them they're not technically related to Julien."

"Something I now regret," I grumble under my breath. I turn to fully face Sophia. "Were you guys serious about the cousins being jealous of me?"

She nods. "Absolutely. You wouldn't believe how jealous they are. Violet and Olivia are absolutely fuming . They've been in a funk ever since your prince turned them down. Violet even made a profile on a vampire dating app."

I snort. "Good luck to the guys she matches with."

"Right." Sophia takes a sip of her water. "I still can't quite believe this. You, a princess of the vampires. Who would've thought?"

I lean back in my chair. "I know. It's still wild to think that I'm the spare. Though, when I marry Damek, Julien will go back to being the spare. Since Damek is the crown prince, I won't be eligible to take over for my dad's clan."

"But your older brother is missing, so aren't you technically the heir," she asks.

"Technically." I lean closer to her. "But don't tell the other three." I glance to where they are hanging onto Julien's every word while. "I think Julien would be even more popular if they knew."

Sophia giggles. "Your brother is good looking."

I wrinkle my nose.

She swats a hand at me. "Obviously not to you. But trust me when I say that he's a babe . If you weren't related, you would see it."

I look at my younger brother and shrug. "He definitely thinks he's all that. He's constantly reminding me that we look alike and because of that, I'm also gorgeous."

"You are," she says and takes a bite of her food.

She's so casual about it. I don't think she realizes just how strange it is for me to hear a succubus admit that to me.

"Why do you look surprised?" Sophia asks once she swallows her food.

"I've never felt pretty—not when I'm the only hybrid living among full blooded succubi," I admit. "I'm not as charming or as charismatic as the rest of you. It's like Henry, Violet, and Olivia always reminded me—I'm the ugly cousin."

She narrows her eyes at me. "You know they only said that because they're jealous, right?"

I stop with a bite halfway to my mouth. "Jealous because I'm marrying a vampire prince?"

"No." She pauses. "Well, yes. They are jealous of the fact that you're marrying a vampire prince, but they're more jealous of the fact that Damek adores you. But that's not what I'm talking about. You're a hybrid, which somehow enhances your succubus half. You're more charming than all of us, that's why no incubus would ask you out on a date. You intimidated them."

My mouth falls open. "No. No way."

"Yes way," she says. "I promise I'm not lying. This is the truth, Madeline. Nobody thought you were ugly. You're the most beautiful of us all. I thought you knew or I would've told you sooner."

She thought I knew?

I sit back in my chair, feeling stunned at her words.

Could it be possible that she's right? That all of my cousins hated me, not because I was ugly, but because they thought I was prettier than them?

"No." I shake my head. "Olivia and Violet and gorgeous. There is no way I'm prettier than them."

"Believe what you want," she says. "But it's the truth."

I contemplate her words as I watch my younger brother flirt with my cousins.

This is too weird to even contemplate right now. But if she's right…

Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Because I live with the vampires now. And vampires have never felt the need to put me down to make themselves feel better. So it doesn't change anything. But I am glad to know it.

"Thank you, Sophia. That means a lot to me." My throat closes up at the emotions. "I've always felt like an outsider, but I'm glad to know that's not the case."

She smiles softly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I tried not to get in on the teasing because I knew it bothered you, but I don't think I realized just how much it affects you."

"It doesn't anymore," I admit. "I'm happy now."

"Prince Damek makes you happy," Sophia says. "I'm glad to hear. Out of all of us, you're the one who deserves to marry a prince. You'll make a great queen."

My stomach twists at the word ‘queen.'

Someday, I will be a queen. And it won't be just in name, not since Damek fought for us to have equal rights in his clan.

I still can't believe he did that for me.

Harper, Willow, and Paisley all giggle at something Julien said. I look over and see that all three of my cousins are looking at him like he hung the moon.

"Should we do something about that?" Sophia asks, nodding toward Julien.

I roll my eyes. "No. Let them have their fun. Julien thinks he can keep up with a succubus, so I guess we'll find out."

She raises an eyebrow at that. "Maybe he could keep up with an ordinary succubus, but we're from the royal family. I doubt he can keep up with our crazy family."

She's not wrong. But if anybody can keep up with them, it's Julien.

I look at him and see Harper kissing him on the cheek.

"Oh, come on," I say. "That's gross."

Julien laughs. "Jealous, Maddie? You should call Damek and have him come over."

I cross my arms over my chest. "He's in meetings with his dad tonight. He knew I'd be busy with dress shopping."

However, if he knew my cousins were here, he might change his mind and come over anyway. After our disaster engagement party, I don't think he trusts any of my family. Not that I blame him. If Damek's family talked to him like my family does to me, I'd want to protect him too.

"Isn't Prince Damek just dreamy?" Harper asks him, sighing.

Julien narrows his eyes. "I liked you better when you thought I was dreamy."

"Oh, you are!" She squeezes his bicep.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I say loud enough for Julien to hear.

Julien chuckles but ignores me.

I turn back to Sophia. "Who thought it was a good idea to introduce them to Julien?"

"That was you." She taps something on her phone and then turns the screen to face me. "You look so beautiful in your dress. You're going to make a stunning bride. And you'll be the first of us to marry! I imagine all the cousins will be more serious when it comes to dating now."

I glance at the dress, my heart warming at the sight.

It was definitely the right choice. I hope it makes Damek's jaw drop.

"And to be married at twenty-three." Sophia puts her phone away. "It's so young."

"I turn twenty-four soon after the wedding," I remind her.

She waves a hand. "You're still practically a baby."

I laugh.

Sophia is younger than I am by two years. But she's right. Twenty-three is scandalously young for a succubus to marry.

"I think it's a good age to marry," I say. "I feel ready."

"You feel ready because Damek is the one." She takes a sip of her water. "And I'm not above admitting that I long for a love like yours."

I never thought any of my cousins would be envious of me.

And it turns out, they've always been jealous.