The common dinner (pt.2)

His blue-brown eyes fixed on me for a long few minutes, then he finally smiled, put a hand on my waist, and pulled me closer. I felt his aroma tickling my nose and his blue eyes melting my heart, so my cheeks became pink. I wrapped his neck with my hands to not lose balance.

"We should promise something to each other," he finally said, then added to explain the tradition better to me, "We should promise something that we'd do at the end of this year like a couple…"

"For example, you can promise to take your loved one to some place you'd wanted to show, or buy something for your love," Catherine smiled at me, giving me some more details. Suddenly, after her words, something changed in my mind like someone switched the light, and I said the words without even thinking about them like it wasn't me who said them.

"I promise to become your wife if you'd ask me to," after the last word fell out of my mouth, I finally realized what I just said. My cheeks turned from pink to red in half of a second, and it became even harder when I heard the silence in the room. I expected any other reaction, but not silence…

"I promise to make you the happiest woman on the whole Earth," Aiden completed his promise with a kiss on my lips, and I finally heard the reaction. They applauded, but I already drowned in his kiss and his arms that were hugging me, melting my heart with all the world that existed around us.

"Don't eat her, there's a lot of food here," William joked, and that made Aiden stop kissing me and throw a killing look at him. However, it was a friendly killing look and I had big doubts he'd actually do that. We sat at our places, Aiden filled our glasses with the homemade wine Chris and Bella brought us, and we made a few sips.

"When have you managed to do all of this, if you were still in your father's pack not so long ago?" Bella asked, looking at the wide range of food on the table, and probably thinking about what to choose. I smiled.

"I just like cooking, you better try zucchini steaks and pork steaks first. They're tastier when they're still hot," I put the same two dishes on Aiden's plate and smiled at him, "That would be your first try of my food, right?"

"Indeed," Aiden smiled, "And I'll try all of those you made, one by one."

"Even if you'll be full?" William chuckled and put salmon steaks and Caesar salad on his plate.

"Even if I'll be full," Aiden cut pork steaks and put one piece in his mouth. He immediately closed his eyes and smiled, then mumbled something, making all of us chuckle. He opened his eyes, then leaned closer to me and kissed my lips, "Delicious!"

"That's only one piece!" I cut the salmon into a few pieces, then put one in my mouth. Aiden put another piece of meat in his mouth, swallowed it, and kissed my lips with the word "Delicious" again.

"Then let's drink for Letty and her culinary skills to have more of such a tasty food!" William raised his glass, and we all joined him, even with my blushing cheeks I was happy they liked my food. It's been a while since everyone tried all the food I made before they said they were full. Aiden tried everything as he promised, and was more than satisfied. When everyone around the table was full, we decided to have a talk to know each other better. And the main topic was our trip to my father's pack territory and everything we found in the hut.

"The main goal was to show Letty the hut," Aiden said, still tasting the wine Chris and Bella made from a mix of different berries, "And to find his will…"

"But you found the treasure box?" Catherine said with her eyes shining, "William told me he helped you to bring one from there."

"Yes, father left there some money for me, he collected, and…" I blushed, put the glass back on the table, and looked at Aiden. He pressed me to himself and kissed the top of my head, stroking my hair.

"We also found Letty's mother's portrait, a photo album of her parents, and her mother's wedding dress. James wrote in a letter that Marriott wanted to give that dress to Letty when the time of her wedding would come," Aiden kissed my head again, hugging me tightly. I wasn't crying, just hugging him and searching for comfort deep in his heartbeat.

"Oh…" Catherine sighed, but then her voice became happy in a second as if some bright idea raised in her head, "I can help with the dress. Letty just needs to put it on and show me, so I can tell what we can do…"

"However, there's no hurry," William said, and I bet I could hear judgment in his voice, probably because Catherine was running ahead of all the things. And, actually, on one side I could agree with him, but on the other side, I had a deep inner desire to put that dress on me right here and now.

And the second side won.

I jumped on my two, then looked over them and ran upstairs without explaining anything. The box with the dress was in Aiden's bedroom, so I ran there, opened it, took the dress out, removed my clothes, and put the dress carefully on. I didn't even look in a mirror, I just run downstairs back to the living room and looked over everyone whose eyes were fixed on me.

Aiden was the last one in whose eyes I looked, and I could bet even now I saw tears in his eyes then for some few seconds.

"I don't even think there's something that should be changed…" Catherine finally broke the silence, then stood up and took me to the mirror that was hanging in the bathroom on the first floor. I looked in the mirror and almost fainted at what I've seen there.

I saw a woman with red hair in a very beautiful antique wedding dress in the mirror. She was pale from shock, but it couldn't spoil her, looking like a bride that is going to the flower alcove where her beloved mate is waiting for her. It was like I traveled back in time seeing my mother going to marry my father, and at the same time, I could easily see Aiden standing in that alcove.

It was a white A-Line dress with a straight neckline, a hem above the knee, and a thin golden chainlet on the waist. I blinked several times, then looked back at Catherine, who was looking in my reflection as well.

"I see some changes we can make…" I said to her, and she nodded.

"Now I see them as well," Catherine pointed at the neckline, "We can make the neckline either of a sweetheart shape or off-the-shoulder shape. Also, we can add some decorations to the skirt like some overlay with embellished flowers, beads, or anything else you'd like. And we should remove that chainlet. What do you think?"

"I think off-the-shoulders neckline and overlay with embellished flowers would be looking good, and yeah, that chainlet isn't from here." I turned out of the mirror and looked at Catherine, "I don't know when the wedding will be, because it doesn't depend on me, but… I think we should start slowly working on it."

"Sure," she smiled, then pointed at the dress, "Then take it off and give it to me when we'll be leaving. I'll take all the needed materials and start the work from Monday!" She smiled, then went out of the bathroom and I followed her, then went upstairs. I changed into the clothes in which I was before, packed the dress, and got down to the living room. I put the pack on the chair near the door, then sat near Aiden and kissed his cheek. He moved his eyes to me and I saw their depth and warmth.

"Decided what to do with the dress?" he wrapped my waist with his hands, then pressed me to himself. I kissed his nose, then nodded.

"Yes, but I won't tell you as you shouldn't have seen me in a wedding dress at all," I pouted my lips, but Aiden chuckled, then clicked his fingers at my nose.

"I couldn't take my eyes off you," he kissed my lips shortly, then took the glass and raised it up, breaking the silence, "Let's have some drinks!"

We took a few sips of wine, then put our glasses back on the table. There was some silence in the room, before William raises a topic not very related to the dinner, but still pretty important.

"Are you going for the mourning tomorrow?" he asked, taking a sip of wine and looking at Aiden's neck. He was trying to keep the typical behavior they should follow like the Alpha and Beta, even if they were friends and having a common dinner.

"Yes, we decided with Letty that we should do that, even if she didn't know the real Aaron," Aiden said, looking at William, "Have you already made everything for the Camp?"

"Yes," William nodded and looked at Chris. He finally joined the conversation after that look, as if William allowed him to speak, but I'm sure he just didn't know what to say. Chris sat straight, then took a small notebook out of his jeans pocket, and looked through it as if preparing for the report.

"We prepared the tents, tables, and food, some other things needed for the camp, as well as some drinks. Also, we worked with Matt, and we're sure our guests know about that camp. Besides, all those who were invited to the camp had been told that we're preparing a fight, so they will be ready." Chris looked at Matt as if pointing to him that his part of the report is ready.

"However, there's one problem. Your sister wanted to join the camp, she requested a few free tents for her and her girls," Matt said, and finally looked at Aiden's eyes for a few seconds.

"Chipa?"