Page 16 of Her Embarrassed Bear Mate (Crescent Lake Bears #5)

SIXTEEN

Alix

After settling into her hotel room, Alix took the lift to the ground floor where the engagement party was being held. She didn’t want to think about the insane amount of money Dirk had to have spent to hire the Crescent Lake Hotel as their venue, especially on the night of the crescent moon when rooms were at their most expensive. It had surprised her that they chose this hotel on this night and it gave her a bad feeling in her stomach about what was to come.

Everyone knew the night of the crescent moon was when shifters looked for their fated mates. Alix hadn’t thought her mum and Dirk cared about being fated but since they were here, the most logical conclusion was that they were looking for the Moon Goddess’ blessing.

She just worried about what it would mean for her later because these kinds of events usually ended with everyone going into the lake of fate.

The whole entrance was decorated with flower pieces and there were big custom printed banners with the couple’s name on it. It was all excessive and over the top in her opinion but her mum seemed ecstatic so at least there was that.

She spotted some familiar faces who looked like they had just arrived and went over to them.

Aditi greeted her with a quick hug. "Wowie. I know you said he was posh but this is like posh-posh."

"I can't believe my mum is marrying someone with so much more money," Alix muttered, careful not to speak up too much. There were lots of people, none who were paying her any attention, but still.

Aditi's mum, Rekha, seemed impressed at least. "Oh goodness. They've gone all out. It's stunning! How wonderful. This Dirk must be a good man if he wants to celebrate like this. Alix, what do you think of him?"

Alix searched her brain for the right words to describe her mum's fiancé. Granted, she didn't know him all that well but from what she'd seen over the holiday, he didn't seem like a bad man. But he didn't seem like a thoughtful cooperative man either. As lovestruck as her mum currently was, in her core, she was an independent woman. Once the pink glasses came off, Alix questioned whether the two would be compatible or if Dirk's overpowering presence would erode her mother's sense of self.

"He seems to be as into mum as she is into him," Alix said eventually, opting for a cop-out but safe response.

"That's good. Equality is important in relationships," Rekha said as she unwrapped her colourful scarf. "I'm going to say hello to some friends. I'll see you girls later."

Aditi waited until her mum was gone before she spoke, one eyebrow raised up. "So... Tell me what you really think of Dirk."

"It's honestly a little irrelevant what kind of man he is, it's just all moving way too fast," Alix said as they ventured further into the large hall. There were people everywhere, most of them strangers although she recognised some of their own friends and family too.

The whole thing looked like something straight out of a movie. As wonderful as it was, it just didn't feel like it fit. Alix would've much rather had a party at the caravan site with their friends and neighbours. Maybe they could've made a big bonfire and served cheap hot cocoa with glugs of rum for those who wanted a little extra to warm them up. Something small and cosy and intimate that was real.

She didn't want to think about how much money had been thrown at this when not that long ago, she had worked extra hours to afford a new pair of shoes for Trixie's dance class. Maybe Alix wouldn't be so salty if some of this wealth was trickling down to her little sister but it didn't seem like Dirk was interested in spoiling his soon-to-be-step daughter though and instead, spent all his money on himself and their mum. In his defence, it was his money. He could do with it whatever he wanted.

She just wished their mum was prioritising taking care of Trixie instead of living out her own teenage dreams of being a princess.

Someone called her name and she turned in the direction of the voice, waving when she spotted her neighbour Clarissa. The painter had cleaned up nicely and was wearing a pretty dress while her fated mate, Dee, came in a nice black suit .

"You made it," Alix said, happy to gather some familiar people in a sea of unknowns.

Clarissa smiled. "Of course. I'm surprised though, I didn't expect it to be so busy. I didn't realise your mum knew so many people."

"Oh, most of these are Dirk's friends and family, I think," Alix said.

"Speaking of Dirk's family, where's Veronica?" Aditi asked in a curious tone that spelled trouble. Knowing her, she had a checklist at the ready to make sure Veronica wasn't a bad influence.

Instantly, Clarissa's face lit up like she was a kid on Christmas morning. "Veronica? Who is that? Is it your crusssssh?"

Alix's cheeks flamed up as she remembered teasing Clarissa not that long ago, before she and Dee had gotten together. "Oh, don't do that me."

"Payback is a bitch," Clarissa sang, clearly glad to be on the teasing end instead of the recipient of it. "So, spill. Who is this Veronica and why are you getting all flustered?"

"I'm not flustered," Alix denied, although she most definitely was. She pointed at the long table that had been covered with flutes filled with champagne or some other bubbly drink. "Look, free drinks."

That distracted her friends from the one topic that Alix did not want to talk about tonight, not even in a joking capacity. She picked up a glass and checked her phone where her new chat with Veronica was packed with witty messages from the past weeks.

I'm here. Where are you? Alix typed out. As much as she wanted to avoid anyone finding out about them, she wanted to see Veronica more. And it wouldn't be weird for them to be seen together. If anything, people probably thought it was nice that they were getting along. If only they knew...

Her phone vibrated. To your left.

Alix's head snapped up from her phone and she looked around as subtly as she could without it being clear she was searching for something or someone. If her friends caught on to that, there would be no end to the teasing. She spotted Veronica and her brothers picking up drinks at the very end of the table.

Just from a quick glance, she could tell that Veronica looked absolutely stunning. Her elegant peach-coloured dress was decorated with light sparkles that matched her earrings and necklace without it being over the top. It was classy but then that was expected of Veronica. She was classy in a way that made Alix feel insecure to her core, with her cheap dress and cheap make-up. It was probably paranoia, but she couldn't help but feel that everyone else would be able to tell that she or her family didn't belong in this expensive venue that cost more than a year's worth of lot rent for a single event.

Maybe that was why she was so upset with her mum. Not just for marrying a man so quickly and uprooting their whole life, but for picking someone that made Alix feel inferior on every level. And she knew it wasn't about his level of wealth but rather the way he used it only for things that looked good, not causes that actually mattered.

If she were ever rich, she wouldn't spend it like this.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Veronica's arrival who looked even better up close. A few ringlets were deliberately kept out of her elaborate bun and they framed her face, drawing attention to her eyes and the beauty mark above her lip.

Alix couldn't stop staring.

"Hello. It’s been a while." Veronica very formally held out her hand but there was a mischievous smirk playing around her lips.

“Yes, since Whitby, wasn’t it?” Alix said, happy to play along despite the fresh love bites hidden under the scarf around her neck .

“Of course, when else would I have seen you?” She grinned when she leaned in, her voice reduced to a whisper. “By the way, you left your bra at my place last night.”

Alix's eyes widened and heat rushed up to her cheeks. “Shhh!”

“Nobody is paying us any attention,” Veronica said, grinning even wider. She was clearly enjoying herself. “Are you okay? You look a bit flustered.”

Aditi chose that moment to join the conversation with a smile that suggested that she'd been eavesdropping. "Alix has been flustered the entire time. Hi, I'm Aditi. Friend, sister-in-spirit, confidant. You must be Veronica."

"And why must I be Veronica?" Veronica countered as they shook hands.

"Because Alix is blushing like crazy," Aditi pointed out.

To make matters worse, Clarissa and Dee pushed into the circle like sharks out for blood. In that moment, Alix regretted every time she'd teased her friends about their crushes and romantic encounters because it was all coming back to haunt her. Both of them shook Veronica's hand with just a little bit too much enthusiasm.

Who needed siblings with friends like that?

It was almost a relief when the speakers set throughout the room crackled and everyone's attention was drawn to the front where her mum and Dirk were taking centre stage for a speech. Almost.

"Hello everyone!" Dirk's low voice filled the entire room. "Thank you all so much for coming to our engagement party. We're very excited to join our friends and families as one so you better get used to each other."

Faint laughter rose up from the crowd. Alix rolled her eyes and unknowingly gravitated towards Veronica. From the conversations they had, she knew they shared the same feelings on this engagement. Both thought it was a bad idea. Perhaps it was a weird thing to bond over but that was what they did.

Dirk continued. "I'm just so over the moon that I've found this wonderful woman. Dianne, it's like the Moon Goddess herself sent you to me. You're so amazing and wonderful and perfect. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Thank you for saying yes to my proposal."

As Alix expected, her mum was swooning from his declaration.

"Do you want to say anything, my dear?" Dirk asked, passing the microphone along.

"I mean, what is there left to say? You've said it perfectly." Alix's mum looked genuinely starstruck. "I think we're going to have a very happy life together and we're so glad that all our loved ones are here to celebrate with us. Since it's a crescent moon tonight, we hope you’ll all join us in Crescent Lake later for good luck.”

Alix groaned. She knew this was going to be the case the moment they had revealed what hotel they were celebrating their engagement in but she hadn’t properly considered the consequences of it until now. Unless she wanted to openly oppose her mum’s engagement, she would have to go into Crescent Lake herself and risk being marked by fate herself. If she didn’t, it would be seen as a snub. As much as she didn’t approve of how quickly this relationship had gone, she wasn’t going to make her mother the gossip of the town. Like any dutiful daughter, she would swallow her opinion and smile and pretend everything was fine.