Page 129 of Fool Moon First Aid

“You all need to settle down,” Natalie says, her voice like a soothing melody. “Your nerves are practically leaking into the hallway.”

Her words snap me back to reality, and I whirl around, unable to contain my eagerness. “Is she ready?”

Ethan, still caught in his web of doubts after all this time, pipes up, disbelief coloring his tone. “She came?”

Natalie’s eye roll could probably be felt in the next room. “Of course she came.”

“Who am I escorting?” Eloise peeks from behind her veil, her curiosity piqued. When her eyes land on me, she decides, “I’ll take the bouncy one.”

“That’s me!” I almost launch myself at her, enthusiasm getting the better of me. “Sorry.”

Ethan’s quicker, snagging me by the neck with brotherly firmness. “You are last,” he declares, a hint of amusement in his usual stoic demeanor.

I pout, watching him effortlessly link arms with Natalie and head out, leaving a trail of what I swear is invisible calm behind them.

“Excited?” Eloise’s chuckle breaks through my moment of sulking.

“Yes,” I drawl, spinning around to face her. “Wouldn’t you be?” My excitement’s contagious, or so I hope.

She sighs, a sound filled with longing and dreams. “I hope to be one day. Maybe with a vampire horde, or a witch, or—Oh, what’s it like to be mated to a fae?” she wonders aloud, her imagination clearly painting vibrant pictures. “But of course, you wouldn’t know that.”

I chuckle, nudging her playfully. “Maybe you should just let fate surprise you.”

She snorts, her skepticism as palpable as the tension in the room. “Oh, sure. I’ll just wait for a bookshelf to fall on me then.”

I can’t help but laugh, fishing Bean out from my pocket. “Here. Maybe you need a little push from this matchmaking snake.”

“Bean, you naughty girl!” Eloise laughs, letting the snake coil around her neck, where it seems to immediately belong. “Seems like you’re fate in the form of a tiny serpent.”

“Anything’s possible,” I tell her, my heart echoing the truth of those words.

Across the room, Mia pokes at Brody, who looks like he’s one breath away from imploding. “This one’s broken,” she teases, though her eyes dance with unspoken concern.

“I’m not broken,” Brody insists, pushing himself up with a defiant glare. “I’m nervous.” He boldly slides her veil aside, seeking the truth in her eyes. “You stole medical records from me.”

Mia’s denial is quick, her voice a mixture of indignation and amusement. “I would never!” The air tells a different story, one tinged with her lies.

“You did.”

“Nope.”

Their banter could go on for ages, but Brody lets it slide, a new resolve taking hold. “Two minutes.”

Mia’s pride in Ava, and her willingness to do anything for her, shines through her next words. “Ava is important to me. I’d do anything for her. Remember that.”

“Noted,” Brody replies, the briefest smile flickering across his face as they make their way out, a shared anticipation in their steps.

“We’re next,” I declare, feeling a mix of exhilaration and nerves. “I might actually puke.”

“I brought a bag just for that,” Eloise quips, producing a puke bag from nowhere, her preparedness somehow comforting.

“I wasn’t serious,” I admit, though I pocket the bag anyway, because who knows?

“Ready?” Eloise asks, her smile reassuring as we head toward the doorway.

Fuck yes I am.

Eloise guides me out, and the night envelops us, a perfect blend of shadows and moonlight, whispering of magic and destiny. The clan has gathered, a sea of wolves under the moon, their eyes reflecting the light and their excitement. Only Mia, Eloise, and Natalie stand in human form, their bond with Ava granting them this privilege.

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