Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 72

Lia

“So, are you gonna tell me what’s got you all glowing like a full moon, or do I have to guess?”

“I told the guys I wanted to have the full mating ceremony. Soon. Like, ASAP.”

“OMG, WHAT? NO WAY! You’re finally doing it?! You’re going through with it?! I can’t believe it!”

“Yeah, it’s time. I don’t want to wait anymore. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I just feel ready. I want to do it, and I don’t want to keep putting it off.”

“This is HUGE. Like, seriously, this calls for a pre-mating party. No arguments. It’s tradition, right? We need to celebrate this!”

“Simone… you’re already planning something, aren’t you?”

“Nope! No backing out now. This is a massive step in your life. You’re about to be mated for real, and that deserves a proper send-off. We need a night to celebrate before the big day! A full-on pre-mating bash!”

“You just want an excuse to throw a party, don’t you?”

“Okay, yes, maybe a tiny bit, but also, come on, you deserve this! You’ve waited long enough, and I’m sure you could use a night to let loose before everything changes. You’re going to be officially bonded with someone forever. That’s something worth celebrating!”

“Fine. But nothing over the top, okay? I just want something low-key.”

“No promises! You know I can’t do low-key when it comes to a celebration like this.”

“Simone, I mean it! Small, simple, and just a fun night with the pack. I don’t want it to get out of hand.”

“Sure, sure. A small, simple, totally reasonable party… that may or may not have music, drinks, a dance floor, and a ton of fun surprises. You know, just the essentials.”

“Simone! I said simple! No elaborate setups, no wild themes, nothing crazy.”

“Relax! It’ll be fun, trust me! You need this. One last wild night before you’re officially mated. Think of it as a send-off into bonded bliss. You’ll be glad you did it!”

“Ugh. Fine. But if I see a single karaoke machine, I’m walking out.”

“Oh, I was planning to do one with the theme: ‘Howl at the Moon,’ but now that you mention it… we might need to rethink that.”

“Simone! I’m serious!”

“Haha, okay, no karaoke, I promise. But also, matching outfits! We need to coordinate our looks for the night. Maybe something in deep blue? It’ll look stunning on you. You know it will!”

“And I’m thinking themed cocktails. ‘Wolf’s Bite,’ ‘Alpha’s Passion’-oh! And ‘Moonlit Love’ for you and the guys. A perfect way to set the mood, right?”

“You’ve thought way too much about this. I can already tell.”

“Well, can you blame me? This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing! You’re about to enter this new chapter, and I want to make sure everything is perfect. Think of it as a night to remember.”

“I can’t believe you’re making me do this, but… fine, I guess it could be fun. But it’s got to stay chill, okay? Just a good time with the pack.”

“Agreed! Small, simple, a little wild-but mostly just a celebration of you and your new life ahead. Let’s make it unforgettable!”

I hung up the phone and shook my head in disbelief. Perhaps I should’ve waited to tell Simone. She sometimes could be so overly excited that she let it get the best of everything.

But I was glad to focus on something positive for once.

Gabi was still missing and while my brother was in a better headspace, he was stills struggling with the fact that his mate and child were not here. It left me unsure of what I should do, but even without speaking to Michael, I knew he wouldn’t want me to stop being happy on his behalf.

If anything, this would make him angrier!

The full mating ceremony was going to be a process to plan, but I had the backing of my pack. My mind started to drift to the night of the ceremony, a flush taking over my face. All four of them were going to be there at once and unlike last time, I wouldn’t be facing a heat.

I would be fully alert, taking in every single moment with them. It made the pleasure coil in my lower belly and start to grow.

A whimper nearly escaped me but I bit down on it.

No, now is not the time.

A rapt knocking on my door made me jump.

“Yes?” I croaked out.

Colby cleared his throat. “It’s Colby, Lia. I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight. The guys are fine with it. We even got Michael to agree.”

I yanked open the door hard enough to almost pull it off its hinges.

“How did you manage that?!”

“Let’s see if you play your cards right.”

She sauntered past me, purposely wiggling her ass back and forth. I stifled a groan, tempted to tell the guys to go on ahead without us to dinner. Suddenly, there was another hunger I wanted to satiate.

But I finally got Michael to agree to go with us and I didn’t want to fuck that up so it was going to have to wait.

Rain gave the two of us a once over, snickering at the look in my eyes.

“Looks like the two of you are hungering for something else—now!”

Out of nowhere, Matt appeared, smacking Rain in the back of the head. It was loud enough that the smack echoed throughout the main hall, making him whimper.

“Rain, I told you to grab them and not make pointless jokes,” Matt muttered.

He was acting like the smell of Lia’s arousal wasn’t bothering him but I knew it was. Jesse would be acting even cooler about it, never letting it bother him one bit.

I pushed past my two friends, Lia following close behind me.

“Guys, give it a rest. We need to hurry up and get to the restaurant before all the good seats are taken. Do you want to be stuck sitting in the kids section?”

My eyes flickered over towards Rain who balked at me.

“Hey, I might have a childish charm about me but I’m not a child!”

Matt grabbed his arm, yanking him out the door. “Complain as we walk, Rain. I’m fucking starving at this point.”

I chuckled, Lia and I sharing a look of amusement.

At times like this I found myself hoping that things would never change.