“Please don’t put this in a novel,” I begged.
“Too late, already taking notes,” Mika said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, she’ll change the names.”
Knox had been banished to the pack house to get ready with his groomsmen. The separation was killing us both - I could feel his agitation through our bond, matching my own. Five years of waiting, and these last few hours felt eternal.
“Ready?” Sarah asked as we prepared to leave for the shop.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My mother’s dress fit perfectly, the alterations making it uniquely mine. The bite mark on my neck was visible and proud. My ring caught the light, promising forever.
“I’ve been ready for five years.”
The ceremony venue took my breath away. My coffee shop had been transformed with fairy lights and moonflowers, the scent mixing with coffee and books to create something magical. Pack members in human form mixed with Pine Valley residents who were determinedly ignoring any oddities.
“If anyone asks,” I heard Mrs. Henderson whisper to her husband, “they’re from Alaska. That explains the... everything.”
The aisle had been created between the bookshelves, leading to where Knox waited by the coffee bar we’d converted to an altar.Seeing him in his suit, tie and all, made my heart skip. Cole stood as his best man, Hunt and Noah beside them, all looking devastatingly handsome and only slightly uncomfortable in formal wear.
“Breathe, boss,” Vivi whispered as we prepared for the processional. “You look incredible. He’s going to die when he sees you.”
The music started - a blend of traditional wedding march and pack harmonies that somehow worked. First came the twins. Thea attacked flower petal distribution with enthusiasm that bordered on aggressive, practically pelting guests while Rowan carried the rings with the seriousness of someone diffusing a bomb.
Then it was my turn. Sarah took my arm, and I was grateful for her steady presence. My father couldn’t walk me down the aisle, but the woman who’d raised me was perfect.
The walk felt both eternal and instant. I was vaguely aware of guests standing, of cameras clicking, of pack members humming their approval. But all I could see was Knox.
His face when he saw me - pure awe mixed with possessive satisfaction and overwhelming love. His eyes tracked from my face to the visible mark on my neck, and I heard his quiet growl of approval even from the back of the shop.
Sarah delivered me to Knox with a whispered, “Take care of her, or I’ll neuter you myself.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Knox replied seriously, though his eyes never left mine.
The ceremony blended both worlds perfectly. We’d written vows that honored human tradition while acknowledging our mate bond. The officiant, a nervous human who’d been thoroughly briefed on not questioning anything unusual, guided us through the basics before we reached the personal vows.
“Lina,” Knox began, his voice rough with emotion. “Five years ago, I ran from the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve spent every day since trying to deserve a second chance. You gave me that chance, gave me our children, gave me a future I thought I’d lost. With this ring,” he slid the band onto my finger, “I claim you as mine in both worlds. Human and wolf, coffee shop and pack, today and always.”
I was already crying, but managed to get through my own vows without completely losing it.
“Knox,” I said, proud when my voice only shook a little. “You wrote me letters for five years. Told me all the things you couldn’t say. Well, here’s what I couldn’t write back: I love you. I’ve loved you since that first night, through the anger and hurt and raising our cubs alone. You are mine, Knox Raven. With this ring,” I slipped the band onto his finger, watching his hands shake slightly, “I claim you right back. In both worlds, in all ways, forever.”
The officiant barely got out “you may kiss the bride” before Knox was pulling me against him, kissing me with five years of pent-up longing. The shop erupted in chaos - humans clapping politely while the pack howled their approval, the sound filling my coffee shop with wild joy.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Knox pressed his forehead to mine.
“My wife,” he murmured, wonder in his voice.
“My husband,” I replied, then couldn’t help adding, “who’s going to help clean up all these flower petals later.”
He laughed, kissing me again while our mixed family of humans and wolves celebrated around us.
The reception transformed my coffee shop into something out of a fairy tale. Wolves and humans mingled between bookshelves, sharing stories over coffee cocktails and wine. The baristas I’d trained were managing the coffee bar while pack members attempted to learn latte art with varying degrees of success.
“Is that supposed to be a heart?” I asked Cole, who was proudly showing off his creation.
“It’s a wolf,” he said, though it looked more like an abstract blob.
“Sure it is.”
Mika had taken over teaching duties, guiding young wolves through the basics with patience I didn’t know she possessed. “No, gentle! The milk is not your enemy. Caress the steam wand, don’t attack it.”
