17
Lorenzo
Despite the fact that I was a tall, powerful adult man and she was a tiny older woman, Kali nearly knocked me over with the force of her running-jump hug.
“There you are! Oh, the two of you look amazing!” she cried with tears in her eyes.
Eka, Kali and Koto had landed at the nearest city airport a few hours prior. I offered to help pick them up but Dante bullied me into staying, claiming I needed toget ready for my damn wedding. None of them looked particularly harried by the dragon-flight journey, but I was glad it was a short trip.
“Dude, I can’t believe how big you are,” Koto commented, gesturing to Raja’s belly. Raja blushed and swatted his hand away.
“It’srudeto point at a pregnant guy,” Raja growled.
“Sorry!”
While they were playfully arguing, I took the opportunity to check out my mate. His shiny black hair was swept neatly to the side. He wore a handsome, form-fitting suit that was custom tailored because of his pregnancy. Around his neck was the golden leopard fang necklace that Eka had placed on him during the first wedding ceremony. Everything about him was stunning.
Eka walked over to Raja, emitting the same powerful aura he always did. He handed Kali his cane as he embraced his son.
“It’s good to you see well, both of you,” Eka said. He eyed the golden necklace around Raja’s neck and smiled. “You’re wearing it.”
“Of course I am!” Raja cried, his hands flying to the necklace.
“So, since this is the second wedding, should I take it off and put it back on?” Eka teased.
“No, I want to wear it!”
We laughed at Raja’s whining as he kept his fingers tightened around the necklace posessively.
The wedding was to be held at the Sky Cafe, a favorite spot for my family. We reserved the deck area, which was wide and open to the sky, as the name implied. The tables were cleared away and it’s doors were closed to regular business for the day.
The warmth of the late afternoon sun was tempered by the cool wind, creating the perfect weather for a wedding. A few lazy sun-stained clouds dotted the skyline, and the air smelled of pleasantly burning incense.
Eka and my father, Anton, stood at the head of the platform. Meanwhile, Koto and Kali were still milling about, dragging Raja along with them as they talked to everyone and gazed over Cinderhollow from the deck. As they hustled, it was clear to see the family resemblance between them.
Other people began pooling into the sitting area - family and friends, mostly. The Sky Cafe staff asked if they could watch the ceremony, since they had known our family for so long, and we happily agreed to let them. But as more and more people began to show up, I watched Raja’s expression become increasingly nervous. This was a far cry from his first small village wedding.
I caught up to him and put my arm around his waist. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just a little nervous,” he admitted.
I kissed the top of his head. “Don’t be. You’ve already been married to me once before, remember?”
He glanced at the crowd and hissed, “I know, but that was different. There’s like a million people here!”
“There isnota million. Maybe a hundred or two.”
Raja frowned. “That’s just semantics.”
I sighed and pulled him close for another kiss. “You’ll be fine. I’m right here, okay?”
He leaned his forehead against my chest. “I know…”
“Hey, is everything good?”
We turned to find Gabriel behind us, holding Noah in his arms. Beside him were Dante and Ryu, who didn’t look at all tired from their journey to pick up Raja’s parents. In fact, all three of them were brimming with excitement.
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little nervous from the crowd,” Raja told Gabriel.
