The other guys step back to pull out their phones, and I take a few minutes to just breathe and try to relax. Focusing my eyes on the hazy, far-off horizon, I call up the feeling of runningthrough the hills on the hunt, letting my instincts soothe me. As my breathing settles, I realize I would be disappointed if Grace didn’t show.
Yeah… I’m nervous around her, but I definitely want to know more about her, too. What happens if she refuses? Do the pack hunt her down and force her back here, or do we choose someone else?
Just as I’m about to ask Rex those exact questions, there’s a flurry of activity at the far edge of the crowd. People part, making a corridor for the girls to walk through, and I see Scarlett, Alisha, and Sarah walking towards us. As they get closer, they pull back, letting Grace come forward to walk ahead of them.
My breath gets caught in my throat, and for a second, I actually feel dizzy.
She’s so beautiful!
Grace is wearing a pale pink gown that hangs from narrow straps on her shoulders to fall in flowing waves around her, clinging to her slender curves. The fabric is so light, the smallest hint of a breeze causes it to rise and fall, moving like pure magic. Her long, blond hair is pulled up elaborately at the back of her head, with curls falling against her cheeks.
A decorative spray of little white flowers is tangled through the crown of hair, and as she gets closer, I can see it growing. Little tendrils of green shoot out, looping through her blond curls, with tiny white buds opening as they sweep down towards her shoulders.
What the fuck?
I’m struck by her beauty, but the obvious display of her power unsettles me, and my guts twist and flip, leaving me withan uncomfortable simmering feeling not unlike waiting for a bomb to explode.
Is that really what I’m worried about, that Grace will explode with insane amounts of power? I have to get some perspective here. If she does any kind of exploding, it will most likely just be flower petals.
The girls reach the bottom of the stairs, and Grace looks up at me, her pale gray eyes glittering like white quartz through dark stone. Her face looks composed, but I can tell she’s hiding a fuck ton of stress.
Well, that’s one thing we have in common.
She slowly makes her way up the stairs, and as she reaches the top, I take her hands. A small electric pulse snaps between us, but it doesn’t hurt. In fact, it sends a little thrill of pleasure through me.
The idea of being with her does excite me. I can’t deny it.
As she raises her head and smiles at me, the tendrils in her hair have a little growth spurt, cascading little white blooms down around her shoulders. Some of the petals shake free, falling around her like a veil.
“Sorry,” she murmurs. “I’m just nervous.”
“It’s okay,” I reply, not really sure what she’s apologizing for.
The flowers?
“Okay,” Rex says, raising his voice for the crowd. “Thank you, everyone, for attending. Our three packs witness the creation of the fourth to strengthen our alliance. We join Grace and Dan together in the sacred union, so they can carry the power of the new pack into prosperity.”
Grace and I stand together before Rex, holding each other’s hands. He speaks the ritual words, and we repeat the correct responses, even though I’m barely listening.
As we stare at each other, Grace’s eyes captivate me. I fall into her gaze, silver and diamond prisms that catch the light, reflecting it back to shimmer around me, caging me with a dancing glow. Her hands feel very warm in mine, and parts of my body start to respond.
Holy shit. I’ve got to let go of her soon, or the whole crowd is going to see my cock putting up a tent in my pants.
The second Rex announces our union, I let go of her and step back, and I see a frown flash across her face.
I hope I didn’t offend her or anything… but I really had no choice. The situation was critical.
Grace takes my hand again, and even though her touch is warm, it doesn’t send sparks flying or lusty thrills through my skin. We wave to the crowd and then head down the steps to where a small feast has been laid out. The original plan had been for us to get married, then head straight for our new home, but Rose Hollow insisted on putting together a banquet.
I’m grateful for it. It might just be nerves, but I’m starving right now.
As we approach the table, people congratulate us. Grace smiles warmly, shaking people’s hands and thanking everyone for their well-wishes. It occurs to me quite suddenly that I have barely said a word to my new bride. There are too many people crowding in to congratulate us for me to make that a priority, so I focus on getting to the head of the table where we can both sit down. The leafy trees above provide a cool respite from the sun, and when the breeze passes by, the branches whisper, and a chill runs down my spine.
It felt like they were really talking… to me.
Someone puts a plate of food in front of me, and I gratefully stuff a drumstick into my mouth. The rich taste of roasted chicken grounds my senses, and I devour the whole platter in a matter of minutes. When I sit up and take a breath, trying not to belch, I see Grace looking at me with wide eyes as if she’s trying to conceal her reaction.
What? Shock? Disgust? She doesn’t like how I eat chicken? This marriage is off to a great start.
