"Good job," Sea whispered when I got there. "You were truly the queen they needed."
Wild's wolf nuzzled my legs as if to say, "I agree!"
My chest swelled in response to their double compliment, and maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through me, but I just couldn’t dredge up the defiance to feel bad about it.
You are a queen born and cleverer than a den of foxes. Even as I recover from what happened in my castle, I find myself wondering how a parentless wolf like me got so lucky. The Irish Wolves are beyond fortunate to have gained you as a ruler.
Sea’s written words floated through my head as he clasped my hand tightly again and smoothly transitioned back into the ceremony as if no interruption had taken place.
“We will conduct the rest of the wedding ceremony in English to honor the bride and her guests,” Sea announced to the gathered audience.
Then he turned to the two grooms and asked, “Lorcan and Ronan of the Wild Wolves, do you agree to always light the way for your bride?”
Lorcan and Ronan lowered two torches I hadn't noticed they were carrying, lit them in the fire, then raised them above their heads. In unison, they declared to Amanda, “We will always light your way!”
“Amanda of the Wölfennites, do you agree to let these grooms honor you as your mates and protectors as they light the way for your path in marriage?” Sea asked in his resonant way.
“Oh, yes, yes, I do!” Amanda agreed without a second of hesitation.
“Good, then you three are well met,” Sea declared with a wide smile. “Your Wild King and I both pronounce you husbands and wife.”
With that, the crowd cheered, and the musicians began playing a light, happy tune.
Wait, that was it? It occurred to me that what I’d just witnessed was the opposite of a St. Ailbe wedding.
Our ceremonies were brief, too, so as not to fall into pompous display, which was strictly forbidden by the Ordnung. But they were still much longer than this. Apparently, Abel Flosswulf had needed way more time to instruct the bride in her many servile duties to her new husband.
Amanda’s words floated through my mind as I watched her kiss Lorcan, then Ronan, who further thrilled the Irish Wolves in the audience by bending Amanda back dramatically.
You asked me how I could love two strangers I only met a week ago. The answer is, how could I not?
As I watched Amanda with her new husbands while standing between the two males who wanted me to become their queen, a new feeling sprouted in my chest.
“One day that will be us.” Sea’s Irish brogue was a song in my ear.
One I knew I had no business liking. I will allow myself to like to for a few minutes. Only a few minutes I assured my unexpectedly aching heart and the low purr of my wolf.
I stilled at that low hum from my wolf. Even a second would be too dangerous.
Not if I wanted to stay out of heat.
One I refused to acknowledge or name before ruthlessly squashing it down.
Get the rest of the Wölfennites through this wedding without anyone going into heat, and figure out an escape route to the tower.That was the plan.
It didn't matter what Amanda had said. I couldn't let myself stray from it.
I had a whole life to live, and it didn't include the two Irish kings who had kidnapped me.
Naomi
Frey had remarkedon my preference to hear the good news before the bad.
I supposed some people liked to hear the bad first and then use the good news as a balm to deal with it.
But in my experience, the good news was just something to get out of the way. The bad news was the actual situation you had to deal with in the end — the ‘y’ you had to solve for ‘x.’
The good news was that after years of hard work, my secret plan to get into the school of my dreams, the Ontario Institute of Technology, had worked.
