I’d been wrong. He wasn’t the devil I thought him to be—at least not with me.
All along he’d been my salvation, but I’d refused to see.
I didn’t need to remember the life we had together to know he must have truly loved me to go through all this trouble. And I was important to him.
We hadn’t been in each other’s lives for that long, and we’d gone through enough to claim a lifetime. Now it was time for me to stop being confused. Stop being the problem.
It was time to try.
That’s where I’d reached in mysoul searching, when my heart opened and the hollow thing that had plagued me since the new reset disappeared completely.
What I felt now was possibility. And it lured me to him like bait.
Possibility opened the door to embracing whatever I felt for him. I’d start with that and take it from there.
There was nothing standing in our way now.
And in a few moments, I’d become his wife.
Me.
Wolfe towered over me, his shoulders broad enough to eclipse the world behind him. He’d removed his gauntlet and some armor but he still looked very much like the general heading into war. But beneath it all he was mine.
Kaem stepped closer, his smile widening. “Let us begin.”
Wolfe nodded his approval.
“Oh wait,” Arielle cut in, pushing forward. “One more thing.”
She stopped in front of us, a wide grin of mischief on her face. Then with the wave of her hand magic rippled through the air like summer heat waves over stone.
The heavy silk of my wedding gown—that cursed thing meant for Thayden—shifted beneath Arielle’s graceful gesture. The fabric lightened, flowing like living silver. A breath later, the sleeves dissolved into delicate straps and the bodice reshaped itself into something ethereal, something that no longer felt like a political costume. The rest of the dress billowed and danced in the gentle breeze, transforming me into a vision of white silk and feathers. A swan taking flight, rather than a dove caged for another’s pleasure.
I gasped, looking down at myself, my breath catching in my throat as I took in the beauty of my new dress. “Thank you.”
Without thinking, she threw her arms around me and pulled me into a fierce embrace.
“You are so welcome,” she whispered against my ear, her voice thick with emotion.
When she pulled back, her eyes shone with tears, and I realized this small act of kindness had meant as much to her as it did to me.
She stepped away and gave Wolfe a radiant smile. “You can get married now.”
“Thank you, my Lady.” Wolfe gave her a curt bow then reached out to tap her head the way I imagined an older brother would.
Arielle smiled and returned to her place next to Bastian.
“Ready again, my boy,” Kaem quipped. He flashed Wolfe a wink and straightened, then the old Fae male resumed his previous composure. “We are gathered here today, standing before the Gods above and beyond to witness the binding of two souls.” He smiled wider. “By cord and by choice, these hands are bound. What was separate now walks as one.”
Wolfe took my left hand into his. The warmth of his touch rippled through me, making me feel more grounded.
Kaem wound the silver ceremonial cloth around our joined palms. My pulse thundered beneath the binding, but it wasn’t fear. This was anticipation. Anticipation of something good.
Kaem focused on Wolfe. “Repeat after me: I take your hand by my will and before these witnesses. I bind my strength to yours. No crown, no realm, no law shall part you from my protection. Where you stand, I stand. Where you go I will follow. From here on and into the afterlife.”
The vows were beautiful. Each word was like music to uplift the soul. And they sounded even more sacred when Wolfe said them to me.
Kaem turned to me next. “Repeat after me, my Lady: I bind my hand to yours of my own choosing. I will stand beside you, always. I will not turn from you in shadow or in war. I bind myself to you this day. Where you stand, I stand. Where you go I will follow. From here on and into the afterlife.”
