As they helped me downstairs, I found the house itself had been transformed. There were flowers everywhere: purple and white ones creating a path towards the back of the house, white rose petals all over the ground. How they’d managed it was beyond me.
At the back door, I saw them, and my breath lodged in my throat. They were all in white tuxes—even Maeve. Their suits were perfectly tailored to them, almost like the ones they’d worn the night of the ball, only this time they wore ties the same colour as my magic.
I came to a stop, heart pounding. “Wow,” I whispered, looking them over. “You guys…”
Maeve stepped forward and offered her hand. Glinting in her palm was a silver band I never thought I’d see again. “Marry us,a mhuirnín. It isn’t the traditional ceremony you are used to, but this will be ours. Before the eyes of our friends and family. A completion of our bonds.”
I blinked hard to stop myself from crying, but it was difficult. My answer, though, wasn’t. “Yes,” I whispered, stepping towards them. “I will marry you.”
This was a forever I could easily commit to.
6
Rowan
Ivy looked amazing. No, stunning. Well, there really was no actual word strong enough to describe how radiant she looked on our wedding day. No matter what form she appeared in, whether that be in our stolen clothes or in her floral sundresses, Ivy was always the most perfect thing in my world.
I couldn’t fucking wait to do this. I honestly hadn’t expected to feel so excited over the idea of getting my very own mate mark. But of course, from anyone else it might have felt wrong.
With Ivy, knowing soon she’d be placing her own mark on me, it felt more than just right.
She’d been wearing our marks without complaint, and with some of her dresses, she displayed them with pride. But soon, we’d be displaying her marks on our bodies.
Ivy took us in with glassy eyes, her smile the brightest I’d seen in months. Even though we were safe, happy even, there was still a heaviness that hung over us. But that was easy enough to forget when her eyes landed on me.
Through the bond, I felt her excitement. I could tell she liked how we’d dressed. I’d been a little uncertain about the choice to wear white, but, hey. We actually looked pretty damn good.
A giant smile unfurled across her face as her eyes darted between us, never sure who to lock eyes with, especially as Maeve guided her to us. It’d been the hardest secret to keep, though it was only the knowledge that she was okay with these sorts of secrets that we’d kept it to ourselves.
“You all look…” Ivy stopped herself with a choked sound, blinking hard. “I can’t cry. It would ruin my makeup.”
“Cry all you want, friend,” Vanya said. “I made sure it was all waterproof.”
Ivy laughed and wiped a stray tear from her eye. I itched to reach for her, to comfort her. But they were the happiest tears she’d shed for some time, and if I’d learned anything these last couple of months—especially with her hormones at play—it was good to let her cry sometimes.
And if I were being honest with myself, I was learning to do the same for myself. Always a man who tried to keep those destructive emotions at bay, who now had a mate that encouraged letting the emotions—and the tears that came with them—out. Like when I thought about my mom, or that she couldn’t be here.
Ivy’s shining eyes flickered to mine, a softness filling her expression. “You look great in your suit,” she whispered. “You all do.”
“And you look more beautiful than anything in this world,” I replied, love warming my chest.
The rosiness of her cheeks darkened as she ducked her head.Thank you.
Thea stepped in behind her. “We’ll see you down there,” she said to us, waving a dismissive hand. “Now, go so she can walk down the aisle.”
And that was our cue to fuck off to give Ivy the moment of a lifetime. It was almost painful to look away from her and how fucking gorgeous she was, but with some strength, I finally did it.
With the rest of my bond mates, we left the house and started our march down to the field below where it would all come together.
Just us, our beautiful mate, and our friends to witness it all.
The chairs were filledwith friends and family. Adrian’s father and his bond mates took up most of those seats, as well as the siblings that hadn’t betrayed us. And that meant all but one. Arthur had, thankfully, reassured us he hadn’t seen any of them—other than Greer’s mates—in Dante’s compound. Of course, we already knew they hadn’t chosen his side, but it was nice to have that reassurance. For all of us.
There were others, too. The new leading High Councilwoman, Elara, and her mates were sitting nearby. She was probably the only one we actually trusted on the council.
We’d tried to invite Sunniva, the shifter who’d helped Ivy and the others escape, but she’d disappeared after the battle. We hadn’t heard anything from her—or her supposed allies in Dante’s compound—again.
Even my biological father was here, despite the tension still heavy between us. The last couple of months had given us a chance to get to know each other, but I still had my doubts about him.
