I nodded, trying to keep from crying. My dad was deep in a bunker with my mom underground, and Eugene had graciously offered to give me away. As I walked slowly toward Sawyer, he held my gaze with a loving intensity I wasn’t sure I deserved. I was reminded in this moment of the first time I met him, standing there at Delphi, while Astra stood patiently in the center and waited for us to reach her. In her hands was a small leather-bound book, the cover was decorated with a cluster of deep red stones, it was something spiritual I was sure. It was small enough to fit in her pocket, and I wondered if she always carried it. When I reached Sawyer, he shook Eugene’s hand and then took my right hand in his, walking me over to where Astra stood.
I didn’t know how the curse worked, but Sawyer had informed Astra about what words needed to be said to test the curse. If I didn’t truly love Sawyer, he would die on the spot. I wasn’t worried. I’d never loved anyone more than I loved this man.
Even now, after I’d just told him I didn’t need his permission to go off into the woods for an undetermined amount of time and we’d argued, he still looked at me like I was the love of his life. I wished I had my camera to capture all of Sawyer’s looks, because this one, it was so tender, so endearing, I wanted to memorize it forever. I brushed my finger over his knuckles and he grinned.
Astra took our clasped hands in hers and then bowed her head. “Dear Father, thank you for bringing these two souls together in the name of true love. May they be blessed in all that they do together. May they be quick to love and slow to anger. May their children be healthy and carefree and may their love only deepen over time.”
She looked up from her prayer at me and I had to blink back tears. Sawyer looked misty-eyed as well. It was perfect. The perfect thing to say.
“Is there anything you would like to say before I read the curse testing spell?” Astra asked us.
I nodded, turning to Sawyer. “Sawyer, I think the thing I love most about you is how you love me.” He grinned and I went on. “You support everything I want to do, even if it drives you crazy, and that speaks volumes about your character and the kind of man and leader you are. And you’re not awful to look at either.”
His grin grew wider as Sage, Walsh, and those listening chuckled.
“I just hope that I can be worthy of that kind of pure love. My wish is to be your equal and continue to push our love to the edges of the universe over the years as we grow old together.”
I looked at Astra to indicate that I was done.
Astra smiled. “Sawyer?”
Sawyer nodded, his dark locks falling into his eyes as he did. “Demi, I am helpless to do anything but support you even when your ideas are crazy.” Everyone chuckled. “There is no world where I would deny you anything, even my own beating heart. You fulfil this need in me that I didn’t even know I had. You were the glue that mended a tear that I wasn’t aware was there until the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Tears softly rolled down my cheeks as he let my hands go and cupped my chin, his gaze burning into the very depths of my soul.
“I promise to continue to love you with an intensity that matches this fierce protectiveness I feel over you. I will protect you, your dreams, and our future family with every fiber of my being, both as man and wolf.” His eyes flashed yellow at that, and I leaned my forehead against his, letting the tears fall down my face.
Astra cleared her throat. “Demi Calloway and Sawyer Hudson, do you both wish to take the other as your lawful spouse and true mate?” Her voice was thick with emotion.
“I do,” Sawyer and I said in unison.
Astra nodded, pulling a folded piece of parchment from the top of her book. I had seen Sawyer handing it to her earlier and knew the curse was about to be tested.
Bring it on.
“Then I test this curse on the Hudson family,” Astra said loudly for all surrounding us to hear, “and declare you both as man and wife. Sawyer, you may kiss your bride.” Astra folded the paper and looked at us expectantly.
My heart hammered in my ears as the smell of hot wires filtered through the air.
Magic.
Sawyer’s face lit up with an orangish glow as his skin seemed to radiate like the sun. I could feel the heat from here as he leaned into me. Did he fear kissing me? Testing this curse? Or did he know as assuredly that I did that my love for him was true?
As if in answer to my internal question, he reached up with confidence and grasped the sides of my face, pulling my mouth to meet his. Our lips touched and the searing heat of Sawyer’s skin pierced right through me, sending an electric jolt down my spine and into my toes. There was a popping noise, and then everything went black.
“Demi!”Sawyer shook me as I peered up at him from the ground. A high-pitched whine rang in my ears as I shook my head. Sawyer’s skin was covered in black soot like he’d been burned.
“Were we bombed?” I looked around, but everyone else seemed fine. In fact, they were all staring at us with furrowed brows.
Oh God. The curse.
“Are you dead?” I queried. Had I somehow killed us both?
Sawyer hauled me up to a standing position and glared at one of the defector witches, who had stepped over to help us.
“What happened?” he growled. “She loves me. I know it. Our love istrue.”
The witch sniffed the air and at the same time I smelled it too. Sulphur and … something sour like curdled milk.
