“Hmm,” he says, eyeing me suspiciously after I tell him as much as I can. “You sure you haven’t been brainwashed? This whole thing sounds pretty culty.”
“Maybe a little,” I joke, then sober. “But John, I’ve never been happier. They’re good to me. They love me. And I love them.”
He nods, apparently satisfied. “Well, then, I guess congratulations are in order. But I still think you’re crazy.”
“I am a little,” I admit with a grin.
The makeup artist clears her throat from across the room. “We should finish your makeup,” she says.
I nod, rising to return to the chair. As I settle in, John takes a seat nearby, watching with interest as Eloise works.
“Oh,” I say suddenly, remembering. “There’s one more thing.”
John raises an eyebrow. “What now? They’re actually vampires, too?”
I laugh. “No. But I’m pregnant.”
His jaw drops. “You’re what?”
The wind carries the salty scent of the ocean as I stand at the top of the stone stairs leading down to the open-air pavilion. Golden sunset light bathes everything in a warm glow, turning my white dress to liquid gold. Far below, waves crash against the cliffs, the sound rising to meet the gentle notes of a string quartet playing a piece I don’t recognize but that makes my heart swell. This is it. The moment I’ve been waiting for. The moment I become theirs, officially and forever.
My hand trembles as I smooth it over the swell of my stomach, barely visible beneath the fitted bodice of my dress. The white mermaid-style gown hugs every curve, the lace overlay catching the light with each breath I take.
“You ready?” John asks, his voice gentle as he offers me his arm.
I take a deep breath, nodding. “Ready.”
We start down the stairs together, his arm steady beneath mine. The pavilion comes fully into view as we descend. There’s a semicircle of white stone columns, draped with flowing white fabric that billows in the breeze. Rows of chairs filled with resort staff, guests, and business associates of the alphas.
They all turn to watch our approach.
And there, in the front row, is my mother. She looks radiant in her blush dress, a single tear tracking down her cheek as she meets my eyes. She gives me a small, encouraging nod, her hand pressed to her heart.
I smile back, feeling my own eyes fill with tears.
My breath catches in my throat at the sight of my pack.
Five men, each devastating in his own way, all dressed in identical black suits that somehow make them look even more massive than usual. Ryker stands front and center, his dark eyes fixed on me with an intensity that makes my knees weak.
To his right are Alaric and Lorenzo. To Ryker’s left stand Rex and Marcus, watching me with naked longing and hunger in their eyes.
The music shifts, and I realize we’ve reached the end of the aisle. John squeezes my hand, then steps back to take his seat beside my mother as I move forward to stand before my alphas.
“We are gathered here today to witness the bonding of Anya Rosewood to her five men,” announces the human officiant. “As I understand, they’ve written their own vows. Ryker, will you please start off and read your vows?”
“Yes,” says Ryker, stepping forward first, his massive frame seeming to block out everything else. He takes my hands in his, his touch gentle despite his strength. “Before I met you, I thought I had everything. But it was all empty. Hollow. Then you came into my life, and suddenly I understood what I’d been missing. You’re my home. My heart. And I will spend every day of our lives together proving that you come before everything else. Because without you, none of it means anything.”
Tears spill down my cheeks as he speaks.
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling touched.
Alaric steps forward next, his blue eyes soft in a way I’verarely seen. He cups my face with one hand, his touch reverent.
“You’ve spent your life being told you’re not enough,” he says, his voice low and intense. “You’re everything to me. I will never let you feel alone or unwanted again, not as long as there’s breath in my body.”
I lean into his touch, my eyes never leaving his face as Lorenzo takes his place.
“My beautiful Anya,” he says, taking both my hands and bringing them to his lips. “From the moment I saw you, I knew you were special. But I had no idea just how completely you would steal my heart.” He kisses each of my palms in turn. “I vow to keep you smiling, to cherish every moment with you, to love you with everything I have for the rest of our lives.”
