“Stop what?” I act all innocent, but Bolder always seems able to read me somehow. He reminds me of my father, of the things I used to admire about him.
“Don't play dumb with me, Jason. If you think of doing anything stupid, stop it right now. This is your wedding day and even though you act all tough, I can tell you're scared that you'll mess this up. So get out of your head and go get married to my wonderful niece.” He sighs and comes closer to, putting a hand on my shoulder.
“Your parents did what they thought was the right thing. No one is ever going to judge you for loving them and for missing them.” I don't dare to look Bolder in the eyes, afraid he will see what I'm thinking. If only he knew, it's exactly the opposite...
Ever since I woke up, I kept thinking how lucky it is that my parents aren't here. I can't stop thinking that it would have been awkward and uncomfortable and put a big strain on mine and Sam's relationship.
What kind of twisted bastard am I to be relieved that my parents are dead?
“Listen boy, I know you've got many ugly demons, and they haunt you, but not by your fault. It's the same with Samantha, and that's why our Moon Goddess paired you two. You balance each other out and you understand each other's demons, each other's pain. She can make you happy, she can make you feel love and you do the same to her. Now stop blaming yourself for things that were always out of your control, and let's go. You can't be late to your own wedding, you know?”
“You're great at pep talk, you know that?” I groan but still follow him out.
“Yeah, so I've been told.”
The church looks great, It's impressive how Jen and the others managed to make Sam's vision real. I'm standing on the podium waiting for my future wife to make her entrance. Looking around the newly decorated aisle and seeing how whimsical it looks, I'm sure Samantha is going to be just as impressed. She had her mind set on having peonies in her bouquet and in the other decorations. She never complained when the florist announced last minute that the flower shipment had been delayed and they wouldn't be able to get us peonies. OK, I'll admit, I didn't know what a 'peony' was until a few days ago, but as soon as I heard, I was a man on a mission. A mission to make sure Samantha has the best day of her life. Sure, I had to literally pimp out Brian to go and convince the florist to bend the rules, so we can get another shipment diverted to us, leaving someone else without their precious flowers. Well, oups.
All my thoughts fly away the moment the music starts and I finally see my lovely mate walking down the aisle. She opted not to wear a veil and I'm thankful to see her beautiful face as she is walking up to me. We maintained eye contact all throughout her walk, just like I promised her a few days ago when she mentioned how scared she was about tripping and falling face down. I notice her make-up is light, with just her lips accentuated and her eyes are sparkling due to unshed tears. I'm getting emotional myself, the feeling I have now it's unlike anything I've ever felt before. Seeing her float towards me in that white dress, makes my heart swell with pride. The small tiara she's wearing on her head gives her the aura of a princess, soon to be queen. This woman is mine, all mine, and I can't believe how lucky I am.
Bolder gives Samantha away to me, making for another very emotional moment. I've never thought I'd see the infamous Alpha Bolder shed a tear. I didn't think it possible, but my respect for this man grew even more. A random thought makes its way into my mind and it causes me to let out a small chuckle. 'I think I know who I want to be when I grow up', I think while looking at Bolder and then settling my gaze back on Samantha. I take this moment to take a good look at how my mate looked in her bridal dress. It's not that poofy style thing that looks like a cake topper, and I couldn't be more grateful, but it's not too fitted that it looks skimpy either. I knew I wanted her dress to allow me to be close to her, not stop me from hugging her, but I never told her that. I didn't want her to have me in the back of her mind while trying on wedding dresses, so I kept that detail to myself. That's why I'm extra delighted to see Sam in a flowy dress with delicate embellishments that makes her look like an angel, my angel. This way I can dance with her and twirl her around for our first dance.
I couldn't wait for the ceremony to be finished and for the priest to finally tell me I can kiss my bride. Not that I needed anyone's permission, but I didn't want to ruin the moment, so I waited patiently.
As soon as he says those 5 words, I turn to Sam and grin at her. She mirrors my smile and everything and everyone around us completely disappears while we enjoy our first kiss as husband and wife. Words cannot express how I'm feeling right now, we are finally Mr and Mrs Wright.
61 - Princess
Luke
Shit! I'm late, I'm so late and so dead! I can't believe I'm actually late for Sam and Jason's wedding. Cursing out loud while straightening my suit jacket, and yes, I'm wearing a suit and tie, I sprint towards the church. Damn it, they're already in the church and the doors are closed. What do I do now? I can't be walking in there and fuck up their ceremony. The door will make a funny sound if I try to open it, everyone's eyes will dart towards me like in a cheap comedy and it will just be too awkward to interrupt their moment like that. Shit!
Tyler's words keep ringing in my ears, today more than ever. My wolf is restless and I couldn't sleep at all last night. I only fell asleep when it was close to morning, and then I ended up not being able to wake up until my body was well rested, hence my being late for my friends' wedding. If Sam or Jason ask, I'm blaming Tyler.
'Don't worry about it, you'll be dancing with your mate very soon.' What the fuck what that supposed to mean?
I knew about Tyler's gift of seeing the future, and for a moment I thought he was just being nice and telling me that I'll meet my mate soon, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like there was more to his words. So I let myself persuaded by Samson and I went to every party I was invited to, attended every dinner, sat through every conference, anything that would have even the slightest chance of music and dancing at some point, also meaning a chance of meeting my mate. It's a bit childish, trust me, I know. Ryan and Jennifer and even my sister teased me about this but I didn't care. So here I am today, late at the wedding of the century in our supernatural world. Hell, even the royal family is rumoured to attend the party. It's a privilege to be amongst the one invited to the ceremony at the church, and what do I do? I oversleep and get here late.
Completely dismissing the idea of walking inside the church, I head towards the side of the building where I see a bench, and sit on it, waiting for the ceremony to be over. My plan is to mingle with the wedding party and if someone asks, I can just say I've been in there the whole time, I just didn't want to sit in the front.
Do I think it's going to work? No, probably not.
Do I still intend on trying? Hell yes.
Samson is getting agitated again, going all giddy and puppy like, but I just ignore him since there's no music. Only a sweet delicious scent. My head snaps up and my eyes dart to the wonderful creature standing just a few feet from me. She's looking at me with curious eyes, and I know that we both know. We're mates. Despite the situation she is a bit guarded at first, eyeing me up and down. I can't help but smirk at the little she wolf who is sizing me up.
“Deciding if you want to fight me or bed me?”
“With that pick up line, I'm leaning towards the first option.” She's spunky and has a sense of humour to match mine. I love her already, I just want to eat her up.
“Hi, I'm Luke, Alpha of the Blood Moon pack.” I introduce myself, proudly stating my rank, with Samson puffing up his chest.
“Nice to meet you, Luke, I'm Alessa, I'm...”
“My mate!” I interrupt her, not caring to hear her title or anything else. I don't care what she is, she can be a fucking rogue for what's worth. What matters is that I have found her, and from now on she will be Luna of the Blood Moon pack.
Alessa, such an enchanting name, I think and Samson purrs in response, agreeing to me.
She seems quite amused by my interruption, and not really fazed by my rank, which makes me wonder if maybe she is high rank too. Well that ship for finding out her rank has sailed, and I'm too proud to ask now, since I'm the one who didn't let her finish the sentence in the first place. It's fine, I'll find out eventually. I have a whole lifetime for it.
“I take it you were late to?” She asks again, chuckling lightly, and for a brief moment I am lost in the sound of her voice.
“Yup, I overslept for the first time in my life. I see now that there was a reason for that. The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways.” I join her in laughing. “How about you?” I ask, genuinely curious why she is here. My first thought was that maybe she's part of Alpha Bolder's pack, or a friend of Sam's from the Academy.
“My family decided to attend the ceremony last minute.” She shrugs.
OK, she might be from Bolder's pack, but surely she's not a high rank wolf, otherwise I would have met her by now, or at least heard about her. A name like Alessa is not one you forget easily. It's quite unique.
“Do you want to skit the awkwardness of meeting everyone when they come out of the church?” I ask her, hoping that she'll agree.
“What do you have in mind?” She gives me an inviting look and I instantly feel something stirs inside me, and inside my trousers. I need to calm down, all in due time. I can't rush into this, this woman needs to be treated right, like the queen that she is, and I intend to worship her and not make her feel cheap. This second chance at a mate is the best gift the Moon Goddess could have even given me, and meeting Alessa makes all the ordeal with Marie with it. Every second of blinding pain, I would go through it again and again if it means that at the end of it all, I get to be with Alessa.
“How about we make our way to the party venue and meet everyone there?” I casually suggest and she happily nods in agreement.
I take her hand in mine without even thinking about it, and the explosion of tingles I feel makes me understand that this is the first time I have touched her. I am addicted and I want more, so much more. I want to touch every square inch of her body and then start the process all again. The way she reacts to me confirms that she feels the same, and that makes me the happiest man alive.
We took my car and I made sure I took the longest route. We got to talk and the conversation flowed easily like we have known each other all of our lives. She is smart, and well read, I got that and it only makes me feel proud and confirms how she'll be such a great Luna.
Once we got to the party venue, we sat at a random table and chatted some more. Slowly I notice that other guests started arriving, and I know it won't be long now until the pair of the hour show up, along with their possy. I just pray Sam will take mercy on me and not scold me in front of Alessa for not making it to her wedding ceremony. And just like that an idea pops into my head. Alessa. Yes, the perfect excuse. Sam will never be upset if my reason for not being there is... meeting my mate. Goddess, this woman! I've known her for 2 hours and she's already making my life so much better and taking care of me.
I offer to go get us some champagne, because I see my mate stealing glances at an empty glass. She agrees to let me go and get some champagne. but not before offering me a cheeky grin.
I asked one of the waiters that were busying themselves behind a bar for 2 glasses of the finest champagne, and now I am waiting patiently for the guy to bring them to me. OK, maybe not so patiently. My eyes flicker to the area that has been arranged to serve as a dance floor, admiring the decorations and wondering if Alissa would want a wedding of her own. I would be happy to grant her that wish.
Dancing... Of course. How could I have been so stupid and figure this out sooner? I can almost laugh now. What better place to dance with my mate than at a wedding? And when Tyler said those words that haunted me for so long, it was right after Jason and Sam's engagement. I'm such an idiot, but still the Moon Goddess has blessed me with a wonderful mate. Taking the glasses of champagne and hurrying back to find Alessa, I can't control my face. I'm grinning like it's my wedding day and not my friends'.
“Luke, over here!” Alessa waves at me when she sees me standing confused at the table I left her at. I turn to walk towards her, still grinning ear to ear, when I realise she's now at the table where the royal family is and my smile falls a little. I don't really get nervous around important people with being an Alpha, but I have never met the King and Queen of werewolves, and wasn't expecting to be introduced to them today, so it's normal to feel a little, I don't know... intimidated, maybe? Not wanting to embarrass my mate or Alpha Bolder and my sister, for that matter, I march over there oozing confidence, still holding the 2 champagne glasses I had gotten for us. Yet all my confidence went to shits when my lovely mate got up to introduce me to the royals.
“Mom, dad, meet Luke, my mate.” She says almost bursting at the seams with excitement, in the most adorable way possible.
Bye bye champagne glasses, because I dropped them like a maid cleaning the royal chambers for the first time. My sister and her mate were close to pissing themselves with laughter before I glared at them. Yeah, thanks for the help, FAMILY! Closing my eyes for a second and cursing myself for the 'great' first impression I just made on my mate's parents, who just happen to be the Kind and Queen of werewolves, I pull myself together and square my shoulders, standing up straight and confident like the true Alpha that I am.
“That's wonderful, honey. I'm so happy for the two of you.” I hear the Queen telling Alessa and feel her words giving me more comfort.
“Your Royal Highness, I'm honoured to make your acquaintance.” I extend my hand to greet the King and he looks at Bolder who just shakes his head and chuckles. I'm more than confused. Was I supposed to curtsy or something? Before I could ask my mate for help, the King grabs my hand and shakes it firmly before pulling me in a tight side hug.
“My son, I have heard great things about you. It is I who is honoured to have you be my daughter's mate.” Well damn. Alessa beams at me and I can barely hold myself from taking her in my arms and away from here.
After I met the Queen also and chatted for a bit with Alessa and her parents, the uneasiness disappeared and I found that they are indeed good people. Carla and I have gotten a few stories about Bolder that made us see him in a different light, not in bad way, in a funny way. Indeed, him and the King were close.
I'm watching Alessa and she dances with the King. Well, myself and all the other guests that are still seated. I can't believe she's a princess. I don't even want to think of the logistics of us being together, but her parents are accepting me as her mate, so I have faith we will figure things out in the end. I just want my mate to be happy.
“You still haven't danced with your mate.” I feel a hand resting on my shoulder and as I turn Tyler grins at me.
“You could have been a bit more specific, you know? It would have saved me a lot of time spent at stupid parties.”
“And where's the fun in that?” He shrugs before stealing a grape from the table.
62 - Future
Jason
Luke missed our wedding ceremony, that little shit! Despite her happy face, I know Sam is disappointed that her friend, OK, fine... OUR friend was not there to witness the most important moment of our lives.
Imagine everyone's surprise, when we walked in our party venue, and soon learned the reason for Luke not showing up. The Alpha of Blood Moon pack has finally found his mate. Well, his second chance mate technically speaking, but I'm sure my dear cousin Marie doesn't really count.
“Does this mean that Luke is going to be the next King of werewolves?” Samantha whispers in my ear as we dance for the first time as husband and wife.
“I guess so. The royal family doesn't have any other heirs, so it's a strong possibility.” I answer, thinking about it for the first time. “Plus, it wouldn't be that bad, Luke can do it, he is more than capable to take on such a role, and Crescent Moon could absorb his old pack.” I grin, feeli
ng proud of the great idea that popped in my head.
“I don't think Ryan would be too happy about that.” My Samantha, always thinking about every single person involved. That's just one of the many reasons I love her to pieces.
My grin widens when I realise exactly how perfect this would really be. “Love, I forgot to tell you something.” Samantha eyes me suspiciously as I dip her, matching the rhythm of the music.
“Brian found his mate.” I steal a quick kiss when I see her eyes go wide as saucers. “It's a funny story, really. It has to do with these lovely flowers.” I chuckle nervously, not finding the right words to explain.
“He met his mate when I sent him on a mission to, kind of, hijack a shipment of flowers and divert it towards our florist.” I admit, not feeling so proud of myself right now.
“You did what? Goddess, Jason, what is wrong with you? Are you saying my peonies are... stolen?” She whispers yells at me, but still keeps a bright smile on her face so as not to alert the other guests and make them strain their ears to hear our conversation.
“Well, when you put it that way... Look, my love, I'm sorry, but the flowers look lovely, and it completes the vision you had for this day. Tell me, in all honesty, that you wouldn't have done the same, just to see me happy on our wedding day?” She glares at me for a brief second, and I reply with a cheeky smile, knowing it was a low blow.
“Fine. So who's his mate and what does they finding each other have to do with Luke possibly being the next King?”
“Love, Brian's mate is human. She's the one he practically stole the flowers from. He wants to become a lone wolf with my permission and try to win her heart. You know, date her, like humans do, instead of asking her to join the pack.”
“Wow.” I had the same reaction when Brian told me his plans.
“Yes, wow. So it seems like we're in need of a Beta, hence why I think it would be just perfect if Luke gets to be the next King and we absorb his pack. Ryan can continue being Beta.” I beam like I just won the first prize in an elementary school science competition.
Fight For The Highest Wolf Rank Page 30