They both turned to the priest to indicate that they were ready. The priest cleared his throat, and looked down at the book and read the vows. They had heard the words in rehearsal, but now it seemed different. This was real.
She squeezed his hands, and he smiled at her. His eyes looked slightly yellow, eager to transform. There had been so many wedding preparations that he hadn't gotten the chance. As soon as the wedding was over, they were leaving Earth to head to the coronation at Umora, where he could have the relief of Dragon form for a while.
“Into this union, Yvette and Peter now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace.”
No one said anything, although Yvette was sure that many people could say something. Her old friends had been shocked that she was getting married so soon to someone who wasn't Thomas. The dragons had all the reasons in the world to protest, because she was going to be their new queen. But to her relief, no one said anything.
“Yvette.” The priest turned to her, and she gave a little gasp. She hadn't realized that she would be the one doing her vows first. They hadn't memorized their vows because they had thought that they would be too nervous. She was glad that the priest was going to be feeding her the words, because the only thing she could do was stare at Peter's face.
“Will you have this man to be your husband, to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” she managed, her voice barely audible. There was a very good chance that he would outlive her, but she knew that she would be faithful until the end of her life.
“Peter, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”
“I will,” he said. He had already helped her through much already. In her mind, he had already upheld all of those vows. Hearing him agree to them, in front of everyone, though, sent shivers down her spine. This was the man who would be by her side forever, or as long as forever lasted. She didn't know about the future, what their rule would bring. But she was confident that together they would do the best they could.
“Yvette and Peter, having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife. Peter, you may kiss the bride.”
He dipped her down to kiss her, and the congregation exploded in applause as he brought her back up, and walked her down the aisle, he whispered in ear.
“Are you ready to be queen?”
“Now that I'm your wife, I'm ready for anything,” she smiled at him. Their plans were to go to their reception and then sneak away, landing in Umora before midnight. Tomorrow at dawn, the coronation would begin, sealing her life here. And she couldn't wait.
CHAPTER 15
“So, did you have to do this?” Yvette asked Ariel, as they stood in the antechamber of the large church. She knew that the one in her hometown was not that impressive. But the church on Umora was like nothing she had ever seen before. She was surprised that they had a church at all really. Of course, they worshipped different gods. The dragon gods all had wings and were majestic and grand. It made sense to her, of course. They weren't that different when she thought about. Two societies who did the best they can, and had faith in a higher power.
She was nervous about the coronation, if she was honest with herself, because she hadn't put as much focus into it as she had put into her wedding. Peter had given her the script, and they had walked through it once before they left. But she didn't have to say as much, although more focus would be on her. He promised that he would be there to guide her and protect her, and she knew that he would. But she still felt very unprepared as she stood in the antechamber, waiting.
“No,” Ariel said. “Because I am not an anointed queen. When you marry a king or in this kingdom, when you are the highest-ranking female, you become a queen by default. But when you are an anointed queen, that means you are blessed by the gods and therefore chosen to rule. So, in the speech, they will refer to you as a queen, but it's almost like using the same word for different things.”
“But you had power.”
“I did,” Ariel said. “By default, because there was no one else. But now there is.”
“And are you sure you don't mind?”
She smiled at her sister in law.
“I never wanted to be queen to begin with. Yes, I liked the privileges and the power, but Alexander didn't even tell me I was queen for so many years, it doesn't matter. Besides, I wouldn't have wanted to go through all this hoopla.”
Yvette smiled. When she first met Ariel, she found her abrasive and harsh. But now, she knew it was just her way, and she appreciated her strength. “Shall we?”
“Sounds like everyone is out there,” Ariel cocked an ear. “You look good.”
Yvette blushed and followed her sister in law to the grand doors. It was so much like yesterday. Yesterday, she married Peter. Today, she was marrying his world.
“I'll see you in there, then,” Ariel said, with a grin. She slipped inside to take her place at the front.
Yvette heard the music start and looked around the empty hallway. This was it. She was alone, and she was about to be crowned.
The big doors opened, and everyone rose, just the same as at her wedding. She gulped and kept her focus on Peter. As with their wedding, he was at the front of the aisle. But this time, he was sitting on the throne, grand and majestic. The one beside him was meant for her.
Yvette approached slowly, trying to keep her hands from trembling. She moved slowly in time with the music until she reached the front. There, the bishop of the church was waiting for her. On either side, the princes and princesses and nobles of the world were there, currently uncrowned. It was a new rule, and they would put on their royal regalia at the appropriate time in the ceremony.
Peter had warned her that he couldn't speak to her during the ceremony until the appointed time. She had to be presented to the people as the queen first.
Yvette reached the front and turned around to face the people. The bishop cleared his throat, looking out at the crowd.
“Sirs, I here present unto you: Queen Yvette, your undoubted queen. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?”
“God save Queen Yvette!” came the cry back. She tried not to jump as they spoke in unison. Their voices echoed off the grand church walls, the marble pillars doing nothing to stop it. The ceiling seemed impossibly high and the church very large. She felt chilly, and tried not to shiver.
“Madam, is your Majesty willing to take the Oath?”
Yvette cleared her throat. “I am willing.”
The bishop turned to her, his voice solemn.
“Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Umora, their subservient shifters, and of your possessions and other territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?”
Yvette swallowed deeply. “I solemnly promise to do so.”
“Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?”
“I will,” she heard a little tremble in her voice, and she was glad the line was only two words. She glanced at Alexander out of the corner of her eye, and he smiled, giving her courage. They were her brothers now, and they would support her.
Peter took her hand, and they rose. Everyone began to clap and cheer, calling out one last time.
“So, my dear,” he said, as he took in the clapping and cheering. “You are the anointed queen. What do you think?”
“Haven't really had much time to think,” she teased him. They had to wait
, officially, until the crowd quieted down for them to get off the platform and descend back through the church. After this was when they were finally going to take a honeymoon. It wasn't going to be long, for they had a country to rule. But Yvette was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she had the rest of her life with Peter. She didn't have to leave; she didn't have to go back; she never had to be without his smile or his touch.
Finally, the crowd quieted down, and the new king and queen descended the platform His arm was straight out in front of him, and hers was on top of his. They walked slowly, and everyone bowed or curtsied as they went by. Some reached out gently to touch her, their eyes shining.
“But so far?” Peter asked.
“It's not the life I expected,” she admitted. “But it is where I belong.”
She smiled at her as they exited the church. He wasn't sure how to navigate this world, even when he lived the first time. But with her as his queen and his wife, he was confident he would be just fine.
Saved by Alpha Bear Preview
(Shadow Claw Book 1)
SARAH J. STONE
CHAPTER 1
“Luke, the elders have a point. At least hear them out.”
The door banged in the lieutenant’s face and he sighed. He walked towards the common room, wondering how he could convince his alpha that he needed a woman in his life to stabilize him.
“Kevin!”
Ted waved at him from the counter where he was wolfing down his meal. Kevin made a face at his pink hair, and sat down next to him. “Who dared you to do that?” he said.
“Jenny did.” Ted bared his teeth in a smile. “And now she has no choice but to go out with me on a date. So,” he said, swallowing his stew, “what did Luke say?”
Kevin leaned over to grab a piece of bread from the basket, and broke into it with his teeth. “He told me to go do something to myself which is not anatomically possible.”
Ted frowned, “The elders should just stop climbing all over him. He’ll find a mate soon enough.”
“He hasn’t touched a woman in a year. Not even a packmate. He will go crazy.”
Ted sobered at his friend’s words and then his eyes lit up, “Why not send him to town? One of those local bars. He might be attracted to somebody there.”
Kevin shook his head and wiped the crumbs off his face. “You know we can’t mate with humans.”
Ted glanced at the wall clock and put his bowl in the kitchen sink. “Sex and mating are two different things. He’ll relieve himself and then the elders will be able to relax. We all will.” He winked at Kevin. “I’ve got to go. I’m late for my patrol.”
He rushed out and Kevin looked thoughtful. It might work. It just might.
Luke Claw frowned at the papers in front of him. A political alliance with the wolves? He wasn’t letting those cunning creatures anywhere near his territory. And besides, given what he had read the formal declaration, the wolves would try to infringe on his lands. The numbers from his pack had already dwindled due to the last attack. They needed to feel safe before they let other shifters near them.
“Kayla!”
There was no response. He growled and rubbed his temples, and then shouted in a deafening roar, “KAYLA!”
The teenager who had needled him and begged him to let her work as his assistant walked in annoyed. “I was on the phone, Luke.”
She ignored his scowl and sat down in the chair across from him. “What?” she said
Luke tossed the papers towards her. “Write a letter, declining their offer.”
His assistant picked up the papers and scanned them. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “Are you sure? Wouldn’t they be an asset to us?”
“You want more bloodshed at our door?” His dark words made her pale, and she quickly shook her head, taking the papers as she left.
Luke sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Shit. Her parents had been killed in the panther’s attack. He shouldn’t have said that.
Kevin marched in twenty minutes later, frowning. “What did you say to Kayla? The kid looks like she’s been crying.”
“What do you want?” Great. I made her cry again, Luke thought to himself. He ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair, feeling guilty. “I’ll talk to Kayla. Why are you here?”
“You need to get out.” When Luke bared his teeth at him, Kevin raised a hand. “Just hear me out.” He leaned forward, saying, “You go out, see if some woman catches your eye. You haven’t let anyone near you, Luke. You need this. This will even make the elders back off.”
When Luke gave a considering look, Kevin jumped at the chance. “You’re sniping at everyone here. Even Kayla. Go out tonight. Everyone is on edge and you know it.”
“The Pack needs–”
“I will be here, and so will Sheila and Ronnie. I’ve called them back.”
Luke’s golden eyes glinted. He may be an asshole, but he always put the needs of the pack first. “I’ll go. If it gets the elders off my back, I’ll get out.”
He made a face when his first lieutenant looked elated. “Don’t look so thrilled. This might come to nothing,” he warned. “Now get out. I have work to do.”
Kevin practically skipped out, making Luke call him a particularly nasty word. However, his friend just showed him the finger and left, grinning gleefully.
When he scented another visitor a few minutes later, Luke was about to scowl until he saw who it was. His four-year-old intruder was pretending to be a hunter. The little bear cub sniffed at the doorway and looked up at Luke who pretended to be busy in his work. The alpha of the Shadow Claw pack could smell the glee of the child as he quickly darted under the desk. He winced when he heard the boy stumble and hit himself, but when there was no cry of pain, he carried on with the little game.
Two seconds later, he felt something grab onto his leg. He jumped in surprise. Leaning down, he picked up the little bear cub by the scruff of his neck and brought him close to his face. The cub showed him his teeth, licked his nose affectionately, and shifted in a shimmer of light.
A tiny naked boy grinned at him and said, “I caught you!”
“When did you get here?” Luke frowned. “I didn’t even hear you.”
Keenan wrapped his arms around his alpha’s neck, “I’m going to be a Hunter one day.” Then he pulled back and said, “Why is Kayla sad?”
Luke put the boy on his desk and walked over to a small chest that stood in the corner of his office and contained clothes of all sizes. Pulling out a small pair of jeans, he helped Keenan put them on. “I was mean to her,” he said.
Keenan patted Luke’s cheeks and smiled innocently. “You should say sorry. Mama said that when you do something bad, you should say sorry.”
“Then shouldn’t you go say sorry to the pack nanny? She’ll be worried sick.” Luke ruffled the boy’s head.
At Keenan’s guilty look, his alpha put him on his shoulders and carried him out of the room. His gaze fell on his subdued assistant. She refused to meet his eyes, and he sighed inwardly. Putting the boy down, he ushered him out of the room. “I have to say sorry to Kayla,” He whispered to Keenan who grinned and ran off.
He made his way towards the girl and leaned his hip against her desk. She refused to acknowledge his presence.
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “You okay?” he asked.
“No.” Came the mumble as she typed on the laptop.
“Would you accept an apology?”
“No.”
Why are teenagers so hard to deal with? He had never been this difficult. But then again, he had been isolated from his pack and had wandered the woods in a black rage.
Sighing again, he dragged Kayla into a hug. She stiffened at first and then relaxed. When he felt his shirt become wet, he felt really bad. “Come on, kid. I wasn’t thinking.” He ran his hand over her hair in a comforting manner, and after a while, her tears stopped and she sniffled.
“You haven’t hugged me in a while.”
> “I know.” Releasing her, he flicked her nose, making her howl and cover it with her hands as she glared at him. He smirked at her and said, “That was for making me feel guilty.”
He evaded her kick, “Come on. Don’t you have a class at three? I’ll drop you off.”
Kayla grabbed her bag and closed her laptop, rushing after him. “You’re going out?”
“I have been forced to,” he muttered darkly. “This is blackmail.”
Kayla grinned, “Where are you going?” She wiggled her way under his arm and he let her. He was the alpha and that didn’t just mean forcing his pack to obey him, but also giving them the comfort and affection they needed. After last year’s attack, they had lost half their numbers and had been forced to bring in other bear shifters who wanted to leave their packs. He glanced down at the young girl who was chattering away and felt relieved that she had started smiling again. Her parents had both been sentinels and had not survived the attack.
“Well?”
Luke glanced down at her. “Well what?”
“Is it true?”
He raised his brow. “I wasn’t listening. Is what true?”
Kayla tugged painfully at the arm around her neck. “Hey!”
“Don’t ignore me!” She scowled at him. “I asked you if you were going to mate with Fiona?”
“W-What?” Luke looked absolutely horrified. “Where did you hear that?”
The girl looked smug. “I knew it was a lie,” she said as she made a face. “I don’t like the new packmates. They’re very mean.”
Luke gave her a sharp look and asked, “Are they bothering you?”
Kayla shrugged. “They don’t feel like family, and they’re always looking down on us. I don’t like it.”
Desired by a Dragon: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Exiled Dragons Book 3) Page 40