by Aidy Award
Azy came in, joining the two men. "How are our kidlets this morning? Have you been up with them long? You should have woken me."
She picked up the ball of light and cradled the egg with their tiny children inside. They made the perfect picture. Except for the fact that his beautiful mate couldn't yet hold the twins in her arms, let them suckle at her breast. The midwife assured them the light took care of all their needs, drawing on the magical energy the dragons and mermaids had provided at their birth.
"You needed your rest, love." He ran a hand over her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear. He turned to introduce Azy to the warrior, but the man was gone. His words remained in Cage's mind for him to mull over later.
Azy leaned into Cage and hummed the mermaid lullaby to them. Her voice was so soft and sweet. Alluring. At the end of the song, she set them back down in the bassinet and stared at them. "I know Señora Boh said they are out of danger, that Ereshkigal can't find them in the light and when they are fully grown, they won't need that protection anymore. I'm still so worried about them. What if the demon dragons show up again? I can't protect them the same as I could when they were still growing inside of me."
Cage's chest contracted, feeling every bit of Azy's worry. He would be strong for her. "We've reinforced the wards and more dragon warriors are arriving every hour. The villa and the surrounding area are in total lockdown. Nothing is getting in. But there is one more thing we can do."
An unbreakable bond. He and Azy already had that. Perhaps the rest of the world needed to know it was true.
He bent down on one knee and took her hands in his. "Azynsa, I know we’re already planning a wedding, but I’ve never asked you. Will you marry me? I want the whole world to know you're the light of my soul, the mate of my heart. I know we don't yet have the Wyvern mate’s ring, but the human ritual has a magic of its own and--"
Azy looked down at him with more love in her eyes than he ever deserved. But he was greedy and would hoard all of it for himself. "You sweet, silly dragon. You don't have to convince me, you know."
This would be better if he did have a ring for her. He should have made her one. "I was trying to be romantic. I know our relationship hasn't had the traditional path. I thought I'd try to do this one thing right."
She pulled him up and wrapped her arms around him. "You've done a million things right. Our romance is different than anyone else's. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you so very much."
Cage wanted nothing more than to make love to his mate, but she had just birthed twins a few days ago, so he would be content to hold her in his arms for now. Azy reached down and squeezed his butt. Naughty mermaid. He squeezed hers in return, but chastely turned them both, throwing his arm over her shoulder and guided her wandering hand around his waist.
Her fingers wandered anyway and reached into his pocket. "Cage? What's this?"
She pulled out a ring, glowing like pure sunshine. They both stared at it the light reflecting in each other's eyes.
"Holy First Dragon. You found it. You found your ring." Pride swelled inside of him at his clever, clever mate.
"Have you been hiding it in your pocket all this time?" Her voice was filled with wonder as she stared at the precious item. The one last thing they needed to prove to the world that she was his true mate.
"I-I don't-" A flash of fuzzy memory shot through his mind. Trying to make her a ring, failing, another dragon helping him. Creating the swords. "Maybe I have. I think the First Dragon may have been involved in this."
"I thought the White Witch had to hide it for me."
"I'm not the one who put it in my pocket for you to just find." Cage chuckled.
Azy smacked him on the arm and then pulled him down for a tail-tingling kiss. "Let's get married right away. I know Ciara's had everything planned forever. I saw her files. She's been planning a wedding like this since she was a little girl. I kind of think she pulled together all the elements of how she wanted to get married."
Azy chewed on the side of her lip, thinking up something devious, Cage could tell. "You know I don't really care about the ceremony that much, as long as I'm there with you, the details don't matter. What would you think if we asked Jakob and Ciara to join us? If we got married at the same time?"
"You would share your wedding day with her?"
"She's my friend. It would make the whole thing a real celebration of love." A pretty pink flushed took over Azy's cheeks when she said the words.
Cage had never heard her call anyone a friend before and he wasn't sure she ever had. "Then we can certainly go ask them."
They gathered up the babies and walked down the hall to the Green Dragon guest room flanked by a gold and a red dragon warrior. Vines were crawling all up and down the door. Cage knocked and they didn't wait long until Jakob, wearing green silk pajama pants and very mussed hair answered. Well, more stood there staring at them, than anything else.
The rustling of bed coverings came from behind the door. "Jakey-poo come back to bed."
Jakob got a sloppy grin on his face. "I'm being beckoned so unless there's a battle brewing..."
His tone indicated that they should hurry to deliver their message and get out because he had very important things to attend to. Cage cleared his throat to explain but didn't have to. Azy shifted the babies to her hip and held up her hand with the ring. "I thought Ciara might like to see my wedding ring."
A squeal sounded from inside and soon the door was jerked the rest of the way open. Ciara, wrapped in a green bedsheet reached out her hand for Azy and yanked her into the room, although was careful of the babies in Azy's arm. "Let me see, let me see."
The ladies went into full on girly mode, their voices going up in pitch and volume as Azy explained how she'd found the ring. Jakob ushered Cage inside too. "You know Ciara is going to push Azy to get married right away now, right?"
"That's the plan actually. But I'd better warn you, she wants you and Ciara to share the wedding with us, get married at the same time."
Jakob blinked and then ran a hand through his hair. "That's totally up to Ci. She's the one dragging her feet. I told her we could have a wedding any time she wanted. She maintains we had one when we did the mating ceremony. She's still pretty mad about it too."
"Jakob Zeleny. That is not why we haven't gotten married." Ciara sat on a small couch next to Azy. Several flowers nearby wilted.
Azy shot Cage an uh-oh look. Yeah. Maybe the two of them should leave and let Jakob and Ciara have at it. Cage didn't want any lovers’ spats to ruin Azy's happy glow. It was a nice thought she'd had to include their friends, but these two maybe weren't ready for that.
Azy touched Ciara on the arm. "I'm sorry if this started a fight between you. I meant it to be about love."
Ciara patted Azy's hand. "No. It's okay. I really appreciate the gesture. I guess Jake and I still have some things to work out. Like why he hasn't asked me to marry him."
Yikes. Lightening flashed across the ceiling. Ciara was a white witch and had many powers, weather being one of them.
"Wait. What? What do you mean I haven't asked you? I told you we could have a wedding at least a dozen times."
"But you didn't once ask me to marry you, you big dumb lizard."
Cage elbowed Jakob in the ribs. "Mates like it when you're romantic, little brother."
"Is that it? You've been waiting for me to ask you?"
Wind whipped through Ciara's hair. "Yes."
A couple more doors in the hallway opened at the commotion. Ky stuck his head into the open doorway to the Green Dragon room. "What's going on in here, bro?"
Jada slipped under his arm and tugged Ky with her to gather near Azy. She immediately lifted Azy's hand with the ring and then winked at her. In another moment, Steele and Fleur had joined them as well.
"First Dragon above. I thought it had something to do with your mother. I know how much a wedding means to you." Then he whispered under his breath, "now, anyway."
Ci
ara stood from the couch and stomped over to Jakob. Little storm clouds floated across the room and crackled over Jakob's head. Snowflakes dropped out of the bottom of the dark clouds. Cage side-stepped them and joined Azy ready to swoop her up should Ciara's weather get anymore wound up.
Wesley walked in a second later, took in the scene and plopped down on the couch. "Did I miss anything good?"
Jada whispered to him. "Azy found her ring and Ciara's mad because Jakob hasn't asked her to marry him."
"Ciara, dear. What is going on in here? It's so early and I need my beauty sleep." Wilhelmina walked into the room looking like she'd been up for hours doing her hair and make-up, except for the yellow satin men's pajamas she had on.
"Mina. Stay out of their business and come back to bed." A gold dragon warrior, a few decades older than Cage but still in his Prime named Auric Mosely sauntered in, naked as the day he was born. He nodded at Cage. "My lord. Congratulations on the birth of your children."
"Ooh. I hope somebody brought popcorn," Wes said.
Ciara spared a glance at her mother, and a double take at the naked warrior, but her focus was one-hundred percent for Jakob. "I know you don't get human customs, but this one is important to me. I... thought you'd--"
"Miláčku--" Jakob crooned.
Ciara wagged her finger at him. "Don't you miláčku me."
"What's milk achoo?" Wes whispered.
"Miláček is a term of endearment in Czech," Jada whispered back. Leave it to a succubus to know how to say sweetheart in multiple languages.
Jakob glanced over at the gathering of people and blew out a long breath. "I was waiting for our wedding to give you this but seems like I fucked that up."
He waved his hand and a leafy vine snaked across the floor and a flower bloomed. Sitting inside the petals was a small velvet box. Jakob grabbed it and sank down onto one knee, just as Cage had only an hour before. "I've been reading up on your wedding customs, miláčku, because I know how much they mean to you. I swear I thought that since we were already mated, I didn't need to ask you to marry me. I'm very sorry I was wrong about that."
Ciara sucked in a breath to say something. Jakob stopped her, taking her hand and opening the ring box. "I got this for you because I read in one of your wedding magazines about matching wedding band sets. You've got your ring already, and I thought this one would go nicely with it."
A large green emerald threw sparkles across the room. Or maybe that light was from Jakob's soul shard glowing on Ciara's neck. "Oh, Jakob."
"Ciara, love of my life, mate of my soul, will you marry me...today?"
"Today? Wilhelmina squeaked.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes."
The group of them sitting on the couches clapped and gave hoots and hollers. Wes stood and stretched. "I guess we're having some weddings today then. Better get to work. Anyone else want to get married while we're at it?"
Auric cleared his throat. "What do you say, Mina? Want to marry me again?"
A golden glow grew from the soul shard at Auric's throat. He slipped the talisman over his head and placed it gently around Wilhelmina's neck. She sniffed and touched the shard. "About time you asked me that, you fool."
"Mother? How do you know this naked man?"
"He's the old friend who invited me here, Ciara. Honestly. Pay attention. Also, we were lovers once, and he's your father."
Ciara gaped and for the first time in as long as he'd known her, she was completely speechless. Cage knew the feeling. If Auric was her father, Cage wasn't the only dragon who had a daughter. Ciara was no dragon though. Could that possibly mean his little girl wouldn't have to be a dragon warrior either?
Azy gripped his hand and shot him a look. She was thinking the same thing as he.
Four Weddings and a…
At sunrise the next morning, Azy stared down the beach at the group of Wyverns who stood near the water’s edge. The sun was just beginning to peak up from the horizon and it decorated the sky in streaks of gold better than any ornaments hung in a church or hall.
The men were all so handsome dressed in their dark suits, with ties and hankies to match their Wyr colors. Cage was the one she couldn't keep her eyes off of. He stood under an arch of live plants and flowers Fleur made for the occasion, saying something to the other men. When he threw his head back and laughed, it took her breath away.
Since he'd taken over the mantle of AllWyvern over the united Wyrs and the children had been born, he was different. For the first time Azy felt like she was seeing the real Cage. His worries hadn't lifted, in fact, he had a whole lot more responsibility than ever before. But his new demeanor, the quiet confidence he had now was sexy as hell and comforting in a way she hadn't expected.
"God, they are so hot in formal wear. Makes me want to tear that suit right off and have my way with him." Ciara only had eyes for Jakob.
Wilhelmina snorted. "There will be plenty of time for that during your honeymoon. Now that you two are not living in sin."
"Mother. I told you we were not going on a honeymoon. There's a war on and we'll be busy saving the world."
"You absolutely are going on a honeymoon. It's tradition and I will--." Wilhelmina's tirade was cut off by Auric spinning her around and kissing her soundly, passionately, eye-scorchingly.
Ciara covered her eyes and reached for Azy's hand. "Oh geez. I can't watch. Tell me when it's over."
A little ping of sadness that her own parents weren't here for her wedding hit Azy behind the eyes. They were watching her from wherever they were. She had her mother's mirror tucked into a specially sewn pocket in the billows of the skirt, and her something blue was a patch from her father's Chicago police department uniform. One of the only bits of her old life as a boring teenage human girl she still had.
Azy laughed at her friend and patted her hand. "Don't look yet, Ciara. You'll burn your retinas with the heat those two are producing."
"Gah. Don't say things like that. I've had more than enough of my parents’ gross PDA."
"At least your father has clothes on." Barely. Auric had agreed to a formal kilt for the occasion, but he'd made sure everyone knew there was nothing on underneath.
It took another minute, but Auric finally broke the kiss leaving a slightly dazed mother of the bride staring lovingly up at him. "Mina. Let her be. She's a strong, intelligent woman, a Wyvern's mate and a white witch to boot. You don't need to try to control her life. She's got it handled."
"Thanks, dad." Ciara said the words as a barb aimed at her mother. There was a lot of old wounds for the three of them to work on healing.
Azy had a feeling today's wedding festivities would help. This ceremony was mostly for Ciara anyway. That made Azy happier than if it had all been for her and Cage.
Wesley bustled over checking his watch, also as handsome as the devil in his suit. "All right ladies, family drama aside for the next few minutes, because it's time to get married."
He took Auric and Wilhelmina by the arm and sent them up the aisle. They were joining in the invitation and getting married today too. Then Wes held out his elbow to Ciara. "Shall we, my beauty?"
Azy stayed a moment longer and watched her friend being escorted toward her bridegroom. The flowers over the arch all came into bloom in one poof. She couldn't see Ciara's expression, only the back of the beautiful white gown that sparkled like diamonds when she walked, but Jakob's love for his mate was so very evident.
When Ciara was in his arms, that was Azy's cue. She took anxious steps toward the arch and her mate. It helped when she spotted the midwife sitting in the very front row with the children, still in their egg of light, watching along with everyone else, including their full set of guards.
Being the center of attention was so not her thing and every eye was on her. She had the urge to smooth the satiny gown she wore. Wesley had assured her this was the dress to say yes too, it's palest of rose and gold colors setting off her dark skin making her a glowing bride. She did feel pretty.
She reached Cage and took his hand. "You look ravishing, Az. I am a lucky man to have you for a mate."
A giggle bubbled up from her, letting out a little of the joy she was holding in her heart. "You're looking pretty stud muffiny yourself. I'm glad we didn't decide to run off to Vegas after all."
The priest Señora Boh had helped them find to perform the ceremony cleared his throat. He reminded Azy of a wild and extra hot Jason Mamoa, but with a prosthetic arm and a turned around collar. "Ready, my children?"
"Yes," she answered. "Bring on the love fest, padre."
The ceremony was a blur of Do-you's and I-Do's and some You-may-kiss-the-brides. Then cheering. Azy spent all her energy and attention focused on Cage and he on her. That was all that really mattered to her.
After the kissing, the priest stepped aside, and Match came out of the line of groomsmen and took the place directing the ceremony. He was a scowly as usual, until he glanced down at Azy. Then his face relaxed and he smiled that movie-star smile he had at her. "Do you have the ring?"
They purposely skipped the with-this-ring during the main part of the wedding. Even after just an evening of wearing the little bit of sunshine on her finger, she felt bare without it. She was more excited for this mating ceremony than the rest of the wedding anyway. God, she hoped that performing the ritual would truly demonstrate their bond to the whatever powers that be.
"Here you go." Ky, who was sort of serving as everyone's best man stepped up and handed Cage the ring.
The dragon warriors moved in, circling her and Cage, cutting off the view of them from the rest of the guest. Señora Boh came and stood beside them in the circle too, as if to let the babies be a part of and watch this more private part of the ceremony.