by Aria Grace
I’m not exactly sure how, but the grip around my neck loosens and a fresh flow of air fills my lungs. I’m gasping for breath when Joseph completely releases me. Warmth returns to my face, and the spots floating around me begin to fade as everything comes back into focus.
That’s when I realize the warmth I feel isn’t just from the flow of blood back through my veins. It’s the spray of blood shooting from the side of Joseph’s neck. The shocked and scared look in his eyes before he drops back onto the floor is priceless. I watch in frozen silence as his hands flop to his sides and the last few spurts of blood pour from the wound in his neck.
The wound I put there. The knife he tried to kill Dodge with.
A second later, the door busts open and Oliver rushes through the entrance. I point at Dodge. “Help him!”
Oliver kneels down beside Dodge and reaches for his hand. “Dodge. Can you hear me? Come on, man.”
Dodge sucks in a huge breath, which is full of wheezing and sputtering.
Thank god!
Oliver yells to the officer next to him. “Get that gurney in here now. And tell the EMTs we need assistance immediately.”
A crew enters within moments, and the entryway becomes a flurry of activity.
“Are you okay?” Oliver is with me now, helping me stand and checking me for injuries.
“I’m okay, just a little banged up. Please tell me Dodge is going to be okay.”
“I need another EMT in here.” Oliver places an arm underneath me and helps me walk toward the front door. “They’re taking Dodge to the emergency room. We’ll know more when the doctors get a look. Now, let’s get you checked out.”
“I’m fine, I promise.”
Oliver squeezes my shoulder. “No offense, but based on the way you look, I’m inclined not to agree. Besides, Dodge will kill me if I don’t make sure you’re okay.”
I nod, letting Oliver lead me out to a nearby ambulance. “So, what happened in there?”
I give him a brief rundown of what Joseph admitted to and the struggle that took place. Oliver pays close attention and then grabs another officer. “Ride with him to the hospital. Nathan, I want you to tell this man everything you’ve just told me. I’ll meet you at the emergency room once I check on things here. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Just make sure Dodge is okay.” I climb inside the van with the officer right behind me.
Oliver gives me a tight smile as the ambulance doors close, and sirens begin blaring. I recount the story again, forcing myself to share every detail so Officer Phillips doesn’t miss a thing. When I finish, the man looks relieved not to have any more to write.
The next two hours are a combination of being poked and prodded by nurses and doctors. Each time they come in, I ask about Dodge, but no one has any answers. At least, none they’ll share with me.
Finally, Oliver finds me in one of the small rooms. “Dodge is going to be okay. He’s got a broken rib and several lacerations over his body… And one nasty black eye, but he should be just fine.”
I breathe out a soft sob. “I thought he was dead. I couldn’t find a pulse…”
“He probably had the wind knocked out of him from that fall. And in your state of panic, I probably wouldn’t have found his weakened pulse either.” Oliver places a hand gently on my shoulder. “But he’s going to be just fine. You can see him once they have him wrapped and stitched up.”
Tears that I’d been holding back flood like a broken dam at the news. Dodge is going to be okay… “Thank you,” I say, trying to wipe away at the moisture covering my face.
“You’re welcome, kid. Try to get some rest. I’ll let you know when Dodge is ready.”
When Oliver leaves me alone in the small room, I lie back and close my eyes. Joseph is finally gone. I can start fresh… Maybe even with Dodge.
An hour later, Oliver comes back to tell me I can see Dodge. He helps me into a wheelchair and pushes me down to another room where Dodge is lying on a bed. His face is swollen, and gauze is wrapped tightly around his torso. He looks both broken and gorgeous at the same time.
“Hey there,” he says in a raspy voice.
“I’ll leave you two alone for a little while. But just a little while,” Oliver says pointedly. “You both need a lot of rest.”
We ignore him as Oliver steps out of the room and closes the door.
“Dodge…I don’t know what to say.” I get out of the chair and stand beside his bed.
Dodge reaches for my hand. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“But Joseph…”
“Isn’t a problem anymore. Or so I’ve heard.”
“It’s true.” I step closer and my breath hitches. “I killed him.”
“You protected yourself…and me. Do you know how proud I am of you?”
“He almost killed you,” I say with a sob forming at the back of my throat. “You could have been killed.”
“You don’t think I’d let him take me away from you that easily, do you?” Dodge yanks me closer.
“I was scared that I’d lost you.” I fall against him, careful not to put weight on him but desperate to touch him.
“You didn’t lose me. I’m not going anywhere.” Dodge holds me tight against his side and kisses the top of my head.
“Promise?”
“Promise. Besides, don’t you know you’re obligated to be with me now? In the movies, the two surviving characters always get together.”
I can’t help but chuckle at his analogy. “That’s true. We should probably get married or something.”
“Yep.”
Laughing again, I squeeze his hand. “Even if we hadn’t escaped our own real-life horror movie, I’d still marry you… If it was a real proposal.”
“Who says it’s not?”
Dodge’s words have me stunned. After everything that’s happened today, I don’t even have the words to formulate an answer to what I think he’s asking.
I’m silent for a moment but find myself smiling broadly.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” he says before a coughing fit takes over his ability to speak.
“Yes,” I reply enthusiastically. “One hundred percent yes!”
85
Dodge
I’ve never been so nervous. After everything I’ve done in my life, getting married isn’t something I thought I’d ever do. My work has always encompassed a major part of my life. And it always felt like enough. The challenge and rush of meeting goals and impressing clients was enough to keep me going…and content.
But after I met Nathan, all that changed.
Suddenly work and my humdrum life weren’t good enough. I needed more to satisfy the urges inside me that made me feel alive. Work is still something I enjoy. And I’ll always love meeting deadlines and wowing people with my architectural savvy. But now, that isn’t enough.
The love Nathan gives me is incomparable to anything I’ve ever felt before. And I crave it more than life itself. Being with him is like riding a wave that never crashes to shore. Every part of my being is firing on all cylinders, and the rush is indescribable.
Oliver is standing next to me, give me a side glance. “You okay?”
I take a deep breath. “I think so.”
We’re standing in front of all the guests, waiting for the music to start and for Nathan to join me at the altar. “You think so?” I hear the slight chuckle in his voice as he attempts to keep from busting out laughing in front of everyone. “Dude, I’ve never seen you this nervous.”
I swallow the lump forming in my throat as the first notes from a piano begin to play a soft melody. “I just don’t want to screw this up.”
“Trust me,” Oliver says. “You’re gonna do just fine.”
A few more chords play before the back doors open, and Nathan comes into view. He’s dressed sharply in a white tux that forms to his frame, making him even more handsome than usual.
When Nathan’s eyes finally settle on mine, the nervous energy I f
elt just seconds ago fades away. That’s what makes him so perfect.
He centers me.
He makes me whole.
Finding him is like finding the part of myself I never realized was missing. And now that I’ve found him, I can’t possibly live without him.
Nathan walks down the aisle as our friends and family stand. Even though I know he’s trying to hold them back, I catch the glistening of a few stray tears flowing softly down his cheeks. A huge grin bursts from me as the love of my life—my world—moves toward me in steady rhythm with the melodious tune filling the small atrium.
After he joins me at the front, I take Nathan’s hand, gripping it tightly in mine before we turn toward Christine.
The joy in her eyes is sincere as she opens the small binder in her hand. “Family, friends, and loved ones. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Dodge Trimble and Nathan Greenly in matrimony.” She pauses for a moment to let her words sink in.
Excitement builds in my chest as the realization of becoming Nathan’s husband comes nearer to fruition.
I give Nathan’s hand a squeeze as she continues.
“Marriage combines the best of two souls while allowing each person to support the other, providing for a strength to match a weakness, a truth to overcome doubt, and above all, love to carry each other through. As Dodge and Nathan join their lives together, if there is anyone here who believes these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The tremble in Nathan’s grip on my hand is unmistakable. I’m sure he’s expecting someone to interrupt our perfect day, but that’s not going to happen. I’ll never let anything keep him from finding happiness again. With a quick glance, he nods and gives me a smile to confirm he’s present and with me. And when no one speaks, he exhales the breath he was nervously holding.
“I understand that these two beautiful souls have written their own vows.” Christine looks at me encouragingly. “Dodge.”
My hands shake as I pull the small notecard from my jacket pocket. It takes a second for my eyes to clear and focus on the words I finalized last night. “Nathan.” His name comes out of my mouth dry, so I clear my throat and start again. “Nathan, before I met you, I thought my life was happy. In my mind, I believed I had everything I needed. But as soon as you stepped into my world, I realized how wrong I was. Before you, I had nothing… Now, I have more than I ever dreamed possible. I love you more than you’ll ever know. Will you be my husband?”
“I will.” By the time I finish, tears are streaming down Nathan’s face, but he manages to say the two words I care most about today before Christine turns to him.
Just as I did earlier, Nathan clears his throat. “Dodge.”
As soon as his soft, sweet voice says my name, moisture begins building behind my lids, threatening to spill. “All my life, I’ve struggled to feel like I was wanted…like I belonged. And through all the ups and downs in my past, each chapter ended with a cliffhanger, never letting me know if I would be okay or not. But you’ve changed all that, and I’ll always be grateful to you. You’re my Prince Charming…my knight in shining armor…my protector. Will you be my husband?”
I flick a drop of moisture off my cheek, trying to stay as strong for him as he needs me to be. “I will. Forever.”
The words he said to me mean more than he’ll ever know. The fact that he looks to me as his protector fills me with joy and pride. I’ve barely even cared for a pet in my lifetime, but I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Nathan always feels safe and secure.
“As Dodge and Nathan have vowed their love to each other, let us solidify their commitment to one another. May I have the rings?” Christine turns toward Oliver, who is holding the two solid gold bands Nathan picked out for us.
I assumed he would want something a bit more extravagant or flashy, but he simply stated that all he needed was me. That might have been good enough for him, but I need a ring on his finger and my scent in his blood to make sure the world knows he’s taken. He’s mine.
Christine hands me Nathan’s ring, and I hold it in place at the tip of his finger as she speaks. “Repeat after me. This ring I give you is a symbol of my love. I promise to always share my heart and my life with you, forever.”
I mimic her every word as I properly secure the ring on his finger.
Christine hands my ring to Nathan.
I smile as I stretch my fingers toward him, and he positions the ring over the tip of my finger. “Nathan, please repeat after me. This ring I give you is a symbol of my love. I promise to always share my heart and my life with you, forever.”
Nathan’s voice is filled with emotion and cracks when he speaks, but that makes me love him even more. The second my ring is at the base of my finger I lean in and give him a kiss, unable to wait any longer.
Christine smiles indulgently as she gestures to our guests. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husbands for life. You may kiss your spouse…again.”
I lean forward, my lips brushing against Nathan’s in a sweet but passionate kiss. It’s the second of many that I plan on giving my husband. My husband… It sounds absolutely perfect with Nathan standing at my side.
As we break apart, Christine’s voice carries across the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Dodge and Nathan Trimble.”
Cheers and clapping erupt from the crowd as I steal another kiss from Nathan before we glide down the aisle hand in hand.
86
Nathan
“It was so beautiful.” Sean grips me tightly around the shoulders and pulls me into a huge hug. “I’m so happy for you, and Dodge truly seems like a great guy.”
“Thanks, he is. I’m so glad you all could come.” I’m still shocked my friends from the Omega House made the trip out here for me.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Seth says, clapping a hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze.
“Have you guys decided where you’ll live? You know we can always use your help at the Omega House.” Jace waggles his eyebrows at me. “Your success story in overcoming obstacles in life is something all of our scared and abused omegas should hear.”
“I don’t know yet,” I reply honestly. “Dodge and I haven’t really decided anything yet. He has his house here, but he’s not opposed to moving. It’s definitely something we’ll need to figure out soon, though.”
“Well, if you decide to stay here, just make sure you’re ready for a crowd when we come to visit.” Sean smiles at Collin. Gunnar is at home taking care of Lexi and Levi, who are more than a handful for three people, let alone one.
“We’ll always have a place for you.” And I mean that. These guys have been my only family for a long time. And I know they always will be.
As if on cue, Dodge walks over to me. “There you are.” He gives me a quick kiss before turning to the men standing around me. “Do you mind if I steal my husband away for a dance?”
No one objects as he pulls me toward the center of the dance floor and sweeps me into his arms. Not that it would have stopped him if someone had. He is on a mission to prove just how much he loves me. And no matter how many times I remind him his mission was accomplished a long time ago, he keeps trying.
And that’s okay with me.
Dodge pulls me into his warm chest and holds me close as we sway in time to the music.
“You’ve made me the happiest man on the planet,” Dodge says into my ear. His warm breath tickles the shell and sends a tingle down my spine.
“Hmmm,” I respond playfully. “I’ll have to work on making you the happiest man in the universe, then.”
Dodge chuckles, the vibrations from his chest reverberating against mine. “I can think of a few ways to try…”
“Alright, everyone.” The voice of the DJ over the loudspeakers pulls us from our quiet conversation. “To the two handsome fellows in the middle of my dance floor, we want to raise a glass.”
Out of nowhere, a waitress comes to us with tw
o glasses of champagne. We each take one and listen as the young woman spinning for our reception makes her toast. “May you both live long, happy lives together with all the blessings and richness life brings to you. Cheers.”
The crowd salutes us, and I take a small sip from the glass. I’m just about to head off the floor when her voice catches me again. “And Nathan…”
I look at the DJ, startled and slightly embarrassed to be singled out unexpectedly. This part wasn’t anything the wedding planner mentioned in our planning meetings. “Dodge wants you to have something extra special on your glorious day.” A car pulls up to the edge of the dance floor, and Oliver hops out of it, tossing me the keys.
“Are you kidding me?” I look at Dodge, stunned, before glancing back at the blue Camaro to my right.
“I can’t have you taking the bus anymore…” Dodge chuckles.
I’m absolutely speechless. “I didn’t get you anything…”
“You didn’t need to. But I wanted to get you something of your own. A car that you can use whenever you want.”
I race into his arms, hugging him tightly. “I love you,”
“And I love you. Now, go check it out.”
Grinning, I motion to Sean. He jumps into the car with me. She purrs like a kitten, and I can’t wait to get her on the road. “We’ll be right back!”
Dodge just laughs as Sean and I take my new ride out for a test drive. We make a quick trip into town and then work our way back to the party. I don’t want to be away from my husband for more than a few minutes.
We’re back within ten minutes. Dodge is talking with one of his coworkers when I give him another excited squeeze.
“How was it?”
“Amazing!” I’m still baffled that he bought me such an expensive present. He shouldn’t be wasting money on me, but I won’t turn it down. Before he jumps back into his conversation, I yank him back toward the dance floor and motion to the DJ to cut the music again. “And I lied.” I pull back and watch as Sean brings me a small package. “We picked up a little something for you on our trip…but I didn’t have time to wrap it.” I laugh as Dodge looks at the brown bag Sean is holding.