Page 40 of The Alpha's Forced Bride
Regina laughed. “Will you two just kiss already?”
I blushed and pushed my hair back, trying to play cool. Eric looked annoyed but was generally pleased with the fact that his daughter was happy. I didn't want to offend him or make him feel awkward, so instead of going in for one of those romance movie kisses, I just gave Kiara a peck on the forehead and pulled her into my arms. She settled in close to me and it felt the best thing in the world—the best kind of gift I could ever receive. I didn't need objects or things, I didn't really even need a lot of people, I just needed to belong somewhere, and that was what she had given me.
“We should hold a feast for the whole village,” Kiara suggested. “Wouldn’t that be really nice for everyone?”
Regina nodded and asked, “Where are they now? Are they back at your village?”
I shook my head. “Blake actually offered to put them up in the mansion, so they are there getting rest. Clancy is doing his best to help get some of the demonic sickness under control.”
Regina smiled. “Let me know if there's anything else I can do. I'm always happy to assist.”
She was a saint; Eric was really lucky to have her, and Kiara was lucky to have her as a best friend.
Eric leaned his elbows against the table and crossed his arms, then said, “You know, they should just join us for the Christmas feast we are holding for the pack tomorrow. That way, you don't have to spend any extra money.”
I felt a wonderful, joyous sensation grow inside of me that was almost completely unfamiliar. The invitation caused me to break out in a grin so wide that I thought it might break my face. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”
Tiara threaded her fingers with mine. “See, everything works out in the end. We don't have to do anything extra. I just hope they don't act up.”
Regena laughed. “Don't worry about that. I can help with a little bit of magic if necessary.”
“I guess that leaves only one thing,” I said
Everyone seemed to lean forward at my comment. I looked at Kira and held her hand up to my cheek, keeping it pressed there. Her eyes were wide with attentiveness and her pupils were blown out while looking at me. I took that to be the greatest sign of affection that she could ever convey, other than the fact that she loved me.
I continued. “I've been thinking this whole time about being mated to you, and I realized that we got off on the wrong foot.” Regina chuckled while Eric groaned.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and focused on the oceanic gaze of my love. “I don't want to do anything else wrong. So let me start off by doing something right. Kiara, will you marry me?” The room seemed to stiffen with anticipation and Kiara trembled under my touch. She stared into my eyes for a very long time, her lower lip quivering as tears pooled in her eyes. The liquid turned her irises into glossy marbles. I never wanted to see her cry, even if it was happy tears. I didn't want to see her in any kind of pain. Yet, the longer I stared, the more I realized she wasn't crying out of grief or sadness, or even happiness—she was crying out of relief.
She shuddered as she kept my face between her hands. “I've been waiting for you to ask me that for so long. Yes, I would love to marry you. We can do it right now.”
Regina cheered as Eric clapped, both of them seeming rather excited, and maybe even relieved. As Kiara chatted about a ceremony held by the pack, I couldn't help just leaning into the moment and letting myself get swept up in the emotions. Once we decided to have the ceremony on New Year's Eve, that was it—I was hers forever. It didn't matter whether or not. The rest of my pack was cured because I knew she would lead us to victory, just like she had done for me. Just as she had liberated me, she would do so for the rest of my pack, because our bond was cemented in stone. It was a faded bond, one that would always last. I would ensure that it lasted for the rest of our lives and beyond that.
No matter what happened.
Chapter 22 - Kiara
New Year’s Eve came so fast. One moment I was standing in my kitchen, getting proposed to, and then suddenly, I was approaching a makeshift altar made by Blake and Troy that was made up of a podium covered in white cloth and winter flowers. What surprised me the most was how my alphas cosigned on being allies with the Grimpaw pack. I hadn’t anticipated that, and I was worried about what would happen next. Although there probably wasn't much reason to worry, given that Harvey was such a great supporter
Ever since he woke from his coma, he had stayed by my side, not missing a moment to be together. My long-sleeved white dress billowed behind me, its simple train dragging along the ground. I held a set of lilies to my chest, clutching them tightly. I was trying to figure out how exactly I was going to meet my mate. We'd already met each other a dozen times by now—he had rescued me from a fate that could have been far worse if we hadn't bitten each other. Troy had already remarked on how the mate bond was doing its job to protect us, and that the bite mark was doing everything it could to keep us alive and connected to each other. Nora had agreed that we were well on our way to being long-lived lovers.
Even now, as I passed Nora and Regina sitting with my father, I realized she was more of a mother than mine had been. It brought tears to my eyes as I finally stood in front of Harvey, with my two alphas observing. My father rose from his seat and approached the altar, surprising me. I stared at him with wide eyes, expecting him to try to break up the ritual or something, but then my alphas stood aside and he assumed the role of the person who would help us with our vows. I tearfully watched as he lifted a bowl of oil that was meant for both of us.
He lifted his chin high and looked over the rows of our pack members. Those of the Grimpaws, the Bravecrest, and the Beaufort Creek pack. He wore a tight smile for a moment that eventually relaxed into an easy, contented look as he focused on Harvey.
“I didn't like you at first,” he said, and the people behind us chuckled lightly. “But you've grown on me, and you've grown on my daughter. You've shown her that true love exists in the world in the strangest of ways. Sometimes, that can end up being the strongest.”
Harvey bowed his head reverently, adjusting the front of his white cloak, which he seemed uncomfortable wearing. “It's my honor to treat your daughter well.”
I grinned as my dad turned to me with the oil bowl and started to draw the symbol of Air on my chest. He did the same for Harvey, and then held up his oiled hands so that we would take them. Standing there connected to my mate with my father alongside us made everything suddenly feel like it was going to be okay. I didn't have to worry about the future of the Grimpaws because they were going to be led by a great alpha—one who took his vows seriously, who did exactly what he set out to do. He had saved his pack from certain death, saved me from the same, and ultimately saved himself. He would do everything in his power to make sure that we were all safe.
I didn't want to spend too much time on vows. It wasn't like we hadn't already said exactly what we wanted to each other in private and in some public settings. But, when Harvey looked at me, his eyes glistening like liquid gold and his hands trembling as he held mine, he seemed to say everything he needed without speaking a word. What fascinated me the most was how I understood every single syllable that poured out of his vision, his eyes, his gaze. The way he looked at me told me exactly what he needed to say. My body responded exactly how it needed, with a language that I didn't understand in any conscious capacity—and that was okay.
Our connection seemed to give us the ability to understand each other without speaking, and that was a beautiful thing to behold. I sat in the beautiful silence of it all, noticing that everyone else was doing the exact same and giving us their respect as we traded our vows quietly without anyone else able to hear them. Sometimes, words simply were not enough. A few minutes later, I turned to my father and gave him a firm nod. He nodded in return and raised our hands together.
“May this union bring peace.”
Applause erupted behind us, almost scaring me half to death. It gave me so much of a fright that my heart leaped into a new rhythm. I clutched Harvey and ran down the aisle with him, tossing my bouquet haphazardly over my head. I didn't see or hear who caught it because I was too focused on getting to the white tent that was set up in the gardens. We'd gotten married right in front of the mansion, back in the garden where the original ritual was held, and that was where we would celebrate.
