Chapter 46

^TWO WEEKS LATER^

“Oh my gosh, I’m totally going to trip!” Lucy giggles beside me.

“You’re not going to trip, you’ll look perfect.” I roll my eyes at her. She’s always been the more glamorous one of us.

I’m really glad she’s here today, though.

After everything that went down, I finally reached out to her.

She said sorry, I said sorry, she cried, I cried, she was stunned that I actually cried, and then we both cried some more before we were laughing again like old times.

“You’re probably going to trip so hard that you’ll accidentally set your dress on fire.” I whip my head towards Jess and flip him off.

“What are you even doing here?” Lucy turns to him, one hand on her hip and the other on her stomach. Wait, her stomach..?

“OH MY GOD, YOU’RE PREGNANT!” Lucy’s scowl quickly morphs into a blushing smile. I pull her into a hug.

“This is your day, I was going to tell you tomorrow.” I pull her head down and plant a kiss on her cheek before lowering myself.

“Hello little one, this is your auntie. I’m going to be the best aunt you’ll ever have!” A sob escapes from Lucy’s throat. I look up to see her crying with a smile on her face.

“Damn hormones.” She mumbles. I smile again before looking back at her stomach.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you all the candy you want.” I whisper. Lucy swats my hands away from her stomach.

“Hey! Don’t promise to get my kid all hopped up on sugar.” I laugh and stand up again. Lucy shifts her attention back to Jess.

“You, get out. She needs to put on her dress.” The nerves start swirling inside me again.

Today is Roman’s coronation. Well, I guess it’s both of our coronations since we’re getting married today too.

Roman came up with the idea. He said he couldn’t wait any longer.

For the past two weeks, we’ve been cleaning up the mess his father left behind.

We’ve grown closer with each passing day. I can’t help but smile at the memories of our time together.

Roman and I having a pillow fight or arguing about what’s the best course of action, some things never change.

It’s been incredible. I’ve never felt so... complete.

Jess stands up with a huff. He kisses me on the forehead.

“You’re going to be amazing. You deserve this, little troublemaker.” I beam at him, grateful to have him in my life.

I hope he finds his mate soon, and I make a mental note to kick him out of the pack more often to search for her. When he leaves, Lucy turns to grab my dress.

“I didn’t think you’d want a white dress, since you’re probably not so innocent anymore.” I can feel my cheeks heating up.

She’s right. Roman and I didn’t wait until after the wedding. “I hope you like it.” She’s kept the dress a secret from me.

To say I’m nervous is an understatement.

But the moment she unzips the protective bag, my worries vanish.

The dress has a sweetheart neckline; the top is an off-white with tiny diamonds scattered everywhere.

The diamonds trail down all the way to the end of the mermaid lace skirt.

The further down I look, the more golden the skirt becomes. It looks like a waterfall of gold.

Tears well up in my eyes as I continue to stare at the dress.

“You like it? I think it will look perfect on you. Want to try it on? I mean, you kind of have to since I only have one dress for you.” I nod, unable to speak.

I spent hours being measured by Lucy’s team last week. She wanted it to be perfect.

It’s the most perfect dress I’ve ever seen.

It takes four people to help me into the dress, but the moment I stand in front of the mirror to look at myself, everything else is forgotten.

I look beautiful, as beautiful as a queen.

My black hair is draped over one shoulder, my other shoulder displaying Roman’s mark perfectly.

The long golden earrings I’m wearing match the diamonds on the dress perfectly.

My eyes are dusted with a simple white sparkly eyeshadow and some mascara.

I look absolutely stunning.

I blink rapidly, trying not to cry.

Lucy grabs my hands while she makes sobbing noises.

“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you in my life.” She cries before blaming her hormones again. I chuckle while I can’t tear my eyes away from my reflection.

Lucy’s phone rings. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror.

“You ready, my Queen?” I giggle and nod. Lucy holds up the highest heels I’ve ever seen. I look at them in disgust.

“I’m not wearing those.” Her face turns into a soft scowl.

“We’ve come so far. Wear the shoes; they’re custom made for the dress.” I shake my head.

“I’m not wearing them.” Lucy rolls her eyes at me before kneeling down.

“Give me your feet.” I don’t move. I’m not going to die today or break my ankles or trip.

“The first time I saw Roman, I didn’t have shoes on. I threw them away somewhere because they were impossible to walk in. Roman laughed about it; he liked it. I wouldn’t be me with those shoes.”

Lucy’s face softens as she stands up again.

Tears shimmer in her eyes once more before she hurls the shoes across the room. I stare at her in shock.

I’ve never seen her throw shoes before; those things are sacred to her.

“Damn hormones.” She mumbles. There’s a light tap on the door, and I walk over to open it.

This is it, it’s happening. Oh my... I’m getting married! When I open the door, Dad and Jackson are standing there, scowling at each other.

“She’s my daughter! I’m going to walk her down the aisle.” I start laughing.

They all had a talk. My mom, my aunt, my dad, and my uncle.

The conversation is tough, filled with tears and, naturally, a bit of squabbling between the guys.

Mom and Auntie are back on good terms, but the men keep butting in to offer me advice, only to completely trash each other’s suggestions.

It’s kind of amusing to watch now. I know they’re not going to kill each other.

“You two are both walking me down the aisle. What more could a girl want than the two most important men in her life giving her away?” They both turn to look at me.

Their jaws drop in unison, taking me in from head to toe. Jackson’s eyes are wet with tears and I can see Dad doing his best to hold his own back.

“Gentlemen, are we all set? We need to get going.” We all nod in agreement.

Dad and Jackson each offer an arm and I link mine through theirs. Lucy walks ahead of me.

As my maid of honor, she leads the way.

I count to ten in my head before we start our descent down the stairs.

The hall is packed with people, even the rooms adjacent to it, but my eyes immediately find Roman.

I can feel his shock and admiration through our bond. I beam at him, doing my best to keep the tears at bay.

Jackson gives my arm a gentle squeeze. All I can hear is the pounding of my heart and all I can see is Roman.

He’s wearing a white suit that fits him like a glove. His muscles are clearly visible through the snug fabric.

A blush creeps up my cheeks as I remember how they feel under my touch.

Roman shoots me a playful smile as if he can read my thoughts.

When we reach Roman, I turn to Jackson to plant a kiss on his cheek and do the same to Dad.

They both step back. Roman takes my hands.

I can see the tears shimmering in his eyes too.

Oh Goddess, I’m going to cry.

Standing next to us is Jess. He took an online course so he could officiate our wedding.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of these two beautiful, strong individuals. As we all know, their journey has been long and challenging.

“But as true lovers, they battled their way through the darkness and stand before us today to declare their undying love. I understand they have prepared their own vows. Roman?”

He nods at Jess before turning back to me.

“Katelynn. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were going to turn my world upside down in countless ways. Good ways, bad ways, and everything in between. You were one of the strongest women I’d ever met and, to be honest, that scared me.” I chuckle.

“The first time you scorched me with your fire and told me that you’re stronger than me, I knew I was in for the challenge of a lifetime.

“Every step we’ve taken, whether forward or back, has been one of the best steps of my life. You are my everything, the one who visits me in my dreams, and the one who saves me when I’m awake.

“You are truly an angel sent to me by the Goddess. An angel hidden behind a beautiful curtain of fire. A fire that, even at its brightest, couldn’t match my love for you.

“From this day forward and for many days to come, I will be everything you ever need, everything you ever wanted, and sometimes everything you wouldn’t dare to touch.”

I chuckle again, tears of joy streaming down my face. “I love you more than the stars and the moon. I love you with every fiber of my being and every hair on my wolf.”

He leans in to give me a quick kiss.

“No kisses until I say so,” Jessie interjects, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

“Katelynn?” I take a few deep breaths to compose myself.

“Roman, you are the most stubborn and infuriating man I have ever met. You have angered me in every wolf-way possible.”

He grins broadly at me.

“You have made me scream like I’ve never screamed before. But above all, you have made me love you like I’ve never loved before.

“You have made me feel safe, cherished. And you have pieced me back together when I was nothing more than shattered fragments.

“You have given me the ride of my life and I know as we stand here, both still utterly stubborn, that there’s more to come.

“I never want to wake up another day without you, I never want to go through another day without kissing you. So I stand here today, just like the day I first saw you, barefoot.”

I lift my dress to reveal one bare foot. Roman laughs through his tears. “To promise you that I will never leave you again.” He leans in to kiss me again, but Jess clears his throat.

“The rings?” Honora walks over to Roman and hands him a small box.

He opens it and slides a simple ring adorned with tiny diamonds onto my finger.

It looks beautiful next to the engagement ring he gave me. I smile gratefully at him.

Lucy comes up from behind me, a sobbing mess, and hands me the ring I bought for Roman.

It’s a simple design too, gold with a red stripe down the middle.

Lucy steps back.

“Damn hormones,” she whispers, letting out another sob, nearly making me laugh. I slide the ring onto Roman. We just stare at each other, grinning like fools.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss...”

Before Jess can finish his sentence, Roman’s lips are already on mine in a deep but slow kiss.

All the love we feel for each other is poured into that kiss.

Loud cheers erupt from the room. Roman raises my hand in his towards the room, smiling triumphantly.

I giggle at his silliness.

The front door opens and we all walk outside.

Every few steps, Roman stops to give me a kiss and I can’t stop giggling.

I’m so happy that I think my heart might burst. We walk up to a stage.

There’s a small pillar on it with a bowl on top.

Jackson takes his place behind the pillar as we stand before it. He waits for everyone to quiet down.

“We stand here to thank the moon and the Goddess for our new king. A king of nobility, a king of hearts, a king of strength.” Jackson picks up a golden knife and Roman extends his hand over the bowl.

“Roman, do you accept the gift of the Goddess to protect, love, and care for the wolves roaming this earth?”

Roman voices his agreement and Jackson slices into his hand. Roman’s blood drips into the bowl. His wound quickly heals.

“Tonight, we honor the moon and the Goddess for our new queen. A queen of fire, a queen of courage, a queen of love. Katelynn, are you ready to accept the Goddess’s gift to protect, love, and care for the wolves of this earth?”

I voice my agreement and extend my hand.

The blade slices my palm, but I don’t feel any pain. My blood mingles with Roman’s in the bowl.

“By the power of the Goddess, I present to you our new king and queen!” The bowl ignites and the field erupts with the sound of howling.

Roman takes my hand and we face the crowd. We bow deeply, then straighten up again, standing tall and strong.

We make our way off the stage, expressing our gratitude to everyone who pays their respects.

Lucy is the first to embrace me, followed by her mate, my mom, my dad, my uncle, my aunt, and the list goes on.

I find myself hugging a lot of people, and so does Roman, but our hands never lose contact.

Laura approaches me, a grin spreading across her face.

“Congratulations.” She pulls me into a hug. “On the baby.” She whispers. I pull away, staring at her in shock. I release Roman’s hand and place both of mine on my stomach. My smile is radiant.

“Really?” Tears well up in my eyes again.

I glance at Roman, who is looking at my hands on my stomach. He looks up at me, questioning, and I nod. He carefully lifts me up and spins me around.

“WE’RE HAVING A PUP!!” he announces to everyone before planting a kiss on me.

Damn, I love my life.

^~End Of Book One~^