Chapter Twenty

Ashe gripped the bouquet, her knuckles going white. Shifting from foot to foot, the music thundered in her ears. Joanna laughed, a high keening sound that echoed Ashe’s nervous energy. Their eyes met, and a burst of laughter escaped both of them.

Joanna’s lips were painted a dark, merlot red. A swath of cream-colored fabric wrapped around her in the shape of a wedding dress. Above them, the gray skies had opened to reveal a clear and clean blue. It was as if the world itself were smiling upon them today. It was the big day, after all. And, Ashe couldn’t figure out why she was so nervous.

She’d overturned the cards that morning, fearing they would still be blank. The horror, the war was over and yet she still worried another nightmare loomed on the horizon. Yet, the cards revealed only happiness. They spoke of new foundations and promises. She should have been filled with a sense of peace.

“Are you going to be alright?” Joanna asked, placing a hand on her friend’s arm.

Ashe jumped, her head snapping up. Her heart thumped, and she let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, who? Me? I’ll be fine.”

Joanna gave her a look that said she didn’t believe her, but before she could press the matter further, the colorful Kaylee sidled up to them. She wore a cocktail dress buffeted with rainbow petticoats and had a crown of flowers weaved through her hair. She tucked one over Ashe’s head, arranging her hair so that they matched.

“As long as Gage doesn’t think he’s proposing today, everything is going to be alright.”

Joanna spun toward their new friend. “You don’t want to get married?”

Kaylee snorted. “We’re already close enough. Don’t you think? I don’t need a rock or a contract to force me to be closer to him.”

Ashe shook her head. Gage and Kaylee would always be the strangest of them, but they were the light they all needed. A very loud and sometimes lewd light. Ashe had noticed, and she wasn’t going to say anything to Joanna, the words Fuck Truck painted onto the back of Archer’s vehicle.

A faint music drifted toward them, the first sign that things were about to begin. Ashe sucked in a deep breath and glanced down the deep red carpet that’d been laid out. She could do this. It was nothing, just a simple walk.

A gentled push from behind propelled her forward. Stumbling at first, she found her feet and commanded control of her knees.

***

His Mouth went dry. The world around him rocked to a sudden halt. All he could see was the woman standing beneath the arch of flowers, a sheepish look on her face. Ashe’s curves were accented by the burgundy wrap dress. It clung to her as she moved, promising the bountiful rise and fall of her body. His eyes roved up her body to land on her mouth. The dark color of her lips was like fine wine or forbidden pomegranates. A wreath of pink blossoms and dark green leaves crowned her head and made her seem ethereal. The urge to run toward her and scoop her up was overwhelming.

It took all he had to keep his feet rooted to the ground and not ruin his brother’s wedding by stealing away the maid of honor. His mind filled with ways he wanted to undress her, the slow and tormenting tug of the belt that held her dress closed, the greedy tug of the fabric away from her skin until she was free and wild before him. He would leave the crown on, too, and fuck her like the goddess she was.

He patted the pocket on his breast to make sure the box was there. He hadn’t lost it or misplaced it. It was necessary for the day. He’d kick himself if he lost it.

Ashe moved to stand on the other side of the altar, too far away from him if he had anything to say about it. He leaned back, glancing behind Gage to catch his mate’s eye. Ashe smiled, her dark cheeks growing darker.

Cohen smiled. The bear sat, happy with where life had led them. A single phone call had brought him back on track, away from a life that might have killed him. He knew, if he’d stayed solitary for much longer, he would have pushed himself to insanity. The only option at that point would have been death, but the people standing around him had brought him back from the brink.

To think, he once feared hurting them. Now, the beast stood protectively behind them, an Alpha to it’s core. It threw its head back and roared with pride.

Kaylee marched proudly down the aisle, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gage. They shared a secretive smile before she split off to stand beside Ashe. That one was the most perfect match for his youngest brother. Cohen didn’t know if there was a wilder, sneakier, or more determined beast out there besides Gage’s coyote shifter.

Then, Joanna appeared. Her dress fluttered around her legs. Cohen could see where her hips had grown ever so slightly wider. Ashe had been right in her guess. Joanna was pregnant, and she glowed with the beauty of it. Upon seeing her, Archer’s calm composure broke open.

His eyes watered, and a smile split his face from ear to ear. Cohen watched him swallow back his anxiety. It was now or never and there was no going back on a mate bond. The two of them would forever be bound to each other. What one felt, the other would feel. Where one faltered, the other would stand.

A priest officiated the marriage. When he was done, he looked to Cohen. As the new Alpha of the Pack, it was upon him to approve. He felt a strange stirring inside him as all eyes descended upon him. He could not stop true love, so he didn’t know why he had any say in the matter.

All he could do was nod. The gesture was all that had remained to approve the marriage; on cue, Archer grabbed his wife and bent her lower for a breath-taking kiss. Joanna’s eyes were dazed when he pulled away, a small, confused smile on her lips.

The crowd leapt from their seats and applauded, raucous cheers coming from Gage and Kaylee. The aura of the Pack had changed. Gone was the vicious griping and anger. It was replaced with newfound glee. The wedding couldn’t have come at a better time, most likely bolstering this new energy.

The wedding couple walked down the aisle together, arm in arm as they smiled happily up at each other. Gage and Kaylee slammed into one another, laughter erupting from them as if it was the only mode they knew. Ashe slowly approached him, her chin high and a defiant happiness in her eyes.

Tonight was going to be fun, he thought.

He held out his arm for her, the other hand still over the small box in his coat jacket. All eyes watched them move, the Alpha pair of the Vancourt Pack. They had taken three packs and consolidated them into one, a feat that took a fair amount of power and control to maintain.

Cohen could feel their emotions grating in his mind, the bond like a funnel that led toward him. They could offer power, but they also offered their problems. He knew there was a long road ahead of them. The happiness of the day could not last forever and there would always be bumps in any road.