Chapter 35: Aiden

 

 

 

"Where's Josh?" I asked.

Diana glanced up. The twins, Belle and Bash, were sitting in the chairs on either side of her. Each wore a toddler-sized fluffy dress and tuxedo, respectively, for their roles as flower girl and ring bearer. Kaden stood at the end of the barn, under the pergola that Sam and Erick had worked together to build. It would be serving as the altar.

"He's in the R.V. getting ready. Feel free to go say hi," Diana said, and she directed her gaze back down to the wedding program in her hands.

I walked out of the barn, which had been transformed into a ceremony space for Kaden and Josh's wedding. The rushes of straw had been swept off the floor, and a phalanx of rented, white folding chairs had been arranged to face the pergola. Clusters of lilies and daffodils scented the air with their subtle perfume. Rowan, Sarah, and Carla had charmed them to stain their petals black, which better matched the leather vest Kaden and his betas insisted on wearing.

Just outside, a small table had been set up for gifts, cards, and the guest book. The most conspicuous gift of all was from someone whose name wasn't even on the guest list. Garland Grayback had sent a basket of imported French wines as a begrudging thank you for getting rid of Eliza. Now, the two packs co-existed in a strange sort of harmony where they pretended that the other didn't exist. It wasn't exactly the happiest of endings, but at least nobody had to fear for their lives anytime soon.

People were still socializing out into the clearing. A thick, green grass had sprouted, watered from the spring melt. It was dusk, the sky just beginning to shift from blue to lavender. I found Erick holding Freya and standing under a tree, chatting contentedly with Logan and another friend of the pack from Nevada, who had driven up with a few others earlier in the day.

I touched Erick's arm and placed a kiss on Freya's head. "Let's go see Josh before the ceremony starts," I said.

"Sure," Erick said. He excused himself from the conversation and allowed me to take Freya. Then, we walked at an unhurried, leisurely pace, saying hello to various friends along the way.

Freya fussed when we stepped onto the trail behind the barn. She was five, almost six months, energetic and stronger than we expected. When the R.V. finally came into view, she quieted, as if she could sense how important a role it had played in her existence, because it was the place where Erick and I had fallen in love.

We paused to absorb the moment. The R.V. had been driven in from its hiding spot in the national forest, to serve as Josh's dressing room. Presently, we could see the shadows of its occupants flickering in the wide, oblong windows.

"It feels like an artifact from another life," Erick remarked.

I nodded in agreement. "Imagine what our past selves would think if they saw us now," I added, and both of us fell quiet, obviously imagining that the shadows in the windows were us, peering out to marvel at what their futures held. Something stirred in my mind. There was a memory there, and there was something that I had to tell Erick, but I decided to bite my tongue for now.

I shifted Freya's weight so that she was planted on my hip. Then, I plunged ahead and rapped my knuckles on the door. It popped open, and Rowan poked her head out.

She was in a green velvet dress that came down to her knees, and she grinned when she saw us. "Come on in!" she said, throwing it wide open.

We climbed up and into the main galley, which was much smaller than I remembered. Erick, Rowan, and I had to walk single file to get to the bedroom, where Josh, Sarah, and Carla were busy with preparations. Once Rowan walked in, there was no more room left. Erick and I were forced to say hello from the kitchen area, with Erick peering over my shoulder.

Josh looked handsome in his blue pinstriped shirt, tucked into a pair of light denim jeans. There was no belt or tie; he'd wanted to keep things semi-casual for his barn wedding. Sarah was in the process of combing anointing oil through his hair, and Carla waved an eagle feather over his seated form, murmuring blessings.

"Nervous?" I asked him.

Josh actually blushed. "A little. I don't like being the center of attention too much."

"In the old times, we used to hang the carcasses of our enemies in the trees during weddings, for good luck," Erick said unhelpfully.

Freya chose that moment to blow a raspberry, and everybody laughed.

After wishing Josh luck, Erick and I finally left to return to the barn.

"Do you think we'll ever be married like Josh and Kaden?" Erick asked. The suddenness of his question shocked me.

"I..I'm not sure. Do you want to get married?"

"Yes," Erick said without hesitation. "You're my mate."

The shock wore off, replaced a prickling excitement. I felt myself smiling as I returned Erick's stare. His blonde hair, which had been long as a pennant when we first met, was now at the length of his temples, with a slight curl. He was beginning to look like he belonged in this time more and more with each passing day.

Feeling a sudden wave of affection, I carefully balanced Freya on one arm and brushed my fingers through his hair.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," I said, and I finally admitted something I'd been keeping from him since the first night in the R.V. I told him about the dreams of battle, of wars, of ancient times so vivid they had to be real. I couldn't help but feel foolish as I explained it all to Erick. But he deserved to know. "I think I might have been Sigurd in a past life."

My face was so hot I thought it could glow in the dark, and Erick's staring didn't help. I expected him to be happy or excited, but he only seemed…sad.

He shook his head. "Sigurd is gone. That much I know."

"But my dreams—"

"Are just dreams. Perhaps the Lady sent you those dreams to prepare you for meeting me. Or perhaps we forged some sort of psychic connection, which manifested in those dreams," Erick said. He threw his gaze upward, clearly pulling ideas out of his ass. "All I know is that you're my mate now. I'm in love with you, Aiden Wheeler."

Soon to be Aiden Ironside, I hoped privately.

Grinning, we touched our mouths together over the top of Freya's head.

With the sun setting in the distance, the wedding guests had deserted the clearing to congregate inside the barn, where strings of lights twinkling overhead cast a soft, romantic glow. Erick and I took our seats in a middle row, amidst the buzz of anticipation that seemed to accompany every wedding.

Within a few minutes, the betas ushered stray guests to their seats, announcing that the ceremony was about to start. Then, they took their places behind Kaden, standing as groomsmen. Rowan, who had been appointed the role of officiant, walked in and stood under the pergola. In her green velvet and glasses, she reminded me of a very regal butterfly.

Then, the ceremony began.

A hush fell over the crowd. Soft, classical music played from a portable speaker in the corner. The first figure to walk down the aisle was Belle, coaxed along by a grinning, gesturing Kaden. She toddled down in patent leather Mary Janes with her fist in her mouth, a basket of black rose petals slung over a chubby elbow. At the very end of the aisle, she turned the basket upside-down and left a single pile of petals at her feet. Gentle laughter rose out of the first few rows.

Bash came down next with the ring resting on a pillow. He carried it much more responsibly than I expected from a child his age. When he joined his twin beside their father, Josh finally made his appearance.

Everybody stood and turned in his direction, but my attention was fixed on Kaden's face. His expression was aglow with tragic love and so vulnerable, in the way that men are only comfortable with when they know nobody is watching. As the tenderness spread across his face, I felt the sudden urge to grab Erick's hand.

Josh made it to the end of the aisle, and the two grooms joined hands. Rowan motioned for everybody to take their seats. The music was stopped. Her sermon began.

"The circle is nature's most sacred shape," she began, reciting without notes. At first, I thought she was making it up as she went along, but it became clear she'd actually memorized and rehearsed her speech before tonight. "Without a beginning or end, it represents symmetry and balance. It represents cycles. There's no spring without winter, no life without death. Even the moon, revered by both witches and shifters, kills itself with darkness, only to regrow itself as a perfect circle. And the cycle starts all over again.

"We all came together to celebrate the union of Kaden and Josh. I think we can all say that their romance had its ups and downs" —she paused for laughter— "as their relationship cycled through good times, bad times, hard times. Through it all, they've remained faithful and devoted to each other. Today, they are finally wed. Tonight represents both the beginning and the end…as everything comes full circle."

When she held the ring aloft in two fingers, a burst of applause broke through the crowd.

My mind drifted away during the exchanging of vows as I reflected on Rowan's speech. Circles. Symmetry. Cycles. I thought about my relationship with my wolf. Meeting Eliza Vreeland had set my destiny into motion. Her so-called cure hadn't severed my ties with the animal inside me. It hadn't been an ending, but a pausing, at least until Erick showed up. His love was what finally led me back to my wolf. Brought it back full circle.

The beginning and the end…

Cheers filled the air as Josh and Kaden finally kissed. I felt Erick's touch on my arm and turned toward him with tears in my eyes. All around us, guests were throwing rice, and it rained down onto our heads as we shared our own private kiss.

With the ceremony over, it was time for the reception. Lucy closed the bar for the night so the Black Paws and their friends could party all night long to celebrate. Erick and I were one of the last to leave the barn, walking slowly so we wouldn't jostle a napping Freya.

"Beautiful night," someone commented, indicating the uncharacteristically clear sky.

I tilted my head back to look. It was a rare spring night with just a few clouds. The sky was crowded with stars, as if God had thrown up an extra handful or two to bless the wedding. Nestled in amongst them was the full moon, a disk of mottled white, and a near-perfect circle.