Benjamin stood in his tuxedo, nervous as a schoolboy as he cleared his throat and looked down the aisle of the packed chapel. The sun streamed through the windows behind him, and he turned to look out at the view of Lake of the Fates below.

Knowing that his bride’s great-grandfather had created this magnificent lake was something he still he was so proud of. She had done so very much for the town by discovering her true roots. As he stood on the podium, in front of the minister, on his wedding day, all he wanted to think about was their future. He looked out at all his friends. Everyone had come out to celebrate Samantha’s and his wedding day. His mom and dad smiled up at him from the front row, and he smiled back.

As the wedding march began, the bridesmaids and groomsmen gathered in the hallway. Samantha had invited her friends down from New York to be in the wedding. Ben had asked his friends from the Shifter Community Association to be his groomsmen.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen took their places behind him on the stage. Baker Bear, Holiday Bear, Hero Bear, and Celebration Bear were all there to support him on his special day. He’d asked his brother Maverick, who’d come to be called Rebel Bear, to be his best man. He’d just made it home from his tour of duty, and was still as rough around the edges as ever. Ben gulped when the wedding march began to play. Samantha marched down the aisle on the arm of her grandfather Valentine.

She sparkled and glowed with a radiance that was beyond compare. Her bright brown eyes looked up at him and her lips parted in the most enchanting smile. She wore a stunning white dress with a beaded bodice and a heart shaped neckline. The skirt billowed out around her in layers and layers of gauzy fabric.

She looked like a princess out of a fairytale, and he had to pinch himself to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming. Her grandfather kissed her cheek and handed her off to Benjamin as her maid of honor, the editor from the Historic Times, took her bouquet.

Ben and Samantha stood in front of the minister, holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes. Valentine took a seat in the front row next to Cynthia and the other Morgans. They had become one big happy family now that the old secrets were out.

“Dearly beloved,” the minister said. “We are gathered here today to bring together this man, Benjamin Darling, and this woman, Samantha Cooper, in holy matrimony.”

As the minister guided them through the ceremony and the guests looked on in awed silence, Benjamin couldn’t hear a word. All he could do was gaze into the deep, warm pools of Samantha’s eyes. Their bears called out to each other through their connection. This whole ceremony was just a way of bringing other people together to witness their love. He and Samantha had already bonded so deeply and so completely that it was unnecessary for them.

They had already created their bond, their love, and their connection weeks ago when he had claimed her and turned her. He could hear her grizzly growling to him through their link, and she smiled at him. They shared a vision of running wild through the forest together.

“Do you, Benjamin Darling, take this woman Samantha Cooper to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

“I do,” Benjamin said.

“And do you, Samantha Cooper, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

“I do,” she said.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Benjamin swooped Samantha up in his arms, kissing her deeply and holding her tight in front of everyone. The guests cheered and laughed and clapped as he released her. She took a deep breath, her eyes wide and her lips smiling.

He held her hand, and rose petals rained down over them as they walked down the aisle and out into the bright day. The fragrance of roses and lilies bloomed in his nose as they proceeded across the yard to the Fate Rock Wine Cellar where the reception was held. Everything was in place and ready and as they stepped into the big open room with the dome ceiling and a view out onto the lake. The band began to play their favorite song.

“Can I have this dance?” he asked.

“Oh yes, husband. I would love to dance with you.”

“That’s what I want to hear, my dear wife,” he said, sweeping her into his arms as they twirled across the dance floor.

The guests filtered into the room and gathered around them. Flashes popped and reflected in the polished floors and crystal glasses. They danced together in their own private world. He could see the smiling faces of their friends and family as they looked on. Cora and his father were there, cheering him on, so happy that their son had finally found his mate. His brother downed a glass of champagne, pawing at his tuxedo.

Ben twirled Samantha under his arm and then brought her back into an embrace. The band played soft and slow and the whole world disappeared as they gazed into each other’s eyes. When the song was done he knew it was time to rejoin the guests. They took their seats together at the bridal table and found flutes full of champagne. Ben and Samantha toasted each other and as the guests were gathered at their tables all around. Benjamin was so moved by his feelings for his bride that he stood and lifted his glass.

“I would like to make a toast,” he said, gently tapping his spoon against his crystal champagne flute.

“To my new bride, Samantha Cooper. Not only are you the most beautiful woman my eyes have ever beheld, but the cleverest, most dedicated, kindest, and most resolute woman I could have ever imagined.” He looked out at the guests. “She is the reason we found the statue of our founder. She is the reason we now know the true story of Ambrose Morgan’s life and love. Without her curiosity and resolve to solve the mystery, we might never have found his statue.

“But that doesn’t even begin to express what a wonderful woman she is. She spent her life alone and without a family, something I could never imagine,” he said looking over at his parents. “Through all of that, she remained openhearted and hopeful. I am honored, every day of my life, to call this woman my mate. I am the luckiest man who ever walked the earth. Samantha Cooper,” he said turning back to her. “My mate. My wife. My life. My love for you is as boundless as trillions of stars in the sky. You fill me with infinite wonder and all of the possibilities of the universe.”

She stood and kissed him, wiping a tear from her eyes.

“Now that you’ve made a toast, I have to make one too,” she said with a sniffle and chuckle. “Benjamin Darling, you truly are a darling. You are sweeter than all the candy that you make every day for the people of Fate Valley. I never had a home before coming here, and though I was hesitant to fall in love with a stranger, the moment I opened my heart to you, I knew I was home. You made it so easy to love you. You were there for me every moment, every step of the way. Your strong and kind support never left my side. Never let me down. And when you guided me through my first shift, it was as if you brought me into a whole new understanding of myself.

“Without you, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I wouldn’t have had the courage to find the statue or to find my grandfather Valentine. You say that it is me that is the reason that we are all here together, and that the mystery of the missing statue was solved, but I say it was because of you.” She stopped to wipe a tear from her eye.

“My darling Benjamin. I love you the way the earth loves this sky. As I gaze up at the starry night, I know that every sparkle and twinkle is like you shining out your love for me. I only wish to return that love. It is my deepest wish, from the deepest depths of my heart.”

When she sat down, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Everyone clapped and cheered and wiped the tears from their cheeks. The waiters brought out their meals. Samantha and Ben sipped champagne as they chatted with the people they loved more than anything.

Benjamin held her hand on the table as they ate their steak and delicacies. He’d heard that men weren’t supposed to cry, but he was so moved that a tear slid down his cheek.

“I meant every word,” he whispered.

“So did I, my sweet husband,” Samantha said. “There are no words that can describe it. No songs, no stories.”

“It’s our bond,” he said. “The thing we share that radiates between us.”

She looked up into his eyes and kissed his lips. He knew that she understood exactly what he was talking about.