Eden was a bundle of nerves as her cousins busied about her, touching up her makeup, assuring that her hair was perfectly placed in the stylish French braid that she had insisted on. Small purple blooms were placed strategically all throughout her hair. A lace veil was pinned perfectly to the crown of her head.

Eden inspected herself in the mirror. Her wedding dress was the same silvery purple that her scales were, and the cut was off the shoulder, long sleeves, and hugged her waist before flowing to the floor. The bouquet of flowers in her hands was made of lilies, trimmed neatly and tied together with an emerald bow.

“You’re the vision of matrimony,” one of her cousins cooed.

“The epitome of a bride!”

“I wish I could be in your shoes.”

All of the compliments actually caused a blush to come over Eden’s face. “Thanks, you guys. This day couldn’t have been put together if it weren’t for each of you.”

That was true. Over the past month, Eden had actually enjoyed the girl time with her cousins. It made her realize they had been acting overly chipper when they had attempted to plan hers and Darian’s wedding. Their logic was that if they were excited about it, it would rub off on her eventually. She was grateful for them and still felt a smidgen of guilt for how she had treated them before.

There was a knock on the door, and then Theo’s head popped in. “It’s time.”

Taking a deep breath, Eden let out a shaky breath and moved to the door. She and Levi had decided to have the ceremony at the family estate, not seeing the point in having it anywhere else. Walking down the hallway, memories flooded Eden’s mind. All of her fights with Carlyle, playfully fighting her brothers, the countless times she had stubbed her foot on the leg of a table just outside her bedroom door when her nose was buried too deep into a book to be aware of where she was standing…

Her cousins led the way down the stairs. Theo walked at Eden’s side, holding one of her hands to ensure she didn’t trip over the hem of the long dress and go spilling down the rest of the stairs. They rounded the corner and finally walked through the French doors which led to the grounds behind the mansion. An ancient but familiar tune wafted through the gentle breeze. Eden’s vision of the altar was blocked by her cousins as they made their way down the aisle of guests. Then, all eyes were on her.

Eden started off with her head bowed shyly, white-knuckling her bouquet. Something inside her urged her to lift her chin. When she did, calmness overcame her. She and Levi had locked gazes instantly, and Eden was no longer aware of the hundreds of eyes on her. She joined his side, and that was when his glance fully took her in.

“You look stunning,” Levi whispered to her, squeezing one of her hands.

Eden was in awe of him. She had never seen him in anything but flannels and t-shirts, and now there he was, in a black, designer tuxedo with a silvery purple pocket square and a neatly tied bowtie. To her, Levi looked like an A-list actor on the red carpet.

“So do you,” she finally responded. Her father stood before them, in his hands an ancient book.

“Let us begin,” Carlyle bellowed, and all of the guests sat in unison. Levi and Eden held one another’s gaze as Carlyle read from the text. It was all just noise to her. She was too taken by the fact that it was really happening. She was marrying her soulmate and best friend. All the odds had been stacked against them, and there they were, holding hands at the altar.

“Repeat after me, Levi,” Carlyle instructed.

Levi did, repeating each of the words to follow huskily. “We are bonded by soul, mind, and body. You are an extension of myself. Because of that, you will never be in any danger. I will protect you with my life, because without you, there is no life for me.”

Eden followed suit, repeating her portion of the vows. “You feel sadness, I feel sadness. I will do everything in my power to keep you from feeling an ounce of pain. I serve you as I will serve myself.”

“We are one. Our bond cannot be broken. I will love you more with each passing day and will continue to do so until I take my last breath.”

“Before the Kingdom and the Cosmos, I wed you.”

“Before the Kingdom and the Cosmos, I wed you.”

Carlyle then pulled out a small silver blade. Placing a slight cut on their palms, Levi and Eden pressed their hands together above their heads in triumph as they shared a passionate kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over. When they peeled away from one another, goofy smiles on each of their faces, Carlyle clasped a hand to Levi’s shoulder and cleared his throat.

“I just want you to know that, despite the fact that this was very troubling to me to begin with, you both have my blessing,” he said. “As long as you care for my daughter as you vowed, we will have no issues.”

Levi actually smiled at Carlyle, perhaps for the first time. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”

Carlyle’s eyes turned to Eden, and he gave his daughter a tight hug. “I love you, darling daughter.”

“I love you too, Father,” she squeaked. Tears of joy had snuck up on her. She had told her cousins they were silly for going out of their way to get waterproof makeup, unable to see herself crying at her wedding. Boy, had she been wrong.

Eden and Levi made their way down the aisle of people. Flower petals rained down on them, and through all of the excitement, Eden spotted Levi’s mother in the front row. She was in perfect health, her hair back to its luscious chocolate color, her cheeks rosy, and some meat back on her frail bones. She was in tears, clapping and cheering them on. Eden blew her a kiss, to which Matilda clutched a hand over her chest. Theo and Sebastian guided them into the house, going to the ballroom. The reception ensued, and it couldn’t have been any more perfect. The couple slow danced together song after song. They chatted happily with the guests over a lovely meal. Eden could have exploded with love and joy. Never had she thought that getting married would be such a happy occasion for her.

Eventually, as the evening began to wind down, Eden and Levi snuck away from the party. Rounding the side of the house, Eden’s car was parked with a clear path down the driveway. Her brothers had packed and prepared it for her, knowing that she and Levi wouldn’t want some big sendoff. As Eden climbed into the passenger seat, giggling from excitement, she actually wished her father was at least there to see them off. That was all right, though. She was certain they would see plenty of him once they returned.

Levi squeezed her hand. “So, wife, are you ready to go?”

Eden grinned from ear to ear at the sound of the word wife. “Why, yes, husband. I am.”

It felt childish and silly, but her heart was too delighted to care. Holding hands, Eden and Levi started down the path and away from the estate. They had a two-week-stay ahead of them in the Caribbean, a wedding gift from Sebastian. She couldn’t wait to be out of that dress and into a swimsuit, curling her toes in the sand while cuddling Levi. It would be paradise. Even though it was a romantic thought, and a foolishly romantic one at that, Eden viewed their future together as paradise. It was just as appealing as a sunny beach and clear blue water. Sure, things wouldn’t be perfect, but she would be happier than she had ever been before. Levi’s love revitalized her in completely unexpected ways.

“I love you, Levi,” she sighed joyfully, looking at him with dewy eyes.

With a soft expression, Levi replied, “I love you too, Eden.”

While the car was positioned down the straight, wide road, Levi leaned across the center console and pressed a warm kiss to her lips. The heat of his skin lingered on hers when he peeled away. Even months after their first kiss, his every touch thrilled her like it was the first. Eden wondered if that would ever go away. She certainly hoped it wouldn’t.