THE WEDDING
Zephyr (noun): a gentle breeze.
“Stop it, you’re not supposed to see me this morning,” I hissed at Scorpius as he slipped inside the shower. Pale muscles rippling, with one fluid movement that revealed his training as an assassin, he pinned me against the wall.
“Good thing I’m blind.”
He spun me around so my front was pressed against the marble shower wall. Soapy hands trailed across me with deceptive gentleness, then there was a loud crack as he slapped my ass.
I jolted at the blow and tried to stifle my moan.
“You’re going to walk down the aisle,” he whispered into my ear, “with red cheeks.”
I squinted with confusion.
His hand cracked down harder, and I jolted. The sharp sting turned into a dull heat that melted away.
I blushed as I realized what cheeks he meant.
“Perfect,” he whispered. “You deserve a prize for being so sweet for me.” Fingers explored my slickness as he mercilessly made good on his promise with his other hand.
When I was a quivering mess, he pushed himself deep inside me.
I convulsed around him, and it sent him into a frenzy.
His pace was brutal ecstasy.
He didn’t give me time to catch my breath.
Then suddenly he pulled out and barked, “Get on your knees.”
Head floaty from multiple orgasms, I did what he said without question. Knees slammed against tile as I obeyed.
He rewarded me sweetly.
An hour later, we both stumbled out of the steamy bathroom into the bedroom. Well, I stumbled; Scorpius sauntered with male smugness.
“I can’t wait to feast during the dinner reception,” he whispered in my ear as he cupped me through my towel.
I choked.
Yet again his expression turned sinful, and he backed me toward the bed.
“Scorpius, you better not be fucking in there, you know the rules!” Corvus bellowed as he banged against the door.
“Come on, man!” John shouted from outside. “It’s not fair, we all aren’t allowed to see her.”
Scorpius nodded and looked grave as he picked me up and took me on the bed.
“Be very quiet,” he whispered in my ear. “You don’t want to break the rules.”
Then he put one hand over my mouth and another around my throat as he proceeded to set a brutal pace. Stars exploded in my vision as I convulsed underneath him, but he refused to relent.
“So fucking perfect,” he whispered as I swallowed my moans.
When Corvus threatened to burn down the door, Scorpius came inside me. When he was done shuddering with pleasure, he ordered me to lie still and grabbed the crystal initialed thong I had laid out for the wedding.
He pulled it up and over my legs, then patted where he was still spilling out of me. “I want you to feel me as you walk down the aisle,” he said gravely. “I want you to remember who you belong to.”
“Yes, sir!” I saluted him mockingly, and he groaned as he clutched himself.
“I need to go before I ruin you for our wedding,” he said, then he stalked out of the room.
There were loud shouts and smacking as the rest of my mates attacked him.
I rolled my eyes at their antics.
A pang twisted my heart.
Last night was the first night in months that I hadn’t slept beside all of them. The nightmares had been the worst sort—memories. I’d woken up heaving in the dark, patting at my arms.
I shivered as I remembered the feeling of being lit on fire for hours.
Eleven, twenty-two, thirty-three, forty-four, fifty-five. The repetition calmed me down.
I was secretly grateful Scorpius had broken the rules.
Already, the tense, achy feeling in my joints from a sleepless night was receding.
Meandering around the room, I picked up the thousand-year-old engraved, enchanted wood champagne bottle Corvus had gifted to me.
The wood reminded me of my pipe. I’d discarded it in a drawer forever ago.
There was a time where I smoked every minute of every day.
It had been my crutch for so many awful months.
When I thought about the pipe, I thought about the infected screaming in my face as I gutted them, chasing monsters down dark mazelike corridors, convinced I’d never find my way out.
Never again.
When I’d first put the pipe away, the compulsion to smoke had made my tongue itch for days. I’d suffered night sweats and choked at random times.
But I hadn’t given in to the urges.
Now months had passed, and the cravings were gone.
Never again, I repeated. The lungs held memory, and if the pipe was between my lips, then I wasn’t living in the present; I’d be trapped by my past, coping in desperate ways.
It had served its purpose, and I’d survived.
It was time to move forward.
I popped the top off the champagne, brought the bottle to my lips, and chugged the sweet, bubbly liquid.
I’d stick to imbibing heavily on special occasions.
Instantly, the world mellowed.
A whispering melody started to play. I stared down at the enchanted bottle in awe and chugged some more.
The music was rich and melodious.
I felt like I was flying.
All worry drifted away, and I fingered the outfit I’d had custom designed for today.
Everything’s going to be all right.
Hours later, I walked down a makeshift flower aisle that led to the pond on the estate.
The sun was setting and cast the cloudless sky in streaks of gorgeous pink.
It was a deliciously warm day with a slight breeze, but snow flurried overhead and drifted around us magically. I tipped my head back and smiled as I unleashed my powers.
It coated the grass in sparkling white.
My blue curls supported a crystal tiara and hung loose around my face. A gossamer white silk dress was draped across my shoulders, and it floated around me in an iridescent sheath of fabric.
In the dress, I felt like I was a fluffy cloud on a summer day.
My makeup was subtle but pretty.
Pink gloss shone on my lips and matched the pink on my nails.
I’d covered up the scar on my cheek, and my skin glowed tan from the sun. Vanilla-scented oil covered every inch of my body, and I smelled delicious.
My favorite part—cobalt ice covered my hands and crawled up to my elbows, creating the illusion of elegant gloves. Ice also wrapped around my skull-tattooed throat like a choker.
The Necklace of Death pulsed warmly against my skin.
Majestic red and gold feathers tickled my back. Horse sat on my shoulder with his chest puffed out like he was proud. A sparkly gold bow was tied around his neck.
Snowflakes drifted across my neck and down onto my chest.
In tall diamond-encrusted heels, I was Lothaire’s height. He held on to my right arm with tears in his eyes.
Enchanted wedding music flowed throughout the quiet hills, and birds chirped as they passed above. The melody was extra sweet because of the enchanted champagne I’d finished off before I’d walked down the aisle.
I smiled, and a serene feeling bubbled up my chest.
It was exquisite.
Swans turned in the lake to watch our meandering ascent down the flower-lined aisle.
A mini horse trotted in front of us, and we stopped to let it pass.
I laughed as Lothaire gaped at the pink bows that covered its mane. Unsurprisingly, Corvus had been the one who gave all the animals extra accessories for the wedding because he didn’t want them to feel left out.
He came across as a harsh psycho, but inside he was a big flaming softy—and a complete psychopath.
It was amusing because you never knew what came out of his mouth; were we going to get into a screaming match and fight to the death, or was he going to blush and put a bow on a small animal? Horse girls were a special breed.
As we walked further down the aisle, I smiled at the small crowd.
There were a handful of guests sitting in white chairs: Vegar, Zenith, Lucinda, Jala, Jess, and Jinx. That was it.
No one else was present.
We hadn’t had a therapy session after we won the war because the High Court canceled our mandatory sessions, but I’d still invited Dr. Palmer.
She’d sent back a letter saying she refused to attend because she believed we should all be incarcerated because we were “a threat to civilized society.”
I’d written back reminding her that we’d saved all civilized society.
She hadn’t replied, which was too bad because some sunshine really could have done her some good.
I stopped our progress down the aisle to shake some feeling back into my fingers because my left arm had gone numb thanks to my best friend.
Sadie walked beside me down the aisle.
She wore the same gown and shoes as me, but she was struggling to walk in the heels. I shook my head at her because I’d told her she could just go barefoot, but she’d refused. She said we had to match.
Her white hair had new red highlights and hung low down her back in a silky sheet. She’d visited the estate every day as of late, and her golden skin had taken on a darker bronze hue that was reminiscent of Corvus’s.
She looked like a sculpture of a princess.
She was stunning.
If you’d told me a few months ago that all three of us would be walking down the aisle together—her, Lothaire, and I—I would have said you were nuts.
Now it made sense.
During the wedding planning, Sadie had gone from maid of honor wearing white and walking me down the aisle to a bride herself. Mostly because she’d wanted to stand beside me for the entire ceremony and plan everything, so it was easier to also just make her a bride.
She took her role as bridezilla very seriously.
In fact, she’d had three mental breakdowns just yesterday because the swans weren’t cooperating and letting her walk them down the aisle on crystal leashes (truly shocking).
When she’d waded into the pond and tried to put the chain over their heads, she’d been shocked by how uncooperative the birds were.
After an hour of wrestling with the wildlife—and losing while everyone watched—she’d stomped out of the pond and called the swans “mean sluts who were going to die alone.”
At that point, the swans had taken offense to the slander. They’d removed themselves from the water and chased her across the field with flapping wings.
She’d cried because “the most special day of Aran’s life is now ruined.”
I’d patted her on the back and walked away because she was clearly projecting.
Now she, Jess, and Jala sobbed for different reasons.
Both of us were getting married—together.
It was just a formality, since both of us were already mated.
But it was fun to dress up.
It was fun to put on makeup and pretend that we were two country girls living a provincial non-violent life under the sun.
We were just two ordinary women committing to the loves of our lives. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jinx rolled her eyes as we walked past, and I blew her a kiss. Warren was draped over her shoulder as a ferret scarf, and I gave him the evil eye.
When we got to the end of the aisle, which was a towering ice sculpture covered in flowers that Sadie and I had handpicked, Lothaire took his seat and Sadie and I faced our men together. Four shifters stood in black tuxedos to the left, and my five mates stood to the right in dark-green tuxedos with gold accents (I had a fashion reputation to uphold).
Horse cawed as he took flight and spiraled above.
I laughed when I saw Luka and John wore skull earrings that matched the kings. John smirked and fingered the jewelry.
“Don’t scrape it with your nails,” Scorpius said as he wrapped a possessive hand around the back of John’s neck. “It’s a wedding gift, you’re supposed to cherish it.”
John smiled back at the blind king fondly.
My heart swelled.
I realized everyone was watching us expectantly, and I cleared my throat. “I promise to love you all forever,” I said to the men because we’d all agreed to keep it simple.
They smiled back at me and said the same.
I turned to indicate to Sadie that it was her turn to say vows, but Corvus grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him.
He pulled out a piece of paper with shaking hands.
“Aran,” he said, voice quivering as he began to read.
“Every morning I wake up and thank the sun god that I get to wake up next to you. Every day I watch you fly across the sky like a goddess, and I thank the sun god that I get to spend my days with such a divine creature—every night I hold you in my arms as we watch the stars, and I thank the sun god I get to spend my nights holding you.” His voice broke. “I experienced what this life was like without you in it—and it nearly broke me. It was sheer torment.”
Tears streamed down bronze cheeks.
“Life without you—was no life at all. So thank you for reminding me what it feels like to have a heart, a purpose, a life. You’ve given me everything. My mates. My home.”
His deep voice dropped to a tortured whisper. “You once told me that you were the dragon of the House of Malum, and I want to tell you today that you’re wrong.”
Silver eyes gleamed like starlight.
He pinned me with his gaze.
“Aran, you’re the angel of the House of Malum.” His voice broke.
Scorpius stepped forward beside him, his sharp features complemented by his suit. He looked dashing and dangerous.
The eye tattooed on his neck stared at me as he said, “You’re our angel.”
Orion nodded next to him, his long blond hair plaited back and his golden skin shining in the sun. He was breathtakingly handsome.
“You’re ours forever, sweetheart,” he said at full volume, cherry blossoms blowing around us like in a moment from a fairy tale.
The rest of the wedding was frozen by his voice.
It was just the two of us.
“I love you,” he said, brown eyes wide and full of unspoken emotions.
I smiled back, feeling shy all of a sudden. “I love you too.”
He stepped forward and kissed me, fingers gripping my jaw tightly he devoured me with his mouth.
Corvus abruptly yanked him back and growled “mine” like a wild beast.
There he was.
I sighed, leaned toward my Ignis, and threw my arms around his wide shoulders to calm him. Our faces were close together because of my heels. He trembled in my arms, and my vision misted as he whispered “mine” repeatedly like it was a prayer.
When I went to pull away, he refused to release me.
I patted his back because we all knew when he got like this, all you could do was help him calm down. Eventually he’d come back to reality.
“Three of three,” John whispered as he stared at me, then looked around at the other men.
“Eternally,” Luka whispered.
Their words didn’t make any sense, but their dark eyes shone with moisture like it meant something sacred to them. Crowns of darkness glittered on their heads, and capes hung majestically off their shoulders.
They’d grown out their hair, and what had once been messy was now luscious curls that hung to their shoulders.
They were breathtakingly handsome.
I wasn’t the only one of my mates who’d noticed. Scorpius kept resting his hand on John’s ass and Orion kept sneaking looks at Luka.
Sadie said her vows, but I missed most of them because I was so focused on the warrior trembling in my arms and the men who stood around us.
It hadn’t happened overnight, and at times, it seemed impossible, but somehow the twins, kings, and I had meshed into one unbreakable unit.
Somewhere in the far past, a little girl with blue curls, who’d only known torment from those who were supposed to be closest to her, sobbed with gratitude.
She had a family—a real family.
We both did.
And it was everything.
When Sadie and her mates finished speaking, Cobra’s eyes had transformed, and snakes crawled across his skin and hers.
The sun set in shades of fuchsia and magenta as the ceremony ended.
With teary eyes, we meandered as a group over toward my favorite tree, which was covered in little twinkling fairy lights. Tables of food were spread out and overflowing.
There were chairs to sit in, but everyone chose to eat on the blankets spread out across the lawn.
When the stars twinkled brightly in the sky, the enchanted speaker switched from soft music to a pounding beat.
Vegar grinned as he passed around bottles of expensive demon brew.
A few minutes later, everyone at the party was heavily intoxicated. We sang under the stars and ate the moist lemon cake with our fingers.
At one point, Cobra and Scorpius got into a fight to see who could handle the most pain. An hour later, Cobra was in a chokehold with his eyes popping out of his sockets, and he refused to call it quits.
Jax had to pull them apart, and they were forbidden from talking to each other the rest of the night.
It didn’t work.
Later that night, Cobra pulled Scorpius behind the tree and stabbed him in the thigh with a carving knife. They both smiled at each other and watched blood drip.
I rolled my eyes at their antics and turned back to the party.
I was too drunk to judge.
The best part of the night was when John tried to fight Sadie because she kept boxing him out on the dance floor. Luka stepped in before his twin could get his ass beat.
It was a messy, chaotic night.
It was perfect.
At one point, in the early hours of dawn, I sat tiredly at a table to catch my breath from the dancing and sipped water while I watched everyone else frolic.
A tongue licked up my leg slowly, and I jolted.
The lemon-meringue-patterned tablecloth hid him from view completely, and I tipped my head back and closed my eyes as Scorpius made good on his promise.
When the sun crested over the rolling hills, the men took my hand and RJE’d me to a surprise location. I was convinced they were taking me to a beach somewhere.
I was wrong.
It was even better.
We arrived at the fae palace, and I gasped in shock.
“Surprise.” Corvus smirked.
The men explained how they’d put in an announcement the week prior that I’d be returning to face my challengers; as a result, the palace halls were filled with fae who wanted my throne.
Corvus’s expression became serious. “I trust you will eviscerate the competition. It is—hard for me to put you in danger like this. But I know what you can do.”
There had been a restlessness among all of us the past few weeks. A small itch that needed scratching.
I smirked up at him evilly and patted his arm. “Don’t worry, sweet cheeks.”
He looked worried.
But Orion opened his mouth before he could argue, and together we unleashed our powers.
A blizzard rolled in.
Fae charged forward but ice spread through the halls and froze them in their tracks. Their eyes widened with surprise then went blank as I tapped my staff and ice cut them to pieces.
Word spread and the fae stopped running toward me, but away from me when they saw me coming down the hall.
I chucked my head back and laughed.
The power intoxicating as I tapped my staff and eviscerated them.
Five men walked behind me with knives drawn like avenging angels ready to protect their woman if I needed their help.
I didn’t.
Forty minutes later, I walked through the ice-coated atrium and collapsed onto the seat of death with a smirk.
I raised my staff and slotted it in the arm holder.
The skull on top matched the black skulls that covered the throne.
It was a perfect fit.
I exhaled as I took in the body parts of the slain challengers that covered the floor of the throne room.
I didn’t feel bad for them.
Okay, I felt a little bad, but I was really not trying to think about it.
Instead, I focused on the high of victory.
My mates kicked the downed bodies with vicious satisfaction as they walked toward me with proud smirks on their faces.
Palace aides filtered back inside the castle, staring at me in awe as they took in the carnage. An enchanted broadcast stone floated overhead.
The fae realm got the first glimpse at their new leader.
Days later, I found out that the broadcast had record turnout, and afterward they’d held a realm-wide poll. My approval rating was above one hundred percent because some people had voted multiple times.
The realm was delighted to see their favorite fae princess as a powerful queen. The pundits were quick to claim that they’d been the first to recognize my strength as a child. They wrote that I was the strongest water fae the realm had ever known. They speculated my half-angel heritage made me invincible.
I let them have their delusion because I was a merciful ruler.
Mother had been wrong—I was stronger than she could have ever imagined. Stronger than she ever was.
Because the seat of death was mine, and I didn’t want it.
