Chapter Seventy-One
Wes
“He’s so freaking cute.” I held my nephew as Lexi messed with my hair.
She was one of my attendants. Lexi looked amazing in her green dress, considering she hadn’t given birth all that long ago.
Katie was also here with her little girl.
“Careful he doesn’t barf on your suit.” Lexi laughed.
“Wait, I want a picture.” My father snapped a photo of the three of us.
There was a knock on the door. “Wes, it’s time.”
“See you soon.” I handed my nephew back to my sister and hugged them and my dad.
I followed the wedding coordinator outside. Brennan had done an incredible job renovating the estate to look like it was straight out of the Tea-Time Britain Era. Every time I came here, more had been done.
It was doing well, too. The ballet having its gala here in the gardens before it was even ready to officially open had gotten him a bunch of bookings. So had us having our foundation Christmas party here and the gala for his dad’s foundation.
Brennan’s dad was here, and the new foundation was going well. The Queen Mum had stepped back from her business and was letting Liam and Troy try to save it, which so far wasn’t going as well as she’d hoped. Especially since Brennan’s dad would get a big chunk of it when the divorce was finalized.
Caroline hadn’t been heard from since she’d spoken up for Brennan’s mom. Riley found her socials, and it looked like she was busy with her pack and kids. Maybe she’d continue to mind her own business and be grateful for what she had.
The wedding coordinator led me to a night-blooming garden with a fountain and benches. No one was there. While family and attendants were here, guests hadn’t started arriving… yet.
But I saw the photographer. She was dressed like one of the attendants, so she’d blend in better, which made sense to me.
I heard footsteps and smelled Evan, who was as nervous as I was.
Turning around, I sucked in a breath. “You look as handsome as the day I met you.” Rushing to him, I kissed him deeply.
“You look amazing. Guess what? Sasha came.” He beamed.
“Good.” I know he’d worried about that.
“Keep facing that direction,” the wedding coordinator instructed, as I heard more footsteps.
“You can turn around now,” Grace said softly.
Evan and I turned around. Grace stood there. Her hair was fluffed, and she had a necklace of little gold roses, with matching earrings.
She wore a fluffy gold dress decorated with gold fabric roses. The dress I’d designed for her as a grown-up version of the one I’d drawn her in long ago. The dress that some big fashion house made custom for her.
But all I saw was her. The little girl in the pink dress told me that one day she was going to marry me.
Evan exhaled sharply. “Grace. You look beautiful.”
Going up to her, I cupped her face and kissed her long and deep, ignoring the photographer.
“I do,” I whispered.
“Me, too.” Her eyes met mine.
Now I realized what this moment was for. To just be with them and no one else. Someone had even left a bottle of champagne and a plate of tiny treats for us.
“My turn.” Evan picked her up and spun her around, then kissed her.
“You’re both mine.” I wrapped my arms around them.
Grace looked up at me. “Yes, we are.”
I took my place under the flower arch in the rose garden. Given it had been chilly recently, Brennan had gone to great lengths to make sure it was in full bloom. However, today the weather was cooperating, and we had a lovely, warm, early May day.
The arch itself was done in these incredible roses that were pale peach on the inside of the petals, and dark pink on the outside. The Princess Grace. Because Verity, the plant geneticist, had made Grace a rose for her mating gift. Something I didn’t know was possible.
Besides the roses Verity made, and the flowers in the garden, there were omega lilies everywhere, making the air smell sweet and happy.
“You okay?” Evan’s grandpa, dressed in a suit, asked me. He was going to be marrying us.
“A little nervous,” I admitted.
After Evan, Grace, and I got our private moment, the rest of the pack had joined us for photos. Now, here we were.
Chairs were set up in the garden and filled with our family and friends. Pippa wore a giant hat and looked like she didn’t want to be there. Creed was there with a very pretty friend. Surprisingly, all of Grace’s siblings and their parents had shown up, well except for Adriana.
Trials finished, Adriana was now in prison.
Giving the police names of the people who hurt Elaris had lessened her sentences, but considering she’d been found guilty both of trafficking Grace and stabbing Spencer, she’d still been there awhile.
Those who murdered Elaris were now in jail and the organization they belonged to had gotten such bad press when the truth came out that it was pretty much dismantled.
Mrs. Silvers had been found violating her house arrest, though she couldn’t remember why. Her for that and helping Adriana was that long. She hadn’t seemed to be interested in getting to know Grace and that was fine with us.
Spencer’s parents were seated next to Evan’s grandma. Jett’s family had come as well. So had Brennan’s dad. And of course, the sister pack.
Many of our co-workers and friends were also in attendance, including Grace’s friends from book club and the Daedalus society.
Mrs. Beekman, who was still Grace’s advocate, gave me a look that said I’m watching you. Carly, from the Center, sat nearby, quite pregnant, her mates with her.
A white runner ran down the center of the chairs, leading right to the flower arch.
Piano music filled the air, as Brennan’s friend, Kari, played a piano that had been brought out for the occasion.
Evan came over and joined me. “Here we are.”
“Today we marry Grace.” So much emotion overwhelmed me.
“I know.” Evan hugged me tightly.
“You boys did well. I like her,” Evan’s grandpa said.
“Ready?” the wedding coordinator asked us.
“Let’s do this.” I nodded.
“So ready,” Evan agreed.
We took our places, one of us on each side, with Grandpa in the middle.
She went off, and a moment later, the piano music changed.
Dare, with his cello, joined Kari. He was going to Boston Technical Institute, a well-known science university.
We were helping cover the costs so he wouldn’t have to take any money from his parents.
They didn’t know that he was majoring in music–Verity had helped him through the application and audition process.
The attendants started walking down the aisle, which consisted of sisters–Katie, Lexi, Sasha, Sonja, Verity, and Mercy. They all wore emerald green and carried bouquets of flowers. My nephew was asleep in my dad’s arms. My niece was awake and being held by Rami, looking around at all the people.
The sisters took their places, three on each side of the arch.
The music shifted again, and now the rest of the pack came, in their suits, with pink accents, omega lilies pinned to their suits.
Well, Riley carried omega lilies and wore a pink dress.
Jett and Brennan walked in together, followed by Spencer and Riley.
They took their places behind us, since the pack confirmation would happen right after the vows.
Seamlessly, the song changed into one that Grace had painstakingly written down for Kari and Dare, one from her world that she’d wanted played.
Pax, in a white suit, came down the aisle, pulling a flower-covered wagon with little Hope in it. She wore a rose-colored dress and tossed flower petals.
When he got to the end of the aisle, Pax pulled the wagon over to the side. Harry helped them take their seats.
Everyone stood as Grace took her place at the end of the aisle. She looked at us with sheer adoration, and I got so much love through the bond. Tru, in a little gold dress, walked behind Grace, carrying her train, beaming.
Giddiness shot through me. After so many years of lying on my bed, or the roof, or sitting in the park, talking about our wedding, of finally being reunited with her and going through everything that happened after she arrived, of patiently waiting so she and Evan could plan their dream wedding, we were finally getting married.
Just like we’d wanted in our dreams.
Evan had a silly look on his face, and I’m sure the other guys in the pack did, too. We were a family. We were complete.
And now we were fulfilling that childhood wish of ours. After all these years, I got to marry my Grace in the wedding of her dreams. My love. My soulmate. My peaches.
The one I loved until the end of the universe.