Chapter 19
Linsea
Iwas flying high as I watched my family wholeheartedly embrace Kayog.
Despite expecting they would click, a sliver of apprehension had still lurked at the back of my mind at the possibility that things might go awry.
I couldn’t decide whether to be amused or roll my eyes as my mom kept fussing about how handsome and sweet he was.
Even my nana was shaking her head at Mom.
Considering how picky I’d always been about potential partners, her enthusiasm made sense. For a while now, Mom feared that I would remain single forever. That always struck me as silly since I was still only twenty-six. But it didn’t matter. I had found the love of my life.
Watching him engaged in an animated conversation with my father about some of the cases he had litigated on behalf of the enforcers had a warm and fuzzy feeling settling in my chest. Once you got my father going about the law, good luck ever getting him to stop.
Granted, his stories about some of the Prime Directive violations he encountered were quite fascinating.
Many times, he had to get creative to find workarounds for the Enforcers to intervene locally despite the strict regulations forbidding access to the planet.
It was always touchy when, in order to catch trespassers, you had to break the very law you were trying to arrest them over.
I left my mom with my nan to chat while I walked over to my mate to see if he needed rescuing from my overly verbose father. I gently scratched the feathers on Kayog’s nape, and he wrapped a possessive arm around me as I leaned against him.
“How are you two doing?” I asked. “I hope Dad isn’t driving you crazy.”
My father snorted and gave me a playfully outraged look.
“No, he wasn’t,” Kayog said, amused. “His stories are truly enthralling and quite educational.”
“Uh oh! You’ve been ensnared in his trap. There might be no saving you,” I said with an overly dramatic crestfallen expression.
My father huffed. “I’m not the one who should be entrapping him. The question is more when are you going to officially shackle him?”
My jaw dropped, and a deafening silence settled over the room.
“Dad!” I exclaimed. “That’s not a proper question to ask!”
“Why not?” he countered, looking genuinely surprised. “Beyond the fact that Kayog can see when two people are soulmates—which he stated you are—anyone with eyes can see how perfect you are for each other.”
I shifted uneasily and cast a nervous glance at Kayog. The only thing keeping me from panicking was the peaceful and amused emotions radiating from him.
“Be that as it may, he shouldn’t be pressured into settling down with me,” I mumbled.
Kayog tightened his hold around my waist before drawing me into his lap.
“That’s one thing no one will ever have to pressure me into.
You are my heart and my soul. I would marry you right this instant if you were ready.
There can never be another one for me. However, the day we officially commit our lives to each other will be on whatever timeline is comfortable for you.
Whether in a week, in a month, or in a decade from now makes no difference to me so long as you’re in my life,” he said gently.
With each of these words, I melted a bit more against him.
“There can never be another for me either,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Well then, the family is here,” Mom chirped enthusiastically.
A part of me wanted to tell my parents to back off, but another was too busy basking in my mate’s love. Kayog’s hopeful expression did the strangest thing to me.
“Fair point,” I said pensively. “However, Tala is constantly threatening to pluck me. If she finds out I got married without her present, she will go berserk on me.”
My entire family burst out laughing, along with Kayog, who nodded with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.
“Hey, that would spare you the long and unpleasant process of your next molting. But I doubt it would make an appropriate look for your upcoming mission,” he said teasingly.
“Definitely not fashion-appropriate,” I replied with an overly dramatic expression before sobering. “Tala and Mares aren’t too far away. We could fly them over for a night.”
Kayog nodded. “I would also love for Isobel to attend.”
“Then let’s make it happen,” Nana Arika said in an imperious tone.
And just like that, we quickly made arrangements, and our friends were over the moon at the unexpected invitation.
As Temern weddings were always a small and intimate affair, we only had to arrange transportation, accommodation, and a simple buffet for the small group of people in attendance.
Normally, only the parents, grandparents, and siblings were present, although you occasionally included other very close relatives or dear friends.
Still, the ceremony rarely involved more than eight or ten people, the couple included.
Traditionally, the wedding took place in the garden or backyard of the couple’s marital home. As we were still temporarily living in the apartment attached to the UPO’s research center, we only had a balcony. And the common courtyard didn’t feel appropriate for the event.
Working her magic, Isobel secured permission for us to use the stunning garden in the religious sanctuary attached to the refugee shelter she volunteered in during the time Kayog had been kept in stasis.
It put the fanciest botanical gardens to shame with exquisite floral arrangements in a pastel palette.
As per our customs, we held the ceremony just at the beginning of nightfall.
As many of the exotic flowers naturally glowed in the dark, it bathed the garden in a dreamy halo of soft colors.
Strategically positioned glowstones marked the pathways and provided additional light via the various statues and sculptures they had been seamlessly embedded into.
Isobel led us to the open area in front of a massive, intricately sculpted fountain which protruded from the wall at the easternmost end of the garden.
Around the edges of the oval basin that received the water from the fountain, religious symbols representing multiple faiths could be seen illuminated from within.
Kayog and I stood face to face, holding hands.
Isobel presided over the ceremony, an honor normally reserved to the oldest matriarch in the couple’s bloodline, which would have been either my oldest grandmother or his.
As Kayog didn’t know his family, it automatically defaulted to mine.
With my maternal grandmother having passed away a few years back, it should have been Nana Arika.
But she graciously passed on the honor to Isobel.
In more ways than one, the priestess helped keep my mate alive all those years before I finally came into his life.
She wasn’t simply his best friend anymore, she was my sister, and a cherished member of our family.
My parents, Tala, Mares, and Nana Arika were standing in a circle around us.
A wider space between Dad and Mom was left for Isobel to join them.
Once the first part of the ceremony was completed, she would close the circle as they would all hold hands, my friends inserted in between a member of my family.
“We are gathered here to bear witness to the union of two souls, of two wonderful people who have overcome incredible challenges, and emerged from them stronger and more unified than ever. It is my tremendous honor to preside over the joining of my dearest brother and beloved sister.”
We both glanced at Isobel, the same love I felt for the human priestess emanating from my mate.
Contrary to many human religions, Temern couples didn’t exchange vows or follow any complex rituals.
Anything that needed to be said was communicated through our empathic abilities.
That connection would be made even stronger—and in fact unbreakable—once we completed the bond.
Still, Kayog and I both chose to exchange a few words. She nodded at us to tell us to proceed.
“Kayog, you entered my life like a whirlwind. I wasn’t looking for love or a partner.
But the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew.
I foolishly tried to resist, but some things cannot be denied.
Fate brought us together. I chose you then, now, and always.
For you, I will fight the gods themselves, if I must. No one has ever brought me greater happiness or made me so complete as you have.
You make me laugh and rediscover the wonders of our worlds with fresh eyes.
With you, I feel safe, respected, worshipped even.
Every moment by your side is a blessing.
I vow to love you until my last breath. Whatever the future holds for us, whether the storm or a clear blue sky, nothing can ever tear us apart.
You are my heart and soul. And I am yours forever,” I said, my voice constricted with emotion.
The adoration in his eyes and radiating from him wrecked me. His hand around mine tightened.
“In my darkest hour, you shed a divine light that guided me to the type of peace, joy, and happiness I never even imagined possible. You fought for me, protected me, and loved me when I was beyond broken. You gave me a new lease on life, a wonderful family to belong to, and a future that I cannot wait to explore with you, regardless of its highs and lows. I vow to be your partner, your best friend, and most loyal supporter. I promise to cherish and honor you, to love you unconditionally whatever challenges arise, and to be your safe haven, just as you are mine. My heart, my body, my soul, everything that I am is and will always be yours. I love you, Linsea.”