Chapter 32 Wen
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Wen
A Few Months Later
“Stop fussing,” Krystin grunted as she adjusted the fabric around my enormous belly for the third time.
“I’m not fussing. I’m trying to breathe.” I shifted my weight from one swollen foot to the other. “This dress is trying to kill me.”
“You’re the one who wanted a traditional wedding gown,” Daphne pointed out from where she was pinning my veil.
“I wanted a dress. Not a torture device.” I looked down at myself and groaned. “I feel like a whale right now. A very fancy, very uncomfortable whale.”
“You’re carrying a wolf in your belly,” Bella said. She was doing my makeup with surprising skill. “Of course you’re going to feel enormous. That baby is probably going to come out already knowing how to shift.”
I laughed despite my discomfort. “God, I hope not. That sounds terrifying.”
They’d been reluctant about stepping through the portal and leaving Earth behind for good, so we’d done a short ceremony with them earlier this week. Just us and some cake and a few tears. It was perfect and intimate and exactly what I’d needed.
Now they were helping me get ready for the big ceremony. The one in Lytopia with all the pomp and circumstance that came with marrying a werewolf king.
The one I didn’t particularly want but apparently needed.
According to Mal, this was the best way to keep me protected and ensure our child wasn’t born a bastard. Marrying me before the baby arrived would legitimize the heir and solidify my position as queen. Make it harder for anyone to challenge my authority or threaten me.
After the kitchen fire incident and his grand romantic gesture of buying me an entirely new kitchen, I’d said I’d thought about his proposal.
In truth, I hadn’t really needed to think it much, but I still made him wait one and a half months before I finally said yes.
Petty? Yes. Did I regret it? No. He had it coming.
And even though we both had known my final answer would be yes, he still had looked at me with those hopeful puppy eyes and had celebrated as if he’d won the best prize ever. It’d been cute.
My life was already insane. Might as well add a royal wedding to the mix.
Lately, as we started to give in to our relationship again and started to build trust again, we hadn’t been able to keep our hands off each other.
I had been horny as hell for the past few months, but unfortunately, my body was so damn uncomfortable all the time that the thought of actually doing anything more than touching seemed impossible.
Everything hurt. Nothing fit right. I couldn’t get comfortable no matter what position I tried.
He seemed entirely happy just holding me while we slept though.
Which was another development that had come after the fire.
We’d gone back to sharing a bed when I’d realized during those terrifying moments that I couldn’t lose him.
That despite everything, I needed him. The nightmares were less frequent with him there.
The pregnancy insomnia was more manageable.
And his body heat was perfect for my constantly aching back.
I wasn’t going to apologize for prioritizing my comfort. I’d had enough discomfort for a lifetime. I wanted nice and smooth from here on out.
Which is what had brought me here. To my wedding day. Nine months pregnant and wearing a dress that seemed expensive enough to fund a small country.
“Okay, you’re ready,” Daphne said. She stepped back with tears gathering in her eyes. “Oh god, you look beautiful.”
“Don’t you dare make me cry,” I warned. But it was too late. Bella and Krystin were tearing up too.
I fanned myself frantically because pregnancy hormones meant I cried at everything. Commercials. Songs on the radio. The way Mal looked at me sometimes when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.
“It’s time, Wen,” Krystin said, her voice thick with emotion. “You ready for this?”
I gulped and looked at my three best friends.
The women who’d stood by me through everything.
“Thank you. For everything. For being here. For not thinking I’m completely insane for marrying a werewolf king from another dimension who rejected me and burned down my kitchen trying to cook me an apology dinner. ”
“We still think you’re insane,” Bella said with a watery smile. “But we love you anyway. And the new kitchen is gorgeous.”
I hugged each of them carefully so I didn’t mess up the dress or makeup. Then I turned toward the portal that had been set up in the back room of my bookstore.
Deep breath. You can do this.
I stepped into the swirling light.
The journey was easier now. I’d made this trip dozens of times over the past few months. My body had adjusted. The nausea was minimal. I landed on the other side without stumbling.
Sorcha was waiting for me. She looked stunning in a formal gown of deep blue. Her hair was styled elaborately. But her eyes were what got me. They were shining with unshed tears as she looked at me.
“Oh, Gwendolyn,” she breathed. “You are absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I smoothed down the front of my dress self-consciously. “I feel like I’m about to burst out of this thing.”
“Nonsense. You look radiant.” She took my hands and squeezed. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
She linked her arm through mine and we started walking through the corridors toward the throne room. I could hear music playing. An orchestra. Mal had asked me to explain how human weddings worked and had apparently molded the entire ceremony to be familiar to me.
It was a sweet gesture. One that made my stupid pregnant heart squeeze painfully.
We reached the massive doors to the throne room and I could hear the music change. The wedding march. My cue.
The doors swung open.
The room was filled to capacity. Noblemen and councilmen lined the walls.
But these were the good ones. The ones loyal to Mal who’d supported him through the Andreas situation.
And there were others too. Kings and queens from other allied territories dressed in formal regalia that made my simple dress seem plain by comparison.
I’d learned over the past few months that Aurion and Mal were part of one of the most powerful families in Lytopia. The Ashborne family ruled two kingdoms, which apparently was a big deal. Families that held thrones were the most powerful in their world.
Mal had explained the seven allied kingdoms and the six ruling families to me multiple times. I’d tried to pay attention but pregnancy brain was real and I kept forgetting details.
Now I was regretting not taking better notes.
I didn’t know who half these people were.
But I remembered the basics. They were all part of a peaceful alliance.
The Valoryn Kingdom in the southwest was ruled by the Crescentborn family.
Moonhaven in the south belonged to the Briarfields.
The Wynter Kingdom in the northeast was controlled by the Silvermanes.
Duskmere in the northwest had the Goldridges in charge.
And Ebonvale Kingdom in the southeast was run by the Aurelius family.
He hadn’t explained what lay beyond those territories, though.
Only that there were more kingdoms, just not so peaceful. I hoped I’d never have to find out.
Five royal families watching me waddle down the aisle in a wedding dress. No pressure or anything.
My anxiety spiked as I took in all the eyes on me. All the scrutiny. These people were judging whether I was worthy of being Mal’s queen. Whether a human could possibly be fit to rule.
But then I saw him.
Mal stood at the front of the room wearing formal black clothing that made him look every inch the king he was.
I’d gotten used to his shorter hair over the past months and god, he looked so handsome it made my breath catch.
His tattoos were covered by the formal jacket except for one.
The one on his neck. My name. “Wen” in elegant script that was plainly visible for everyone to see.
His eyes were locked on me with an intensity that made everything else fade into the background.
The way he was looking at me. Like I was the only person in the room. Like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
My heart did that annoying flutter thing that it always did when he looked at me like that.
Sorcha walked me down the aisle slowly. My feet were killing me in these shoes but I forced myself to keep moving. To keep my head up. To not trip over my dress and embarrass myself in front of five royal families.
When we reached the front, Sorcha placed my hand in Mal’s and his fingers closed around mine immediately with warmth and strength that steadied me.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi, little mate,” he whispered back. His smile was soft and private, meant just for me. “You look stunning.”
“I look like a pregnant whale in a fancy dress.”
“You look perfect.”
The officiant began speaking. Some kind of high priest or religious figure.
He raised his hands and his voice carried through the silent throne room.
“We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls. King Malachar Ashborne of Ravenor and Gwendolyn Woods of the human realm. Two hearts becoming one. Two lives intertwining for eternity.”
I tried to pay attention but my feet hurt and the baby was kicking my ribs and I was having trouble focusing on all the formal words.
But then Mal turned to face me fully, took both my hands in his, and spoke:
“Wen. My little mate. My heart. I vow to love you for eternity. To protect you and our child with everything I am. To choose you every single day for the rest of my life. You are my reason for breathing. The light in my darkness. The home I have been searching for. I will spend forever proving myself worthy of you. Forever making up for the pain I caused. Forever grateful that you gave me a second chance I did not deserve.”
His voice cracked on the last words. His eyes were shining with unshed tears.
My own tears were falling freely now. Damn pregnancy hormones.
When it was my turn, I looked into his eyes and spoke from the heart.
“I’m still mad at you for a lot of things.
And we have a lot to work through. But I love you.
Despite everything. Despite the insanity and the drama and the interdimensional portal nonsense and the kitchen fires.
I love you. And I’m choosing to trust you.
To build a life with you. To be your mate and your wife and the mother of your child. ”
He squeezed my hands tighter.
The officiant continued. “The bonds of matrimony are sacred. Two souls joined. Two hearts beating as one. May the gods bless this union and grant these two souls eternal happiness.”
Then he said the words I’d been waiting for. “You may kiss your bride.”
Mal pulled me close carefully because of my belly. One hand cupped my face. The other settled on my lower back for support.
He kissed me softly at first and then deeper, pouring everything he felt into it until I could taste his love and devotion and promise and hope. I kissed him back and let myself feel it all through the bond. Let myself believe that maybe we could make this work. That maybe we had a future together.
The room erupted in applause. People were cheering, celebrating.
Mal pulled back from the kiss with the biggest smile I’d ever seen on his face. “My wife,” he said. “My queen.”
“Your very pregnant wife who’s about to-”
I stopped mid-sentence as I felt something warm and wet running down my legs.
Oh no. Oh fuck no.
I looked down at the puddle forming beneath my dress. Looked back up at Mal with wide eyes.
“My water just broke.”