Chapter Twenty
Gualtiero
The winter forest stands as a silent witness as I pace up and down the long, narrow carpet runner, marking the aisle for Ella to walk down.
Along each side, torches flicker, casting a warm glow over the clearing. Evergreen fir and pine garlands line the snow beside the rug, clusters of pinecones woven into the arrangement.
Our wedding altar sits beneath the large Sitka spruce.
Long strands of white fairy lights hang in a half-circle from a thick branch above, twinkling softly.
An opulent dark red rug marks where we’ll stand, hopefully distracting from the freezing cold creeping up beneath our feet.
It blends seamlessly with the aisle runner, fringed with a double row of dancing candles.
Lex, Rhia, and I really did a terrific job.
Ella will love it. I can’t wait to see her face when she takes it all in.
I step closer to the bonfire we lit off to one side to keep warm while we wait. Extending my hands toward the flickering flames, I let the heat sink into my stiff joints.
In this secluded spot, not a trace remains of yesterday’s ferocious blizzard. It has transformed into a stunning backdrop just in time for tonight’s ceremony.
Claudette and Lex watch me as I pass, their expressions openly amused.
“Are you afraid she’s going to be a no-show?” Claudette teases. “You know she’s a sure thing, don’t you?”
I don’t reply. God knows why I’m nervous. I don’t doubt for a second that Ella will come, but the minutes stretch endlessly.
I try standing still.
But it’s no use. There’s too much energy surging through my body. So I resume pacing, unconcerned with what the other two think of it.
Everything in my life has led to this moment. Though I never imagined it would look like this.
I always thought my wedding would be a grand affair, our church in Sicily overflowing with everyone important to la famiglia.
Yet here I am in the middle of nowhere, in a frozen forest lit by torches and millions of stars.
I stop and tip my head back, staring up at a sky so vast and clear. It’s something I used to do often on my island.
Ahh… my island.
I wish we could honeymoon there. Just Ella and me, with no one around for hundreds of miles.
Though I suppose we have the same seclusion here.
A cluster of stars catches my attention. They shine so brightly. For some reason, they remind me of my parents.
Papà? Mamma? Are you here with me? Are you watching this?
You’d be so happy for me. You’d love Ella… she’s the gentlest of angels. And the fiercest of queens.
In the near silence of this moment, only the crackle of the fire breaks the stillness.
This is perfect.
And I realize it’s exactly what I want… making my angel mine, with heaven and earth as my witness.
There are only two things that could make this moment better.
One, if Ella were finally here.
And two, if my brother were standing by my side.
The hoot of an owl pulls me from my thoughts.
Glancing at my two companions, I stride toward them.
“The girls should be here by now. What’s taking them so long?” I ask no one in particular.
Claudette giggles. “Oh, Tiero. You know brides are never on time. It’s all part of it. We need to keep you gents on your toes,” she teases.
Annoyed with her answer, I huff and resume pacing along the carpeted aisle.
What if Ella falls off the sled? Or it tips over? Rhia better not drive too fast.
What if the dogs get too excited and she can’t control them? What if they run off in the wrong direction?
I should have insisted they take the snowmobile. It would have been safer.
And Lex should have gone with them. Fuck, what if something happens to Ella on the way here? What if there’s a wolf attack?
Panic coils in the pit of my stomach.
My gaze locks onto the lit path the girls are meant to follow.
Suddenly, I bump into someone. I’m so distracted I didn’t even notice Claudette stepping into my path.
I’ve been trained to notice everything around me. Situational awareness kept me alive, and now I can’t even see a woman standing right in front of me?
What the hell is happening?
Claudette falls backward into the powdery snow, arms flailing.
Shit.
For a moment, all I hear is her laughter. Then a snowball hits me square in the chest, catching me off guard.
Claudette’s laughter grows louder as she scoops up more snow to form another ball. This one misses me entirely.
“Oh… oh… you should see your face, Tiero. It’s priceless,” she giggles, clutching her stomach.
A low laugh rumbles out of me, my earlier tension cracking. I help her to her feet, still chuckling.
“Here, have a drink,” Lex says, handing me a small flask. “You look like you need it.”
He holds out another one to Claudette. “Rhia prepared a drink for you and Ella too… for warmth or for courage. Whichever…”
Neither of us hesitates. I bring the flask to my lips and take a generous swallow. Whiskey. My brain registers it’s the good stuff, but it’s gone too quickly for me to savor it. The burn in my throat is a welcome distraction.
“Yum, a fruity cocktail,” Claudette hums beside me, taking another sip for good measure before handing it back to Lex.
We’re brushing the snow off our clothes when a surge of heat slams into my body.
Relief hits instantly.
Ella.
The jingle of bells confirms it, followed by the loud huffing and the occasional yowl from the dogs.
And there she is…
Down the torch-lit path Lex and I created, the sled comes into view. Ella holds the reins, guiding it toward me while Rhia sits behind her.
Of course, my angel would ignore my order. But I can’t find it in myself to care.
She’s here. That’s all that matters.
I stare as she approaches, unable to look away from her radiant face.
Everything inside me stills.
Heat floods my body, yet goosebumps rise along my skin, my stomach twisting in a way it only ever does for her.
She’s a goddess, riding her chariot, her dress billowing in the wind.
Like she stepped straight out of one of my mythology books and into my world.
She steps off the sled, and I’m rooted in place, watching her as Rhia helps her out of the heavy coat, replacing it with a fur shawl.
The moment she steps onto the carpet, her eyes locked on mine, I move.
I don’t care that I’m supposed to wait at the end of this makeshift aisle. I need her in my arms.
My angel meets me halfway, and I lift her, spinning us in a tight circle. Her laughter fills my ears, her scent wrapping around me. I drag in a deep breath, wanting to hold it there forever.
Her cold lips meet mine, and a sharp current shoots through me.
For one perfect moment, the world falls away.
She’s my peace.
My world is right when she’s in my arms.
Laughter around us pulls me back. I lower her reluctantly. She grips the lapels of my woolen coat, resting her forehead against mine.
“I don’t think we’re at the kissing part yet,” she whispers, looking up at me through her dark lashes. The smile she gives me is blinding.
“You and I are always at the kissing part,” I tell her, brushing my lips over hers before twirling us once more for good measure.
Then I set her down and jog back to my position under the tree as if nothing happened.
Ella returns to the end, or is it the beginning, of the carpet runner and stands there with a smile so bright I feel it from where I stand.
I take her in, letting my gaze wander over her from head to toe.
She’s ethereal in her rose-pink dress, the color standing out against the snowy backdrop.
A silver belt cinches her waist, catching the torchlight and glinting like a constellation.
She told me Rhia made something for her wedding outfit years ago and her mom brought it to Atlanta on instinct. This must be it.
Even beneath the layers I hope she’s wearing, the curve of her belly is unmistakable. Pride surges through me every time I look at it.
It’s a living testament to what she’s brought into my world. I want to watch her belly grow, to give her everything, again and again.
My cock stirs in my pants. Who knew I had a breeding kink?
Not now, though. Now is the time to bind myself to this woman… forever.
Rhia steps up beside her, dressed in deep plum that complements Ella’s. She smooths down her windblown red hair, then looks at Ella and bursts into giggles. Reaching up, she removes the light brown fur hat.
Ella’s blonde hair spills in soft waves over the fur shawl draped around her shoulders. The sight hits hard, my chest tightening before my pulse kicks into an uneven rhythm as she smiles at me.
For a second, I forget how to breathe.
“Proceed,” I tell Claudette, my voice rough.
Let’s begin.
I need to make Ella mine.