Chapter 38 Corin
CORIN
Corin stood beneath the arch at the very edge of his orchard, surrounded by flowers and fairy lights and the faces of everyone he'd ever cared about, and his bride was late.
"Relax." Elias stood at his shoulder, steady as always. "She's not running."
"How do you know?"
"Because I can see her through the trees." Elias nodded toward the farmhouse. "She's laughing at something Wendy said."
Of course she was. Chloe was always laughing again. It was one of the things he loved most about her.
The afternoon sun filtered through the bare branches, warming the February air.
Heaters hummed at the edges of the gathering, pushing back the chill, and everywhere Corin looked, he saw life returning.
Green shoots pushing through the last patches of snow.
Buds swelling on branches that had been dead two weeks ago.
His bees, impossibly active for the season, drifting between the hives in lazy spirals.
The land was healing. They all were.
Twyla caught his eye from the front row and gave him an exaggerated thumbs up.
Beside her, Diana dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief while Rowan pretended not to notice.
Maeve sat with the Cross pride, looking uncomfortable in something other than tavern clothes, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd like she expected trouble even now.
Emmett and Katniss occupied seats near the aisle, their daughter balanced on Katniss's lap.
Lucien and Moira sat behind them, Lucien's perpetual scowl softened into something almost pleasant.
Freya was already crying, and Kieran was pretending he wasn't affected while holding her hand tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
His family. All of them. Not by blood, but by choice. Then the music shifted and everyone turned.
Chloe appeared at the end of the aisle, her arm linked through Wendy's, and Corin forgot how to breathe.
The dress was simple, ivory and lace, but she glowed in it. Her pale blonde hair was loose around her shoulders, woven through with tiny flowers that Freya must have added that morning. The emerald ring caught the light as she walked, and the mate mark on her hip pulsed warm beneath his own skin.
But it was her smile that undid him. Bright and fierce and full of everything she'd fought to claim. Joy. Belonging. Home.
She reached the arch, and Wendy kissed her cheek before stepping back. Chloe turned to face him, her green eyes shining.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi." His voice came out rough. "You're late."
"Wendy had opinions about my hair."
"It looks perfect."
"I know." She grinned. "Worth being late for."
A silver-haired witch named Helena cleared her throat gently. "Shall we begin?"
The ceremony was simple. Traditional vows spoken beneath the arch, witnessed by the town that had become their family. Corin's hands shook as he slipped the wedding band onto Chloe's finger, but his voice was steady when it mattered.
"I take you as my mate, my partner, my wife. In this life and whatever comes after."
"I take you as my mate, my partner, my husband." Chloe's voice rang clear across the orchard. "In this life and whatever comes after."
Helena smiled. "And the addition?"
Chloe turned slightly, addressing the crowd as much as Corin.
"When I came to Hollow Oak, I was running.
From my past, from my power, from everything I was afraid to be.
I thought I'd never belong anywhere." Her eyes found his again.
"I was wrong. I belong here. With you. With all of you. And I promise to spend the rest of my life protecting this place and everyone in it. This is my… our vow, to always protect our home. Our family.”
"By the power vested in me by the Council and the old ways," Helena said, "I pronounce you bonded in all senses. You may kiss your bride."
He did. Thoroughly. The crowd erupted into cheers and wolf whistles, and somewhere near the hives, the bees rose in a humming cloud that might have been celebration.
The reception flowed seamlessly from ceremony. Tables laden with food appeared as if by magic, though Corin suspected it was mostly Twyla's organizational skills. Music drifted from speakers hidden among the trees, and lanterns flickered to life as the sun began to set.
"Congratulations." Emmett clasped his hand, pulling him into a brief embrace. "You deserve this."
Katniss appeared at Emmett's elbow, their daughter squirming in her arms. "Stop being serious. It's a party." She kissed Corin's cheek. "Welcome to the married club. It's exhausting and wonderful."
"Sounds about right."
Elias found him near the drink table, pressing a glass of mead into his hand. "How does it feel?"
"Like I'm dreaming."
"You're not. I checked." Elias clinked his glass against Corin's. "Kaia sends her congratulations. She's having one of her moments near the beehives."
"Good moment or concerning moment?"
"She said something about honey, spring and new beginnings. I think it's good."
Freya swept past in a blur of copper hair and happy tears, pausing just long enough to squeeze Corin's arm. "She's perfect. You're perfect. Everything is perfect."
"You made the dress."
"Kieran helped with the embroidery. Don't tell anyone."
"Secret's safe."
The evening deepened. Dancing broke out beneath the fairy lights, couples swaying to music that seemed to rise from the earth itself. Corin watched Chloe spin through the crowd, laughing as Twyla taught her some fae step that looked impossible and probably was.
She caught his eye across the space and smiled. Just for him. The mate bond hummed between them, warm and golden and permanent.
"You're staring." Wendy appeared at his shoulder, a knowing glint in her brown eyes.
"She's my wife. I'm allowed to stare."
"Fair point." Wendy sipped her drink. "You know, when I first had visions of her coming here, I wasn't sure it would work out. Too many variables. Too many ways it could go wrong."
"What changed?"
"You." She looked at him seriously. "You gave her room to become who she needed to be. Most people try to shape their partners. You just... made space for her."
"She didn't need shaping."
"No. She didn't." Wendy smiled. "Take care of her, bear. Or I'll know about it before you do."
"So I've been told."
The hours slipped past and through it all, Chloe glowed. Dancing, laughing, accepting congratulations and hugs from people who'd once whispered about her druid blood. The same people who now looked at her with respect and gratitude.
She'd saved their home. They weren't likely to forget it.
Near midnight, she found him at the celebration, watching the stars emerge above the orchard.
"Hey, husband."
"Hey, wife." He pulled her against his side. "Having fun?"
"The best." She leaned into him, her warmth seeping through his jacket. "But I'm ready to have a different kind of fun."
"Oh?"
"Mm." Her fingers traced patterns on his chest. "I was thinking we could slip away. Have our own private ceremony."
"That sounds very serious."
"Very." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I might even let you unwrap your wedding present."
Heat shot through him. "Chloe."
"Corin." She rose on her toes, her lips brushing his ear. "Take me home."
He didn't need to be asked twice.
They slipped through the trees, leaving the music and laughter behind. No one stopped them. No one even seemed to notice, though Corin suspected that was Wendy's doing. Seers were useful like that.
The farmhouse was warm and quiet, lit only by the moonlight streaming through the windows. Chloe turned to face him in the hallway, her dress glowing silver in the darkness.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too."
"Then stop talking and take me to bed."
He swept her up in his arms, her laughter ringing through the empty house, and carried her up the stairs.
Behind them, the orchard hummed with celebration. The bees sang in their hives. The land pulsed with new life, healed and whole and full of promise.
And Corin Vane, beekeeper and bear shifter and husband, finally knew what it was like to not just exist, but to truly live.