Bonus Chapter #2
Since moving in with Maverick, the two had become almost inseparable.
Cole and Maverick adored each other, and Zera could see the fatherly love only bloom further as time passed.
So when Maverick asked if she ever thought about him adopting Cole as his own son, Zera knew then that their little family was falling into place.
It was a moment Zera would never forget.
The only time Cole’s biological father ever reappeared was to sign the paperwork, and then he vanished into the ether again.
Good riddance, Zera thought. Cole deserved a father figure who prioritized him, who would put everything on the line just to save him, who would show Cole what a true man was.
Maverick was all of this and more. Sometimes it wasn’t about the family you were born to but the one found in the least-expected places.
“Yay! Daddy!” Cole nearly dropped his cracker as he ran back to his aunt Sloane to get his pants.
Zera rose, smoothing out the gossamer fabric of her A-line gown that fit her perfectly at the waist, embroidered with vines, tiny flowers, and dewdrop-like crystals, accentuating her figure before flaring out in a pool of skirts behind her.
“Are you ready?” Jade asked, taking the rings out of her jacket pocket and looping them into the pillow that Cole would take down the aisle.
The gold bands caught the light, a symbol of Maverick’s unyielding loyalty and love for her that, in turn, spoke to her own promise to stand by his side in all the adventures and trials life would bring.
Zera gazed at the rings, feeling a surge of gratitude for the love she had found in Maverick.
Zera drew in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “I’ve never been more ready in my life.”
Jade gave her a knowing smile. Her sister always could see more than she let on.
“Ready, Auntie!” Cole called, diving out of his aunt Sloane’s arms to jump up and down in front of his auntie Jade.
His lavender tux matched Sloane’s silk dress and Jade’s bow tie.
Zera couldn’t help but think how fantastic they all looked.
And now with her parents in the crowd? Perhaps everything was falling into place.
“You are?” Jade asked, kneeling down so her face was at Cole’s height. “Okay, your aunt Sloane and I have a really important task for you. Do you think you can handle it?”
Cole nodded emphatically, his brown curls bouncing.
Jade handed the pillow with the rings to him. “Do you think you can take this pillow to Maverick? You see him standing at the end of the aisle with all those twinkly lights?”
“Uh-huh,” Cole replied, taking the pillow.
“Awesome!” Jade applauded him. “Okay, I’m going to open the door, and you go right to Maverick. But no shimmering. Got it?”
“Got it.” Cole grinned, flashing his werewolf fangs, and nearly flew out the back door at inhuman speed when Jade slid it open.
“Wow, he’s fast. Even without shimmering,” Jade commented.
“That he is.” Sloane shook her head with a loving smile, her beautiful brown skin standing out against the lavender straps of her dress.
“You look gorgeous, babe.” Jade placed a kiss on Sloane's lips before turning back to Zera. “Alright, Quinn, you’re up. Sloane and I will follow you, and then I’ll be back for you, Zera.”
Zera watched as Quinn led the way, followed by Jade escorting her gorgeous wife down the aisle, the soft strains of music filling the air as the two reached the end of the aisle.
The soft orange glow of the sunset filtered through the canopy of leaves above.
The magical ambiance of the forest seemed to intensify as Zera took a deep, contented sigh, her heart swelling with love for her sister and Sloane.
As she waited for her cue to make her own entrance, she couldn't help but steal another glance at Maverick.
He stood tall and proud, holding Cole in his arms with the ring bearer pillow in tow, his eyes fixed on the glass door Zera stood at that Sloane had enchanted so those outside couldn’t see in.
Moisture brimmed Zera’s eyes again, but they were tears of joy as she watched the two most important men in her life.
This was her family, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Jade soon returned and reached for Zera’s arm.
Zera took it without hesitation. With a grace that seemed to make the very air around her quiver, Zera took her first step down the aisle.
The hem of her dress whispered over the white carpet, a cascade of fabric that shimmered like moonlight on water.
Each stride was an affirmation of her strength and love.
All eyes turned as Zera neared, escorted by her sister.
The music changed to a lilting melody, the string quartet playing with as much passion and love for the song as Zera felt in her own heart.
Everyone rose to stand, even her parents, who gave her an encouraging, diplomatic nod.
It was more than Zera could’ve asked for, and she was grateful to have her family, especially her sister, by her side today.
But then it all faded away as Zera reached the end of the aisle and Maverick’s eyes met hers, a silent exchange passing between them that spoke volumes.
Finally, mere steps away from Maverick, Zera reached out with slender fingers that held not just the power to enchant but to touch the deepest recesses of the soul.
Maverick, holding Cole in on arm, took hers in his, his warmth enveloping her, and as their fingers entwined, it was as if two disparate melodies had converged into a harmonious chord.
Jade took Cole and guided him to a seat reserved for them while Sloane took her position as the officiant. Zera and Maverick stood facing each other, hands clasped, their gazes locked in a dance of unspoken promises and shared dreams. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath in reverence.
Sloane’s voice, soft and soothing, welcomed honored guests and invited Maverick and Zera to say their own vows.
“From the moment I became a mother, every day has been a wonder and a battle, a chance to rise and protect the magic within us.” Zera’s voice grew richer with each word, an echo of her once-solitary struggle.
“But, Maverick, you entered our lives so unexpectedly, fierce and unyielding, yet beneath it all, you bore the calm resilience I didn’t know I was missing.
You never sought to tame the wildness of my heart; instead, you fought beside me, your faith unwavering. You are my forever faeboy.”
Zera winked, her words eliciting a knowing chuckle from Maverick that made his eyes dance.
As she finished, her vows hanging suspended like the final note of a symphony, Maverick’s eyes glistened, not with sorrow or coldness but with a warmth that radiated love.
He took a deep breath, the habit of running his hand through his hair absent in this sacred moment, replaced by stillness.
“Zera, the moment I first saw you, I was struck,” he said, his voice deep and sincere.
“Not only by your beauty but your strength. You not only saved my life on our very first date, but you took charge and didn’t let your fear take control of you.
And after playing the part of your fake husband, it didn’t take long for me to realize I wanted to be yours. For real and for always.”
Maverick brought her hand up to his and kissed the top of it before murmuring, “Today, I vow not just to protect but to cherish you and Cole, to be the shield against any storm and the laughter within these woods.”
If Zera’s heart could melt, it would be a pooling mess all over their dressy shoes.
The raw honesty in his words was more than she could ever have hoped for.
Zera’s hand trembled ever so slightly as Maverick slipped the ring onto her finger.
It was a simple band but glittered with the hidden magic of the bonded promises they’d made to each other.
Maverick’s eyes flickered from stormy gray to wolf gold as she did the same, securing his ring on his finger, his hands engulfing hers as soon as it was secured.
“And now that we have witnessed these promises,” Sloane said, her voice rising above the soft music that played in the background. “By the authority given unto me by the Fae Realm, I now pronounce Zera and Maverick ma—”
A loud thud cut Sloane off, causing Zera’s heartbeat to stutter. The guests collectively turned and murmured in surprise when another guest emerged from the sliding back door. But this wasn’t just any guest. Zera recognized the silver-haired man with the deadly blue eyes in an instant.
Kraven, known to Zera and Maverick as the notorious incubus crime lord, sauntered down the aisle, commanding attention as he took a seat next to Zera’s parents as if he knew them.
Zera could only stare and gawk as her own mother smiled at him.
She actually smiled. Zera couldn’t remember a time when her mother showed that much emotion, but Kraven’s arrival seemed almost welcome to her parents. How did they know each other?
“Apologies for my tardiness,” Kraven said smoothly, adjusting his silver tie with an air of nonchalance. His piercing blue eyes flicked between Zera and Maverick, their gazes briefly locking before he leaned back in his seat.
The moment of tension hung in the air like a thick fog, causing Zera’s breath to hitch.
She hadn’t thought Kraven would come. She hadn’t seen him since she gave him her last payment and the debtor’s promise was lifted.
Zera had only sent him an invitation because of formalities, but the fact that he actually came sent a sinking sensation through Iris.
Why was he here? Did he want something else from them?
Zera didn’t know much about the nearly extinct incubi, but there was always a price paid by those around them. Would that price be paid now? Would something jeopardize her and Maverick’s marital plans?