Chapter 52 Lucien
FIFTY-TWO
Lucien
Iwas completely fine until I saw Elodie and Fiona walking down the aisle toward where I stood on the ceremonial flower mound. I glanced over at Kane, who just grinned at me as if I was a lovesick fool.
To be fair, I was. And I was willing to tell anyone who asked how much I loved the woman about to walk down the aisle to finally seal our bond.
The last two weeks had been torture. I wanted to complete our bond the second she felt well enough, but she wanted to wait for the full moon.
I couldn’t deny her anything she wanted, and if that was a traditional bonding, well, it was hers. So we’d done it up big, and I think it ended up being a good thing. The pack females were really into it, and it seemed to have helped everyone rally around us as their new Alpha pair.
That was still strange, but I was dealing.
Having Valens’s support had been a big help.
He was sitting in the front row, next to his little sister, Vee.
She was the one exception to the rule about everyone rallying around us.
She’d been sullen and avoidant, and Olivia and I had both given her space.
Petró had been her fiancé. I couldn’t blame her for being mad at the man who’d killed him and taken his place.
But then I caught my first glimpse of Olivia, and all thoughts of pack politics flew out of my head as if they’d never been there.
She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid eyes on, bar none.
Her red hair was swept up off her neck in a graceful twist, dotted with little white flowers.
The dress she wore was green, just like her magic, and it fit her beautifully.
The off-the-shoulder top dipped dangerously low, displaying more than a hint of her creamy breasts, cinching in at her waist, and then flaring out into a large, sparkling green skirt that skimmed over the flower petal walkway.
Every step she took, a hint of bare thigh flashed at me from between the flowing layers of her skirt, making me want to growl at every other male in attendance for daring to look at her beauty.
But her smile? Her smile alone was radiant enough to steal the show.
Stunning didn’t begin to describe her, and I wanted every single detail etched into my brain for the rest of my life. I would never forget the way she looked at me right now.
She made good time up the walkway, but still, I was impatient.
This was the first day we’d been apart since her accident, and missing her was a constant itch under my skin.
I needed her presence on a visceral level, and when I broke tradition and closed the distance between us, she just smiled, opening her arms for me.
When I scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way, her heavy gown draped over my arm, she kissed me on the cheek and rested her head on my shoulder.
Mine.
The claim was a happy thrum in my chest, my wolf’s contentment that we were finally getting to bond undeniable. I hadn’t had another scar attack since I’d bitten her, and I knew my connection with my wolf had healed significantly since I stopped fighting the truth.
Olivia and I belonged together.
I hoped tonight, when we sealed the bond, we could also put the issues with my wolf behind us permanently.
Kane cleared his throat, reminding me I needed to set her back on her feet so the ceremony could continue. Reluctantly, I did. But I didn’t let go of her hands.
The small connection helped center me, kept me in the moment as the ceremony began.
Reed stepped up first with a single sheet of paper.
Normally, he’d just lay it at our feet and say the ceremonial blessing.
He paused, though, for a moment, holding it up so we could see it.
The deed to a hundred-hectare nature preserve, right here in Hungary.
“For prosperity,” he said, before squeezing my shoulder.
It was perfect for Olivia, with her mágissa talents. Untouched, raw nature, whenever she needed it.
Next was Fiona’s turn.
“For fertility,” she said, dropping to her knees between us and sprinkling scented water from a jar on our bare feet and ankles. Fiona rose gracefully, then dropped a kiss on Olivia’s cheek before resuming her proud stance behind her.
Elodie came next, grinning from ear to ear. “For passion.” I couldn’t hear what she whispered to Olivia as she dabbed the lovelace aphrodisiac perfume behind her ears, but it sent a delicious blush crawling up her neck that I wanted to trace with my lips.
Kane was the last one, holding our rings. He pressed the larger of the pair into Olivia’s hand and then her daintier band into mine. “For eternity.”
My hand shook as I held it up for Olivia to slide the band on my finger. Hers were rock steady as I slid her own diamond ring into place. I leaned forward and kissed her knuckle below the ring, and I knew my wolf shone through my eyes as I looked up at her.
“Mine.” It was a promise, and when she shuddered, the heat in her gaze lit the same fire in me. This ceremony needed to end, and fast. I needed to wear my female’s bite. No more waiting.
Kane almost looked apologetic as he spoke again, interrupting the intense moment.
“It’s customary for the male to offer a gift to his mate, to prove that he can protect and provide for her.
But more than that, that he cares for her.
Lucien, are you prepared to offer Olivia a mating gift to show you’re worthy of her love? ”
I nodded, rocking back on my heels as nerves hit me square in the jaw for the first time since I’d seen her. What if she didn’t like it? I’d been working on it every spare minute since we’d arrived at our new pack lands. I blew out a breath, knowing I needed to just get it out.
“I’d like to take you there and show you, if that’s okay?”
“Of course.” She smiled, looking confused.
“I promise it’ll be worth it.”
She nodded, and we both turned to Kane, waiting for his blessing.
“Okay, then. If you accept, there’s only one thing left. Lucien and Olivia, we gather here under the Goddess’s moon to bind you two together as mates. It is a lifelong bond, unbreakable, even in death.”
Olivia squeezed my fingers when he said that part. We both knew that death wasn’t strong enough to break us. I lifted her hand, pressing it to my face and holding it there, needing more of her.
“The bond between mates is completed with a bite. It is customary for this to be done privately and must be completed before the moon sinks from the night sky. In the eyes of the Goddess and these witnesses, I bless this joining. Go forth and claim your mate.”
I had her off her feet and in my arms before the small crowd even thought to cheer, and within a second, their cheers turned to laughter as I spun in a circle for the sheer joy of it.
She was mine, finally.