Chapter Mila #2
“Oh my stars!” Gerri exclaimed, her hands flying to her chest as she took in Mila’s appearance. “You look absolutely gorgeous! I knew this would work out perfectly, but this—“ She gestured dramatically at Mila’s transformed appearance. “This is even more magical than I expected.”
There’s something in her eyes, Mila realized, studying Gerri’s expression carefully. Like she knew about my ancestral connection all along.
“Did you know?” Mila asked softly, tilting her head. “About my wolf guardian bloodline?”
Gerri’s smile turned mysteriously knowing, her eyes flashing that telltale gold. “Let’s just say I have excellent instincts about these things, dear. Your mother’s spirit called to me the moment I stepped into your father’s law firm.”
Mila’s father stepped forward, his usually composed demeanor softened by unmistakable emotion. “Sweetheart, you look absolutely beautiful,” he said, his voice slightly thick. “I’m so proud of you. You’re going to make a great queen.”
The sight of her father’s eyes growing misty shocked Mila to her core. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him emotional—not since her mother’s funeral.
“I sure am going to miss having you around the firm,” he continued, clearing his throat. “But you were right about the other paralegals. They’ve really stepped up, and I’m... well, I’m learning to adjust to life without my precious daughter around already.”
Tears pricked at Mila’s eyes as she reached for his hands. “Dad...”
“Your mother is looking down on you today,” he said, his voice growing stronger with conviction.
“She’s so proud and happy for you. You know, she always talked about the moon and wolves so fondly.
I never understood it before, but now...
” He shook his head in awe. “She must have known this was your destiny all along.”
“That’s quite something,” Gerri interjected warmly, “to have such strong women so connected to wolves. It’s a very beautiful thing indeed.”
Mila felt her ancestral connection pulse through her blood like a gentle river of warmth, connecting her to her mother’s memory and to the ancient lineage that had led her here.
“Now then,” Gerri said, clapping her hands together, “we simply must not keep your wolf king waiting any longer, or he might shift and come whisk you away before we can have this proper wedding ceremony!”
All of them laughed, the sound echoing through the guest suite and washing away any lingering nerves.
“Ready, sweetheart?” her father asked, offering his arm with old-fashioned gallantry.
Mila took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Queen Sira’s necklace against her throat and the promise of her future settling into her bones. “I’ve never been more ready.”
They made their way through the grand corridors, past tapestries depicting Ice Moon pack history and crystalline windows that caught Nova Aurora’s twin suns. The ceremonial hall doors stood open before them, revealing a space transformed into something out of a fairy tale.
Hundreds of candles flickered throughout the hall, their warm light dancing off the ice-blue stone walls. Representatives from all three packs filled the seats, along with council elders and visiting dignitaries. But Mila’s eyes found only one person in the entire room.
Cade stood at the altar beside Elder Grimm, magnificent in his formal black suit with gold embroidery that caught the candlelight.
His thick dark hair was perfectly styled, and his green eyes burned with an intensity that made her breathless.
Despite his commanding presence, she could see the slight tension in his shoulders—her powerful Alpha king, nervous on their wedding day.
The music began—a hauntingly beautiful melody that seemed to resonate in her very bones—and her father squeezed her arm gently.
“Let’s get you married,” he murmured.
They began their procession down the aisle, and Mila was dimly aware of the gasps and murmurs of appreciation from the gathered crowd. But her focus remained entirely on Cade, whose expression shifted from nervous anticipation to pure reverence as she approached.
His eyes never left her face, drinking in every detail of her appearance like a man seeing sunrise for the first time. When she was halfway down the aisle, she saw his lips curve into that devastating smile that was hers alone.
He looks like he can’t believe I’m real, she thought, warmth blooming in her chest.
When they reached the altar, her father placed her hand in Cade’s with obvious reluctance to let her go. “Take care of her,” he said quietly.
“With my life,” Cade replied firmly.
Elder Grimm stepped forward, his ancient voice carrying easily through the hall. “We gather today under the light of Nova Aurora’s twin suns and the blessing of the Moon goddess herself to witness the union of King Cade Dravik and Mila Eldridge, and to crown our new High Sovereign Queen.”
The ceremony proceeded in a blur of ancient words and sacred rituals, but Mila remained focused entirely on Cade. When the time came for vows, he spoke first, his voice clear and strong.
“Mila, you came into my world when I thought I had everything figured out. You showed me that strength isn’t about control—it’s about trust. About opening your heart even when it terrifies you.
” His eyes burned with sincerity. “I promise to love you fiercely, to stand beside you as an equal, and to spend every day proving that you were always meant to be my queen.”
Mila’s voice trembled with emotion as she spoke her own vows.
“Cade, you saw me when I felt invisible. You believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.
I promise to stand beside you through every challenge, to bring light to the darkness, and to love you with everything I am for all the days of our lives. ”
Elder Grimm smiled as they exchanged rings—simple platinum bands that would mark them as eternally bound. Then came the moment Mila had been anticipating with equal parts excitement and awe.
The crown was unlike anything she’d ever seen—delicate silver worked with moonstone and sapphires that seemed to hold captured moonlight. As Elder Grimm placed it gently on her head, she felt a surge of power and purpose flow through her.
“By the ancient laws of the Ice Mountains and the blessing of the Moon goddess,” Elder Grimm announced, “I present to you Queen Mila Dravik, High Sovereign Queen of the Ice Mountains territory.”
The hall erupted in cheers and applause, but Mila heard none of it. Her entire world had narrowed to Cade’s burning green eyes.
“You may now kiss your queen,” Elder Grimm said with obvious satisfaction.
Cade’s hands cupped her face with infinite tenderness as he looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the universe.
“My queen,” he murmured, low enough that only she could hear.
Then his lips claimed hers in a kiss that was pure fire and devotion—possessive yet worshipful, claiming yet cherishing.
It was a kiss that spoke of forever, of battles fought together and victories shared.
A kiss that declared to everyone watching that this was his mate, his queen, his equal in all things.
Mila kissed him back with equal passion, pouring all her love and joy into the connection between them. She didn’t care that hundreds of eyes were watching them. This moment belonged to them alone.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Cade rested his forehead against hers.
“Are you ready for your next great adventure with me?” he asked, his voice husky with emotion and barely contained desire. “Together as king and queen?”
Mila’s smile was radiant with happiness and anticipation. “I can’t wait for many great adventures with you,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Including children.”
The way his eyes darkened with primal satisfaction sent heat spiraling through her. My Alpha, she thought with delicious anticipation of their wedding night.
“Soon,” he said, his voice a low growl that made her shiver with want.
As the crowd continued to cheer around them, Mila felt nothing but pure joy.
The woman who had been invisible and ordinary just weeks ago was gone forever.
In her place stood a queen ready to embrace whatever challenges and adventures lay ahead, secure in the knowledge that she had found her true home and her perfect partner.
The future stretched before them, bright with infinite possibility.