Chapter 7 Adrian
Adrian
Even though I knew what her response would be—there’d been no doubt in my mind or heart that she would say yes—I still sighed in relief. Heat filled my chest as our guests cheered and Ivy moved to stand directly in front of us.
“I give you this ring,” Maeve said, sliding the ring she’d gotten back from Dante’s compound onto Ivy’s finger, “again as a sign of our love and protection.”
Ivy blinked hard, though she choked on a sob. “I can’t believe you found it.”
“It was like the Goddess knew,” the vampire murmured.
“This ring is my wedding gift to you. Will you take me, a mhuirnín, as your wife and life partner? Will you let me love you for the rest of our lives, to care for you in the only ways I know how? For so long, I have been broken, lost. The darkness was the only way I knew how to live. Until I found you. You are my light, my hope, my salvation. Without you, I would still exist without hope. But you, Ivy, are my hope. My dreams. My everything.”
There was no point in stopping the tears now.
Ivy couldn’t speak as she nodded, which brought Maeve into her arms. They shared a kiss, one that had some of our friends and family clapping.
Usually, these sorts of things were more private.
But both Eloise and Thea fought for this, and just through the bond alone, I could tell it was the right call.
Ivy might have been a private person, and these last couple of months had shown just how much she valued that. But not even she could hide how happy she was to be with her friends and family for this moment.
And honestly, I felt the same way. When I looked out over the crowd of guests, I saw the faces of the people who stood by us during the war, those who’d protected my mate, who saved her in ways we hadn’t.
Ivy flushed as she pulled away from Maeve, though her smile didn’t falter. “And now’s the part where I mark you?”
Maeve nodded. I knew she wasn’t hesitant at all about being marked by Ivy.
The last couple of months had allowed us all to get closer.
It started out as something for Ivy’s sake, because even though Dante was defeated and we were safe, there were still some obvious tensions.
But now, I could say that we were family.
Like siblings, only we shared a wife now.
Goddess above, I really liked the idea of calling Ivy my wife. Now I got why Rhadamanthus loved it so much. It was like a drug.
My wife. I couldn’t wait until it was my turn.
Ivy helped Maeve undo her suit jacket so the flesh connecting her shoulder and neck was exposed. Ivy had never actually bitten anyone before—not as part of her connection to Maeve’s power or as a shifter—so now was a first for everyone.
But our girl didn’t hesitate. Fangs popped free of her gums, borrowing the power of the vampire, and with silent consent from Maeve, Ivy bit her neck.
Maeve hissed, eyes flashing red, but Ivy pulled back a moment later. It didn’t take long for the bite to heal, leaving only a dark scar in its wake, but it was enough.
This time, everyone cheered as Ivy helped Maeve pull her jacket back on properly. “I love you,” Ivy murmured, smiling.
Maeve dropped her forehead to Ivy’s and sighed. “I love you, too.”
The next to take Ivy was Hawk, holding each of her hands between his.
“I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I hope to show you I’ll never be that male again.
That one you question or worry about. I am yours completely, Ivy Wilson.
Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be yours until Nyx claims us. Will you give me your mark?”
Ivy blinked hard, lips pressed together. “You give me no reason to doubt you, Hawk. I haven’t in a long time. And I would love to.”
Hawk released a shaky breath, bowing his head. Ivy cupped his cheek before moving her hand to his neck, and for a moment, her eyes flashed purple.
When she released Hawk, there was a flare of purple on his skin. A clear brand that would let anyone who looked at him know he was her mate.
I admired the way it appeared on him. White against his tanned skin, it was the strike of lightning during a storm here on the island, cutting across the sky and into the sea. Branches cut off from the main striking point, almost like tree roots.
Hawk took both her hands and dropped a kiss to her forehead. They probably talked through the bond between themselves as more cheers sounded. To my surprise, Hawk’s two remaining team members stood and clapped, both proud of their old leader.
I knew there was still some heavy tension between them. Hawk didn’t want to appear weak in front of them with his memory loss, but they were helpful. It’d been hard initially, but they didn’t judge him or what happened.
Rhadamanthus was next, his hands framing her face and wiping away tears. “Somehow, you look even more beautiful today than you did at our first wedding.”
Ivy laughed, covering one of his hands with her own. “You think?”
“Of course, I do,” he murmured. “Because now you are my bonded mate. And I yearn for your mark, wife. A real one. Whether that be a brand or your bite. I want proof on my skin that you have given me this blessing yourself. I need the realms to know that I am yours.”
The bond was so bright with her happiness that it could have burned us all.
But it only made me warm, content. I had wondered if I would feel jealous watching her mark the others before me, but I didn’t.
There was a heavy respect instead. Maybe it was because I’d known this would be the case, that I would share her with so many others.
Or maybe it was because now they were my friends—my new brothers and sister.
I clapped like everyone else when Ivy placed her brand on Rhadamanthus. Along his jugular went a small line of runes that almost mimicked the one he’d placed over her heart, and when she pulled her hand away, there was a smile on his lips brighter than anything I’d ever seen from the male before.
The demon handed Ivy over to Orion, who pulled her close.
They didn’t kiss, but he brushed his nose against hers.
“My flower,” he murmured, softly so only she—and us—could hear.
“I always wondered what this day would look like. With you walking down an aisle dressed in white. Tying our lives together in this final step. I am so glad it has finally come to pass, because I could not wait a moment longer for it. I’ve waited a lifetime for you.
Missed out on so many years by your side.
I never want to experience that again. Make me your husband, my flower. Be mine forever.”
Ivy said yes on a shaky breath, and it took us all by surprise when he bared his neck for her.
Rowan and I had a bet he’d take the brand.
We’d all talked about it beforehand: those who bit for claiming wanted a bite in return, those who branded wanted to carry the same.
But for us who claimed with magic, whose mark wasn’t visible, we’d considered which choice we would make.
I wanted to take Ivy’s bite. There was something about it that called to my magic, and to feel the sting of her claim, to physically know what it felt like…I couldn’t explain it, but it was something I very much wanted.
Rowan had still been on the fence, and Orion said he wanted her to choose.
Orion sighed when her teeth left his skin, the bite-mark already healing as she pulled away. “I love you,” she whispered, running her fingers gently over the healed scar. “And I’m so glad we found each other again.”
“You saved me,” he whispered, just low enough that only she could hear. “Every day. You are my salvation, my light, and I am honoured to be yours.”
Ivy blinked away more tears as she pressed her lips to his.
My heart pounded against my ribs when Ivy pulled back.
They shared silent words, then she was with me.
My hands trembled, shaking almost violently as I took hers.
For the first time in two weeks, her fingers weren’t stiff and swollen.
There was a healthy amount of colour in her cheeks, a brightness in her eyes that made my chest warm.
“There’s a lot I want to say,” I whispered, tears burning in my eyes.
“So much. But I don’t think there’s enough time today to tell you everything.
So, I’ll settle with the obvious: I love you.
More than I’ve ever loved anyone. More than I think I’ll ever be able to comprehend.
You are my strength, my courage, my anchor.
Without you, I would still be adrift, a shell.
And you will never know just how much I love you, how much I need you.
You are, and always will be, the greatest gift the Goddess has ever given me.
More than I deserve. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being mine.”
I felt the tears spill free before I could stop them. Ivy wiped one away before cupping my cheek, her own eyes wet with tears. “I love you. You’ve always been strong, Adrian. And you’ll always be mine.”
“Mark me,” I whispered, pulling my collar back. “I want to forever be yours in the eyes of everyone. I want your claiming bite.”
Her eyes widened a fraction, but heat and something else filled the bond from her end as she drew in a deep breath.
Like she’d already done, her fangs popped free.
She struck like the force of her brilliant lightning, sinking her teeth into my flesh.
I expected to feel pain or a searing burn. But neither of those things happened.
There was heat, and love, and everything I could have ever wanted in her claim.
Through the bond, I saw flashes of our firsts: the first time she laid eyes on me in the reception area of the hotel, the moment we saw each other in the cafe, the day our bond clicked into place, our first kiss, and when I claimed her as mine, our bonds finally complete.
And in that moment, I also saw our future. The birth of our children, the parties we’ll throw for the girls, the quiet nights together under the stars, the family dinners, the five hundred years waiting for us.
I saw it all—with her.
Ivy released my throat with a sigh, and for the first time since we completed our bond, everything felt right. Even.
Her claim on me settled, the skin tender but healing, but I felt it almost as clearly as our bond. Thank you, I said, taking her lips in a burning kiss. Thank you for loving me.
Always, she replied softly, like a promise for forever, one my heart knew was true. Forever. I’ll love you for eternity, Adrian Kingsley.
And I will love you more, I replied.