“You look gorgeous,” Verona told me, standing behind me as I stood in front of the tall mirror.
Sloane came over the day before, sent Theo to the packhouse for the night, and turned our bedroom into a dressing room. She set up a vanity, lights, mirrors, and tubes of makeup I didn’t know existed.
She primed, plucked, and plumped me into perfection. Olympia sat on the bed, snickering every time I whined. I begged Sloane not to go overboard, which she thankfully adhered to.
My dress was made by one of the women in the pack. It was sleeveless with triangles of fabric covering my breasts; the stomach of the dress was tight, and it flowed out from the waist. It was soft, elegant, simple. It was perfect.
My hair was left down in its usual curly mess with a white flower pinned on the side, showing off Theo’s mark on my neck. My heart raced as I looked at myself in the mirror, palms sweating, hands shaking.
“You’re going to be okay,” Verona fixed the back of my dress, tucking the fabric in snugly. “Everything looks beautiful.”
“I know.” I smiled. “This is just the last human thing I really have to do.”
“This isn’t the last thing,” she said lightly. “You and Theo are going to have babies, even if they are little werewolf babies. And you’re going to be there on their first day of school, and when they have their hearts broken. You’re going to grow old together.”
I turned and pulled her tightly to me, arms squeezing her small shoulders. She laughed and patted my back, careful not to mess up my hair; Sloane would have her head.
Someone knocked on the door loudly.
“Margo?” Caddy’s voice called. Verona opened the door, looked at me once, and then left us alone. “How are you?”
“Honestly?” He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m okay. I just wish…”
“You wish your parents were here,” he filled in. I nodded, smiling grimly. “I do, too. But they’re here, they’re watching over you. They never left you, Margo.”
I sat next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He put his hand on my knee, his warmth coating me. A female voice screamed my name from the first floor, and Caddy removed his hand.
“It’s like we have somewhere to be or something.” He chuckled playfully. I stood up and fixed my dress.
“I guess it’s our time to shine, Caddy.” I followed him out of the room. He watched me carefully as I descended the stairs in my long dress. Verona, Olympia, and Pilar were waiting at the bottom of the steps, adorning lilac-colored dresses.
Verona handed me a small bouquet of lavender and white hydrangeas. They walked towards the back of the house, right in front of the back doors that were covered in sheer fabric. The girls walked out first. I wasn’t able to see anything but white flower petals on the ground.
Tansy pushed her way in front of me, her basket filled with pink flower petals. She took her role extremely seriously and practiced many times before the big day came. She exited with a grand smile, followed by Joella carrying Rowan in her arms. An emerald dress laid beautifully under her fiery hair, and she bounced Rowan happily as she carried the rings for the sleeping baby.
Caddy squeezed my arm. Somehow, my nervousness faded the moment Caddy opened the door. I held onto his arm as he escorted me towards the altar where Theo waited. There was a simple wooden arch in the center, flowers, and vines woven into it.
Along the walkway, there were small bouquets of white flowers and simple wooden chairs. There weren’t many people sitting there.
Pilar, Olympia, and Verona stood to one side; Gabriel, Reese, and Eli to the other next to Theo. The rest of the chairs were filled with family and close friends, Emily and her mate, Sloane, the woman who sewed my dress, Cam and Gemma, Bodhi, Beau, and his mate Juniper.
I took everything in within ten seconds, and for the rest of the walk, I looked at Theo. He closed his eyes and opened them again, blinking rapidly. His eyes became glassy, and he ran his hand over his face to shake off the feeling.
I blushed and smiled. He looked so handsome, standing in his black suit with his hair combed back. A small sprig of lavender was pinned to his lapel, the same as his brothers.
We reached the alter faster than I imagined. Caddy let go of my arm, kissed me on the forehead, and took his seat next to Bodhi.
Pilar took my flowers, and I turned to my mate. There was no need for an officiator. It was a simple, short ceremony. We exchanged our vows, handwritten on sheets of paper we wrote one night after a few glasses of wine. We wrote them lying on the bed, constantly trying to peak at the others.
Theo unfolded his from his pocket; there were only a few lines written down.
“Margo. I’ve never been to a wedding before, and I’ve never heard vows, but I imagine it’s something like a promise. So, I promise you that I will always wake you up gently in the morning. I promise I will never interrupt you when you’re reading. I promise I will kiss you every day for the rest of our lives, no matter what gets in the way. Most of all, I promise you that I will be there for you forever. You’re never going to get rid of me.”
I could barely see with the tears clouding my vision. I giggled stupidly as I wiped the tears away. Pilar handed me a sheet of paper.
“Theo. You are the first person I want to see when I wake up in the morning and the last person I want to see before I go to bed even if you try to keep me awake every night. You’re the only person I
