Chapter 163

Agnes

I placed my hand in Elijah’s, my heart fluttering in my chest as he led me down the steps from the stage. The crowd parted, forming a circle around the dance floor. His arm slipped around my waist, drawing me close.

It still amazed me just how perfectly our bodies fit together.

And then we were moving, gliding across the polished floor as if we’d danced together a thousand and one times before. Elijah led me with such ease that I didn’t even need to think about the moves—I just let him guide me around the floor, our footsteps so light that we were practically floating.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” I murmured, surprised by how easily we moved together.

Elijah smirked. “I may have taken a few lessons over the past couple of months. Just to brush up on my skills.”

The thought of him secretly practicing, all for this moment, made my chest swell. How long had he been planning this? How many little details had he considered, all to give me the wedding of my dreams?

As we spun around the floor, my mind drifted to the nightmare I’d had—the one where my wolf had spoken to me. In my confusion, I’d misunderstood her message. She hadn’t been telling me that Mason was my mate; she’d been warning me about him, urging me to go to Elijah for protection.

Because Elijah was my true mate. I felt it now, more clearly than ever. Perhaps my wolf was still dormant, but I felt it, and it had nothing to do with the lingering remnants of the aphrodisiac in my system.

Someday, I hoped, my wolf would emerge from her hibernation. Then we could feel the full extent of whatever connection was between us. Maybe with Olivia in custody—assuming she was the one who’d placed the spell on my wolf in the first place—she wouldn’t be able to maintain whatever magic had kept my wolf subdued all these years.

“What are you thinking about?” Elijah asked, tilting his head.

“My wolf,” I admitted. “I hope with Olivia in custody, she’ll be able to emerge.”

A flicker from a nearby candle illuminated Elijah’s eyes. “We’ll figure it out. I plan to question Olivia about a lot of things, including what happened to your wolf. But—” he spun me in a graceful turn, bringing me back against his chest, “—for tonight, let’s just focus on our wedding.”

Our wedding. The words sent a thrill through me. This was real. Elijah loved me, had chosen me, had planned this entire elaborate event just to show me how much I meant to him.

“I love you,” I murmured, my cheeks flushing. I wasn’t sure if I could ever get used to saying them out loud, but they felt right.

“I love you too,” he replied, dipping his head to brush his lips against mine.

The dance ended too soon, the final notes of the song drifting through the air as the crowd applauded. Elijah kept his arm around my waist as we moved to the side of the dance floor, making room for other couples to join in as the orchestra began a new melody.

“Alpha! Luna!”

We turned to see one of the servers approaching. “The cake is ready if you’d like to cut it now.”

Elijah glanced at me. At my nod, he said, “Lead the way.”

The server guided us to a table near the back of the room where a massive wedding cake now stood. Five tiers, and each one was positively exquisite. The exterior was decorated with intricate fondant flowers and gold accents.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, circling the cake to take in the details. “And it’s—”

“Vanilla with raspberry,” Elijah finished for me. “Gertrude told me it was your favorite.”

My heart swelled. Of course she did.

A crowd gathered around us as a knife was produced. Elijah placed his hand over mine on the knife, and together we cut into the bottom tier, the blade sliding smoothly through the soft cake.

Cameras flashed as we fed each other the first bites, Elijah deliberately getting a dot of frosting on my nose before kissing it away, making me laugh and the crowd cheer. It was such a simple, sweet moment—one I would remember forever.

As the servers took over cutting and distributing the rest of the cake, Elijah and I mingled with our guests. The Alpha and Luna of this pack, who had graciously loaned their estate to us—at no cost—for the wedding, greeted us and wished us congratulations.

I recognized the Luna as one of the women who had modeled for me in the past, and I was incredibly grateful for the generosity, making a mental note to send a gift basket as thanks.

Throughout the evening, we danced, laughed, and accepted congratulations from everyone. I was continuously amazed by how much thought Elijah had put into every aspect of the wedding. From the food to the decorations to the music—everything reflected my taste perfectly, even things I’d never explicitly told him I liked.

“You really outdid yourself,” I told him as we swayed to a slow song, my head resting against his chest. “How did you manage to plan all this without me noticing?”

Elijah grinned, looking incredibly pleased with himself. He looked almost impish, a flicker of the young boy within shining through. “It wasn’t easy. James helped a lot, and so did Evelyn and Gertrude. Plus, you’ve been rather distracted with your sewing.”

Just then, Thea appeared at our side, tugging on the hem of my dress.

“Can I dance with you two?”

My heart melted at the sight of her. Elijah lifted her up, settling her on his hip.

“Of course, princess,” he said, extending his other arm to me.

The three of us swayed together, Thea’s arms wrapped around Elijah’s neck, her head eventually drooping onto his shoulder as exhaustion began to take hold. It was well past her bedtime, and after a thorough sugar high and a hearty dinner of steak and potatoes and a whole lot of running around with the other kids, I could tell she was moments away from passing out.

“You’re gonna be asleep in minutes,” I murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Am not,” Thea mumbled, although her eyes were already half-closed. She turned her sleepy gaze to me. “Are you my real mommy now, by the way?”

The question caught me off guard, but my answer came without hesitation. I leaned in, pressing a kiss to her soft cheek.

“I’ve always been your real mommy, sweet girl,” I whispered. “Since the very first day.”

Satisfied with my answer, Thea nestled closer to Elijah, her eyes fluttering closed. Within moments, she was asleep, just as I’d predicted.

“I think it’s time to get the princess to bed,” Elijah said, nodding to where James was waiting nearby. “James can take her home.” James approached, carefully taking the sleeping Thea from Elijah’s arms.

As he carried her away, Elijah took my hand. “Speaking of enjoying our night,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear through the ongoing party, “What do you say we make an early exit?”

Fresh heat formed in my belly at his implication, but I gestured to the surroundings. The guests had only just begun the festivities, and seemed to have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. Some of the men, drunk and with their tuxedos in disarray, had formed a circle on the dance floor and were performing some kind of traditional dance very poorly, making the women laugh.

“What about the guests?” I asked.

“They’ll be fine,” Elijah assured me, already leading me toward the same door that would lead us upstairs. “The party will go on for hours yet. No one will miss us.”

We slipped out of the ballroom, making our way back upstairs to the honeymoon suite. To my surprise, the room had been cleaned, all signs of the earlier confrontation erased. New candles flickered on the dressers, and fresh rose petals scattered the now-made bed. The balcony doors stood open, letting in a cool night breeze that made the curtains flutter.

But when we reached the threshold, Elijah surprised me by sweeping me into his arms, cradling me against his chest.

“I believe this is traditional,” he said with a grin, carrying me into the room.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, laughing as he kicked the door shut behind us.

…

Hours later, as the first rays of dawn painted the sky in shades of pink and gold, we stood on the balcony. I wore nothing but Elijah’s white dress shirt, the fabric practically to my knees on my smaller frame, while Elijah had pulled on only his trousers.

The cool morning air raised goosebumps on my bare legs, but I didn’t mind. The view from up here was spectacular—rolling hills stretching to the horizon, the first light of day bathing everything in warm gold.

“Beautiful,” I murmured, leaning back against Elijah’s bare chest as his arms encircled my waist.

“Yes, you are,” he replied, pressing a kiss to my temple.

I rolled my eyes. “Smooth talker.”

Elijah chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and into mine. “I have something for you,” he said, reaching for a bottle of champagne that had been chilling in an ice bucket on the small table.

“More champagne?” I asked, watching as he expertly popped the cork. “Isn’t it a bit early?”

“It’s never too early for a celebration,” he countered, pouring the sparkling liquid into two flutes. “Besides, I’m not done surprising you yet.”

He handed me a glass and cleared his throat. “I’ve planned a honeymoon for us. For all three of us, actually—you, me, and Thea. We leave next week for a private island in the tropics.”

My eyes widened. “A tropical vacation?”

“Two weeks of sun, sand, and relaxation,” he confirmed. “Nothing else. Just us.”

The thought of it—days spent on white sand beaches, swimming in crystal-clear water, watching Thea build sandcastles and hunt for seashells—brought fresh tears to my eyes.

“That sounds… perfect.”

Elijah raised his glass. “To us,” he said. “To new beginnings, and to the next chapter of our lives together.”

I clinked my glass against his and grinned.

“To us.”

As we sipped the champagne, watching the sun rise over the estate, I leaned against him and let out a small, contented sigh.

Everything was going to get so much better from here on out. I just knew it.