Page 10 of Born to Be Legends (Soulbound Universe)
Patrick didn’t bother holding back his smile, a warmth blooming in his scarred chest that had nothing to do with the soulbond as he and Jono turned to face each other. He reached for Jono with his other hand, both of them holding on to each other as they stood side by side, as they always had.
Patrick had lived most of his life with gods meddling in it. He believed in them because he had no choice, but they had no place in the wedding. Gerard knew that, and the words he spoke for the ceremony were secular in a way, despite his background.
“Patrick Collins and Jonothon de Vere have walked some desperately hard roads through no fault of their own to find peace. Words and deeds have bound them”—Patrick snorted at Gerard’s subtly arched eyebrow as he did not mention the soulbond, but those in the know would clue in to the unspoken reminder—“in ways many of us will never experience. To that end, I offer this cord as a symbol of your devotion to each other and the way your lives are forever entwined.”
The gold cord seemingly appeared out of thin air in Gerard’s hand, the magic of its making brushing softly against Patrick’s senses.
It was suffused with power, made with care, the essence of both Gerard and órlaith twined through it.
Having it wrapped around his and Jono’s hands and deftly knotted was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, Gerard’s words washing over them like a blessing.
“With this binding, may everyone see what ties you together in this life and beyond. May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door,” Gerard said.
The traditional blessing was one both Patrick and Jono had agreed on just the other day when Gerard and órlaith had come over for dinner to discuss the ceremony. It had been a long night of reminiscing, of laughter and wine and whiskey, their many wars far behind them on some other shore.
Gerard settled his hands above and below their bound ones, a soft smile on his beautiful face. “May you know nothing but peace.”
The flare of warm magic that suffused Patrick as well as Jono, judging by Jono’s rapid blinking, was more than a blessing. It was a godly decree from one whom Patrick had thought of as his brother in arms when they had served together in the Mage Corps and a friend always.
If peace was Gerard’s present to them, Patrick was not going to say no.
“With the handfasting complete, I release you to speak your vows and exchange rings,” Gerard said. A simple tug on the cord with his hand and a bit of magic unraveled it. He tucked it into a pocket to give to them later before taking a small step back.
Patrick let go of Jono’s hands, turning to receive his ring from Wade while Jono did the same with Sage.
The metal still held the ghost of dragon magic in it, pricking against his senses.
Patrick tipped his head back slightly, looking up into Jono’s familiar wolf-bright blue eyes.
Despite all the literal hell they’d gone through, he was glad they’d ended up here.
Jono reached for Patrick’s left hand, fingers warm. Jono had won the coin toss Wade insisted they perform to see who would get to say their vows first.
“A long time ago, I said I would be your weapon if you would be my pack.” Jono’s grip tightened around his hand, as if they were both holding on to forever and never wanted to let go.
“I don’t regret my offer, and I’ll always love you, no matter what.
You were who I was looking for, even when I didn’t know I was missing anything in my life.
I’d fight the gods all over again for you, but I’m glad I don’t have to. ”
Jono’s lips quirked up into a smile just for him, and Patrick couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him as Jono slid the ring onto his finger. The gold was warm against his skin, the feel of the ring new but like he’d never lived without it before.
Patrick reached for Jono’s left hand, holding the wedding ring over the tip of Jono’s finger. The way his stomach swooped was all excitement, not nervousness, because there wasn’t anything to be nervous about when it came to the rest of their lives together .
“You’re the reason I’ll always come back,” Patrick said, because it was a truth ground down in his bones, the soulbond something that had stretched itself between worlds, forever tying them together.
He didn’t need to say anything more than that because Jono already knew how much he meant to Patrick.
He slid the ring onto Jono’s finger, the fit perfect.
Jono wrapped his hand around Patrick’s, grip firm, the glint of gold on his finger drawing Patrick’s eye. It looked good on him.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married,” Gerard said. “You may kiss your—all right then, I hadn’t even finished my sentence.”
Patrick didn’t have time to laugh at Gerard’s verbal stumble, not with the way Jono had dragged him in close so the taller man could dip him back into a kiss that left no doubt how they felt about each other for their audience.
The catcalls and whistles and clapping were a distant noise in Patrick’s ears; the only thing he was aware of—like always—was Jono.
They finally straightened up, breaking the kiss, but Patrick didn’t let Jono go, giddy in a way he’d never thought possible. Jono laughed, pressing a kiss to Patrick’s forehead, and Patrick didn’t want to let him go.
“That was the shortest wedding ever,” Wade said, sounding mournful.
“You’ll get fed faster,” Patrick tossed over his shoulder.
“Oh, yeah! Hurry up and walk down the aisle.”
Jono laughed, tugging on Patrick’s hand.
He let himself be led down the flower-strewn grass, between the rows of everyone who’d born witness to their marriage, tiny mageglobes erupting overhead like fireworks, courtesy of Spencer Bailey.
Despite the crowd, Patrick only had eyes for Jono—for his husband —and he refused to look away.
Despite the odds, despite the gods, despite everything in this world and beyond the veil, Patrick had found his happiness in the man beside him.
“I love you,” Patrick said as they made it to the end of the aisle.
Jono leaned over to kiss him, his thumb pressed over Patrick’s wedding ring. “I love you, too. Now, come on, husband. If we don’t get wedding pictures, Sage will murder us both.”
Patrick threw back his head and laughed, even as the word resonated in his soul like a bell.
Husband.
It had a nice ring to it.