Page 30

The front door swung open without warning, and Gerri Wilder sailed into the villa in a pink pantsuit that somehow looked both elegant and ready for business.

"Miss the wedding of my favorite success story? Not a chance." Gerri winked, then lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Congratulations are definitely in order today. So, six months along?"

"Very anonymous," Gerri agreed with a mysterious smile. "The world's certainly not mourning him. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say." She raised her glass. "To freedom—and to that new record label of yours. Island Freedom Records! I love the name."

A knock at the door made her heart leap. Her dad peeked in, his eyes immediately welling with tears.

"Ready, Chrissy-bear? Your wolf is prowling the beach like he might start howling any minute."

Chrissy laughed, the sound bubbling up from a place of pure joy. "He wouldn't dare. The pack would never let him live it down."

As her dad offered his arm, Chrissy took one last look in the mirror. The moonlight streaming through the windows caught the mate mark on her pale neck, visible above the sweetheart neckline of her gown. She traced it gently with her fingertips.

"That man," she whispered, "is about to be so permanently stuck with me."

Her dad squeezed her hand. "He's the lucky one, honey. And he knows it."

Chrissy's arm was linked with her dad's as they made their way down the moonlit beach, a path of white rose petals guiding them toward the wooden arch where Zev stood waiting.

Torches flickered on either side of the makeshift aisle, casting a golden glow across the pristine sand while the full moon hung heavy in the night sky, showering everything in ethereal silver light.

"Look at him," her dad whispered. "He's actually nervous."

Chrissy's heart skipped a beat at the sight of Zev—powerful, fierce Zev—shifting his weight from one bare foot to the other.

His casual linen suit perfectly highlighted his broad shoulders, the open collar revealing just enough of his tanned skin to make her mouth water.

His eyes locked on hers, an almost predatory intensity radiating from him even now.

"He's facing scarier things than rogues tonight," she whispered back, fighting tears. "A hormonal bride and her overprotective father."

Her dad chuckled softly. "I think he'd take on an army for you, Chrissy-bear."

The small gathering of pack members stood in respectful silence as she approached, but Chrissy only had eyes for Zev.

His usually stoic expression had softened, those impossibly blue eyes filling with unmistakable emotion as he took in her silk gown flowing over her baby bump and the orchids adorning her loose updo.

When she finally reached him, Zev didn't wait for formalities. He stepped forward and placed a possessive hand on her rounded belly, his large palm splaying over where their son grew.

"Mine," he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

A delicious chill ran through her at the raw possessiveness in that single word. Six months of pregnancy had only intensified his protective instincts, as if that were even possible.

"Yours," she agreed softly.

Her dad kissed her cheek before placing her hand firmly in Zev's. "Take care of my little girl," he whispered to his soon-to-be son-in-law.

"With my life," Zev promised, his deep voice carrying the weight of an Alpha's oath.

The ceremony began under the full moon's blessing, ancient wolf tradition blending seamlessly with human ritual. When the time came for their vows, Zev's voice deepened with emotion.

"Chrissy Rivera," he began, his thumbs tracing circles on her hands. "Before you, I was half of what I am now. An Alpha without purpose beyond duty." His eyes darkened. "You crashed onto my island and into my life like a hurricane, and I've been gloriously wrecked ever since."

The pack chuckled, but Zev's gaze never left hers.

"I vow to protect you with every breath, to cherish every note you sing, and to stand between you and any threat for as long as I live." His hand returned to her belly. "And I vow to be a father worthy of the gift you're giving me."

Tears spilled down Chrissy's cheeks as she spoke her own vows.

"Zev Landon, I was lost when I found you.

Playing someone else's songs and living someone else's life.

" She squeezed his hands. "You gave me back my voice, my freedom, and showed me what real protection feels like—not control disguised as care, but genuine love. "

The simple gold bands they exchanged seemed to catch both moonlight and torchlight as they slid them onto each other's fingers.

"By the power of the moon and the laws of both human and wolf," the officiant declared, "I now pronounce you husband and wife, Alpha and Luna, bonded in both worlds."

Zev didn't wait for permission to kiss his bride.

He pulled Chrissy against him with a growl that sent goosebumps racing across her skin, one hand cradling her bump while the other tangled in her hair, somehow avoiding disturbing a single orchid.

His lips claimed hers in a kiss that bordered on inappropriate for public viewing—deep, possessive, and filled with promises of what would come later.

When he finally released her, his eyes had taken on the golden glow of his wolf—a sign she'd learned meant his emotions were running too high to fully contain his animal side.

"My Luna," he whispered against her lips. "Now and forever."

Chrissy smiled up at her Alpha, her husband, the father of her child, and the man who had risked everything to save her from a nightmare.

"Forever," she whispered back.

The predatory smile that spread across his face made her heart race. "And we've only just begun," he promised.

Chrissy's heart thudded as her dad guided her through the pack's event center.

The space had been transformed with twinkling fairy lights and white orchids that matched those in her hair, the scent of the sea and flowers mingling in the air.

Her six-month baby bump pressed gently against the delicate fabric of her wedding dress as she absorbed the scene before her - a hundred pack members plus her closest human friends gathered to celebrate the union that had saved her life in more ways than one.

"You ready for this, Chrissy-bear?" Her dad squeezed her hand, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"More than ready," she whispered, her gaze finding Zev across the room.

Her husband—the word still sent thrills through her body—stood in conversation with Ewan, his muscular frame casually dominating the space in his linen suit. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned, his blue gaze tracking her through the crowd with predatory intensity.

After the elegant dinner and cake cutting, Chrissy caught her dad's eye and nodded. The moment they'd been secretly practicing for had arrived. Her dad stood and cleared his throat, silencing the celebratory chatter.

"If I could have everyone's attention," he announced, his voice carrying that same melodic quality that Chrissy had inherited. "The bride has a special gift for her groom."

Zev's eyebrows shot up in surprise as her dad retrieved two guitars, handing Zev's grandfather's guitar—now officially Chrissy's—to her.

"What are you up to, Luna?" Zev's deep voice rumbled with amused suspicion.

Chrissy's fingers trembled slightly on the smooth wood of the guitar, her heart swelling with everything she felt for this man.

"I wrote you something," she said softly, the microphone catching her words as she settled on the stool her dad had positioned center stage.

Her dad took his place beside her, his fingers finding their position on his own guitar strings. The pack fell silent as Chrissy began to strum the opening chords. She'd poured everything into this song—her gratitude, her passion, and her promises for their future.

"When I was lost in shadows, you found me in the dark," she sang, her voice cutting straight to Zev's soul if his expression was any indication. "You didn't try to change me, you loved each broken part..."

As the melody rose and fell, telling the story of their meeting, their battles, and their love, Chrissy watched Zev's composure crack. His normally stoic expression softened, his eyes—those fierce Alpha eyes that could command a hundred wolf shifters with a glance—grew suspiciously bright.

Her dad's harmonies wrapped around her melody like a protective embrace, their guitars speaking to each other in complementary rhythms that they'd perfected over weeks of secret sessions.

"And when our son is born beneath the island moon," she sang, her free hand resting briefly on her rounded belly, "I'll tell him of the wolf who always protected me and will protect him too."

A single tear tracked down Zev's cheek—the fierce, protective Alpha undone by a song. Chrissy's own eyes welled as she sang the final chorus, their shared future spilling from her lips in promises of moonlit runs and lullabies.

The final chord hung in the air for a heartbeat before the room erupted in applause. But Chrissy only had eyes for her Alpha, who crossed the space between them in long, purposeful strides.

"You wrote that for me?" His voice was rough with primal emotion as he reached her.

"Every word," she whispered.

He pulled her to her feet, one hand possessively cradling her baby bump. "My Luna," he growled before claiming her mouth in a hot, searing kiss. His lips possessed hers with fierce ownership that made her knees weak and her pulse race.

The pack hooted and whistled around them, but Zev only deepened the kiss, his large hand splayed protectively over their growing son.

When he finally pulled away from her, Chrissy gasped for breath, her cheeks flushed with heat.

"That's the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me," he said softly. "I love you, Chrissy."

"I love you, Zev," she whispered, leaning into his strength. "Thank you for saving me."

"Thank you for saving me," he countered, pressing his forehead against hers. "Nine months ago, I was half-alive. Now I have everything—my Luna, my son, and my future."

Gerri appeared at their side, her blue eyes flashing gold with delight. "Now that," she declared, "is what I call a perfect match."