Three weeks later
I didn't want to wait, and Whitney didn't want to show too much in her wedding dress, so we planned the ceremony for three weeks in the future. Whitney's parents swore to come back to the States after the baby was born, where we'd have another small reception with them present.
It was chaos, moving the pack and planning a wedding, but for once the fact that everyone despised me worked in my favor. Anyone coming to the ceremony besides my wolves were there for her, and the small size allowed us to have it close to home—the Red Canine's community garden. It was the one thing Danny offered to help me with, and I took it.
It was a small group. Danny and Naomi, Peter, Laura, the rest of Whitney's team, my wolves, and Faye and Hector, but it was all we needed.
The women strung fairy lights from the trees and floating lanterns that hung low over the flower boxes. A white arch was built and wrapped in ivy, and I was fitted into the first real tuxedo I'd ever worn in my life.
I had no idea what kind of dress Whitney would wear, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that she'd be walking toward me and saying 'yes'.
There was no priest, but our old Alpha and the man who raised me, Peter, would preside over the wedding instead. We were wolves, we were shifters, and the ceremony was simple and intimate. It took place during the evening, with the sun setting and painting the garden in warm oranges and pinks.
There was a lone violinist playing a simple tune as I walked up the aisle and took my place at the front. She played slow, but it seemed to echo all around us in the openness of the garden.
And then she appeared.
I watched as Whitney stepped out from behind a large hedge, and my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew it wasn't this.
The dress was white, a simple sheath that flowed down to her feet. It was sleeveless, but there was a high neckline that came up to the middle of her throat, and it was adorned with small, clear jewels that sparkled as she moved. When she shifted, I could see it was backless, and her hair was pulled up into an elegant, braided bun. Her makeup was soft and natural, and her eyes were bright as she looked at me. Best of all, I could see the tiniest swell of her belly, where our baby was growing inside of her.
It was perfect. She was perfect.
My mate slowly walked up the aisle, a bouquet of white and red roses clutched in her hands. The closer she got, the wider the smile on her face became until she was positively glowing.
Her gaze never left mine.
When she reached the end of the aisle, Peter began to speak.
I barely heard what he said. All of my attention was on Whitney, my Viking bride, my queen. I loved her. God, did I love her. Even when she was kicking my ass, I loved her. Even when she was yelling at me, I loved her. I would love her until the day I died.
There was a pause, and Peter looked over at me. "Julian, do you take Whitney Gray as your mate?"
The answer was so easy. "Yes."
"And do you promise to protect her, provide for her, and honor her until the day you die?"
"Yes."
Peter turned to Whitney and asked the same questions.
"Yes," she replied, eyes shimmering with happy tears.
Peter grinned. "By the power vested in me as the retired Alpha of the Red Canine pack, I declare you husband and wife. Kiss her, Julian."
I didn't need to be told twice.
***
There wasn't going to be a honeymoon, not with Whitney being pregnant and the demon attacks so out of control. We laid in bed night after night talking about where we would go when it was safer, and had a list a mile long. I didn't really give a fuck, what was the difference between one beach and the next? But Whitney liked the idea of being somewhere warm, relaxing, and most importantly, alone.
I couldn't give her a honeymoon, but I could give her something else.
While Naomi and the girls had prepped the garden for the wedding, I'd actually been busting my ass working on a project that would set the stage for the rest of our lives. Once the ceremony was over, we made a quick stop at my apartment to pick up our things and then left the packlands to cross into the new Reckless Stalker territory.
"Where are we going?" she asked, yawning sleepily, the bouquet she'd carried during the wedding still clutched in her hands.
"It's a surprise. You'll see." I turned down the road leading into town and then took the exit toward the old Payne house. There were still houses out here, but they were spaced out, each one with large tracts of land behind them.
I pulled into the long driveway, which was paved with stone chips, and parked. Whitney was sitting straight up now, looking out the window at the old house that had been carefully fixed up to look like it did decades ago. "What's this?"
"My home." I put the car in park and opened my door, moving to get the suitcase out of the trunk. "Our home. Come on. I want to show you around."
Whitney got out of the car slowly, and I could see she was having a hard time taking it all in. The Payne house was two stories, built in the late 1800s, and kept up as well as possible. My grandparents had been the last ones to live in it, and while I'd inherited it after my parents went to prison, I'd never wanted it.
Not until I had a family, that is.
"It's beautiful," Whitney said quietly, standing next to the car. "Is this really ours?"
I took her hand and led her to the door. "Yeah. Come inside, and I'll show you."
She squealed when I swept her into my arms and carried her over the threshold. The interior of the house had been redone while we were busy getting ready for our wedding, and now it looked like it did when I was a kid. I set her down, and she walked slowly into the large living room, looking around.
The walls were a soft blue, with dark, exposed beams on the ceiling. There was a brick fireplace, a large sectional sofa, and an old wooden rocking chair in front of the hearth. The windows were large and framed with curtains, but I'd left them open to let the cool, evening air in.
"Julian," she breathed, "How?"
"Everyone helped. Everyone from all three packs. While you were training with Faye, we all worked on it. It's your wedding gift. I can't offer you a big pack, or money, but this was mine and—"
She was kissing me between one breath and the next, her arms wrapped around my neck. I held her close, breathing in her scent. She was happy. She was here.
I'd done the right thing.
"Thank you," she whispered against my lips. "Thank you."
We spent the next hour exploring our new home, ending with the bedroom on the second floor. The bed was massive, and covered with a thick down comforter. There were a million pillows on it, but they were tossed aside so that we could climb in.
I laid her out beneath me, pulling her dress away slowly. It was beautiful, and I wanted to take my time. I'd never seen Whitney wear a dress before. She didn't have to, and her clothes were normally functional for her job. She rarely wore makeup either, preferring a more natural look. But tonight, for our wedding night, she'd dressed up, and I appreciated every effort she made for me.
"You're beautiful," I whispered, kissing along her neck. I loved how strong she was, and how she didn't hesitate to kick my ass when I needed it. Her body reflected her hard work, and I wanted to worship it fully.
I ran my hand along her leg, moving from the curve of her ankle to her thigh. She was wearing a garter around her leg, and I pulled it off slowly with my teeth, watching her face flush at the action. She was so perfect, and she was all mine.
Whitney was already wet, her legs spreading as I pressed my lips against the inside of her knee and started to kiss a trail up her thigh. Her arousal was heavy in the air, and I loved seeing the blush rise on her cheeks.
My fingers slid between her folds, rubbing her clit slowly and watching her eyelids flutter. "God, you're so wet for me. I could barely keep my hands to myself today, with you walking down that aisle looking like a goddess. Do you know how hard it was to not carry you away and have you all to myself?"
"I wanted you to. I would've let you."
She was so soft and pliant beneath my fingers, her body responding to my every touch. I kissed her inner thigh, leaving small nips that would fade as soon as they appeared. Whitney's back arched off the bed when my tongue replaced my fingers on her clit, and she let out a low moan. "Julian…"
"That's it, Love. Let go for me."
Her hands were in my hair, her nails scraping my scalp as I slowly tortured her with my tongue. Her hips moved against my face, but I held them down with one arm while I slid a finger inside of her, and then another. She was hot and tight, and I couldn't wait to slide my cock inside of her.
My free hand slid up her stomach, over her ribs to her breasts. Her nipples were hard, and I flicked the sensitive nubs with my fingers, getting a little gasp out of her as I did so.
I curled my fingers, pressing against that spot inside of her that drove her wild. My wolf wanted to rise, to bite her and mark her, but I wouldn't give in to him yet. Instead, I focused on pleasuring my mate, giving her everything she needed until her body gave out.
And then I'd give her more.
I kissed her clit, my tongue flicking the swollen nub. Her legs were shaking, and I could feel her tightening around my fingers. I kept moving them, in and out of her as my tongue kept up the same pressure on her clit.
"Oh…oh god." Whitney's hands pulled at my hair as she came for me, her cries filling the room. She was so sweet, so delicious, and I could feast on her forever.
I didn't stop even after she came, working her through her orgasm and into another. Only when she was fully sated did I let up, crawling up her body to capture her mouth in a searing kiss.
"I'm going to take you now," I whispered, spreading her legs further. "I'm going to take you, and mark you, and make you mine."
Her hands gripped my shoulders as I thrust inside of her, my cock sliding home with one smooth stroke.
"Mine," I growled, pulling my hips back and then thrusting forward again. "You're mine."
Whitney nodded, her hips moving in time with mine. "Yes."
I kissed her hard, biting down on her lower lip as I claimed her fully. We were locked together, two pieces finally made whole.
My mate, my everything.
"I want to be on top," she murmured into my ear, her hot breath making me shiver.
I'd never had a woman say that to me before, and the words shot straight to my cock. "As you wish."
I rolled us over so that Whitney was on top. She smiled down at me, and my breath caught in my throat. I could stare up at this woman forever, and still never get bored of how beautiful she was.
My hands moved down her body, gripping her hips and pulling her closer. She leaned over me, her breasts brushing against my chest as she started to move. I let her have control, her long hair brushing against my skin.
She was slow, deliberate, her hands on my chest as she rode me. She leaned forward, her lips meeting mine, and we kissed each other hungrily. I could feel myself getting close, and I gripped her hips harder, moving her faster.
Whitney cried out against my mouth as I came inside of her, my cock filling her completely. My teeth were sharp as I bit her shoulder, leaving another mark there. She was covered in them, but I loved seeing them all over her. I loved the reminder that she was mine.
We healed quickly anyway. We were wolves, after all.
We were both panting hard as she collapsed on top of me, her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest. "I love you," I whispered, kissing her forehead.
"I love you, too." She looked up at me, smiling softly. "Let's shut the world away for the next week. We'll have our honeymoon here. Just us and the house, okay?"
"You had me at 'shut the world away', Sweetheart."
She fell asleep soon after, curled up against my side. The moon was high in the sky, casting a soft white glow across our bodies. I kissed the top of her head, breathing her in. My mate.
My wife.