Page 121

Story: The Phantom Wolf

It feels like everything in my life has led up to this moment.

The day I met Bree, my entire world shifted.

She became my purpose. My reason to stay.

If it wasn't for her, I never would have gotten to be part of a family that loved me so deeply.

I never would have learnt to love others so intensely without worrying that they would get tired of me.

But now, I'm here. Ready to begin the next greatest part of my life.

My wedding day...

"Pearl!" As soon as Emmet's voice reached my ears, I practically jumped out of my skin.

Tearing my gaze away from my reflection, I came face to face with my big brother, Emmet. A.K.A. My Best Man.

"Bout time you came back to reality!" He teased me, through his wide grin.

"Not like you were any better on your wedding day, Emmet." Edward reminded him as he entered the room. Jasper and Seth were following close behind him.

Emmet stuck his tongue out towards Edward in a childish manner as a response. The mind reader just rolled his eyes at him.

Okay... I can do this... There's nothing that could go wrong today... I am fine...

A wave of peace and tranquility swept through me. Curtesy of my Texan brother. I sent him a warm smile in thanks and he started chuckling.

"Emmet's interruption of your thoughts seemed to do more harm than good." The Texan commented.

"Shut up." I mumbled playfully.

Emmet clutched his chest dramatically and gasped. "You wound me brother! I am the bestest best man! Besides, we are on a time crunch! We have to be there on time!"

"That's generally what a time crunch means, Emmet." Edward spoke up in a teasing tone.

"No one asked you, you overconfident mind invader!" Emmet clapped back, in a snarky tone.

As Edward and Emmet started trading insults, Seth approached me and gave me a hug. To which I gladly reciprocated.

"Thanks for having me as one of your groomsmen." He said softly.

"Wouldn't have it any other way Seth." I reminded him gently.

"Plus, if these idiots can manage it, then I'm sure there's no reason why you wouldn't be able to.

" I said, while playfully gesturing to where my vampire brothers were arguing.

"Not you Jasper. Your great." I quickly added, upon seeing that he was just leaning on a wall, observing Emmet and Edward as they argued.

"Hey!" Edward and Emmet chorused in fake hurt, halting their argument to yell at me.

Their reactions caused both me and Seth to start laughing, and Jasper started snickering in the corner. A knock on the door interrupted us, and Alice's high pitched voice then rang out.

"It's time! Get your arses moving!" She yelled. Before any of us could respond to her, she sped off back to the meeting area.

All of us quickly composed ourselves and Emmet came up to me, holding out his arm.

"You ready little sis?" He asked me in a warm tone.

"Born ready." I said, as I linked my arm with his.

Making our way out of the house, our group met up with all of the bridesmaids, as well as the flower girl and ring bearer.

In the distance, I could see the audience who had come to witness our union.

Many of the covens who served as witnesses against the Volturi had accepted our invite.

A couple of the nomads came as well, and that included Alistair.

It was nice that he decided to keep in contact.

Plus, he's not so much of a coward anymore, given that he now has his mate and all.

He found her two years after I killed Aro and Cauis.

Apparently, Cathy (his mate) used to serve in the Volturi, but when I killed the more controlling of the kings, the Volturi Coven became a lot more laid back in itself.

Members are now allowed to come and go as they please, and if anyone wants to leave on a more permanent basis, Marcus allows them to make that choice without giving them any consequences.

The Volturi still come down hard on rule breakers, but it is much more about justice now, instead of about gaining power.

The Volturi has become exactly what it was originally created to be.

Cathy was one of the vampires who chose to leave the Volturi once they were given the chance, and she ran into Alistair soon after she left. I got a letter from Alistair, telling me all about it.

Alistair and Cathy were sitting next to each other in one of the middle rows, and the Denali Coven was in front of them. All except Eleazar, that is.

I could see Eleazar at the front of the crowd. He was going to be officiating our wedding. Since mum and dad were acting as Bree's parents for the ceremony. They were both going to be walking Bree down the aisle, to where I'm going to be standing.

The joy and excitement I feel right now, is difficult to describe, but the nerves are still there as well. I don't think they're going to disappear until after me and Bree have spoken our vows.

I took in some deep breaths to try and keep myself calm. Rosalie came up to my left side and linked her arm with mine, so that I was sandwiched between her and Emmet. Rosalie was the maid of honour, and had thankfully agreed to accompany me down the aisle, alongside Emmet.

My blonde sister gave me a kind smile and an encouraging nod, whilst Emmet gently squeezed my arm in his.

Taking in one final deep breath, the three of us started our journey to Eleazar. Rosalie was on my left, and Emmet was on my right. I didn't want to walk down the aisle alone, so what better people to ask, than my older siblings.

When we made it to Eleazar, Emmet and Rosalie took their positions on the sides, and I turned to look down the aisle. Eventually, I'll see Bree walking up it, with mum and dad on either side of her.

The first groomsmen and bridesmaid pair, came up the aisle.

Alice and Jasper were hand in hand as they walked.

Since we didn't have any humans attending the wedding, Jasper was completely relaxed.

And Alice looked right at home amongst all of the beautiful decorations she had set up.

Me and Bree more or less gave our pixie sister creative freedom when it came down to this.

We knew she'd have the best vision, and with our combined attention span, me and Bree couldn't stay focused long enough to plan something like this.

They walked up to me and split off. Jasper joined Emmet, and Alice went to Rosalie's side. Then we all turned to watch the next pair.

Seth and Leah then started their walk together. It wouldn't have felt right to not have them involved. Our relationship is a lot better now after all.

Bree chose to make Leah one of her bridesmaids, I hadn't asked her to do it, she just did it on her own. I love that about her. Bree is perfect for me, I just hope that I am good enough for her.

Seth and Leah took their designated positions, which started off Edward's and Bella's walk.

Bella wanted to wear some smart leggings underneath the dress Alice had picked out, so she looked a lot more comfortable than she otherwise would be.

All Bree wanted was for all the colours to match, and I didn't particularly care what everyone wore.

So we gave everyone the freedom to choose what they were most comfortable in.

And that decision certainly benefitted Bella the most. Although we didn't care for a dress code, Alice still tried to implement a basic one.

And that led to her choosing matching dresses for all of the bridesmaids.

I wouldn't let her do that to me and my groomsmen, but apparently she didn't need to, as she had already recruited Emmet to get matching suits for all of my brothers.

Turns out Emmet can be rather stubborn about outfits at times.

I guess he took the title of best man very seriously.

Edward had a warm smile on his face as he walked by Bella's side. I can't help but think that he is reminiscing about his own wedding. I mean, it was only 8 years ago. And that time is basically nothing when you're going to live forever.

The next two to walk up the aisle were the last pair. Renesmee was our flower girl, so she was spreading petals as she walked. While Jacob, our ring bearer, stayed by her side and kept ahold of our rings. The two of them had wide smiles on their faces.

Finally, when we were all in position, the music started playing. Garret had offered to play for us while Bree came down the aisle. So when soft music sounded out, I knew that my wonderful imprint would appear.

As soon as she came into view, my breath got caught in my throat. She was stunning, absolutely breathtaking. I can't emphasise that enough. She was so incredibly gorgeous. And this lovely woman was about to become my wife... I just can't believe how lucky I am.

Bree walked down the aisle in between mum and dad with such grace. She carried herself so well, and even though I could feel her nerves through our bond, you couldn't see any of it on her face.

Time seemed to slow down as they approached me. I couldn't take my eyes off of Bree. She was just so captivatingly beautiful.

A wide smile spread across my face when mum, dad and Bree arrived at the 'alter'.

Both mum and dad gave Bree a hug before turning to me, then they embraced me as well in the same way.

I could feel tears pricking my eyes as they did so, but I was able to keep it together.

Finally, Bree placed her hands into mine, as mum and dad took their respective positions.

Garret stopped the music, and all of our guests took their seats. Our family members stayed standing by our sides. We wanted them to be next to us while we said our vows.

I gazed into Bree's honey gold eyes and I could feel my whole world fall into place once again. I could see our future, how happy we will be, and how much we love each other.

Eleazar's voice broke us from our thoughts. I'm pretty sure if he hadn't of spoken up, me and Bree would have just spent the whole time staring at each other.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Pearl McCarty and Bree Cullen.

We stand here to honour and celebrate the love shared between these two individuals, as they come together to start their new life with a solemn vow, surrounded by their closest family and friends. "

A warm grin graced Bree's face as Eleazar spoke. My features softened as I continued to gaze at my beloved fiancé. Only now, she was about to become my wife. I pray that this happiness lasts forever.

"On this joyous occasion, two souls find solace in one another's embrace.

As they express their undying devotion through exchanging vows of mutual respect and understanding, these lovers commit to a journey that celebrates the specialness of individuality, while never failing to remain intertwined with love for each other throughout life's many adventures. "

As Eleazar continued speaking, I couldn't help but get lost in thought. Life has had many ups and downs so far, but I wouldn't change anything, as long as it means that I will still end up here. Standing before my perfect imprint.

When Eleazar's voice stopped, I felt everyone's eyes fall on me.

Bree and I had chosen to say our own vows, instead of repeating what Eleazar could say.

So I spoke up. My voice was soft yet firm.

No part of what I was going to say would ever become untrue.

"Bree Cullen, I vow to always treasure you and hold your needs above mine.

I promise to protect and support you unconditionally, through all the highs and lows life may bring us.

My commitment to you is unwavering, and my love for you will remain strong, even after we part from this earth.

You will always, be able to rely on me."

When I finished, I could see the built up venom pooling in her eyes, a smile adorned her face, so she was obviously touched by my words.

Of course, I had to plan them in advance. I didn't want to end up rambling like I did when I proposed to her. God that was so embarrassing...

Eleazar then started talking again, and before I knew it, it was Bree's turn to speak.

Bree's eyes shone with confidence and love as she stared at me. Her voice was angelic and quiet. This moment reminded me of how I felt when I first heard Bree speak after we first met. Turning my attention away from her warm and inviting tone, I focused on her wording instead.

"Pearl McCarty, I vow to make you feel cherished, valued, and respected each day of our lives; to always love and protect you, no matter the challenges we may face. In sickness and in health, I will remain by your side, forever staying true, even when death takes us apart."

Bree's version of the vows was incredible! She definitely outdid me! Given her reaction earlier, I'm pretty sure mine were good enough, so I hope it met her expectations.

"The rings please, Jacob." Eleazar called out to the shifter.

Jacob left his position next to Edward and came over to us, where he then presented our rings. Our rings were picked out and designed before the wedding. So it was no secret to us what they looked like.

We decided to have small gemstones embedded into each of our rings.

Our bands were matching in colour, but the gems themselves were unique.

Bree's ring held an ocean blue gemstone, alongside another that shone an emerald green.

We wanted to use the colours of our eyes, from both before we met, and afterwards.

The green was of course, from my current wolf form, while the blue was from my previous wolf form.

That brings me to my ring. I too, had two different gemstones embedded into my hand. When Bree was a newborn vampire, her eyes were of course, a ruby colour, so one of the gems perfectly reflected that red hue. The other, had a golden glisten on top of a dark yellow base. They were perfect.

And the best part, all four of the gems that were embedded into our rings, were found in that hidden cave at the Cascade Range which I led Bree through on our first date!

I took Bree's ring into my hand and slipped it onto Bree's ring finger. Then Bree did the same to me with my ring. Once both of our hands joined together again, Eleazar took over and drew everyone's attention to him.

"Pearl, do you take Bree as your lawfully wedded wife?" Eleazar asked me.

Without hesitation, I declared, "I do."

Then he turned to Bree. "Bree, do you take Pearl as your lawfully wedded wife?"

Bree's face was full of love and acceptance as she replied with an, "I do."

"With the authority bestowed upon me, two hearts have now officially been joined as one in holy matrimony. Congratulations. Let your love blossom as you share this beautiful moment with a kiss."

With his words, I gently pulled Bree towards me and she wrapped her arms around my neck, fully leaning into me.

The moment our lips touched, I felt those same sparks radiate through my body, only this time, they were much more prominent and intense.

The clapping and cheers that surrounded us, meant absolutely nothing to me in this moment.

Bree, was all that mattered...

When we finally pulled away, Eleazar made the announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present to you, the Cullen-McCarty couple."

The party and reception that took place once me and Bree were wed, was quite intense.

Everyone danced to the music and had an overall blast. When it came to the speeches, mum and dad both said a few words.

Of course, Emmet couldn't help but join in as well.

Thankfully, Rosalie silenced him before he could say anything embarrassing, but his kind words still touched my heart.

As our reception came to a close, my wife and I prepared to leave for our honeymoon. We wanted to be able to say goodbye to everyone, so we decided to be the last to make an exit.

Over the next hour, the number of guests depleted slowly, until only our coven and the Denali coven remained.

Leah moved in with her imprint's family soon after our confrontation with the Volturi.

So Leah stood amongst the Denali coven, next to her wife, Irina.

Those two got married seven months ago, Kate and Garret, got married two months before that.

Seth is yet to find his imprint, but he has his place in the world, so he's just as happy and go lucky as ever.

Both he and Leah are still apart of Jake's pack.

Seth goes back and forth between the two vampire covens to spend time with both of his pack members.

Since Jake has practically moved in with Bella, Edward and Renesmee at this point.

Renesmee wants to be 18 years old before she finds her own place.

So she's still living with her parents, which meant that Jacob spends all of his free time at their house.

The Denali Coven was going to stay with the Olympic Coven for a while, so after saying goodbye to our immediate and extended family, me and Bree left for our honeymoon.

Once I turned 25 I got full access to my biological dad's life insurance policy.

With all of the money I received from it, I was able to purchase a newly built cabin in a desolate and fairly isolated area, within Alaska.

Mum helped me with planning out any and all of the necessary renovations.

So by the time it was finished, the cabin was more than big enough to house the entire Olympic Coven as well as quite a few guests.

I wanted our personal home to be surrounded by snow, since any time our relationship evolved, it was when we were around snow.

Bree asked me to be her girlfriend on a snow covered field, and I asked Bree to marry me on a freshly frozen lake, surrounded by newly fallen snow.

So making our forever home surrounded by everlasting snow, just felt poetic.

Plus, both me and Bree are quite fond of the cold, so that is a massive bonus.

Me and my wife spent quite a few days travelling, then I brought her to our new cabin.

She was confused at first, but once I explained what I had done and that this cabin was ours to do with as we please, she was over the moon.

This place is miles and miles away from any humans, so we can truly be ourselves here without any worries of being discovered.

Throughout the week, we settled into our newly married life.

We did many things together, and we both had a lot of fun.

Sometimes our days were eventful, other times, they were quiet and peaceful.

On one of those slower days, we reminisced about a past event.

We could both say with confidence that it was one of, if not our favourite funny memory involving our family.

It was the day we discovered our families little betting pool.

"You did better this time." Bree said to me with a grin on her face.

"Yeah right." I mumbled, somewhat dejectedly.

"No seriously! You didn't fall on your face nearly as much as last time!"

I just raised my eye brow at my girlfriend, clear disbelief on my face.

"Okay, yes. You aren't the world's greatest ice skater. But you're improving!" She continued, trying to remain positive about my ice skating talents, or lack there of.

I shook my head at her, with a small smile of amusement on my face. As the two of us walked up the driveway to the house, Bree hummed in confusion.

Turning to face her, concern was written all over my face, I quickly asked, "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong." She denied. "It's just... don't they usually come out and greet us when they hear us coming?" Bree questioned me, clearly confused.

Hmm. Now that she mentioned it, this is slightly strange. I can hear all of them inside, so they're clearly home.

"That is odd." I commented.

We stood in silence for a few moments, before Bree let out a gasp. I turned to her in alarm, only to see a wide mischievous grin on her face.

"Your gift is active isn't it?" Bree spoke, taking an educated guess.

Focusing on my gift, I realised that she was correct.

Oops. I've been doing this a lot more lately.

Concealing myself and anyone I'm touching, has become a bit of a habit.

Well... at least whenever Bree makes me go ice skating with her.

If I have to fall on my face in front of anyone, it's going to be in front of Bree. Not some total strangers.

Just as I was about to deactivate my gift, Bree's voice broke through my train of thought. "Wait! Let's go inside with it still active... Aren't you at least a little curious what they have all gotten up to while we were out?" She playfully asked me.

I raised my eyebrow at her in response. Mischief danced around within her eyes. So much so that I couldn't hide my amusement. "You want to spy on our family?" I exclaimed with a dramatic gasp of fake shock.

"Yes." Bree replied to me in an incredibly blunt tone.

"Okay. Can't argue with that." I responded, easily going along with Bree's wishes.

The two of us walked up to the front door, going completely undetected. Becoming intangible, both me and Bree passed through the solid wood and entered our family home. Hearing the many voices coming from members of our coven, we entered the living room to find out what was going on.

What we saw and heard, made our jaws drop.

"HAH! I win! I placed my bet on Bree! Fuck you all!" Edward shouted victoriously, after having read the results for one of the betting jars.

"How did I get it wrong?" Alice mumbled out in a dejected tone with her head in her hands.

"Can't always be right darling." Jasper commented in a teasing voice, whilst smirking at her.

After the couple left to go ice skating, the Olympic Coven sat down to sort out the other two betting jars. Like last time, one of them was centred around how long it would take for Bree and Pearl's relationship to get a label, and the other one was centred around who would ask who.

Unlike last time, the bets placed on each of the girls weren't evenly matched.

Jasper and Edward, had again, placed their bets on Bree being the one to ask.

But Esme and Rosalie had instead, placed their names down under Pearl.

Alice, Carlisle, Bella and Emmet had kept their names down for Pearl, for both of the jars.

This left Jasper and Edward as the only winners for the girlfriend jar.

And they were reacting accordingly; rubbing it into each of their family member's faces.

As Pearl and Bree listened to the commotion from the shadows, they heard enough to figure out what was going on. Turning to face each other, a silent plan was formed between the two.

Pearl quickly deactivated her gift and drew the families attention towards her and her imprint's presence.

To say that the coven was stunned by the girls sudden appearance, was an understatement. They all completely froze in shock, Edward was holding one of the jars in his hands as they appeared. With the other jar being on the table, as the family was yet to open it.

Taking advantage of her family's frozen state, Pearl speedily grabbed both of the betting jars that were full of money, and ran away with them, whilst shouting over her shoulder, "Since you bet on our relationship, this money's going towards our next date!"

As the hybrid disappeared from view and her words sank in, Jasper, Emmet and Edward snapped out of their shocked state.

Jumping up, they tried to run after their sister in an attempt to retrieve the jars and their winnings.

But as they took a step in the direction Pearl had gone, the three boys were flung into the air and crashed into the ceiling.

Everyone's heads snapped to look at Bree who was holding her hand out towards her brothers while smirking. As the realisation that Bree was using her gift to keep them in place sunk in, Pearl reappeared by her imprint's side, without the two betting jars in her possession.

"Thanks sweetheart." Pearl muttered into Bree's ear and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

"You're welcome babe." Bree responded with a grin as she dropped her brothers onto the floor.

Before anyone got a chance to react, the couple sent a pair of mischievous smiles towards their family, and Pearl used her gift to make her and Bree disappear from their view once again.

As the girls disappeared, Bree deactivated her gift's hold on her brothers, and all three of them fell from the ceiling onto the floor.

Immediately jumping to his feet, Emmet yelled angrily, "Get them!"

At his words, the whole family rose to their feet and frantically began searching for the imprinted couple, and more importantly, their betting jars.

Thinking about that time, brought a smile to our faces.

I do still wonder if they continued betting on our relationship after that.

They probably have, but we've never caught them again, nor have we ever found anymore betting jars.

So whose to say if they still do or not?

If they are still doing it, they've gotten a lot better at hiding it, and they've become more cautious.

Anyway, when our two week honeymoon came to an end, a knock sounded out on our cabin's front door.

"Will you get that Bree?" I called out to my wife from the kitchen.

"Are you expecting anyone?" She called back as she went to open it.

I didn't get a chance to respond before she opened the door.

"SURPRISE!" The Olympic Coven, the Denali Coven, and the Black pack shouted out from our porch.

I sped to the front of the house to join Bree's side, managing to catch her when she stumbled back from the shock. At first, Bree looked quite confused by their appearance, but when she looked at my face, she put two and two together.

"Sneaky wolf." She said, with an amused grin on her face.

I just chuckled in response. "Figured once we settled in, we could extend the honeymoon into a little family holiday. Plus, I knew you would miss everyone." I hugged her and sent my wife a teasing smile.

"Don't lie Pearl, you missed us too! Especially me!" Emmet butted in with a cocky grin on his face.

"Would everyone other than Emmet, like to come inside? I asked our family in a playful voice.

Emmet's look of dramatic shock and fake hurt, was well worth the teasing comment. Me and Bree moved over to allow everyone inside, including Emmet. Who patted me on the head as he went past, as if I was a small child.

Bree turned to me with a wide smile on her face. "You're amazing Pearl." She whispered.

"I try." I replied in a joke tone.

"Thank you for bringing them." Bree said to me in a soft voice.

"You're welcome, Bree. Now, we've got a holiday to return to."

"That we do, my lovely wife."

Hearing her call me her wife made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I just can't believe that we really did it. We've finally gotten married. After all this time, after everything we've been through, we've finally gotten our happy ending.

Just as Bree was about to leave my arms to go and greet our family properly, I pulled her in for a kiss, which she gladly accepted. Once we pulled away, I said, "I love you. Always have, always will."

Bree's smile lit up the room as she replied, "I love you to the moon and back. We're soulmates. We'll always have each other. No matter what."

"No matter what." I agreed and gave her another kiss.

Separating again, we closed the front door and joined our family in the large living area, ready to enjoy our time together and have some fun. Fun that we will be able to enjoy for many more years to come.

As Bree greeted our parents, I couldn't help but notice that Emmet wasn't here anymore. Everyone else was. So where was he?

Without warning, a loud thump came from upstairs. It came from our room!

OH HELL NO!

"EMMET YOU BETTER NOT BE SNOOPING RIGHT NOW!" I screeched.

"I'M NOT!" He denied, from upstairs.

I sped up behind him, and just like I suspected, he was in our room going through our drawers. "Your not, huh?"

Emmet turned to face me with a guilty expression on his face. "I was just curious." He quietly and shamelessly admitted.

An evil grin spread across my face at his answer, and in a deadly calm voice, I replied to him. "You've got 5 seconds to run."

Fear overtook his form, he didn't even wait for me to start counting down before he took off running out of the room.

I grinned wickedly and counted down quickly in my head, then took off after him without faltering in my steps.

"Pearl don't kill your brother!" I heard my wife shout at me.

"I won't!" I shouted back as I chased him through the house.

"YES YOU WILL!" Emmet screamed as he ran away from me in terror.

"Maybe a little." I mumbled out in amusement, as I began gaining on him.

"ROSE SAVE ME!" Emmet desperately called out to his mate as he ran from me.

Rosalie looked over to us from the couch, while Emmet ran around the living room in circles, with me hot on his heels. "I would, but I'm catching up with my little sister." She responded nonchalantly, and turned back to Bree to continue her conversation.

Emmet didn't get a chance to plead with her to help him a second time, as I tackled him from behind, and the two of us flew through the window that mum had just managed to open in time, to avoid us smashing through it and getting glass everywhere.

"MERCY!" Emmet yelled while we rolled around in the snow.

"Not a chance!" I denied him and started the wrestling match, with all the intentions to win.