Page 42 of Unbearable Attraction (Hollow Oak Mates #4)
LUKA
T he sacred grove had been transformed into something from a fairy tale, but one where the magic was real and the happy ending hard-won.
Strings of lights woven from captured starlight hung between the ancient oaks, courtesy of the Tansley brothers' most ambitious enchantment work.
Chairs carved from fallen branches formed a natural amphitheater around the stone circle where he and Leenah had first bonded, each piece humming with protective magic that felt like a blessing.
Luka stood beside Elder Varric, trying not to fidget with his tie while the grove filled with everyone who mattered.
Twyla bustled about making last-minute adjustments to the floral arrangements, her fae magic ensuring that every bloom would stay perfect throughout the ceremony.
Maeve prowled the perimeter with obvious satisfaction, her security preparations thorough enough to handle anything short of a full-scale supernatural invasion.
"Nervous?" Varric asked quietly, his rain-cloud eyes holding gentle amusement.
"Not about marrying her, but about screwing up my vows in front of half the supernatural community."
"The vows are just words. What matters is the intention behind them." The elder's expression grew serious. "Though I suspect yours will carry more weight than you realize."
Before Luka could ask what he meant, soft music began drifting through the grove.
Not recorded music, but the kind of ethereal melody that came from spirits blessing the proceedings.
Guests rose to their feet as Leenah appeared at the grove's entrance, and every doubt in Luka's mind evaporated like morning mist.
She was radiant in a simple white dress that flowed like water when she moved, her dark hair crowned with a circlet of silver and moonstone that caught the light of the enchanted grove.
But it was the joy in her blue eyes that took his breath away, the absolute certainty that this was exactly where she wanted to be.
"She's perfect," someone whispered behind him, and Luka had to agree.
Leenah walked down the aisle alone, her independence evident even in this traditional moment. No one was giving her away because she belonged to herself, choosing freely to share her life with him. When she reached the stone circle, her smile could have powered the town's lights for a week.
"Ready?" she asked softly.
"Been ready for months," he replied, taking her hands in his.
"We gather in this sacred place," Varric began, "to witness the joining of two souls who have already proven their bond through trials that would break lesser partnerships.
Luka and Leenah have faced supernatural threats, family opposition, and the challenge of learning to trust after years of protecting their hearts.
Today, they choose to make that trust official. "
The ceremony that followed blended traditional elements with personal touches that reflected their unique partnership.
Aiyana's spirit appeared to offer blessings from the realm beyond, her ancient wisdom adding weight to the proceedings.
The townspeople who'd fought beside them during Edmund's assault stood witness, their presence transforming this from a simple wedding into a celebration of community resilience.
When it came time for vows, Luka's prepared speech disappeared from his mind entirely. Instead, he found himself speaking from the heart, words flowing like they'd been waiting years to be said.
"Leenah, six months ago I was a man convinced that love meant loss, that caring too much about someone was just setting yourself up for heartbreak. You taught me that real strength isn't about protecting yourself from pain, but about finding someone worth risking everything for."
Her eyes glistened, but her smile never wavered.
"I promise to support your independence because it's one of the things I love most about you. I promise to offer my strength when you need it, but never to assume you can't handle things yourself. I promise to be your partner in every sense of the word, sharing burdens and joys equally."
He paused, looking around the grove at faces that had become family.
"And I promise that our bond will always serve love over control, community over isolation, hope over fear. Whatever challenges come our way, we'll face them together, but as equals choosing to stand side by side rather than one protecting the other."
Leenah's vows were equally heartfelt, speaking of learning to trust and finding home in unexpected places. When she promised to build a life where their different strengths complemented rather than competed with each other, several people in the audience wiped away tears.
"By the power vested in me by the Council of Hollow Oak and the blessing of the spirits who guard this place," Varric announced, "I pronounce you bonded in marriage. May your union bring strength to each other and to the community that celebrates with you."
The kiss that sealed their marriage carried the weight of everything they'd been through together, every challenge overcome and promise made. Through their bond, Luka felt Leenah's joy mixing with his own until he couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.
The celebration that followed transformed the grove into something magical even by Hollow Oak's standards.
Tables laden with food appeared as if by magic, contributed by every business in town.
The Tansley brothers provided entertainment with illusions that painted stories across the night sky.
Even the spirits joined the festivities, their ethereal forms dancing among the living guests with obvious delight.
"Best wedding I've ever attended," Maeve declared, raising a glass of something that sparkled with more than just bubbles. "And I've been to seventeen supernatural weddings this decade."
"That's because it's not just a wedding," Twyla said, appearing beside them with her arms full of flowers that definitely hadn't been part of the original arrangements. "It's a celebration of everything that makes this community special. Love, acceptance, the courage to fight for what matters."
As the evening progressed, Luka found himself dancing with his wife under stars that seemed unusually bright, as if the universe itself was celebrating their union. The music came from everywhere and nowhere, a melody woven from the contentment of spirits and the joy of the living.
"Any regrets?" Leenah asked as they swayed together.
"Just one," he replied, pulling her closer. "That it took me twelve years to find this place and you."
"Maybe you needed those twelve years to become the man I'd fall in love with," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe everything that happened before was just preparing us for this."
Looking around the grove at faces illuminated by starlight and magic, Luka realized she was right. The loss of his clan, the years of isolation, even the grief that had driven him to Hollow Oak in the first place had all been necessary steps on the path that led to this moment.
He'd spent so many years defined by what he'd lost that he'd forgot what it was like to be defined by what he'd gained.
But standing here with Leenah in his arms and surrounded by a community that had become family, he understood that building something beautiful with the right person was infinitely more satisfying than mourning what was gone.
"I love you, Mrs. Ashe," he said, testing out the sound of her new name.
"I love you too," she replied, then grinned. "Though I'm keeping Carrow professionally. Ghost tours led by Leenah Ashe just don't have the same ring."
"Fair enough. As long as you come home to me at the end of every tour."
"Always," she promised, and through their bond he felt the absolute truth of that commitment.
The celebration continued long into the night, but eventually they slipped away from the festivities to begin their married life together.