Page 123 of Victorious: Part 3

He’s standing at the altar in a perfectly fitted black suit, black shirt, black tie, and those tattoos peeking out on his hands beneath his sleeves are doing something to me right now. Loki is beside him as best man, and when his eyes find mine, his entire face transforms. His mouth drops open slightly, his eyes go wide, and for a second, he stops. Like the world tilted on its axis, and he needs a moment to find his balance.

Even from here, I see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows hard.

When he said he wanted to do the whole traditional wedding thing, I thought he was being a dick, but now, seeing the way he’s looking at me, the way I’mdefinitelystaring at him, I get it now.

Maverick squeezes my arm. “Jesus, look at him,” he murmurs. “That’s the look of a man who knows he’s about to marry his perfect match.”

Step by step, we make our way down the aisle. There are familiar faces on both sides, but my focus keeps returning to Alpha, to the way he’s watching me like I’m the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

When we reach the altar, Maverick lifts my hand to his lips, kisses it gently, then places it in Alpha’s waiting palm. “Take care of her,” Maverick says, but he’s smiling.

Alpha chuckles, tilting his head. “You giving me the same speech you gave, Phoenix? Really, Mav?” he replies.

Maverick shrugs, but his smile is genuine while everyone chuckles. “You may be my president, but I protect my sisters fiercely, even if this one can kick both our asses. So, take care of her…” His voice is rough with emotion, and I can’t help but reach out, clasping my little brother’s hand in thanks.

Alpha grins, dipping his head in response. “I have a feeling this one is going to be doing all the protecting, but you have my word, Mav. Everything I do in this world is for Haven and Poppy.”

My heart swells as Maverick steps back, and I finally get a good look at Alpha up close. His eyes are bright, almost glassy, and there’s a smile playing at the corners of his mouth that’s part amazement, part pure joy.

“Hi,” I whisper, my hands finding his, my thumbs teasing the back of his hand.

“Hi yourself,” he whispers. “Jesus, Haven. You look—”

“Stunning?” Dutch’s voice booms across the gathering. “Yeah, we all noticed. Now, can we get this show on the road before I start crying? I’ve got a fucking manly reputation to maintain.”

Laughter ripples through the crowd, breaking some of the emotional tension.

“You ready to do this, Pres?” he asks.

And Alpha grins widely. “Oh, fuck, yeah.”

Dutch chuckles. “All right then, let’s get this show on theroad…” Dutch begins, his voice taking on an unexpectedly reverent tone. “We are gathered here, in the Defiance clubhouse, to watch two people who technically were destined to kill each other, beat the odds, and fall in love instead.”

We all laugh, and I smile at Alpha lovingly, thanking everything inside me that I didn’t follow through on my mission all those years ago.

“For those of you who don’t know, Haven was hired to infiltrate the club and assassinate Alpha…” I turn toward everyone, grimacing as Alpha shrugs in response. “But I guess what actually happened was that Alpha assassinated Haven’s plan and killed her with his charm.”

Everyone oohs and ahhs.

Alpha rolls his eyes at Dutch. “Smooth, brother… real smooth.”

Dutch chuckles. “I was working on that one all night.”

I lean in closer. “You nailed it, Dutch.”

He grins before he continues, “Though their meeting was by chance, their love was natural. Their destiny was in stone the moment they met. Because there was always a third member to their relationship pulling them together.”

Both Alpha and I glance over our shoulder to look at Poppy, the three of us smiling, and I reach out for her hand, taking it in mine.

“Life has a very funny way of working things out. If Haven wasn’t sent to Alpha, we may never have known that Poppy was alive, so as I said, Alpha and Haven were destiny in the making. And their love has only continued to blossom. Even through trials and tribulations, this couple has stood the test of time, and I know this marriage, this family is going to flourish.”

My eyes water as I turn to Dutch, smiling at him. “Thanks, Dutch.”

He dips his head. “Haven and Alpha have written their ownvows…” Dutch continues, “Because apparently, they don’t trust me to speak for them. Though clearly, I have just shown how fucking capable I am.”

More laughter filters through the air as I catch Poppy’s eye beside me, and she gives her father an encouraging nod.

“Alpha, you’re up first, brother.”