I never expected to marry by moonlight.
But as I stood in my room at the Retreat, sneakily watching last-minute guests arriving through a gap in the curtains, I knew it was right.
Werewolves married under the light of the moon. And even if I hadn't been a wolf, well, there were other people I wanted at the wedding who couldn't have been there by day. Jase. Marco. Some of the Taskforce vamps Dan counted as friends and who I'd gotten to know better in the six months that had passed since we caught Smith.
"Stop scoping out the guests and come back over here," Jase said from behind me. "We need to put your veil on."
I let the curtain fall and turned. Esme shook her head at me while Jase just smiled and pointed at the middle of the room. I moved carefully, not wanting to crumple my gown. It was sleek, deceptively simple cut, the way I'd always imagined, but the fall of white satin was beaded in tiny crystals and iridescent beads, the lines following the curves of my body. When the moon—nearly but not quite full, as was traditional for wolf weddings—caught the fabric, I should shimmer.
In contrast, Jase wore a traditional black tux. He'd insisted that if he was going to be my male of honor, then he was going to do it properly. Esme's dress was slinky and a shade of deep green that was nearly black. I was definitely going to be the center of attention.
Though my own attention would be on Dan.
"How much longer?" I asked as Jase began to drape the delicate lace veil—also strategically beaded—over my head.
"Ceremony starts in fifteen minutes," Esme said. "So let's get this done, and then you can have a few minutes alone with Bug before we have to get downstairs."
I nodded, stomach tightening with nerves. But the good kind. Happy, fluttering butterflies of delight at the thought that tonight was finally the night.
Jase finished pinning the veil in place, folding it back carefully. "There. Perfect."
I didn't know about perfect, but the reflection in the mirror was close enough. The dress and the veil were beautiful—Bug and I had spent long enough looking for them and sending Jase pictures for his input. My hair and makeup artist had done a great job. And I looked happy. I was happy. That was the most important thing.
"You look gorgeous," Esme said. She handed me the bouquet of champagne and pink roses, with one lone coral one nestled among them to echo the flowers my mother had carried on her wedding day. I'd even sewn a small strawberry pin my dad had given her into the hem of my dress. I had on Bug's favorite pearl earrings and the engagement ring Dan gave me. My garter was aqua. I was covered.
"Thanks," I said.
Jase kissed my cheek, his lips cool as always.
"Ten minutes," he said as he and Esme opened the door to let Bug in. She'd been up here earlier, helping me with my dress, but had gone downstairs to keep an eagle eye on the preparations.
She stopped when she saw me, a smile that was a little wobbly at the edges lighting her face.
"No crying," I said. "If you cry, I'll cry, and then Jase will kill me."
She nodded, pressing her lips together. "Oh, sweetheart, you look beautiful."
"Thanks," I said. Then took a breath because I wasn't entirely sure that I wasn't going to be the one to break the "no crying" rule.
Bug walked over and kissed my cheek, too, taking the hand that wasn't holding the flowers.
"No point asking if you're sure about this," she said.
I shook my head.
No.
There were no doubts. I'd been ready to marry Dan as soon as we left Smith back in the hospital room. He was the one. The man who'd literally run into fire with me to keep me safe.
We still argued now and then, like any couple did, but I trusted our bond. There was a sense of him, deep and sure, within me. But we'd decided to wait. Wrap up the investigation, prepare for the court case, and just give ourselves some time to breathe. Smith was cooperating so far. He and Felipe and some others were working on a cure for the plague vamps. Adria had unlocked the last of my father's files, and apparently there'd been some theories in his notes that were helpful.
It was as much as I could ask for. Science didn't move at the speed of light. But Felipe was hopeful. Which meant Dan and I could take our time. Revert to normal life—whatever that was.
Bug's house was almost finished. She'd rented an apartment near my house for a few months while her house was rebuilt, though she hadn't yet decided if she was moving back to Caldwell. Stanley had visited often. Everything was good. Dan and I were even going to go lie on a beach for a few weeks for our honeymoon.
But first, the wedding. And the party. I was looking forward to that part. But not quite as much as making sure everybody knew Dan was all mine.
"Good," Bug said. "It took you two long enough." She grinned at me. "Well, then, let's get you downstairs and married.
I followed Jase and Esme along a path lit by hundreds of tiny lanterns shaped like stars, Bug by my side and the moonlight falling around me. Every time I walked the woods in the Retreat now, it reminded me of my dad. Tonight, I was sure that, if there was any way they could be, he and Mom would be walking with us. I allowed myself a single thought of I miss you, then turned my attention back to where I was headed.
All I had to do was follow the light. The path wound through the trees for a short distance to one of the groves in the woods. Jase and Esme reached the edge of the clearing and stopped to look back at me. I nodded and they walked forward, the music of the string quartet rising around them. Bug's hand tightened around mine as we reached the edge. I squeezed back, but I was focused on the man now standing only about twenty feet away from me, dark hair gleaming in the moonlight, silver eyes as bright as the stars that lit the edge of the aisle. There were no other lights, and the faces of all our friends—our families—were silvery pale. But the joy was clear on all of them.
And the love.
Just like the love drawing me like an arrow down to Dan's side, the fierce happiness on his face telling me he felt the same way I did. That there was no one else just then but the two of us.
I practically floated down the aisle, barely registering Bug as she lifted my veil back when we reached the end, or Esme as she took my bouquet. There was just Dan and his hands on mine and his happiness sweeping through me.
I wanted to kiss him, but there was the pesky matter of the ceremony first. I glanced at the celebrant, "Let's do this," I said.
Dan's laugh echoed through the trees. But he didn't let go of my hands. Not until we'd made our vows under moonlight and he was sliding a ring onto my finger.
"Mine," I said as I slid one onto his as well.
"Yours," he agreed.
And then he kissed me.