if it might turn into a monster any second.
My mind was spinning. My tummy churned with nerves while my heart pounded with excitement. I thought about Lucas and remembered the first time I’d been alone with him in the penthouse at Rain Hotel. He’d been so steady, so calm, and yet our nearness to one another threatened to burn us alive from the inside out.
I’d known when we met he was something special, even before I understood the soul-bond. And he had stood by me, steady as a rock. He’d never faltered.
He’d never run away.
My gaze cut to my phone once again, as if Desmond might choose that moment to reach out to me. The message light was blank.
Lucas, for everything he had done that drove me crazy, and all the mistakes he had made, never pretended to be something else. He had always been the wolf king. He had always been my mate. I might not agree with his methods, but he was as reliable as the passing of time.
And today I would marry him.
Because it was the right thing for the pack. But it was so much more than that…
Marrying Lucas meant an end to my own uncertainty. It meant I was his and only his. I ran my fingers over the beadwork on the front of my dress and smiled softly. The photographer snapped away. I looked past him and to my bridesmaids, and smiled at them.
“Let’s go get me married.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Once I was encased in the satin-and-beaded glory that was my wedding dress—with my thigh holster secured thanks to a quick trip to the ladies’ room with Mercedes—Kimberly let Grandmere into the suite so she could see the finished product. Judging by the tears that welled up in her eyes and the way she clutched her chest, I was guessing I looked all right.
“Oh…baby.”
“Does it look okay?”
“You look…magnifique. So beautiful.” She came over and took my hand, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
“Grandmere, there’s someone I want you to meet.” I introduced my friends to her, and then stopped at the tall, dark-haired girl who was shuffling nervously from foot to foot. “This is Eugenia. McQueen.”
Grandmere’s gaze cut from me to the girl, then back. “This is…”
“Mercy’s other daughter.”
“Oh.”
“Hi,” Eugenia said meekly, giving a small wave.
Being low-key had never been one of my grandmere’s strongest suits. In spite of her small stature she crossed the distance between me and Eugenia and swept the tall girl into her arms, crushing her with an intense hug.
She muttered an assortment of loving greetings in French, and Eugenia responded in kind. Upon hearing her granddaughter speak in French, and Creole French no less, I think Grandmere almost keeled over and died of happiness on the spot. The most I’d been able to manage was Canadian French, and even that I botched half the time. Eugenia spoke Grandmere’s native language as only a girl born and raised in Louisiana could. They chattered to each other briefly, and Eugenia wiped away a few happy tears once Grandmere released her.
“Happy, happy day,” Grandmere said, beaming with pride.
My photographer was practically wetting himself with joy over all the warm and fuzzy family moments we were giving him to document.
“How is Lucas doing?” I asked Kimberly. If he was half as nervous and wobbly as I felt, I would get some satisfaction from knowing I wasn’t the only one.
“The boys were scheduled to get ready at his penthouse to avoid any run-ins here.” The planner shrugged. “Lucas insisted they didn’t need any assistance, so we’ll have to pray they figure out whose vest is whose and don’t mix the boutonnières up too terribly.” She gave a martyred sigh, knowing she’d be blamed if they showed up looking ridiculous. “At least we’ll have some time to fix them before he follows you in.”
Grandmere, Eugenia and Kellen were no strangers to wedding protocol when it came to royal werewolf nuptials, but I’d needed to explain to Mercedes at great length why I was going to precede Lucas up the aisle. Traditionally in most scenarios the king went first, especially when it came to meals and formal greetings.
Weddings were the one exception. The king always arrived after the bride had gone up the aisle, and was always the last to enter. So instead of me walking towards him, I would already be at the front when he came in. Kind of sneaky, if you ask me, since it meant the big reveal moment was for the groom and