embroidery created on the dress. “It’s our story.” I pointed to the plane that symbolized my coming to Alaska and to the two bears fighting, the first illusion Killian’s Puca tried to play on me. I let them trace the symbols I’d chosen for each one of them, telling the story of how we first met, the awe I’d felt petting a unicorn, that first night we’d sat around their dining room table and shared a meal, the first shift they’d seen me through that revealed my Phoenix. She cooed in my head, preening before her mates. Woven into the elegant fabric was the story of how they’d saved me, showed me love, and given me a home. They’d helped me overcome my past with their endless patience and gentleness. They’d taken care of me, seen me through countless rebirths, always right there when I opened my eyes again. The threads were a reminder of the good times—cooking with Damien in the kitchen, game nights filled with Twister, special dates like ice skating with Theo, and making love at the hot springs. They were also a reminder of the difficult ones we’d seen each other through—our fight with the Council, the people we’d loved and lost, the days we’d spent apart, our hearts, our very souls shattered beyond repair. We’d come so far and been through so much. Together, they’d loved me and let me love them in return, in my own time, bringing us here to this day.
Their eyes were glassy as they stepped up, each one touching me in some way, and together, in front of our families, we recited our mate vows in loud, clear tones, the melody of our voices melding and dancing together as we united our futures.
“Eternally bonded. Seven sparks of the same flame, never to be extinguished,” we finished in unison.
Taking my hand, Joshua slid their beautiful golden ring back into its place. I’d barely taken it off this past year, wearing it proudly as a symbol of our bonded union. He pressed a kiss to my knuckles, uncaring of the sheen in his eyes that slipped out to wet my hand.
Turning to Emy, I waved her over, and she proudly skipped up to me, holding onto the tiny satchel I’d put her in charge of earlier in the day. She gave me a pretty smile as she handed it over and then ran back to Rini.
Upending the bag, I poured the six rings I’d had made into my palm and turned to my mates, enjoying the looks of surprise on their faces. It was so hard to keep anything from them, especially with Damien being able to read my thoughts, but I’d kept this one thing guarded, warded in my mind, so I could do something special for them the way they always did for me.
“Damien, Theo, Hiro, Ryder, Killian, Joshua… these rings are a symbol of my love for you, a physical reminder of the promises we made in that tent over a year ago, and the vows that we renewed today in front of everyone we love. I never knew I was capable of loving someone so much, let alone six incredible men. You’ve changed my world. You make every day so much sweeter simply because you’re in it. It’s common to say the phrase ‘I cannot picture my life without you,’ but our story is different. Each one of us is keenly aware of what life is like without each other, pulled apart by death and separated by grief, so instead I’ll say that my love for you will never end. It spans the oceans, the stars, and stretches to eternity. My love is always with you, no matter where we are. The circles of these bands are endless. They have no beginning and no end, just like my boundless love for you. I promise you my today, my tomorrow, and my forever.”
One by one, I slipped their rings onto their fingers, sealing each individual promise with a passionate kiss I hoped they could feel in their souls like I could in mine.
I smiled, looking at each mate in turn, knowing they each completed me in some way, and I completed them.
We laughed as we ran down the aisle, Ryder whooping loud enough to scare the birds from the trees, and they spirited me away, uncaring of the guests we left partying in our absence.
“You’re ours now, our precious mate. For better or worse.” Joshua grinned as Damien opened