Chapter 215: The best kind

Before he could finish, I tilted my head back and pressed a soft kiss to the taut line of his neck, feeling the heavy tremor ripple beneath my lips. I hadn’t realized how intoxicating it was to tease my man, driving him to the absolute edge of his hunger. A tight, sweet ache coiled in my lower belly at the sheer power of his desire for me.

Jake quietly slid into the driver’s seat, and the SUV smoothly pulled away into a cozy silence. Only a few minutes passed before Magnus looked down at me again. His broad hand slid possessively through the high slit of my dress, his fingers tenderly caressing the soft curve of my rounded belly. The gentle, protective motion sent a wave of warmth blooming through my chest.

"You were breathtaking in your rage," he murmured, a fond, prideful smile touching his lips. "For a moment, I thought you were going to leap across the bench and strangle the judge with your bare hands. My fierce little creature. I never imagined you could command such fear with a single look. I’m certain half that courtroom will be seeing you in their nightmares for years to come."

"And what about you? Were you terrified too?" I teased with a low chuckle, resting my head against his shoulder. My fingers traced the hard line of his collarbone, lingering just beneath the newly exposed mark.

"Are you joking? The moment I saw you walk in, my only thought was breaking those iron bars and locking you away in our bedroom," he growled low in his throat. "That, and strangling the other half of the room for drooling over you."

"Now you’re exaggerating," I said, shaking my head, though a searing warmth bloomed in my chest at his possessive tone.

"I saw those scumbags trying to hide their reactions, devouring your legs with their eyes. You’re pure, unadulterated sex, Jane. I’m certain if you had ordered them to lick the soles of your red heels, half the men in that gallery would have fought to the death for the privilege."

"Magnus, stop it! You’re unbelievable." Laughing, I leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his stubbled chin.

Glancing out the tinted window, I noticed we had nearly arrived. The sharp, towering spires of the cathedral—where our wedding vows were set to take place—loomed into view just up ahead.

"I don’t give a damn about their filthy desires," I murmured softly. "The only thing that matters to me is that you want me."

"I will show you tonight just how desperately I want you."

"Only tonight?" I drawled with a playful smile.

"Tonight, and every single night that follows, until death parts us," the Alpha declared with absolute certainty, his lips curving into a confident smile.

I was utterly spellbound looking at him in that moment. He was intoxicatingly handsome—rugged, lethal, broken down and forged anew like a phoenix from the ashes. The fierce, reverent tenderness with which this ruthless male held me sent a wave of dry heat to my throat and a deep, coiling ache straight to my lower abdomen.

Biting my lip, I slid my palm further down his chest. Meeting his gaze, I saw his dark brows arch upward. Magnus effortlessly read the sudden shift in my scent, catching the exact second his words turned me on. The smirk on his lips grew shamelessly sinful.

"That sounds suspiciously like a wedding vow," I whispered, just before the heat of his breath grazed my lips.

"The best kind of vow," he rasped, covering my mouth in a deep, intoxicating kiss.

***

The perimeter around the cathedral was lined with sleek black sedans belonging to our invited guests and security detail. The second we stepped out into the crisp, frost-laden air, a heavy lace cloak with a deep hood was draped gently over my shoulders. Despite its delicate appearance, the enchanted fabric held off the cold perfectly. Magnus hadn’t had time to change out of his torn court clothes, but we still had a brief window before the ceremony began; his tailored tuxedo was waiting in one of the private chambers set aside for us.

Unexpectedly, the massive iron-reinforced doors swung open. Guests and pack guards flooded out into the courtyard, forming a vibrant living corridor along the stone steps. In their hands were handfuls of white flower petals. As we began our slow ascent, our people tossed the blossoms high into the air above us, chanting singular blessings in unison.

Longevity. Health. Happiness. Prosperity.

The voices blended into a harmonious, gentle murmur, rustling like a summer breeze through the courtyard. The high arched windows of the dark stone cathedral gleamed brilliantly under the pale winter sun. It felt almost like a breathtaking dream—yet as Magnus gripped my hand with unshakeable strength, guiding me up the steps, I knew it was real. We were stepping together into our new life.

***

The silence in the cathedral’s dimly lit corridor was so profound that I could hear the faint, cozy flicker of hundreds of candles burning beyond the heavy double doors. The warm, rich scent of beeswax permeated the air, settling deep into my lungs as I took a slow, steadying breath, trying to calm the nervous tremble in my knees before taking that final, decisive step.

"Are you scared?"

Askold stepped up directly behind me. Wrapping his arms around my trembling shoulders in a protective, brotherly embrace, he rested his chin heavily on the crown of my head. I clasped his large, warm hands with my cold fingers and closed my eyes, trying to soothe the heart hammering violently against my ribs.

"I’ve waited for this for so long that right now, it feels almost impossible to believe that everything is finally okay," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "I’m terrified that while we’re standing at the altar, armed men in masks will burst through the doors and pin us all to the floor."

"Pff, only if they’re strippers Sayan booked for the bachelor party—though you’d hardly get a chance to see them. Magnus would break their necks before they even got their shirts off," my brother drawled playfully, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

"Though after the shock of today, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the guests end up face-down in the salad by morning. Your wedding is truly a historic spectacle. You two do everything on a massive scale—even your troubles."