The guests were seated to watch the ceremony.
A long royal-blue carpet that was covered in white rose petals extended from the terrace that started at the packhouse. The blue fabric made a straight line through the garden and it ended at the podium where Maddox was with the Shaman of the Blue River pack.
The air was filled with a delicate aroma from flower arrangements of coronations and roses.
White and blue streamers and balloons hung above the guests. The venue was bathed in orange and golden hues due to the setting sun, which created long shadows, making it look mystical.
Several reporters were tirelessly taking photos because the guests were all important people, and the event was live streamed for everyone to see.
The music changed, and the guests quieted as they turned toward the packhouse. They were all expecting people to come from there, but Gideon came from the right, and Mindy from the left side of the terrace, emerging from the green foliage that had white blooms to match the rest of the decorations.
Mindy and Gideon met in the middle, and the sparkle in Gideon's eyes told her he approved.
"You are stunning," he said, and her smile widened.
Mindy hooked her arm with Gideon's as they turned to walk over the blue carpet that was covered in white rose petals.
Murmurs swelled among the crowd how those were Alpha Maddox's sister and the Shaman of the Dark Howlers pack. They all knew who Mindy was because she was active in society while being the face of charities that supported the causes for providing for less fortunate ones, but Gideon kept a low profile, and not many knew him outside the Dark Howlers pack. Well, that will change after tonight.
Gideon was happy to be the one walking next to his pumpkin-infused princess, and he loved the way she held onto him firmly, but he feared that she will make him dance. He was NOT into dancing!
Next were Tony and Kalina, and people quickly recognized them as Alpha and Luna of the Lightclaw pack.
After the couple from the Lightclaw pack went Varya (Tatiana's sister) and Oliver (Maddox's Beta).
Talia knew that she should pay attention to the music before stepping outside, but her eyes were locked with her handsome mate, who looked especially dashing in his blue suit that had golden embroidery on the lapels. She loved that their outfits matched because her sleeveless dress, which reached her knees, had a golden waist and a golden hem at the bottom.
Damon stared at Talia as possessed, and he really wanted to go there and kiss her senselessly and do much more than kiss, but then he reminded himself how they were putting on a show where Talia was not his mate, she was his ally, Alpha Natalia Moonrider, and people were not ready to find out that she was also Talia Blake. His Talia. His kitten.
She had more makeup than usually, but she was equally breathtaking.
Damon's heart ached at the thought of how for a long time he didn't give her the acknowledgment she deserved, and now he was about to repeat the same, albeit per her request. Was this her way of punishing him by not allowing him to claim her publicly as his? Everyone will want to get close to her, either because of her position, her power, or because she was absolutely stunning, yet he will need to pretend they were friends. Will he be able to pull it off without blowing a fuse? Damon doubted it.
Talia moved toward Damon, and he moved toward her, and they met in the middle.
'It will be alright, love,' Talia's voice sounded in his head, and he smiled a little.
She could feel his emotions and she knew that this was not easy for him.
Talia wanted to pretend, they had a plan, but it was difficult to conceal the maddening attraction and resist the pull. In the end, they could stop this play and tell everyone the truth. But before giving up on it, Talia wanted to try.
'Your hand,' Talia instructed through their private mind-link, and he extended his arm automatically.
Talia placed her hand on his. 'Now we walk.'
He moved per command, and Talia struggled to keep a straight face. Damon was like a robot. A handsome and super-hot robot. And hers.
Damon snapped to his senses when he picked up whispers, "Alpha Damon… Alpha Natalia".
Well, at least no one recognized Talia as his Luna, and that should be a good thing, but why was he feeling so uneasy? Seeing all eager gazes directed at Talia, Damon wanted to pull her into his embrace and to shout how she was his and others should fuck off, but he knew that Talia wouldn't approve, so he suppressed that urge.
One by one, couples moved through the passage that hid them from the guests until it was their time to show up, and James eagerly looked in front, waiting to see his chocolate-colored Goddess.
And there she was… beautiful in a blue dress with a heart neckline that hugged her two girls while giving them a push up, a golden waistline was there to make her hips more alluring, and she was peeking through the wall made of green foliage while looking at the audience, searching for someone.
James' eyebrows shot up when he realized that she was looking for him. He chuckled in amusement. If she only looked in the way she was moving, she would see him right there, waiting for her.
Cornelia reached the end of the green wall and released a long breath. There was no sign of James, her legs were wobbly, and she was sure that those sandals were a type of torturing device, yet she needed to walk all the way there, and that podium looked like several continents away.
"Ahh!" a suppressed cry escaped Cornelia's lips when her leg got twisted, and she lost her balance.
A fleeting thought passed through her mind while considering whether she should allow herself to fall and make a fool of herself or use magic to expose herself. None of those seemed good, and she cursed silently for coming here. If she could have a do-over, she would spend three days at the Dark Howlers pack and watch the live stream while cursing all sluts that dared to come close to James.
Cornelia closed her eyes to prepare herself for the impact, and then she found herself in a pair of strong arms.
The crowd observed all this, and they saw Cornelia coming out and losing her balance, and then James crossed the distance between them like a flash to catch her, making the people erupt in 'Ohs' and 'Ahs' because he did it swiftly and elegantly, the scene was like it came from a fairytale where a knight saves a damsel in distress.
"Careful, my lady," James said, and Cornelia opened her eyes in disbelief while wondering if she had imagined it.
Her heart was beating wildly, threatening to jump out of her chest and confirm how that was not her imagination. That was James. Her James. It was really him, right there, helping her straighten up. No wonder she couldn't spot him in the crowd, but how did he end up being a groomsman? Cornelia had many questions, but she knew this was not the time to voice them.
James could literally hear Cornelia's heartbeats, and the mate bond allowed him to sense her emotions. Disbelief, relief, joy, love. There was lots of love, and he thought his chest will burst with happiness.
"Are you alright?" James asked while staring into her dark brown eyes and suppressing his desire to kiss her. If they didn't have hundreds of eyes on them, James would pick her up and take her to his room, and they wouldn't come out for days.
Cornelia's eyes darted to his lips, but then she became aware of their audience.
"I am alright. Thank you.", she said, and she was about to step away from him, but he grabbed her hand.
"Please, hold on tightly." James put Cornelia's hand on his forearm and placed his palm over her hand, pressing it there without an intention to let go. "Your leg might be injured. Feel free to lean on me."
Cornelia bit her lower lip, but she was still smiling.
