29. Yvonne

29

YVONNE

Today is the day. I’m going to marry Oarus and become his mate, and every ounce of me is brimming with excitement. Nothing has ever felt this right, and I’ve never wanted anything more.

Oarus and I are having a small meal before he takes me to the cavern he said we’ll be having the wedding in. He refuses to tell me any details about it, and I’m honestly okay with that. He wants to keep it a surprise and that just makes it all the more special.

I stare at him from across the kitchen table, unable to help the smile growing on my face. How did I get so lucky? I’ll never understand that. Before Oarus, my life was horrible. So horrible that I would have rather died than continue living, and I almost did.

Oarus saved me, more than once. I will never be a slave again because of him. It makes me realize something. I was never Oarus’ slave, not from the very beginning, not really. Even when he first took me, it was with pure intentions unlike my previous captors.

There was always something different about him. Something different in the way he treated me. I was unused to it, and so I was unable to recognize that he was not like the others. But he forced me to see it, and once I got past my stubbornness, I did.

He catches me looking at him and smiles. That face brings me such joy, such contentment. Feelings that I used to think didn’t exist.

“Are you done with your food?” he asks.

I nod. “I’m not really that hungry. Too excited.”

He stands up and collects our bowls, taking them to the sink. My eyes trail down his body, my mind going to a different place as I imagine all the things I still want to experience with him. All the things he could do to me.

I want him to do all of those things. I never want him to stop doing them.

“Yvonne?”

I blink. “Yes?”

“I asked if you were nervous.”

I feel my face heat up and I look up at him, meeting his knowing eyes.

“No, not at all.”

“Good. I have something for you. Stay there.”

I bite my lip, wondering what it could possibly be as Oarus disappears. He comes back a moment later, holding something behind his back. When he reveals what it is, my jaw practically drops to the floor. My hand flies to my mouth, and tears are already threatening to spill out of my eyes.

“Oh… Oarus, it’s beautiful.”

The tears begin pouring out, I can’t stop them. Not as I look at my wedding dress in his hands. It’s long and sparkly, the entire thing a teal color that matches Oarus’ shading almost perfectly.

I stand up and approach him, my hand reaching out to touch the dress. I notice small swirling details around the waist that look kind of like a mix of flowers and small waves.

My eyes lift to his. I wipe my tears away and smile.

“Thank you. This is perfect. Where did you get this?”

“I went to five different towns looking for the perfect one. Nothing felt right, and then I came across this seamstress who did custom dresses. I had her show me all the fabrics and told her what my vision was. When I saw this fabric, I knew. She made it for me overnight. I had to guess the measurements, but it looks right to me.”

“It’s custom?” My lips tremble.

“Yes. There’s not a single dress in the entire world that is identical to this one. And there never will be.”

The tears begin falling again. Oarus sets the dress aside and takes me in his arms, holding me close. I breathe in his scent, the scent of home. He caresses my hair, and we stand like this for a while before he pulls away.

“Do you want to put it on?”

I nod furiously.

Oarus gives me some privacy as I change. I slip the dress on and zip up the back. Before I tell him to come back in, I walk in front of the mirror.

The person looking back at me is almost unrecognizable from the woman I was before meeting him. She looks happy, healthy, and beautiful. I smile at my reflection and adjust my hair before turning towards the cave entrance.

“Okay, you can come in now!”

Oarus walks in, his eyes instantly lighting up upon seeing me.

“It looks even better than I imagined.”

“Thank you,” I say, performing a small curtsy before twirling around in a circle.

Oarus laughs and grabs my hand once I’m done. “We should get going now.”

He leads me out of our cave and through the tunnels, taking me in a direction I haven’t been before. We stop just outside a cave, where a soft green glow appears to be pouring out and reflecting on the wall opposite the entrance. My curiosity reaches an all-time high.

Oarus stops and turns to me. “There’s a wise old monster who lives down here. He’s always been a peacekeeper of sorts. Everyone respects him, including me. I’ve asked him to be the officiant for our wedding.”

“Okay.”

“Are you ready? It’s in here,” he says, nodding to the glowing door.

“Yes. I couldn’t possibly be more ready.”

He reaches out a hand and caresses my face. He looks like he wants to kiss me but stops.

“We should wait until it’s official,” he explains.

“I agree. Make it more special.”

Oarus takes my hand and leads me into the cave where we’re to be married.

My eyes feel like they’re playing tricks on me as we enter. Every inch of the surrounding walls is covered with small, glowing gems, all in different hues of blue, green, and some yellow.

“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” I marvel, eyes wide as I take it all in.

“No,” Oarus says. “That is.”

I look at him, but he’s staring down at my dress. I look down to see what has him so enthralled. The reflection of the gems on the walls bouncing off of my sparkly dress creates the illusion that my dress is glowing, too, far brighter than the room around us.

“Wow,” I whisper.

“Hello,” a voice says.

I look up to see a tall creature with skin like a snake and long, flowing blue hair. His eyes are bright green, almost yellow. He gives me a soft smile before turning to Oarus.

“Are you ready to begin?”

“Yes. Thank you, Avashra, for doing this on such short notice.”

Oarus and I take up a spot in the center of the room, facing each other, and Avashra stands beside us.

“You may now speak your vows before we begin.”

I open my mouth before Oarus can, wanting to be the first one to talk.

“I just want to say how grateful I am that you saved me that day from those dark elves. If you hadn’t, well… I wouldn’t be here. Meeting you not only saved my life, but it started my life. I truly believe that before you, I was not living. Not really.”

I wipe a stray tear. “You’ve welcomed me into your life with open arms and made me feel like I actually belong somewhere for once. Nothing makes me feel better than that. But most of all, you’ve shown me more love than I ever knew. I never thought I would get to experience love, not the real kind. But now that I have, I don’t ever want to go back. I love you so much, Oarus. I want to be your wife. Your mate. Forever.”

Oarus squeezes my hands, his eyes shining. He nods, more to himself than me before speaking.

“When I first saw you, I knew that you would be mine. I may not have known in what way, but I knew that I had to have you. You fascinated me from the start, and not just because you’re human but because you are so unique. You’re the strongest individual I’ve ever met.”

He brushes his thumb over the back of my hand. “My only regret is not finding you sooner. Not being able to give you the life you deserved until now. But soon we will both forget about your past and replace those bad memories with thousands of good ones. That I know. Nothing else matters more than you, my love. Nothing. I will be forever honored to call you mine. I love you, Yvonne.”

Tears prick at my eyes for the millionth time today. I let them fall, not wanting to suppress my emotions. Oarus wipes them away before returning his hand to mine.

Avashra steps aside for a moment before returning with a basin. He sets it on the ground and dips his fingers into it, then stands back up.

“Sacred water from the sea of Pref which surrounds these caves. It is from the deepest part of Pref, which no creatures are allowed to inhabit. This water marks the joining of your two souls for as long as you both shall live.”

He brings his fingers to my forehead and traces a mark with the water into my skin. Once he’s done, he pulls his hand away and dips it back into the basin, before doing the same to Oarus.

“Do you, Oarus, accept Yvonne as your wife and forever mate?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Yvonne, accept Oarus as your husband and forever mate?”

“I do.”

“Then from this moment forward, that you shall be. Your bond has never been so strong as it is at this moment, and it shall remain so forever.”

Avashra steps aside, and when I turn to see where he went, he’s gone. I turn back to Oarus, who steps closer and takes my face in his hands.

“My mate,” he whispers before planting his lips on mine.

The kiss feels different somehow than any other we’ve shared. Maybe it’s the magic of the ceremony, of the moment. I’m not sure. All I know is Oarus and his lips moving against mine.

He lifts me up, holding me against his body and letting the kiss continue.

My mate.

Two words I never thought would apply to me.

Two words that now define me. My favorite two words from this moment on.

My mate.

The words repeat in my head over and over as we kiss.

My mate.