Chapter 50

Aidan

It was mid-afternoon, and despite the chill of that morning, the sun’s warmth had chased away the cold. The temperature rose just enough for dragons to feel comfortable. Aidan and Bailey stood on the field by the fortress in front of hundreds of guests. Most were shifters, but some humans, sorcerers, and slayers attended as well.

He was more than pleased with the turnout.

Each female participating in the mating ceremony had a fresh wreath of purple and white flowers atop their head despite it being November. They’d gotten them from their greenhouses, which flourished no matter the time of the year. A special magic spell kept the petals from wilting too soon.

Bailey appeared lovelier than ever, wearing one of her newer camrium dresses. It was burgundy with black buttons running up the front and cinched at the waist. The tight long sleeves kept her arms warm, but the skirt only ran to her knees, leaving the rest of her toned legs bare. She also wore black sandals that made her feet seem even smaller and daintier.

As soon as he’d seen her after she finished getting ready, he’d wanted to take it all back off. Even in front of so many witnesses, he was tempted to at least run his fingers through her shiny, flowing, black hair. It nearly reached her waist now.

Years ago, during Dragomas, they’d given each other mating arm bracelets. They had intended to wear them once they had their ceremony, but Nanoq never consented to the ritual and kept putting it off until Bailey fled. After she returned, they’d had to focus on the war.

Now, after six years as mates, they could finally make their relationship official.

They stood facing each other with a burning brazier waist-high between them. Aidan held her arm bracelet in his hand, and she held his. He looked into her eyes and knew he’d made the right choice all those years ago. No one suited him more.

“Bailey, misanna, you are my world,” he began, speaking solemnly. “From the first moment I saw you through the veil between our dimensions, I could think of no other female except you. Perhaps I didn’t realize how hard I would fall, but I knew I was drawn to you in a way I’d never felt before.”

This was the one time a shifter was expected to say all the words in their heart to their mate in public, and he would take full advantage of it. His toriq would be left with no doubt about what Bailey meant to him.

“I love your fierceness and the way you challenge me. There is no male anywhere who can say their mate supports them to the fullest while also threatening death if they do anything to ruin the peace and safety of others. While some may have their doubts about you being a slayer, the wisest know that if I ever abuse my power, you will be the first to stop it. I’m proud to know you will always keep me in line and look out for the best interest of my toriq.”

Bailey smiled, eyes watering.

“Always,” she whispered.

Both their family members and friends stood at the front of the audience. Some smiled and others had thoughtful expressions on their faces. Rayna had a wistful look on hers.

“With this bracelet,” he said, holding it up for all to see the simple gold band, “I pledge my mind, body, and soul to you, Bailey. I am yours forever.”

Aidan stepped forward and dropped it into the fire. Due to a magical spell placed on the flames, it turned violet. He willed good wishes for his mate for the next thirty seconds while the audience waited in silence. For Bailey, he wanted her to be happy. That was what mattered to him most, so he poured his thoughts into that idea before taking a step back.

Once done, he nodded at her. “Your turn.”

“Aidan,” she began, pausing as her cheeks colored from so much attention on her. “Ahem, there was a time when I couldn’t speak in public like this without wanting to run fast and far. Becoming a slayer and mating Aidan taught me I had more courage than I realized, but old habits die hard. I totally considered taking a running leap over all your heads to get out of here.”

Everyone laughed.

She turned her attention back to him. “That’s the thing about becoming true mates is you help each other become stronger and overcome weaknesses. Aidan didn’t only teach me how to fight physical battles, but also psychological ones. People don’t realize that any slayer who keeps their soul wakes up each day regretting the deaths they’ve caused, yet they’re powerless to resist going out to battle over and over—except the people-eating dragons. We never lose sleep over killing those.”

The audience laughed again, and pride surged through Aidan. Not only was his mate speaking before hundreds of people, but she was managing to be serious and humorous while she was at it. She’d come a long way since he first met her.

Bailey took a deep breath. “I think everyone knows that years ago Aidan didn’t have any plans for rising in power, but what they didn’t know then was that he was already thinking ahead on how to protect the Taugud. With his uncle’s suggestion, he sought me out as soon as the dimensions began coalescing because they believed a slayer ally was vital. I admit to being reluctant at first, but in my defense, I thought dragons were a myth until that day.”

Orion giggled where he stood next to Phoebe. Of course, he found that ironic.

“With time, I became convinced he was right and that we needed to work together. He’s the smartest and bravest man I know. Even when it seems all hope is lost, he pushes through to the end. He did it when Nanoq was in power, and he did it for this war. We wouldn’t be standing here now without him.”

Bailey’s bright smile warmed Aidan’s heart like nothing else could. Murmurs of agreement ran through the crowd. There were many times he wondered if he was doing things right or doing enough, she had a way of putting it all in perspective.

The slayer’s grip on the arm bracelet tightened. “I don’t think we could ask for a better pendragon, and I certainly couldn’t want anyone else as my mate. He makes us all better. I’m proud to stand by his side and to defend the Taugud whenever they need me. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to you, Aidan. I am yours forever.”

Bailey stepped forward and dropped the arm bracelet into the fire. This time, the flames in the brazier turned white. She closed her eyes, and everyone waited while she silently made goodwill wishes to him. When she lifted her lids, a glow of happiness emanated from her.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded.

Together, they reached into the fire and took hold of the arm bracelets. They felt the heat, but it couldn’t burn them even without the magic fueling it. The flames returned to red and yellow. Aidan walked around the brazier and placed his on Bailey’s arm over her long sleeve, then kissed her forehead. She put his bracelet on him and kissed him in return.

“Mates forever,” they said in unison before turning to face the crowd.

Loud cheers rang out. Orion sprinted forward and wrapped his little arms around them. One good thing out of the years-long delay was that their son got to be here to participate. Aidan could hardly resent that. Good things happened eventually if one was patient and worked hard toward their dreams.

One just had to be prepared for bumps along their path and to persevere.

After everyone congratulated them, he waved his sister and Ozara forward to take their turn. He and Bailey stood by the children to keep them in line. Thankfully, they were happy to watch the next ceremony and mostly stood still. It helped that there was no food nearby to throw.

Phoebe wore a black camrium sleeveless dress with gold buttons on the sides of the long skirt. She held up a gold arm bracelet first, staring across the burning brazier at Ozara. “As far as we’re concerned, we’ve been mates for over ten years, but nothing makes me happier than to finally make it official. I knew long ago before we even spoke that I wanted you and only you.”

The clan spy revealed rare emotion in her yellow eyes, clearly touched.

“Ozara, you aren’t the type to stand out for most people, but you’ve always been the brightest star in my sky. When I finally got the courage to approach you eleven years, two months, and three days ago, I was surprised you didn’t put me off. Instead, we flew for hours together and talked like we were already best friends. Connections like that are rare in life, and even rarer is the chance to turn it into pure, unconditional love.”

Phoebe drew a deep breath and held up the arm bracelet. “I dedicate my life to making you and our children happy and safe. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to you, Ozara. I am yours forever.”

She dropped the bracelet into the flames.

The clan spy shifted on her feet, clearly nervous. She had the courage of ten shifters when it came to her job, but she didn’t socialize much outside of their inner circle. It was easier when she needed to be discreet and avoid drawing attention to herself. She fingered the black buttons of her white camrium tunic. It had a low V-neck and was sleeveless. Her narrow skirt of the same color was long, reaching her ankles. It was a lovely style for her.

When she didn’t speak after a full minute, Aidan used a little of his pendragon magic to help put her at ease. Within seconds, the tension in her shoulders relaxed. She gave him a grateful look.

“If Bailey thinks she has a hard time with crowds and speaking, I promise I’m worse,” she said, glancing at the gathering of witnesses. “I can’t put the words together to say all the things I feel for my mate, but I can tell her that I’d cross oceans and planets for her if necessary. She is the sun that wakes me every day.”

Ozara cleared her throat and held up her arm bracelet. “I pledge my mind, body, and soul to you, Phoebe. I am yours forever.”

She dropped the band into the flames and then they repeated the same steps as Bailey and Aidan. He was so happy for his sister and her mate. They deserved to be together as much as any couple, and he was glad he could help facilitate that. He also noted a slight bump in Phoebe’s stomach as she began to show. This would truly be a happy time for all of them as they began their new lives with peace and hopefully much prosperity.

As they left the brazier, Aidan waved Falcon and Sabryn forward. They kept their vows to each other short and simple. The only notable line being the female shifter saying her mate had not made the chase easy, but the night in the storage shed had been worth the wait. Aidan’s advisor actually blushed at that part.

A few more couples came forward to make their matings official and then several shifters with wind instruments began playing a lively tune. Aidan took hold of Bailey and showed her a twisting and winding dance that flustered her at first, but she soon mastered. He caught sight of the children doing their own version as they smiled and laughed.

The sky began to darken with sunset. While continuing to keep Bailey in his arms for a slow dance, he nodded at Javier where he stood across the field. The sorcerer nodded back and smiled.

A minute later, a series of fireworks popped up and lit the sky. They sprang up in every color imaginable and intricate designs that could be considered artwork. It wasn’t normally a part of the mating ritual, but Aidan had wanted to add his own mark to the occasion. The music stopped as everyone’s attention was diverted.

“That’s amazing,” Bailey breathed as she watched.

They weren’t dancing anymore—no one was—but he still held her close.

He leaned toward her ear. “I love you, misanna. Even if we live a thousand years, that will never change.”

She turned and kissed him deeply as the whizz and pop of fireworks continued. He could have stayed with her like that for hours. People exclaimed with excitement at the display in the sky, but all his attention was on his mate.

Eventually, she pulled back to stare into his eyes. “I love you, too, Aidan. Now and forever.”

His chest filled with happiness. He had everything he wanted and peace at last.

***

Thank you so much for following Bailey and Aidan’s journey.