Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Alexis

White had never been my color.

It felt like a canvas, something too bland that would get dirtied at the slightest show of carelessness. Back when I was a kid, and my parents were still alive, mom used to make sure that I wore dark colors—brown, black, deep blue—so that whenever I went and played in the mud, it wouldn’t show as much. That habit solidified when I became an adult, thus leading to the belief that white was not and had never been my color.

As I stood there admiring my reflection in the bedroom mirror, I saw how thoroughly mistaken I had been and how much I had missed out on. This white wedding dress, ever so carefully tailored by the finest seamstresses of the pack, looked perfect on me. It was long, slender, and hugged me tightly at my waist and bosom. Paired with the veil, I looked like a princess straight out of an old Germanic fable. A few of the girls of the pack had helped me with the makeup. Some of the boys had gone down to the town and picked up a nice bouquet for me to hold. Will, who had disappeared last night, stating that seeing the bride before the wedding was bad luck, had gifted me these wonderful crystalline heels.

If only my mother and father were here. Mother would dote on me. Father would walk me down the aisle. They’d both cry tears of happiness in front of the progression as Will, and I kissed. It was the only thing that was lacking on this otherwise perfect day.

The air inside my bedroom felt stuffy. I looked around, acknowledging that this was very well the last time I was going to call this place my bedroom. Will and I had planned that we’d move away and then we’d live together somewhere else. This meant that Will would have to leave his home, and I’d have to leave my parent’s home.

Dressed in my wedding dress, wearing my heels, and holding the flowers, I walked around the house I’d grown up in, looking at the walls, the old décor my parents had put in place, and the rustic furniture. It made my heart feel heavy, knowing that this was goodbye.

There was a knock on the door. That was strange. I hadn’t been expecting anyone. The venue for the wedding was within the Grimm Abode. Vince, Maliha, and a couple of the younger pack members had gotten together and had gone crazy with the wedding preparations. Flowers, arches, a whole stage, and ornate chairs covered in white, flowy ribbons decorated the aisle and the entire venue. Balloons were hanging in the backdrop. That was only what I’d seen earlier this morning when I’d snuck out of the house to catch sight of the preparations. I was completely unaware of how far the preparations had come since then.

The knock resounded again.

“Who is it?” I asked, trying to get a hold of myself. It was only the biggest day of my life. The least I could ask for was some peace and quiet before the event.

“It’s Morgan.”

Morgan? Now what could he be doing outside my house at this hour?

I opened the door, hurriedly adjusting the bust of my dress. I didn’t know whether it was intentional on behalf of the seamstresses or just how the dress accentuated my figure, but there was quite a lot of cleavage that the open front showed. Cleavage that I wasn’t comfortable showing to Morgan, who was my dad’s age.

“Hey there, Alexis,” Morgan said, modestly looking down, holding his hat in his hands. Presumably, like the rest of the men, he was wearing a black tuxedo. “God, you look beautiful. I remember it like it was yesterday when your father used to take you out to the park and play with you. He was my friend, you know. Your father. We went to the same school, married at the same time, and so on.”

“Wow, Morgan, I didn’t know that,” I said, stepping aside so he could come in.

“Well, that’s on me. I should have kept more in touch with you after your parents died. It was a weakness on my part, and I regret it. But I would like to make reparations if that’s even possible,” Morgan said, shifting his feet on the floor, looking a little embarrassed.

“What are you talking about?” I asked apprehensively.

“Alexis, I would like to walk you down the aisle if that’s okay,” Morgan said, his voice breaking a little.

“Oh, Morgan,” I said, letting go of my dress and hugging him tightly. “I would love that.”

“Great,” he said, breaking the hug and wiping his eyes. “I’ll be there, waiting with the rest of the guests. Just nod in my general direction, and I’ll walk you down the aisle, okay?”

“Thank you so much, Morgan. That means the world to me,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze as he left.

“You’re a good kid, Alexis,” he said, waving at me as he left.

Just as I had closed the door, another knock rattled the doorframe. I opened it again, feeling a bit befuddled. I had forgotten that a wedding was not complete without bridesmaids. Well, bridesmaid. Singular. Who else but Maliha?

“Girl, oh my God, you look fucking divine!” Maliha squealed as she rushed in and hugged me fiercely. She was wearing a magenta dress and flowers in her hair.

“How does Will look?” I asked, unable to conceal my excitement.

“He looks like a billion dollars and then some. Honestly, woman, I’ve never seen him look this handsome,” she said, jumping up and down. “And can you guess who’s my date to the event?”

“Vince?”

“Yes! Vince! He’s wearing a matching magenta tie, and, oh my God, look at this brooch he got me! Girl, this is the best day of my life, and I’m so happy for you!” Maliha’s voice was so high-pitched that probably all the dogs in the vicinity could hear it.

“Okay, okay, calm down there. It’s my wedding day, and I haven’t had anything to eat yet,” I said, my stomach grumbling.

“Well, too late, sister. I’m here to escort you to the venue,” Maliha said, latching onto my arm.

“What? Now?” Suddenly, all of this was too real for me. It was all happening too fast.

“Yes. Now!” Maliha said, yanking me out the door. “It has to happen now. They’re all waiting.”

“There’s a knot in my stomach. I can’t move,” I said, feeling my legs go faint.

“Out there, standing at the end of that aisle, is a man you love dearly. What’s there to worry about? You look stunning, he looks gorgeous, and all the pack wants to cheer you on as you start this new chapter of your lives!” Maliha said enthusiastically.

“But that’s just it. A new chapter of our lives. What will that hold? We haven’t told a lot of people this, but we’re not staying here,” I said.

“You mean you’re going on the honeymoon. Of course, you have to,” Maliha said.

“No, babe. We’re leaving for good.”

A long and awkward silence hung in the air as we just stood there, looking at each other. Maliha’s eyes had welled up with tears. She hurriedly dabbed her napkin to her eyes, then coughed to clear her throat.

“If that is so, you owe me one last awesome day, and you better make it this day. So, without further ado, let’s go out there and have some fun,” she said, her voice constantly breaking during the sentence.

“Don’t be sad, Maliha,” I said, putting my hand on her cheek.

“I cannot imagine Fiddler’s Green without you,” she said, sobbing. “Crap, now my makeup’s getting all ruined.”

“Come on, let’s go. Big deep breaths, Maliha. You got this,” I said, taking her arm and patting her hand to calm her down, which weirdly enough calmed me down enough to walk out of the house with her.

The entire commune was deserted, which made sense seeing as how everyone was attending the wedding. Even the streets had been decorated with flowers, glitter, ribbons, and balloons. I had never seen the Grimm Abode look so colorful in my entire life.

Maliha and I turned a corner at the end.

What used to be the training grounds were turned into the wedding venue, complete with a carpet to cover the entire ground, a lovely luxurious white tent with tapestries hanging from the sides, and flowers. Flowers as far as the eye could see.

We entered from the far side, with the entire reception ahead of us. Morgan was standing at the start of the aisle, looking at me approvingly.

“I’ll take it from here, Maliha,” he said, relieving her of her duty.

Then it was Morgan’s turn to take my arm.

Everyone I had ever known was seated on either side of the aisle, all of them with their faces brimming with joy and zeal. I could see Will standing there at the top, his hair cut short, his beard gone in favor of a clean-shaven look, and his suit looking immaculate. It had been one week since he had woken up from his coma, and already he was looking like he had recovered. He smiled at me, then nudged Vince, who was standing right next to him, as a best man should.

Here Comes the Bride started playing in the background as I neared the stage. Will stepped down and helped me get up to the stage. All of the panic that had been trapped in my heart up until now suddenly disappeared the moment I laid eyes on his face.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered.

“Not too bad yourself, there, mister,” I whispered back.

Vince cleared his throat. I turned around and saw that he was no longer standing behind Will, as a best man should, but between the two of us, like an officiant.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Vince said in a loud voice that carried to the last aisle.

I looked inquisitively at Will, who shrugged and shook his head, revealing that he had no knowledge of this beforehand.

“Today, we are gathered here for the most auspicious event this pack has ever seen. And, of course, how could I have just let it slide that two of my best friends in the entire world were getting married? I got ordained just so that I could perform the ceremony and pronounce them man and wife,” Vince said.

I giggled, knowing that it was exactly like Vince to pull off something like this at the last second, and that too without anyone’s knowledge.

“Will and Alexis have, throughout their relationship, shown such moral fiber that it would put us all to shame. They have been through the best of it all, just as they have been through the worst of it all. But most importantly, they have proven, throughout all their trials and tribulations, that fated mates never leave each other’s side. And that’s what we’re here to celebrate today. They have proven, in every sense of the word, that they are each other’s fated mates,” Vince said. “And now, the rings.”

Maliha brought out the ring that I’d given to her. It was a simple platinum band with Will’s initials carved into it. Both of us had agreed that we’d keep things simple. I saw Vince hurriedly pass the ring to Will, saying, “It’s hard being both the best man and the officiant, ladies and gentlemen.”

“As you put on the rings, you may say your vows,” Vince said.

Will extended his hand toward me. I held his hand steady with my left hand as I put on the ring on his finger with my right hand.

“Will,” I said, feeling a mix of happiness, heaviness, and disbelief. “Five years ago, if someone had said that the legendary Wilhelm Grimm was going to be my fated mate, I would have told them that it was impossible. But you made the impossible happen. You showed up one day, to everyone’s astonishment, and you have been a part of my life ever since through thick and thin. You have taught me how to love, respect, cherish, celebrate, and, most importantly, live. Before you, I was just surviving. With you, I am at the top of the world, enjoying each life experience. I hope that never stops. I hope we keep having new experiences together till the end of our days.”

I put on the ring on his finger and then presented my own. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see everyone at the wedding looking at us both, mesmerized and enchanted.

“Alexis Richards. For more than seventy years, I was tortured, experimented upon, and promised a gruesome death. If someone had told me that I would find a mate like Alexis at the end of those seventy years, I would have happily gone through all that torture and pain. I was lost in life. Even before I met you, even before I left Germany, I considered myself lost and purposeless. It wasn’t until I met you that I found my calling, my purpose, my desire to live. Every single day that I’ve spent with you has made me evolve into a much better man, all thanks to you. I hope that I never stop improving. But most of all, I hope that I keep you happy, provide for you, and be the best mate you could ask for.”

Will slipped the ring on my finger. I looked up at him, smiling, my eyes full of love. I could see my reflection in his eyes, just as he could look at his in mine.

“They put it so beautifully, folks, that there’s nothing else left to say, but by the power granted unto me, I now pronounce you man and wife,” Vincent said. “You may now kiss the bride.”

It was as if Will had been holding himself back all this time. The minute Vincent gave the go-ahead, Will leaped forward, wrapped his arms around me tightly, and kissed me fiercely. Well, Will wasn’t the only one holding back. The second our lips met, I held onto his face and deepened the kiss, reaching for his tongue with my tongue, tasting the whiskey he’d drunk last night during the bachelor party, feeling the safest I’d ever felt in my entire life.

I was his wife now. And he was my husband.