Ben

BEN

I’m late to my own wedding.

It’s not a wedding exactly, but the end result is the same. It’s a union of me to the couple I love, and I’m late.

But Timmy was missing his dad and wanted to play an extra game of checkers and knows I’m a sucker for that if he’s done with his homework. His mother had to pull him away with a good-natured apology. The emotional scars of the family are healing well after their ordeal.

I’d taken a seat on the board that runs many of the programs in the territory with my focus being on the ones aimed protecting the children here. This after-school program is my brainchild.

It allows all children to receive mentoring by others in the community, and we’re able to have a high enough security that even the rarer types of paranormals are comfortable with it.

It’s an initiative to spark more unity in the territory. Our people should feel protective of the younger generation, especially rarer types that lack the built-in community of covens and packs.

And it’s working.

But I have a tendency to stay too long, and sunset is approaching quickly.

When I teleport to our bedroom to get changed, it’s empty.

They didn’t change their minds, did they? I snort at my own foolishness. We didn’t go through what we’ve gone through for them to get cold feet.

I teleport up to the roof, still buttoning my cuff links even as the in-between shadows clear to display the crowd of people that go silent at my appearance.

Stella is before me before the embarrassment catches my breath.

The sight of her dress freezes me. It’s the same dress that nearly brought me to my knees when she walked down the aisle to the Devil. A confection of lace that clings to every curve of her body. She smiles and finishes buttoning a cuff link before fixing my hair.

“Right on time,” she breathes. “Glad you could make it, Mr. Barnes.”

I shake myself from my stupor. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Sorry I’m late.”

Her eyes sparkle, understanding what it is to get lost in one’s work. “The sun still hasn’t set. Shall we make this official?”

At my nod, the guests divide, and I swallow. Stoneheart is under an erected arch in the green space that Elena fixed up for us. She’s in the crowd too, wiping away happy tears already since she missed this the first time around.

The scene is magical in more ways than one. There’s a heating spell to keep the roof comfortable, but it’s winter now and delicate snowflakes fall from a sky painted pink and orange by the low sun.

I hold out my elbow and when Stella takes it, I recognize the blue flowers in her bouquet and decorating the roof.

“You chose forget-me-nots?” I whisper as the music starts. They are out of season so they must be the result of some spell.

“Of course I did. They’re the first gift you ever gave me, and they’re carved into our bed,” Stella says.

That makes me pause. I’ve never noticed that. Crafty gargoyle.

The distraction is almost enough to keep my nerves from overtaking me as we make it to Stoneheart. His pale gaze is warm at the sight of us. He takes Stella’s hands first, to recite their vows as they didn’t do it the traditional way for gargoyles last time.

When he gets to me, the grip on my hands grounds me in the moment.

I’m home.

“As your clan leader,” Stoneheart starts. “I pledge to you loyalty and trust. I promise safety and family.”

My throat swells. Family .

He continues, “As your mate, I vow my life and love to you, through the brightest day and the darkest night.”

It takes me a moment to respond. The words may be based on tradition, but they strike at my very core.

“I accept your vow,” I say, and when Stoneheart kisses me, the crowd around us cheers.

It’s a world of difference from when we were hiding our relationship, but the satisfaction rolling off Stoneheart indicates that he doesn’t mind.

And I’m officially theirs. I can barely breathe a laugh at the overwhelming amazement making my chest tight.

People gather round, and it’s almost a blur with how fast my heart is beating. Kalos congratulates us. Maggie is crying and hugs Stoneheart tight enough that the gargoyle blushes.

It makes it even better that don’t have to lose my family to add to it.

Stoneheart grudgingly accepts Lobo’s well wishes. Their personalities clash, and he still isn’t thrilled how close of an ally the wolf shifter is to Stella, but he’ll never undermine her work by complaining about it.

And then the dancing starts. Since it’s my only ceremony, Stella demanded that Stoneheart and I have the first dance. We’d done a few lessons in preparation so I finally feel like I can take a full breath even though it feels like everyone’s eyes are on me.

“How does it feel to be mine?” Stoneheart asks, close enough to my ear that I shiver.

“And Stella’s,” I interject without sharpness. He likes to be possessive. “It shouldn’t feel any different than this morning, but…”

Stoneheart merely nods. It does feel different. To proclaim our relationship publicly after beginning in shadows makes this feel more permanent. I see why he was so insistent that we do the ceremony.

“And I didn’t even have to fight a dragon for you,” Stoneheart says.

I huff a laugh. “Kalos once teased that he’d charge a bride price for you to have me.”

“Ah,” he says in understanding. “Fortunately for me, Kalos knows demanding one now would be unsportsmanlike.”

I frown in confusion.

Stoneheart smiles. “Because I’d pay any price to have you.”

I blink in amazement as he continues, “And that’s no fun for an old lizard like Kalos.”

The song ends while I’m still trying to form words. Stoneheart kisses me, and Stella cuts in like we’d planned.

“Did he scramble your brain?” she asks. Her much smaller hand in mine helps bring me back from gargoyle husbands and sweeping declarations.

“I forget how much he devastates me with the simplest words.” I clear my throat. “And you too, but you’re much more efficient at making me want to fall to my knees with a single glance.”

My eyes drag down the dress. It looks exactly the same despite the damage Stoneheart did to it, and that makes me want to be the one to rip it off her this time.

“You’re too beautiful for words, mate,” I say, testing the term out with her. I like it.

Her blush has my breath catching. When can we start the wedding night?

Stoneheart crowds in, his wings wrapping around the two of us as his lips run over her shoulder.

“You can’t have too much fun yet. We have the rest of the night before I can get the two of you into bed. If your scent gets much more delectable, I don’t know if I’ll be nearly as patient,” he says to Stella.

Her smile is sly. “Sorry. I’ve been wearing something special to prepare for ’s courting gift,” she says with a wink that I feel in my gut. “It’s very distracting.”

Both Stoneheart’s and my body tightens when her meaning becomes known. She’s wearing a plug in her ass.

I curse as my cheeks become hot, and Stoneheart’s eyes glitter evilly.

His voice is all gravel. “I’ll make you pay for that, firefly. We have at least an hour yet.”

She shrugs. Not bothered that I might have to hide behind the refreshments to wait for my erection to subside. If it does, now that I know she’s planning on letting me claim her ass tonight.

“I didn’t want to take any chances of your tender care later,” she teases. “You’re both much too rough with each other for my liking.”

I inhale at the memory of how Stoneheart feels inside me. He’d done that just last night, as hard as I needed it to dissipate my nerves about today.

Fuck. It’s going to be torture if we can’t get away soon.