Page 62 of The Alpha's Forced Pregnant Mate

My heart shot into my throat, and I turned to face him as he reached into his pocket. The look on his face was so soft, so sweet, that it took my breath away. This was the Julian that I could see myself spending a long time with.

"Whitney," he began, going down on one knee and opening the box, "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Naomi gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Meanwhile, I was dumbstruck, even as Julian took my hand and waited for my answer. Finally, I found control of my tongue again. "Yes! Hell yes."

I'd never really thought about getting married, but it was a lot easier to say yes when I knew what it would mean. That Julian and I were serious about each other. That we wanted to stay together. That we wanted to raise our baby together.

The ring he slid onto my finger was beautiful, a simple white gold band. It was perfect.

He kissed my knuckles, still smiling. "I hope that you never want to take that ring off."

I laughed. "Maybe if I want to kill something."

"No bloodshed for at least nine months," Julian warned. "No hunting demons or fighting while you're carrying our child. Promise me."

I leaned in and kissed my soon-to-be husband, holding him tight. "Yes, yes. Fine.

Stoic Danny finally cracked, shaking Julian’s hand while I hugged Naomi tightly. There was still so far to go, but now I knew we had a place to start. A world we could build together.

Chapter 24 - Julian

Three weeks later

I didn't want to wait, and Whitney didn't want to show too much in her wedding dress, so we planned the ceremony for three weeks in the future. Whitney's parents swore to come back to the States after the baby was born, where we'd have another small reception with them present.

It was chaos, moving the pack and planning a wedding, but for once the fact that everyone despised me worked in my favor. Anyone coming to the ceremony besides my wolves were there for her, and the small size allowed us to have it close to home—the Red Canine's community garden. It was the one thing Danny offered to help me with, and I took it.

It was a small group. Danny and Naomi, Peter, Laura, the rest of Whitney's team, my wolves, and Faye and Hector, but it was all we needed.

The women strung fairy lights from the trees and floating lanterns that hung low over the flower boxes. A white arch was built and wrapped in ivy, and I was fitted into the first real tuxedo I'd ever worn in my life.

I had no idea what kind of dress Whitney would wear, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that she'd be walking toward me and saying 'yes'.

There was no priest, but our old Alpha and the man who raised me, Peter, would preside over the wedding instead. We were wolves, we were shifters, and the ceremony was simple and intimate. It took place during the evening, with the sun setting and painting the garden in warm oranges and pinks.

There was a lone violinist playing a simple tune as I walked up the aisle and took my place at the front. She played slow, but it seemed to echo all around us in the openness of the garden.

And then she appeared.

I watched as Whitney stepped out from behind a large hedge, and my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew it wasn't this.

The dress was white, a simple sheath that flowed down to her feet. It was sleeveless, but there was a high neckline that came up to the middle of her throat, and it was adorned with small, clear jewels that sparkled as she moved. When she shifted, I could see it was backless, and her hair was pulled up into an elegant, braided bun. Her makeup was soft and natural, and her eyes were bright as she looked at me. Best of all, I could see the tiniest swell of her belly, where our baby was growing inside of her.

It was perfect. She was perfect.

My mate slowly walked up the aisle, a bouquet of white and red roses clutched in her hands. The closer she got, the wider the smile on her face became until she was positively glowing.

Her gaze never left mine.

When she reached the end of the aisle, Peter began to speak.

I barely heard what he said. All of my attention was on Whitney, my Viking bride, my queen. I loved her. God, did I love her. Even when she was kicking my ass, I loved her. Even when she was yelling at me, I loved her. I would love her until the day I died.

There was a pause, and Peter looked over at me. "Julian, do you take Whitney Gray as your mate?"

The answer was so easy. "Yes."

"And do you promise to protect her, provide for her, and honor her until the day you die?"

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