Page 62 of Alien Huntsman

“Do you think…” She hesitated, meeting Scarlett’s eyes in the mirror. “Do you think my father would have approved?”

Scarlett squeezed her shoulder. “He would have adored Korrin. Not right away, mind you—he’d have made him work for it. But he would have seen how happy you are.”

“Both your parents would be proud,” Agatha said firmly. “Now, are you ready? We can’t keep everyone waiting all day.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m ready.”

“The final touch,” Scarlett murmured, adjusting the small crown of flowers that Elli had sent on her dark curls.

Her friend wasn’t attending—her aunt had insisted that the girl was too shy to enjoy such social situations. She didn’t like it, but she couldn’t argue about Elli’s shyness. The flower crown was the perfect finishing touch to her outfit, composed of the same blossoms she’d admired that day in the market..

Her heart skipped a beat as Scarlett went to open the tent flaps. She still couldn’t believe Korrin had proposed a public bonding ceremony—a ceremony combining human and Vultor traditions. The fierce, private man who’d once kidnapped her now wanted to declare their bond before both their peoples.

“A public ceremony?” she’d asked when he first suggested it, certain she’d misheard.

His amber eyes had held hers steadily. “I want everyone to know you’re mine. And I’m yours. No secrets, no hiding.”

She understood what he was trying to accomplish beyond their personal happiness. Their union was another bridge between humans and Vultor. Seren had immediately given his blessing, and Mayor Jacobson had followed suit. The two of them were still working on a trade agreement and they were both looking at ways to ease the old tensions between their species.

Despite the mayor’s cooperation, she still had her doubts about the woman. Something about the woman’s practiced smiles and calculating eyes bothered her. But that was a concern for another day.

“Ready?” Scarlett asked, breaking into her thoughts.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Outside, she could hear the murmur of voices—villagers she’d known all her life mingling with Vultor who were still mostly strangers. Two worlds coming together because of love.

“I’m ready,” she whispered, smoothing her dress one final time.

As she stepped out of the tent, the late afternoon sun bathed everything in golden light. At the far end of the clearing, she spotted Korrin standing tall and proud, more handsome than she’d ever seen him in formal Vultor attire. His eyes found hers instantly, and the naked adoration in them made her breath catch.

For a moment, everything else faded away—the guests, the decorations, the significance of what they were doing for their communities. All that mattered was that she would be joined with the male she loved, the male who had changed her life in ways she never could have imagined when he’d first carried her away from everything she knew.

“Ready, my dear?”

Willem came to her side and offered her his arm. The kind old man had been one of her father’s closest friends and it seemed only fitting that he escort her down the aisle.

She nodded, her throat too tight for words, and took his arm, clutching it more tightly as they approached the flower-lined path. Willem patted her hand reassuringly.

“Your father would be proud,” he whispered, and tears pricked her eyes.

The clearing looked magical as sunset approached. Lanterns hung from tree branches, already casting a warm glow over thegathered guests. Someone had woven wildflowers into delicate arches marking the path. On one side stood the villagers in their finest clothes, on the other the Vultor, tall and imposing yet oddly respectful in their ceremonial attire.

But she barely registered any of it—all she could see was Korrin.

He stood waiting for her, his powerful frame draped in traditional Vultor garments—dark fabrics with intricate silver embroidery that caught the fading light. His black hair was pulled back, revealing the sharp angles of his face. The face that had once terrified her now represented everything she loved in this world.

Gold flames glowed in his eyes as he watched her walk towards him, filled with such naked longing that her breath caught. The rest of the world fell away—the murmuring crowd, the rustling leaves, even Willem’s steady presence beside her. There was only Korrin, her fierce protector, her passionate lover, her future.

His claws extended and retracted at his sides, a sure sign he was fighting for control. She smiled at him, feeling a rush of excitement at the knowledge that she affected him so deeply. The man who had once kidnapped her now looked at her as though she were his salvation.

As Willem guided her forward, she felt a curious lightness. The path she walked wasn’t just toward Korrin, but toward a future neither of them could have imagined. A human baker and a Vultor warrior, another couple helping to bridge two worlds that had been separated by fear and misunderstanding for generations.

When they reached the end of the aisle, Willem placed her hand in Korrin’s much larger one. She trembled as Korrin’s warmfingers closed around hers. The rough calluses on his palms reminded her of everything they’d been through—his protection, his strength, his unwavering devotion. When Willem stepped back, leaving them alone before the gathered witnesses, her heart raced with anticipation.

Seren stepped forward first, his presence commanding respect from both sides of the gathering. As the alpha of the Vultor pack, he would perform that portion of the ceremony.

“Today we witness the joining of two souls,” Seren’s deep voice carried across the clearing. “In our tradition, a mating is sacred and eternal. It binds not just bodies, but spirits.”

She heard what he was saying but all she really cared about was the male holding her hand so tightly. Seren spoke of loyalty, protection, and the sacred bond of mates, and then Mayor Jacobson stepped forward, speaking of partnership and shared lives.

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