Page 67 of Unbearable Attraction
Her eyes glistened, but her smile never wavered.
"I promise to support your independence because it's one of the things I love most about you. I promise to offer my strength when you need it, but never to assume you can't handle things yourself. I promise to be your partner in every sense of the word, sharing burdens and joys equally."
He paused, looking around the grove at faces that had become family.
"And I promise that our bond will always serve love over control, community over isolation, hope over fear. Whatever challenges come our way, we'll face them together, but as equals choosing to stand side by side rather than one protecting the other."
Leenah's vows were equally heartfelt, speaking of learning to trust and finding home in unexpected places. When she promised to build a life where their different strengths complemented rather than competed with each other, several people in the audience wiped away tears.
"By the power vested in me by the Council of Hollow Oak and the blessing of the spirits who guard this place," Varric announced, "I pronounce you bonded in marriage. May your union bring strength to each other and to the community that celebrates with you."
The kiss that sealed their marriage carried the weight of everything they'd been through together, every challenge overcome and promise made. Through their bond, Luka felt Leenah's joy mixing with his own until he couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.
The celebration that followed transformed the grove into something magical even by Hollow Oak's standards. Tables laden with food appeared as if by magic, contributed by every business in town. The Tansley brothers provided entertainment with illusions that painted stories across the night sky. Even the spirits joined the festivities, their ethereal forms dancing among the living guests with obvious delight.
"Best wedding I've ever attended," Maeve declared, raising a glass of something that sparkled with more than just bubbles. "And I've been to seventeen supernatural weddings this decade."
"That's because it's not just a wedding," Twyla said, appearing beside them with her arms full of flowers that definitely hadn't been part of the original arrangements. "It's a celebration of everything that makes this community special. Love, acceptance, the courage to fight for what matters."
As the evening progressed, Luka found himself dancing with his wife under stars that seemed unusually bright, as if the universe itself was celebrating their union. The music came from everywhere and nowhere, a melody woven from the contentment of spirits and the joy of the living.
"Any regrets?" Leenah asked as they swayed together.
"Just one," he replied, pulling her closer. "That it took me twelve years to find this place and you."
"Maybe you needed those twelve years to become the man I'd fall in love with," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe everything that happened before was just preparing us for this."
Looking around the grove at faces illuminated by starlight and magic, Luka realized she was right. The loss of his clan, the years of isolation, even the grief that had driven him to Hollow Oak in the first place had all been necessary steps on the path that led to this moment.
He'd spent so many years defined by what he'd lost that he'd forgot what it was like to be defined by what he'd gained. But standing here with Leenah in his arms and surrounded by a community that had become family, he understood that building something beautiful with the right person was infinitely more satisfying than mourning what was gone.
"I love you, Mrs. Ashe," he said, testing out the sound of her new name.
"I love you too," she replied, then grinned. "Though I'm keeping Carrow professionally. Ghost tours led by Leenah Ashe just don't have the same ring."
"Fair enough. As long as you come home to me at the end of every tour."
"Always," she promised, and through their bond he felt the absolute truth of that commitment.
The celebration continued long into the night, but eventually they slipped away from the festivities to begin their married life together.
43
LEENAH
The cottage felt different when they returned from the grove, transformed by more than just the moonlight streaming through the windows. This was their home now, officially and completely, the place where they'd begin building the life they'd promised each other under the ancient oaks.
"Mrs. Ashe," Luka said softly as he shut the door behind them, voice husky with reverence and something darker—hungrier.
Leenah's stomach fluttered. “I like the sound of that,” she whispered, turning to face him as her pulse thrummed through her veins. The adrenaline of the ceremony had faded into something deeper—anticipation crackling in her limbs, pooling low in her belly.
Luka crossed the room slowly, with all the power and intention of the predator he was. 6'5" of strength and barely restrained desire, his muscles filled the soft moonlit shadows with quiet authority. The top buttons of his shirt had been undone sometime after their third dance, revealing the warm,tanned skin beneath, dusted with chestnut hair and the glint of one of her favorite silver scars just over his heart.
“You sure about this?” he asked, hands cupping her face with careful reverence, his claws still retracted but twitching beneath his skin. “The marking. Once it’s done… every supernatural will know you're mine.”
“I want them to know,” she said, heart pounding. “Not because I’m being taken. Because I choose you. Fully. Forever.”
A low growl of approval vibrated in his chest as he kissed her—no teasing, no hesitation. It was a claiming, a reverent vow spoken through lips and tongue. He devoured her mouth, and she let him, moaning as his hands skimmed her back and pulled her flush against the thick heat pressing between his legs.
