Page 93 of Curses and Casualties
Georgia fits perfectly against me, her head on my shoulder, our bond humming contentedly between us. The soft silver glow of Luna shimmers beneath her skin, visible only in the darkness.
“I love you,” she murmurs. “Completely. Eternally. Wolves, pack drama, forest dances and all.”
“I love you too.” I press a kiss to her hair, breathing in her scent of vanilla and storms. “And when we do get married, it’ll be worth the wait.”
“With Scarlett as maid of honor?”
“If she’ll have the job.”
“And Fenris as ring bearer?” She’s teasing now, and I love her for it.
“I think Magnus might object to that particular indignity.”
We laugh, spinning under the stars, and for a moment I let myself imagine it, our wedding, our pack complete, our future spreading out before us like an open road.
But for now, this is enough. Dancing with my mate at the edge of my brother’s wedding, knowing that somewhere out there, Scarlett is finding her way back to us.
She’ll come home. They always do.
And when she does, we’ll finally have our own happily ever after.
“Hey,” Georgia says, pulling back to look at me, her green eyes flecked with rainbow colors that mark our completed Soul Bond. “I was thinking about our wedding.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Were you now?”
“Mmm.” She rests her head against my chest. “I want my parents there. And our brothers. A real ceremony, not just hidden away in the shadows.”
I tense slightly. “Georgia?—”
“I know,” she cuts me off gently. “But we’ll figure it out. My parents already think I’m dating a reclusive mountain man with scars from a bear attack.” She traces the marks on my face with gentle fingers. “They don’t need to know everything to be part of our lives.”
I consider this. The careful balance we’ve maintained. The secrets we keep, even from those we love.
“You really think they’d accept me?” I ask, tracing my thumb along the curve of her jaw. “Scars and all?”
“They’ll see what I see,” Georgia says with that fierce certainty I’ve come to rely on. “A good man who loves their daughter. The rest is just... details.”
I want to believe her. After a decade of hiding, of being the monster in the shadows, the idea of standing in the sunlight terrifies and tempts me in equal measure.
“Besides,” she adds with a mischievous smile, “my mom’s been hounding Jason for details about you since his visit. According to her last email, she’s convinced you’re either a secret billionaire or in witness protection.”
“Your family has quite the imagination.”
“Wonder where I get it from.” She rises on tiptoes to kiss me, soft and sweet. “Think about it, OK? We don’t have to decide tonight.”
Over her shoulder, I catch a glimpse of Owen and Honey dancing beneath the fairy lights, foreheads pressed together, lost in their own world. My brother found his way to happiness despite everything. Maybe I can too.
“I’ll think about it,” I promise, hooking a finger under her chin and lowering my mouth to hers and kissing her softly. “For now, let’s just enjoy the night.”
Georgia melts into me as we dance, and I’m struck by how far we’ve come. From that first desperate encounter in the Soulcave to this moment of quiet joy, we’ve survived curses and battles and the very reshaping of our world. And through it all, this fierce, brilliant woman has stood beside me, unafraid of the monster or the man.
The music shifts to something slower, more intimate, and Georgia sighs contentedly against my chest. “This is nice,” she murmurs. “Just us and the stars.”
“And half a wedding party just beyond the trees,” I remind her, though I’m smiling.
“Minor details.” Her fingers trace idle patterns on my back. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”
“Me either, love. Me either.”
