Page 107 of Holly Jolly Heat
Okay, I was definitely panicking.
"You're pacing," Ro observed from his position by the window, where he was filming pre-ceremony B-roll of the snow-covered property. "Stop pacing. You're making me nervous."
"I'm not pacing. I'm... moving with purpose."
"You've circled the living room four times in the last three minutes."
"That's just efficient movement patterns."
Dex snorted from where he was adjusting the streaming setup. "Lucas. You're panicking. It's fine. It's a big day."
"I'm not panicking. I'm excited. There's a difference."
"Your heart rate is elevated," Ro said without looking away from his camera. "I can literally hear it through the bond. You're panicking."
Fine. I was panicking.
Because in six hours, I was going to stand in front of our families and friends and the entire Cozy Crew, streaming live, because of course we were streaming it, and vow to love Michelle Rodriguez for the rest of my life.
And then I was going to bite her. Mark her. Claim her permanently as mine.
No pressure.
"What if I mess up my vows?" I asked, voicing the fear that had been circling my brain since dawn. "What if I say the wrong thing? What if I freeze on camera?"
"Then you'll be authentically yourself," Dex said. "Which is what Michelle loves about you. Lucas, you've streamed to hundreds of thousands of people. You've handled trolls and tech failures and every crisis imaginable. You can handle saying vows."
"But those streams didn't matter. Not like this. This is—" I stopped, struggling for words. "This is the most important moment of my life. I can't mess it up."
"You won't," Ro said with certainty. "Because you love her. That's all that matters. The words don't have to be perfect. They just have to be true."
Through the bond, I felt their confidence in me. Their certainty that I could do this.
But I also felt Michelle's nervousness upstairs, where she was getting ready with Janet and Maya and Callie, who'd driven out specifically for the ceremony.
Michelle was scared too. Which somehow made me feel better.
We were both terrified. But we were doing this anyway.
"How much time do we have?" I asked.
"Five hours until guests arrive. Six hours until ceremony starts." Dex consulted his tablet. "Current status, all tech is operational, backup systems ready, streaming setup tested three times. Kitchen is prepared. Bill's been cooking since dawn. Decorations are complete. Guest list confirmed. Everything's ready, Lucas. Now we just need the groom to stop panicking."
"I'm not—" I stopped, catching Ro's expression. "Okay, fine. I'm panicking. How do I stop panicking?"
"By remembering why you're doing this," Ro said, finally setting down his camera. "Lucas, this isn't about the ceremony being perfect. It's about claiming your omega. Making her permanently yours. Celebrating that with the people who matter. Focus on that, not on performing."
He was right. This wasn't a performance. This was real life.
The most important real life moment I'd ever have.
"Okay," I said, taking a breath. "Okay. I'm going to go review my vows again. Make sure they're?—"
"They're perfect," Dex interrupted. "You've rewritten them six times. They're perfect. Stop editing and start believing."
"But what if?—"
"Lucas." Both of them said it together, their alpha authority making me pause. "Stop. Spiraling."
