Page 109 of Holly Jolly Heat
Through the bond, I felt her fear settling. Not disappearing, she was still terrified, but it was becoming manageable.
"The white dress," I said. "Wear the white dress. You look beautiful in white."
"You're not supposed to see the dress before the ceremony."
"I'm not seeing the full effect. I'm just confirming the color choice." I smiled. "Trust me. White dress. You'll be stunning."
"You're biased."
"Completely biased. Also completely correct." I stood, pulling her up with me. "Now get dressed. Let Janet and Maya fuss over you. Let Callie tell you embarrassing stories to distract you. And Michelle?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. So much. We all do. That's not going to change based on what dress you wear or what words you say or whether the ceremony is perfect. I love you. That's the only thing that matters."
Her eyes filled with tears. "I love you too. Each of you. Even though you're seeing my dress early and breaking tradition."
"We're making our own traditions. Starting today."
I kissed her again, soft and sweet and full of promise, and left her to finish getting ready.
Downstairs, Ro and Dex were both smiling.
"You calmed her down," Ro observed.
"We calmed each other down. Turns out we were both spiraling the same way."
"Of course you were," Dex said, shaking his head with a grin tugging at his lips.
Through the bond, I felt Michelle's love and fear and determination all tangled together.
We were doing this.
In six hours, she'd be permanently mine.
I'd be permanently hers.
And our pack would be complete.
The guests started arrivingat five.
Janet had transformed the farmhouse into something magical. White lights everywhere, candles on every surface, winter flowers arranged artfully throughout. The living room had been rearranged to create a ceremony space, chairs for guests facing the fireplace, where we'd say our vows.
The Christmas tree still stood in the corner, because Michelle had insisted. "It's where this started," she'd said. "At Pike Place Market, by the mistletoe. The tree stays."
So the tree stayed, twinkling with lights, a reminder of where we'd begun.
Bill had outdone himself with the food, a full buffet waiting in the dining room for after the ceremony. The kitchen smelled like celebration.
And Dex had set up the streaming equipment with his usual precision. Three camera angles, professional lighting, clear audio. The Cozy Crew would be watching live, because they'd been part of this journey from the beginning.
Currently, the pre-stream chat was going absolutely feral.
CozyFan22: I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING
HolidayVibes: NEW YEAR'S EVE MATING CEREMONY
StreamSniper: been watching since pike place market this is EVERYTHING
