Page 21 of Marked By Her Dragon

Chapter Nine

The decision had been easy. Both Macy and Jack agreed. The Mating Ceremony would be a combination of everything they were – lots of Dragon, some of her Mexican heritage, and absolutely, some Cherokee.

She’d asked if they should also have something to honor the Wolf with whom he shared his soul and had inherited from his grandfather, but Jack explained that his family’s ability to transform into Timber Wolves was an extension of their Dragon – a gift their ancestors received for helping a Pack many centuries ago. He went on to say that through Cheveyo, the connection only grew stronger with each passing year, and of course, the old Chief would be there.

Finally, after a week of endless planning and checking every list a hundred times, the morning her union with Jack would be blessed by the Universe, Fate, and the Great Goddess of All had arrived. Macy was a bundle of nerves, and not just because Roxanne was two weeks overdue but refusing to miss the ceremony.

“And they call me hardheaded,” she sighed.

“Because ye are,”Queen Fione snickered.“But Ah wooldn’t hae ye any other way.”

“Thank the Goddess,”Macy chuckled.“’Cause I don’t know any other way to be.”

“It’s 'at tenacity 'at has made yer transformation tae Dragoness one of th' easiest Ah’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah, but I still have a helluva time with those landings.”

“All in good time,”the Dragon Queen laughed.“What’s a few bruises oon th’ butt atween friends?”

“Easy to say when it’s my ass,”Macy laughed aloud.

“Indeed,”the Queen chuckled along.“Noo, hush up, and let's get Mated."

Dressed in her mother’s simply but elegant, floor-length gown made of cream-colored silk, Macy couldn't believe her eyes. Sure, she'd seen Roxanne wear the same dress when she'd married Lou, but now, it was decorated with tiny, brilliant bronze and glittering green crystals Barbara MacAllen had meticulously added in honor of King Felim and Queen Fione.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she took one final deep breath, let it out, and turned towards the door. Walking out of the MacAllen’s home through the sliding glass doors in the guest suite, she stood at the edge of Barbara’s garden and took a moment to let the warm breeze off the desert blow away the last of her jitters.

Looking one way then the other, it was as if she’d stepped into her very own fairy tale. Spectacularly transformed into a dream come true, she couldn’t wait to see Jack, not only to make their Mating official but also to thank him and his cousins for all they’d done to make their special day nothing short of perfect.

Standing under a white picket archway decorated with blossoms of every color and size with ribbons to match, she waited for her Mate and his family to arrive. Eyes trained on the fountain in the middle of the garden, she smiled as Cheveyo entered from the side wearing the traditional dress of their Tribe.

Gripping the bouquet of red roses that had been delivered to her room that morning, she remembered the words on the note and couldn’t help but smile.“Together, hand in hand, you and I shall never part. Always and forever, Jack."

Getting just the slightest bit nervous as the seconds ticked by, she breathed a sigh of relief when J.D., Gage, Zach, Tree, Colton, Heath, Ranger and Donovan filed into the garden with Owen leading the way. Wearing the identical shit-eating grins that had become a MacAllen trademark in their neck of the woods, every single one of the boys winked in her direction and tipped their heads as if they were tipping an imaginary Stetson.

Macy didn’t even try to stop the happy sigh that crossed her lips. Her heart was overflowing at the amazing blessings she'd been given by the Great Creator, the Universe, and the Goddess of All.

Then, just like that, the breath was stolen from her lungs. Never in all the years that had passed, or were to come, had there ever been a more handsome man as her Mate.

Dressed just like his uncle and cousins in what they called a surcoat, the MacAllen Clan looked like they'd all just stepped out of a movie about Camelot. The fabric, an exact match for the scales of his Dragon, with the hem, neck, and shoulders decorated with black corded trim, Jack looked damned near good enough to eat.

Shifting from one foot to the other and back again, ready to get to her Mate and say the words that would bind them together for all eternity, Macy’s eyes landed on the fantastic needlework on the front of his surcoat. Unable to look away, she couldn’t believe the perfect rendition of King Felim in the midst of battle. It was nothing short of amazing.

Looking back to Cheveyo as he cleared his throat, she took one step, then another. The bronze runner leading to the fountain tickled the bottom of her bare feet as she drew closer and closer to the man the Universe had created for her, which only added to her excitement.

Stopping a few feet in front of the Chief, Macy stood perfectly still as Jack came to her side and took her hand. Eyes back to Cheveyo's, she was surprised when he nodded slowly and looked over her shoulder. Not sure what was happening, her heart skipped a beat when a very pregnant but nonetheless beaming Roxanne made her way to the fountain.

Winking in her direction, her sister brightly smiled as she began, "Today, like every other in your life, I am so proud of you, Macy Jane. You are strong, smart, caring, giving, and beautiful inside and out. I know mom and dad are looking down on you and Jack today as they always have been and are smiling from ear to ear."

Clearing her throat, Rox rubbed her tummy and nodded. “That’s why I am so honored to be reading the poem from their wedding, here at your Mating Ceremony today.”

A deep inhale, and she recited from memory the verse her parents had said almost every day of their lives. "In love and marriage, and also, I have on good authority, in Mating, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to sayI love youat least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is no time spent taking the other for granted. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together as you face the world. It is forming a circle of love that includes every member of your true family. It is doing things for one another in the spirit of giving and joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in your Mate but loving the perfect being they are. It is cultivating patience and understanding and a sense of humor.It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual, and the obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.”

Rox leaned forward as far as she could, hugged Macy tight, and whispered, "I love you, Sis. Be happy. You deserve it more than anyone I know."

“I love you, too, Preggo,” Macy sniffled, just barely holding back the tears. “Thanks so much for everything. Now, go sit down.”

Watching as her smiling and glowing sister went to Lou, who stood close by with his hands outstretched, Macy waited until Rox was safely seated before turning back around. Smiling at Cheveyo, it took less than a second before he started to speak.

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