Chapter 153

Carol’s POV

All eyes were on me, and it was the most nerve-wracking thing I had ever experienced. Some weren’t so pleased, but others looked at me with such admiration that my chest tightened and filled with warmth.

The decorations were gorgeous around the reception hall; there were long white streamers with sparkling lights along the ceiling, surrounding the crystal chandelier. White flower petals were tossed across the aisle. The music was classical and soothed my soul. My eyes never left Aiden’s; he was staring at me at the end of the aisle looking more handsome than I had ever seen him. He wore a dark suit with a tie that matched my dress; his brown hair was combed neatly out of his face, showing off his gorgeous blue eyes. Aiden had been blessed with long dark lashes that any woman would be jealous of.

When he smiled, there was a dimple on his right cheek that made my heart flip over inside my chest. His smile was genuine, and it was meant for me and me alone. When he looked at me, it was as if we were the only two people in the room and suddenly my anxieties and fears faded away. All I could feel was contentment and happiness.

My mother and Fiona sat in the middle of the guests, which irked me because they should be seated in the front row with Aiden’s parents, Beta, and the King. I also noticed that the King’s wife and daughter were also seated in the front row. They looked as proper as ever and I’m sure most of the paparazzi and crowd outside were there to see them.

Queen Elizabeth didn’t look as pleased as the king did and her daughter, Jenny, also looked displeased by being here. I felt a twinge of irritation deep in my soul because of it. If they didn’t want to be here in the first place, then they shouldn’t have come. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and I didn’t need this type of negativity to ruin my day.

I could see some of the packmates leaning into one another, whispering amongst themselves. Some of them didn’t look pleased that I was about to become their new Luna.

None of that mattered though; all that mattered was the fact that I was about to marry my mate.

When we reached the end of the aisle, the music slowly faded, and my father kissed my cheek lightly before joining my mother and Fiona in the middle seats. Aiden offered me his arm, his smile never leaving his face. I took his arm without hesitation, suddenly feeling more at ease than I had just looked into his eyes.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered.

I couldn’t help the smile on my lips as we stepped up to the pack priest. He was an old gentleman who wore white and gold robes and held a bible in his hands.

“We have come together to join together Luna Carol Miller and Alpha Aiden Cruz,” the priest began, silencing everyone who was still murmuring amongst themselves. “This is not just a mating ceremony, but also a traditional human wedding. They will be making their vows under the eyes of our Moon Goddess and the human’s God as well.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to focus on the words the priest was saying, but I couldn’t. My eyes were fixed on Aiden, and I couldn’t seem to bring myself to look away from him. He was so handsome, and I loved him so much that it physically hurt.

The priest went on to read a couple of scripts from the bible and everyone seemed entranced by each word that he spoke. Some even swooned at the romantic sentiment of the evening. In the background, the music began again, only it was much softer so I wouldn’t drown out the words of the priest.

“Would you like to speak your own vows?” The priest finally asked.

Aiden smiled and he took a deep breath before speaking.

“Carol, I couldn’t have asked for a better mate. I know things haven’t been easy and I don’t think they will get much better in the future either, but I know that as long as you are by my side, we can concur on anything. You are my best friend and the love of my life. When I first saw you standing outside our apartment building, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I saw a beautiful, bright, and genuine human and at that very moment, I knew I was a goner. I don’t only love you, but my wolf loves you as well. I know that you are the perfect Luna for this pack and the perfect mate for me. I love you with all of my heart and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Tears spilled out of my eyes before I could stop them. I sniffled and smiled up at him, wanting to kiss him, but I knew now was not the time. I realized everyone was staring at me now.

“Oh, it’s my turn?” I asked, trying to gather my thoughts. Some chuckled, including Aiden. I cleared my throat and held his hands even tighter than he held mine. “Aiden, from the moment I saw you my main thought was “Wow, he’s so out of my league,” I began, causing more chuckles. Aidne’s cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “I didn’t think there was any way in hell I’d snag a man like you, but here you are, loving me and making me the happiest woman in the world. We have worked together, and you have quickly become my best friend and lover. I don’t know what I would do without you. I spent a week trying to write these vows and not knowing how to express myself because I couldn’t possibly wrap up all my feelings in simple words. I’m still not entirely sure what to say or how to convince you of how much I truly love you. But I know my heart beats for you, Aiden. Every beat of my heart is for you. I love you with every fiber of my being, and I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you and how much I care and love your pack. I’m not just committing myself to you, but to all of your packmates as well. This isn’t just our ceremony… this ceremony belongs to everyone.”

The music suddenly grew much louder and the melody changed to something entirely different. Madison ran up to me with a microphone. I had been preparing a song for the past week; both Oliver and Fiona helped me write the song and had heard me practicing numerous times. I had never sung in front of others besides my parents Fiona, and recently Oliver. They all told me I had the voice of an angel and needed to sing much more, but my stage fright prevented me from doing so.

I wanted to do something special for not just Aiden but for our guests as well. So, I prepared a song, and I planned to sing in front of everybody.

I could tell from Aiden’s shocked expression that he had no idea this was happening, and I was pleased to be able to surprise him. I put the microphone to my lips, took a step away from him and I started to sing to my heart's content.

I heard gasps around the room as my smile lit up my face; I saw tears filling Aiden’s eyes and I was filled with a sense of pride in my chest knowing that I was able to make this grown Alpha male cry.

I turned to face the guests and saw all the adoration on their faces as they stared up at me. I sang even louder as the beat kicked up and everyone started to sway and cheer for me. My parents and Fiona were sobbing as they sang along, already having to listen to this song numerous times over this past week, they had it memorized.

By the time the song concluded, I turned to face Aiden who was struggling to keep himself together.

Madison ran back to me and took the mic as I stepped beside Aiden and retook his hands in mine.

“I was not expecting that,” he laughed as he blinked away his tears. “I loved it. I didn’t know you could sing.”

“It’s a hidden talent,” I said, shrugging casually. “Maybe I’ll sing more for you in the future.”

His smile lit up his entire face.

“I would love that and I’m holding you to it,” he said, rubbing his nose against mine. “I’m booking you for our next party.”

This caused some chuckles around the audience.

“Do you, Alpha Aiden Cruz, take Carol Miller, as your Luna, mate, and wife? To protect her and love her as her Alpha and husband. Do you accept her into your home and pack and promise to cherish her until death do you part?”

Aiden smiled widely.

“I do,” he answered. “I accept you, Carol Miller, soon to be Carol Cruz, as my Luna, mate, and wife.”

My heart slammed against my chest to the point that it was almost painful.

The priest glanced at me.

“And do you, Carol Miller, take Alpha Aiden Cruz as your Alpha, mate, and husband? To honor and care for him as your Alpha and husband? Do you accept the responsibilities as Luna and agree to protect the women and children of the pack with your life? Will you honor not only your role but the role of your Alpha as well? Do you promise to cherish and love him until death do you part?”

“I do,” I said between tears without any hesitation. “I accept you, Aiden Cruz, as my Alpha, mate, and husband.”

“I now pronounce you, Luna and Alpha, husband and wife, and mates for life! Alpha Aiden, you may kiss and mark your mate.”

With those words in the air, Aiden’s lips were on mine, and he was kissing me deeply and passionately. Everyone in the room faded away and it felt like it was only Aiden and me. His arms were wrapped around me tightly and I felt like a fragile piece of artifact that he was desperate to keep safe. I breathed him in, loving the feeling of his soft lips on mine, kissing me with a hungry passion.

I gasped when his lips trailed away from my mouth, and he kissed down the side of my face until his face was nuzzled in the crook of my neck. Sparks of electricity bounced off my skin from his loving and desperate touches. Heat coursed through my body, and I was only mildly embarrassed that I could feel it between my legs as well.

I closed my eyes, basking in his closeness, not sure what to expect.

Then I felt his canines digging into the nape of my neck, plunging deep inside of me. I gasped and winced as pain coursed through my body, but he held me tightly against him as he sucked the blood that dripped down my shoulder blade.

I felt every single emotion he was feeling in that moment, and it was so intense that I all but passed out.