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"Yes, please."
Anandur's hair was still as messy as always, but they didn't have the time or the products for him to tame it, so Brundar didn't mention it.
"Do you have your vows ready?" Anandur asked after spraying himself with the cologne.
Brundar nodded.
"Did you come up with anything good?"
"I hope so, and if not, Callie will forgive me. She knows I'm a man of few words."
Anandur straightened to his full height and looked down at Brundar. "Yeah, everyone knows that. But you've been more talkative than usual just now. Is it because you are nervous?"
"Not about the wedding. It's just a formality. I'm nervous about having everyone looking at me and expecting the same stoic Brundar they are used to seeing every day."
Anandur frowned. "What are they going to see instead?"
Brundar smiled, and the shock on Anandur's face was just precious. "They are going to see the face I've only shown Callie. It's going to come out for one night in honor of my bride and go back into dormancy tomorrow."
21
CALLIE
Callie stood at the entrance to the beautifully adorned hall and smoothed her hand over the voluminous skirt of her gown. She'd chosen a traditional white dress even though it wasn't her first wedding, because the first time didn't count.
She'd married a monster who would have murdered her if Brundar hadn't shown up in her life and given her the courage to escape the trap of her disastrous marriage.
Her destined mate, the love of her life, had almost died while trying to defend her, and if not for Anandur, who had saved them both, they wouldn't be here today.
But she didn't want to think about that now. The past belonged in the past, and today, or rather tonight, it was about her and Brundar and the love they shared.
This was the only wedding that mattered, and this time she was marrying an angel. He certainly looked like an angel to her, and most of their guests, being family, would share her opinion of her mate, but they probably thought of him as their Guardian angel. There were only a few who knew that he was as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside.
Brundar might look like a killer to some, and when circumstances called for it, he was, but he was also a savior, a protector. He was a guardian.
As tradition dictated, he hadn't seen her dress yet, and she hoped he would love it as much as she did. Callie had seen it in an online catalog and knew that it was the dress she was going to wear on her special day. A trip to the bridal shop had confirmed her choice. The dress fit her so perfectly that no alterations had been needed, not even the length, even though she was of average height and expected the skirt to be too long.
What made the gown truly stand out were the delicate tulle inserts interspersed within the skirt. The sheer fabric pieces played with the light, creating an ethereal, almost magical quality to the gown. As Callie moved, the tulle pieces swayed gently, making her feel like a fairytale princess.
"You look beautiful," Wonder whispered.
Callie smiled at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "Thank you." She looked over Wonder's tall frame encased in a peach-colored bridesmaid's dress. "The color really suits you."
"I know, right?" Wonder looked at the other bridesmaids, who all wore the same style of dress, just in different colors.
Amanda had joked that they looked like assorted candy or ice cream cones, which was the kind of look Callie had been going for. The dresses were simple satin sheaths with spaghetti straps and of varying lengths, and all of her bridesmaids looked beautiful in them.
Amanda's was blue, Syssi's was orange, Carol's was pink, and Jacki's was yellow. Cassandra's was bright red, Mey's was purple, and Jin's was emerald.
It had been tough to choose her bridesmaids from her many female friends in the clan, but since Brundar's groomsmen were mostly his fellow Guardians, she'd decided to choose their mates in addition to Carol, Syssi, and Amanda.
"That's our cue," Amanda said as the wedding march started playing.
As the double doors to the dining hall were opened by two Guardians, Callie took a deep breath before taking the first step.
With her bridesmaids flanking her, four on each side, she entered the hall and followed the red carpet to the podium, where Brundar waited for her with his seven groomsmen and one groomsmaid by his side.
In addition to the head guardians, his groomsmen included Kian and Dalhu.
