Page 131 of The Alpha’s Unclaimed Mate

“I’ve been through hell and back.” I take her hands. “What I care about tonight is that my family’s home is safe, and everyone in it is breathing. The rest can be handled later.” I bring her knuckles to my mouth. “I’ll grieve them right. Just not tonight.”

She searches my face, then nods. She’s still holding my hands. I turn them over and press a kiss to the raw skin at each wrist, where the ropes bit in. Her breath catches.

“I probably reek.” I stand, drawing her up with me. “I’m going to shower. And then we’re getting married.”

“You’re really doing this right now.”

“I’ve marked you the shifter way.” I brush my mouth over hers. “I want it the human way too. A paper that says you’re mine, so you never once doubt it.”

“You want a courthouse.”

“I’ll give you the wedding you dream about later.” I hold her face. “Tonight I want it in writing.”

She pulls me in by the front of my sweatpants, tears bright in her eyes. “That paper goes both ways. It says you’re mine too.”

“I’ve always been yours.” I take her hand and lay it over my heart, where it’s still hammering out that new second rhythm. “Every beat of this has your name on it.”

She flushes, and I kiss her slowly, no hurry left in me. We’ve got the rest of our lives for it.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jessa

I always told myself that I would never get married. That Mia was enough for me.

But today as I stand in front of the full-length mirror, the deep green dress flowing down my body, a silver mark on my neck, I can’t help but smile. Life certainly has its ironies.

A wedding ring glints on my finger from the day Marcus dragged me to the town hall to get our marriage registered. It’s a wonder he was able to wait three months to do it. I smooth my hands down the dress, and my heart skips a beat. I didn’t think anybody could want me like this, but Marcus has broken every doubt I might have harbored. The way he loves me, dotes on me, it’s healing parts of me that I never knew needed it.

I put two fingers on the mark at the curve of my shoulder. It’s faded to a small silvered patch, no bigger than my thumb, the skin gone smooth across it. When I touch it, the bond answers, a slow pulse under my ribs that has never once been my own heartbeat.

The door bangs open hard enough to rattle the wardrobe.

“Mom.” Mia is through it first, hair braided down her back, her ribbon already coming loose. “Tell Bella the left side is mine.”

“The elder said whoever holds the ribbon walks on the left.” Bella arrives at her heels in pale green, chin up, both hands behind her back where I can’t see what she’s holding. “I’m holding the ribbon.”

“You’re holding a lantern.”

“I’m holding both.”

“That’s cheating.”

“Enough.” I turn from the mirror. “You’ll walk side by side. Nobody is on anybody’s left.”

Both of them go quiet, and Bella stops with one shoe half off. “Jessa.” Her voice goes small. “You look beautiful.”

I smile at her. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Dad is going to cry.” Mia says it with total confidence, dropping onto the end of the bed to fix her sock. “He’s such a crybaby when it comes to you.”

“Uncle Marcus is not a crybaby!” Bella protests.

“You’re supposed to call him Dad, silly!” Mia scolds her. “And you have to call Mom Mom. You keep forgetting.”

Bella looks sheepish. “Sorry.”

I give her a one-armed hug. “It’s okay, baby. You take your time. Now out you go.” I point at the door. “Both of you, downstairs, before somebody’s ribbon ends up in the hedge.”