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The mating ceremony was set for the middle of autumn, just before the first snowfall of the season. The air was frosty but pleasant. Lily looked divine in her vermillion red gown, floral lace running up the ridges of her waist, contouring her body in the finest silk of the land. Her cleavage was plump, held up in an elegant V-line.
The train of the dress ran down in a noble cape, but it had been fashioned so that it could be folded over her front to hide the life in her swelling belly. It had only been a few months, but Lily was already expanding.
Gabriel had told her about the differences between humans and shifters in pregnancy, depending upon the fusion and dominance of the genetics. She could be giving birth as early as the sixth month, judging by the protuberance of her dome-shaped tummy already.
The difference between humans and shifters also came in the guise of traditional and aesthetic concerns. While Lily had started to become self-conscious of the increase in her size, Gabriel had only grown more attracted to her. It was certainly because of the mating bond, plus the enhancement of her rousing scent. But in general, in shifter cultures, the bigger the belly, the more renounced and celebrated.
They made the announcement before the ceremony itself since it became increasingly obvious. The pride members knew, but the other guests didn’t. Claire was at the front of the gathering where pre-drinks were being served in the forest just outside Gabriel's estate.
When the server came to Lily, she shook her head. Claire sat at the main table, cocked an eyebrow, and winked.
“You aren't going to have a drink to celebrate your matehood? Your alpha’s victory?”
Lily knew that such social rejection was frowned upon. So she took advantage, which Gabriel utterly adored.
“I do want to. But I think we have already celebrated quite a bit.”
Lily had the cape portion of her gown draped over her torso and stood to reveal the bump. Everyone around them, including the Pride members, muted into dead silence and then erupted in applause.
Claire began to weep in rapture, even though she was already aware of the pregnancy. The legacy was very important to her. She wanted her son and his mate to carry it forward. It was no longer a dream, and Gabriel was glad for her as much as he was for himself.
“I am thrilled!” Claire said, pulling both Lily and Gabriel in close.
All threats from theLantern’s Eyehad been severed in Gabriel’s mind. All that remained, and all that would ever matter, was his mate and unborn child. His body had also let go of the trauma that came with it … the possibility of not only losing his own life but acting as the catalyst of his kind's total expungement was a lot for one shifter to hold onto.
It had made his stomach sick on more than one occasion. Lily had, of course, helped him with his anguish. The relics of the Lantern’s Eye were concealed in a location that only he and Claire knew about. Lily stayed out of it, wanting to keep herself from becoming victimized. Gabriel thought that was wise.
It was put in a place that would be safe from the power-hungry hands of humans. Though his love for Lily assured him there were many humans with good intentions, he couldn’t trust any of them with the knowledge. He would have it for safekeeping, then tell his son of the location as the next alpha and how to keep it out of dangerous hands.
But those times were far off, and he pushed the concern aside. It was only the present that meant anything at all.
He knew it, gazing up at the perfect woman who stood before him. The sun had begun to set and was framing her head like a halo. There was no crown to place upon her sweet head, but she would always, in some capacity, be the indelible queen of his pride.
They stood under an archway made of soft pink roses and powder-red lilies. They each held the end of a thick branch they had chosen from the woods nearby. It was a tradition of the pride meant to symbolize the eternal bond of their matehood.
Gabriel had informed Lily that the mating mark … the scratch that had left a thin pink scar along her hip … was crucial for their union. It confirmed something among the stars, while the ceremony was more of a formal affair. Nevertheless, she complied with great enthusiasm.
He somehow fell even more in love with her every day.
They held onto the ends of the branch and recited the ceremonial poem, staring at one another as the sun dipped below the horizon.
“I promise to commit myself, one and only, truly to the one before me,” they said together. “Once and for all, for eternity, and amongst the stars.”
Lily was all smiles, emitting a charge that was magnetic. She was passionate about meeting the rest of the pride members she hadn't come into contact with. She mingled like a natural, the train of her gown trailing behind her over the dewy grass.
There was only one more way that he could make his mate even happier. After another hour of mingling on his back terrace with the pride, Gabriel snuck his love away. She was passing through the kitchen when Gabriel slipped his hand into hers.
“Honey,” she said, smiling sweetly.
“Come with me,” he said.
They dashed out the side door and crept along the garden that lined the house, following the ivy that continued its relentless crawl. It was getting chillier by the minute, dusty twilight twinkling its amber and peach hues. Gabriel’s heart thrummed, feeling like a little boy on Christmas morning.
“I have a gift for you, but it's something I wanted to share between the two of us.”
They moved around the bushes that separated their guests from the place he was taking her. As they got closer to the spot he had in mind, he told her to cover her eyes and led her by her elbow.
When they arrived at the intended destination, he turned her around so she could not see the structure behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, brushing his fingers along her collarbone. “You can open your eyes now, but do not turn around.”
