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I glance around the sunlit room. Round indents in the carpet mark where a table must have sat at one point, and a podium adorned with some of the flowers stands at one end of the room.
“It looks fantastic in here, Val. Thank you.”
“It’s not my best work. But the light is perfect. If we hurry, the sun will be setting right about the time you say ‘I do.’”
I look at the hulking man she pointed to in the corner and match his scowl. I mouth to Val, “Do you know who that is?”
She lifts her hands.
“Charlie!” Abby enters the room wearing a pink dress similar to Val’s. “You look amazing, but—” She stops, and her expression becomes serious. “I was really okay with my negotiations. You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.” I smile, warmth filling my heart. “I’m ready to marry Ryan.”
Abby glances over at the giant man in the corner, and her breath catches in her throat. When she places a hand on her chest and her cheeks flush, I get concerned.
“Abby. Who is that?”
“He’s my…” She sighs. “Project. He’s not exactly app-friendly, and finding him a mate is part of my deal.”
“A deal you no longer have to honor,” Val says sternly. “I’m sure he can find someone without your help.”
Kevin enters the room with Ryan just as Abby mumbles, “Right.”
Ryan’s face lights up when he sees me and comes over. “You are so beautiful.”
“Thanks.” I gaze at his body, taking in every delicious inch of him in that suit. “You can wear the suit anytime.”
He chuckles, and Kevin clears his throat from behind the podium.
Ryan and I move to stand in front of the structure. Kevin begins to speak, but the words the mayor says don’t matter to me. He goes on and on about destiny, a pairing sealed by fate, and the beginning of pack growth, but I don’t pay attention until Abby hands me a ring.
It’s time for me to speak.
I inhale deeply and smile at my mate. “The first time we met, Ryan, I was drawn to you in a way I couldn’t understand. I tried to fight it. I’m not one to give up control.” My friends chuckle. “But with you, I’m able to compromise. You make me want to compromise.”
The simple gold band in my hand warms when I place it on his finger. “I promise to navigate our lives with you by my side. I will honor and respect you through anything we encounter, and most importantly, I will love you until the day I die.”
Ryan takes my hands in his. “Falling for a human woman was not in my life plan, but I can’t imagine anyone else filling my heart the way you do, Charlie. Destiny brought us together for a reason. I promise to honor and respect you as we grow with each other.”
He places a sparkly diamond ring on my finger. “Loving you is like breathing, and I will love you like that until the day I die.” He grips my arms lightly and smiles. “I love you, Charlie.”
“I love you, Ryan.” I kiss him and savor the glow of our love. I know it will last a lifetime.
When we break apart, my mate grins down at me. “Let’s get out of here.”
* * *
“Finally,” Ryan says as we approach my apartment door.
We ended up staying after the simple ceremony. Val had brought sparkling juice and cake for us to celebrate the wedding, and Kevin made a speech welcoming me to a big, new family and said he knew it was the beginning of a new chapter for the pack. My friends gave speeches about how lucky Ryan was to have me.
Everything was nice, but it was clear to me that Ryan was as anxious to get home as I was, so I finally announced that we were leaving. We walked together in the cool night air the few blocks from Kevin’s office to my apartment.
Now, in front of my door, starlight glistens in Ryan’s eyes as I gaze up at him. “You make me unbelievably happy,” I tell him.
“You do the same for me.” Ryan grins and scoops me up, and once we’re inside, he kicks the door shut. It slams behind us like it did the first day we met. “I wanted to do so much more than kiss you the second I laid eyes on you. I knew we were a perfect match.”
“That door-kicking move made me want the same thing.”
