Theo
Reagan, Chloe, and Angel showed up at the mansion the afternoon of their bonding ceremony. Theo and Gemma had chosen to be bonded by the light of the full moon.
They seemed to be even more nervous and excited than Gemma was. In her heart, she was already bonded to Theo. A ceremony only made it official in the eyes of everyone else. To be quite honest, both Theo and Gemma gave up caring what other people thought a long time ago.
Gemma wore a silver gown that signified her status as the sacred white wolf. She smiled down at the tiny bump already starting to show, proving the new life inside of her was thriving in spite of her time spent in the wolf shifter dungeon.
Once again, Gemma let the women spin their magic doing her nails, putting on her makeup, and fixing her hair. Instead of any kind of veil, she had a wreath of moonflowers, which unfurl at night and would reflect the light from the moon.
In a concession to her pregnancy, Gemma forwent the three-inch silver sandals and instead donned with a pair of silver flats that were a lot more comfortable.
Theo had it a lot easier. He was wearing a kilt and tartan in the traditional colors of his clan that had come from Scotland. He would wear the traditional footwear of the Scots.
Reflecting on this, Gemma asked, “I wonder if he will have on underwear under his kilt.”
“I guess that is something you will have to find out tonight, isn’t it?” Theo said.
All four of the women squealed and giggled. They hadn’t heard him come in.
“You aren’t supposed to see her before the ceremony. It’s bad luck,” Reagan admonished, as the three women hid Gemma from her mate.
“I think our run of bad luck is over,” Theo said. “We’ve had enough to last us a lifetime.”
The truth was that he simply wanted to see Gemma. He hated being away from her for any length of time, and it seemed like these ladies had held her hostage all day.
“I just wanted to let you ladies know it is time we headed down the mountain. I have a woman I need to have a bonding ceremony with,” Theo said.
“Don’t lie to these lovely ladies,” Germaine said. “You just want to show Gemma what really is under your kilt.”
“You are a rascal,” Gemma told Germaine. “Now you guys get. I’ll be riding with my bridesmaids.”
Laughing, the men left.
Theo hoped Gemma liked how the area was decorated. Stars hung from the trees and reflected the light from the moon and the stars. The time and place of the actual ceremony were set up so the moon would shine on them.
Ivan was officiating the ceremony.
The new leader of the wolf shifter clan was there, as were many of the wolf shifters. They sat to one side. All of the dragon shifters were present. The two sides watched each other warily but trusted their leaders when they said there would be peace between the two clans.
“I welcome you all here today to witness the bonding between these two mates, Theo O’Pry and Gemma Fields. Their love for each other has stood the test of time, and the fates have decreed their bodies and souls be bound together for the rest of eternity,” Ivan said.
Theo and Gemma faced each other, crossed their arms, and clasped each other’s wrists. Ivan placed a long silk ribbon across both of their hands.
Theo looked at Gemma in the eyes and said, “I, Theo, do declare my love for you from now and for an eternity.”
“I, Gemma, do declare my love for you from now and for an eternity.”
Ivan wrapped the ribbon around their hands once.
“Gemma, you have given me more than I could ever imagine. You have resurrected me from the dead, shown me how to love again. I am excited to begin our life’s journey together and learn to see the world again for all its beauty and wonder. I love your smile and your strength. I promise to love you always,” Theo said, the emotion and love in his voice evident to everyone.
Ivan may have even wiped a tear from his eye as he wrapped the ribbon around their hands again.
“Theo, with you, I felt safe for the first time in my entire life. You protected me. You helped me see the future. You gave me strength to fight, even when I had lost all hope of being with you again in this lifetime. I thought we were brought together by a promise made to my great-grandfather. I see now it was fate and a love that transcends time and space. Although now we begin the rest of our lives together, it will never be enough for me. I promise to love you always,” Gemma said, her passion for her man strong in her voice.
Ivan wrapped another part of the ribbon around their arms.
“As the leader of this dragon shifter clan, I declare that Theo and Gemma are hereby bound as destined mates, to love each other, support each other through the trials of life, and most importantly, to live each day to its fullest as one,” Ivan said, tying a knot in the ribbon.
Everyone cheered wildly and threw flowers at the couple. The moon shone down on Gemma, the flowers reflecting the moonlight that surrounded her as though she was glowing a bright silver aura.
The leader of the wolf clan approached Gemma, almost shyly. “I want to first congratulate you on your marriage to this man,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Second, I wanted to apologize to you. We were so ignorant, and it cost so many lives that can never be replaced. I hope you can forgive us,” he pled.
Gemma smiled at him. “All is forgiven. Life starts anew tonight for all of us.”
