HUNTED-Chapter 375: Wedding under the Moonlight (3)

The woods were alive by candlelight and fairy lights. The dangling, coloured church windows and the décor were everything, bringing the theme altogether. But unlike the whole set-up over the week, it now had guests filling the rows, and those that could not sit, stood at the far back, in human and wolf form.

Many saw Aila before she made it to the aisle. They bared their necks and gushed at her features and dress. She blushed a little at some of their expressions but continued to smile, holding onto her bouquet.

Aila inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, feeling the first bit of nerves ricocheted in her stomach. She’d surpassed death, yet here she was, approaching the aisles to her mate and soon-to-be husband, nervous.

"It’s cute," Darius murmured to Damon as they watched their bride. Aila was yet to look at him, but he could feel the nerves vibrating through the bond.

Damon couldn’t respond to his wolf. He couldn’t speak or move. He couldn’t look away from Aila, who had taken his breath away. She was so breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair was pulled back in a loose half-up hairstyle, braids down the sides, keeping her hair away from her face.

Aila’s features were softly painted in make-up. It was all very natural, leaving her stunning looks to be the highlight besides the dress that hugged her curves. A dress that held the lightest shimmery hint of silvery blue atop the white, all lace.

The neckline delved down between her breasts, and the sleeves were short and off the shoulder; the skirt flowed elegantly down, a slit revealing a part of her slim legs.

Damon’s gaze moved from her attire and back to her face, urging her to look at him. She, Mandy and Andy had barely moved. His mate was still at the edges of the aisles. He wanted more than anything to meet her halfway or for her gaze to fall on him, just to keep his wolf and him at bay.

The entire ordeal was excruciating, and he had to dig deep inside himself for the patience to stand there while he and others watched her. Damon forced himself to remain there, catching Andy’s gaze.

The man nodded at him, a smile on his lips before he looked back at his daughter. Mandy and Andy stood on either side of Aila, leading her down the aisle and smiling at the guests. Mandy patted Aila’s lower back in a comforting gesture and urged her to take everything in. She was so proud of her daughter, and this moment between Damon and Aila was a nice cherry on top.

Aila had found her mate, found her rightful place and a home. She also experienced a normal life away from the hunters and the craziness of what it took to be a werewolf, a royal one. Mandy was glad for that because now, especially with everything that was happening, Aila could see more clearly than if she was left in the pack without someone to guide her appropriately.

Mandy could only feel her heartwarming more as she looked at Damon and back to Aila, who was slowly looking up. Still, she had yet to meet Damon’s gaze, which Mandy knew must have been killing him. But she knew Aila. The girl was savouring everything.

From the lights and the scenery to the people attending.

At first, all Aila could see was the multitude of people standing in the rows provided for them. But slowly, their faces became familiar, and her nerves settled a little. Everyone seated there was all important to her and Damon. They were there to see the ceremony, and from the smiles on their faces, they were happy to see it all.

The first she saw of her friends was Aldric and Harry at the back, the lycan’s little ones by their sides. Rex’s ears and claws had finally popped back in, and he looked like a regular kid again, most likely from finding comfort and security within the pack and being surrounded by those who were the same or similar to him.

He looked adorable in his black tuxedo and bright pink bow tie that matched the pink bow in his sister’s hair.

Elissa wore a pink dress that flowed out like a princess’s dress. Aila’s heart swelled at seeing them and melted some more when she met Aldric’s and then Harry’s eyes. Only weeks before, she had yet to meet them, and now they had turned into one of the people in their inner circle of trusted friends. They are so significant now, adding more character and brightness to the pack.

Aldric nodded at her, a small smile on his lips and unshed tears in his eyes. Aila had to bite her tongue, feeling the flow of joy and sadness emitting from him. It was so soon since his wife’s passing, and yet he came. Aila could only imagine the memories swarming his mind, simultaneously causing him nostalgic happiness and sadness.

Harry, on the other hand, merely winked at her, fuelling her with encouragement that made her smile back at him. Sat beside them were two other handsome men that didn’t take Aila long for her eyes to fall onto.

How could they not?

Chase and Einar. Somehow the pair were seated together and sitting beside Harry. It was a strange mixture of lycans, half-shifters, a hunter and a warlock. Though that row really did seem to outshine a few others, and Aila had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the way some of the women were eying them. Especially Harry and Einar.

Chase and Aldric were good-looking, but the pack members knew who they were and their circumstances. Chase was a hunter that they didn’t quite trust, even though he was close to their Luna and Alpha Queen. On the other hand, Aldric had lost his mate, and he was showing signs of going through something hard.

If they did not know what had happened, they were bound to find out soon through the pack gossip.

Of course, Aldric did not seem to mind the lack of attention.

Although, Einar seemed unbothered by any attention compared to Harry, who returned others’ looks and winked in their directions. What a contrast, indeed. Einar also looked at Aila with a twinkle in his eyes like he knew a secret. That didn’t surprise her.

In the time Aila spent with Esme, she found out Einar was a bit of a ’seer’, and he worked the universe in ’mysterious ways’, as Esme so eloquently put it. The rogue she-wolf didn’t express anything further when Aila tried to pry for more information. She stated it wasn’t her place to say, and if Einar wanted to tell her his secrets, he would.

Aila internally shook her head and smiled at a few more guests though the ones she was interested in the most she’d laid eyes on, all except for Finn, who followed behind her.

Lastly, and ever so gradually, her eyes reached the man she so wanted to see the most. The man whose powerful presence had been known to her from the beginning.

Not only from the moment they were kids and later reuniting when she escaped the hunter’s compound, but now from the beginning of the forest. From the moment she took that short walk from the packhouse in her silly heels that tried to stab into the grass and earth and through the forest. With or without the bond, Aila could feel Damon was nearby.

Like the moon, even if it was behind the clouds, Aila was very much aware it was there, and Damon was like that. The forest and surroundings seemed to brim with his energy, seemingly aware of his importance and the role he plays in the kingdoms, not only in theirs but now in the world of humans. Her mate, the Alpha King, Damon Steel.

Aila inhaled deeply and released a long breath, her gaze rising up to meet the steely silver pair of her mate’s eyes. Her lips parted slightly at seeing him, and she inhaled sharply at the same time he did. Their eyes glowed momentarily as the sounds of the forest came alive, cancelling out everything else until even that noise subsided.

Everything else melted away for Damon and Aila as they stared at each other. The people, their surroundings, it all blurred as time seemed to freeze. Though everything did continue around them. Mandy and Andy gave Aila away, placing Aila’s hand in Damon’s outstretched one. The pair had yet to look away from each other, and slowly their lips pulled back into bright smiles.

Damon stood there looking all sexy and fine, his hair exactly how she loved it, free and untamed, his stubble short and shaped, revealing his strong jawline and cheekbones. The tie matched those ethereal eyes of his that compelled her to always lean closer to him. And her Damon watched her with such soft and loving eyes. It almost brought tears to her eyes.

But she did not. She would not. Damon was to be her husband, and he was already her mate.

It made the others attending the ceremony also smile. Damon and Aila were so loved up that it could light up the entire estate, beaming at others annoyingly in some cases.

"Hi," Aila whispered after their little bubble burst to the sound of the priest’s voice greeting their guests.

"Hey, angel," Damon whispered back, squeezing her hand gently.

"Ready?" He mind-linked her.

Aila grinned. "Of course I am, Alpha."

Damon grinned back. "Good girl."

The priest called to their attention then, and they started reciting the vows. The exchange had made their chests light and warm as they stared at each other lovingly, unable to look away or break eye contact. Even their wolves were delighted with the ceremony.

If they had tails right now, Aila could imagine them wagging happily. It made her giggle slightly, and Damon chuckled along with her from the vision in her mind. With their hands touching and rings being put in place, the bond seemed to strengthen, and the tingling feeling they always got from touching one another turned to small sparks.

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Damon kissed Aila’s hand and held it to his lips while the priest spoke some more. They were still locked in each other’s sights, forgetting everyone else.

Seated at the front, smiling at each other, were Alpha King Magnus and Alpha Queen Lillian. They were mind-linking one another, feeling proud at seeing their son exchanging vows, as silly as they were to them, with his mate for all to see. Everyone knew the pair were together, but it still seemed rather sweet to them.

Now they looked at the pair who would take on the entire werewolf kingdom, feeling comfortable with their decision. Aila had grown into a great young woman who helped shape Damon as they expected her to.

There was only so much they could teach Damon. Now it was their turn to gain experience and do what was right for their people.

Lillian smiled openly as she shared another look with Magnus as Aila and Damon looked into each other’s eyes again, being told by the priest to kiss.

Damon and Aila will be a great King and Queen.

Aila’s heart swelled as Damon leaned towards her. They’d kissed many times before, but this time it felt different. More personal and in front of those they loved.

Damon’s lips gently brushed against hers, making her heart thud rapidly, and her hands slid along his broad chest and into his hair as he deepened the kiss and pulled her waist towards his. Still, they were wrapped in each other’s arms until the telltale signs of cheers and ’whoops’, and howls snapped them out of their mini make-out session.