“As I’ll ever be!”
They made their way downstairs toward the back of the palace. The ceremony was to take place on the palace grounds in the back overlooking the mountains at sunset. The Guardians were assembled to escort the wedding party to their places.
Maddie caught her breath when she saw how beautifully decorated everything was. Tiny lights twinkled everywhere, and white flower petals were heavily scattered upon the ground, creating a velvety carpet. Candles burned everywhere, casting their golden glow across the terrace. All the trees had been laced with white blooms, so they literally dripped from the branches. There was a white runner that indicated the path they would take up to the point where the clergyman and council elder stood. The music began playing and the procession began.
The male attendants marched up the aisle first, followed by Rowan and, lastly, Rayn. Maddie did not want to peek at him until all the girls had marched up the aisle. When that was completed, and it was only Maddie and her grandfather, she looked up to see Rayn’s eyes bearing down on her. She felt, rather than saw, his emotions spilling from him. They flooded her with their impact, washing over and penetrating her, and she felt her eyes glistening with tears.
“Are you alright, my dear?” Taruk asked.
“Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed by Rayn. His emotions are…” she had to stop and clear her throat. She had never seen a more handsome man in her life. He had trimmed his hair, but the stubborn lock still fell across his forhead, softening his face. His iridescent green eyes were glowing, and Maddie couldn’t stop herself from smiling at him. He was dressed in his formal attire, which was solid white, and his sexy smile was radiant. Maddie felt her heart would burst with joy as a grin spread across her face. The music cue began, and she commenced her bridal walk toward Rayn.
When they reached Rayn, he wrapped Maddie’s hand in his, and they exchanged their sworn vows of unification. Julian came and placed the required marks upon Maddie’s wrists and the announcement of their unification was made to a huge crowd of witnesses.
The celebration party was elaborate, as Sharra had attended to every detail. The food and wine were exquisite; the music was all encompassing; and the ambience was incomparable. Maddie had never seen or experienced anything like it.
Maddie and Rayn danced. Thankfully, Maddie’s dress hid many of her contortions, and Rayn’s strength kept hers in check. Luckily for the guests dancing around them, Maddie was not wearing shoes. A few of her favorite songs were played, but Rayn adamantly refused to let her sing along. They were finally able to sneak away from all the attention, and Rayn pulled her behind one of the small structures that dotted the expansive property.
He leaned in to steal a quick kiss, but he stopped along the way and breathed in her ear, “You take my breath away with your beauty. I will never forget how utterly splendid you looked walking down that aisle today.” He took his finger and ran it down her chest, stopping at the swell of her breasts, sending shivers racing across her skin. He dipped his head toward her neck and ran his tongue along the length of it. “Simply stunning,” he whispered again before his lips overtook hers. This kiss started out gentle, but quickly turned demanding and possessive. Their energy and passion combined and they both felt the consuming heat of their desire.
When he pulled away, her breath was coming in short, rapid puffs. Maddie briefly wondered if there would ever come a time when Rayn would stop making her heart race.
“I want to devour you, love. I am not sure how much longer I can stay here with you before I drag you upstairs.”
Maddie released a shaky laugh. “Rayn, I want to…” She stopped and tried to swallow, but a lump the size of Gibraltar became lodged in her throat. She gazed at him wordlessly.
“What is it, love? Are you alright?” His concern over her distress was apparent. He rubbed the back of his fingers gently across her cheek.
She nodded and continued to stare at him. “It’s only that I feel an overwhelming joy, and I guess my emotions are running at full steam ahead,” she choked out. Please do NOT let me cry. Please, God, do not let me cry!
For years, Maddie had built up a protective wall around herself. Then, Rayn entered into her life, and try as she might, even though she loved him beyond measure, that darn wall was still up, preventing her from opening herself completely to him. On their first wedding night, she felt the wall crumbling, but today, when she walked down the aisle to meet him in life, the wall finally disintegrated into dust, freeing her to release all of her emotions it had been imprisoning.
A quick burst of air escaped from Rayn when he noticed her eyes glistening with tears, and he enfolded her in his arms. “Ah, Sunshine, I understand.” He leaned back to look her in the eye. “I am in agreement with you about the emotions. I will not think you weak if you cry.”
With those words, he felt her shudder and heard her softly sob. He rocked her gently until the storm quickly passed, and then, he pulled her away from him and took her face in his hands. “I have never seen you more beautiful,” he whispered sincerely. “I want to lay you on our bed and stare at you for hours, just as you are, with your eyes shimmering with tears and your lips swollen from our kisses.”
She finally lifted her eyes and said, “First, there is something that I need to say to you, Rayn. You have always been so open about your feelings for me. I, on the other hand, have been hiding behind a stupid wall. What I want you to know is this: I can live through almost anything. I lived through the loss of my parents. I made it through two episodes with a psychopath, and I even survived a skirmish with a heptamorg. True, I had help from you all, but the thing is, I made it through. I know what I can and can’t live without, and I know, without a doubt, that I could never live without you. I know you’d say that if anything ever happened to you, I should go on, but what I’m telling you, Rayn, is that I wouldn’t want to. I couldn’t stand life without you. I’ve been so stupid where you’re concerned. You have shown your love for me over and over with unabashed candor, and I… well, I’ve always been too afraid to do the same. When I think of everything you have done for me… my gosh! You were willing to give up your birthright, and I was too self-absorbed to even return your love. I promise you that I will never be so bloody foolish or selfish again.”
She had barely spoken the last words before Rayn had her wrapped in his arms, kissing away her tears.
He finally lifted his head and promised, “You will always have me, Maddie—in this world and in the next. I will always be in your heart, mind, and soul—as you will be in mine, no matter what. Knowing you return my love makes me the happiest of males.”
“What is expected of us tonight? Must we remain here?” she asked with a sly smile.
He leaned into her and put his lips on hers once again. Their tongues mingled, and he tasted a mixture of the saltiness of her tears and the sweetness of her mouth. He abruptly pulled away and ran his hand through his hair.
“Sunshine, this is our party. We can do whatever we want. Do you want to leave?” he asked with a grin.
“Yes, let’s go! But let’s be quick before we are spotted.”
Rayn laced his fingers with hers and tugged her toward the side of the house where they made use of an obscure entrance. They dashed up the stairs, but Rayn pulled her to a stop before they reached their bedroom.
She looked at him with raised brows when he said, “It is only proper that a male carry his mate into their room on their unification night.”
He scooped her up in his arms, and she said giggling, “This is even better the second time around.” He kicked the door shut behind them and locked it.
“Can you help me undo my dress?”
“Sorry, love, not a chance of that. I was not jesting when I said I wanted to lay you on our bed and stare at you for hours. I want to look at you after we have shared a few more kisses and your skin is flushed and rosy with passion. Then I want to continue kissing your sweet lips until you cannot breathe. I want to tangle my hands in your disheveled curls
and wrap your silken braids around me. I want to watch as your breath quickens and to feel the rapid beating of your heart beneath my hands. And then, I’m going to glide my hands across your luscious body… everywhere, love, until I make you writhe and beg for more. Only then, after I have filled my senses with you, will I assist you in the removal of your gown. Once we have accomplished that, I will repeat it once again… or maybe all night long. After all, a female only wears a unification gown such as that once in her life, and I intend to take full advantage of it.” While he spoke the words, he had gently placed her on the bed.
Maddie blurted out, “Oh my gosh, Rayn! Your words alone drive me crazy and make my heart pound in my chest. See?”
Rayn approached her with a wicked grin saying, “Just wait, love. How do you say… oh, yes… you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
If Rayn was one thing, he was honest, and he was certainly true to his word that night.
********
Later that night, they were both ravenous, so they stole into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. The compsys in their room just wouldn’t suffice; they wanted some yummy leftovers from their reception.
As they munched on cake, Rayn told Maddie something that she hadn’t considered.
“When we first met, you were so dependent on others. It seemed as if you were afraid to take the leap into life. I suppose it had to do with the losses of both your parents, but since then, Maddie, you have blossomed into a true force to be reckoned with. You are strong, capable, and filled with such presence. It is almost as if you’ve undergone a resurrection of sorts.”
Maddie thought about that for a minute and nodded her head in agreement. “Resurrection, huh? You know something? I wish I could have run across Darryl Carter the way I am now. He wouldn’t have stood a chance!”
Chapter 10
It seemed everyone had the best of times at the unification reception, and they barely noticed the absence of the newly wedded couple.
Saylan and Xarrid danced well into the night, and Therron and Athyna disappeared for a while. When they returned to the dance floor, Athyna’s hair was a bit mussed, and Therron wore a dazed grin upon his face.
Rowan and Annalise looked on the crowd, and they felt a deep sense of happiness. They were proud of their children and ecstatic that Rayn and Maddie could officially live as unified mates. They both adored Maddie, and they knew she would become a formidable First Lady. She was skilled in diplomatic relations, but she was protective of her loved ones. Her bravery was impressive, and she would be a challenge for Rayn. However, that was something that would help him grow as a Leader.
Maddie’s grandparents were also proud of the newly united couple. The only glitch in the whole day was that they wished their daughter had lived to see this take place. They knew Mariah and Henry were watching from their perches in heaven and smiling upon them.
As for Maddie and Rayn, they knew they were blessed—more so than any other. They had survived tragedy, but it had strengthened their bond and taken it to an even deeper level than before. They gave thanks to the Deity for bestowing such blessings upon them.
********
A few days later, the prison warden was surprised to see the Firstborn enter his office.
“My liege! To what do I owe this surprise?”
“I would like to visit your prisoner, Ondine Latrio, but I do not wish to be announced,” Rayn explained.
“Is there something I can assist you with regarding her?”
“Not a thing. Just take me to her now.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Rayn followed the warden throughout the prison until they came to a cell. The warden looked at Rayn and asked,” Would you like me to enter with you?”
“That will not be necessary, Warden. You may wait here as I should not be long.”
The warden stepped aside as Rayn entered the cell.
Ondine jumped up when she saw she had a visitor, and her surprise turned to shock when she realized who it was.
“My lord, er…”
“I take it you know who I am?”
“Why, yes, my lord.”
“Excellent. I have come to impart some news to you. I want you to know, Ondine, that I am going to do my dead level best to see you remain incarcerated for the rest of your life.”
“Wwwhhat?”
“You heard me correctly. The sentence you received for what you did to Guardian Pearce was, in my opinion, much too lenient. She nearly died at your hands, and as a Guardian-in-training, you should have been astute enough to know that it was your duty to SAVE lives, not TAKE them. Your actions were reprehensible, and in my estimation, your punishment was not nearly severe enough. You have made a mockery of everything that the Guardians stand for, and you are nothing short of vile. Therefore, I am making it a life-long obligation for me to see you remain here as long as there is life left in your body.”
“But, my lord, you do not understand. Guardian Pearce deserved everything that happened to her. She was a cheater…” and that was all Ondine could say before Rayn’s wrath descended upon her.
“DO NOT SAY ANOTHER DISPARAGING WORD REGARDING GUARDIAN PEARCE… or perhaps I should say, Guardian Pearce Yarrister,” he thundered. “That is MY MATE you tried to kill, and the charge for that, among other things, is treason. If you ever so much as breathe a negative comment about her or even think one, for that matter, I will see you destroyed. Are we clear?”
“Yes, my liege,” Ondine shakily replied.
Rayn whirled away and left her cell. Ondine collapsed on her floor with shock.
Epilogue
The morning following Rayn and Maddie’s official unity ceremony, Rykerian teleported back to the compound, feeling unusually lighthearted. He had feared his emotions would inundate him during the event, but much to his surprise, that hadn’t happened. Instead, he felt his heart fill with joy for the newly mated couple. He would always have a deep fondness for Maddie, but she had been right all along where his feelings were concerned. He loved her but as a sister.
Maybe the reason he thought he had been in love with her was because of the fact that she was the first outsider to join their tightly woven family, or maybe it was because he never thought Rayn would settle down and find his one true love. When Rayn fell completely and irrevocably in love with Maddie, Rykerian witnessed and felt how deeply Rayn’s emotions became intertwined with the female’s. Perhaps he envied that experience so much that he fancied himself in love with her too. Whatever the case, he was content to find that his feelings for Maddie now were that of a brother and sister instead of the way he had felt before. He had never wanted to feel any other way about her, so this was the best that he could ever have hoped for.
He had been temporarily assigned as the Leader of the Guardians on Earth, as Rayn now had stately duties to fulfill with Maddie by his side. Therron and Xarrid would be racing across the universe in a few days trying to establish a Guardian compound on Xanthus. As a result, Rykerian with Tesslar as his second in command would be in charge of running the compound on Earth.
It was a happy farewell for him as he felt like a huge burden had been lifted. He was anxious to get his life back. It seemed everything had been topsy-turvy for entirely too long. Tonight, he would run a sweep of the area via his speedster. He was actually anxious to feel the wind upon his face.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon as he prepared himself for his routine check of the area. There was still a chill in the air as summer was a few months away. His Vesturion clothing would protect him from any chill or heat. He tucked his black cape beneath him as he mounted his speedster. With his shadar, he veiled and muted himself. He planned on taking full advantage of the speed his vehicle was capable of tonight.
He hit the throttle and took off. He headed over the park first, reveling in the feel of flying. Rykerian loved to go fast, and that’s exactly what he did. The sun had set, so his preternatural ability of night vision allowed him to see even the tiniest of animal
s beneath him. He hadn’t felt this kind of peace envelop him in ages.
As he looped his speedster in figure eight patterns over the forest, he laughed out loud. He had a tremendous sensation of freedom as he flew.
It was well past midnight, and in a few hours, the sun would be rising. He decided he wanted to be up on the mountaintop near the compound to observe it. He had missed that special place, so he felt a need to be there. As a final inspection of the area, he decided to follow the four-lane highway that connected Waynesville to Bryson City. He was meandering his way around when he noticed a car moving erratically down the highway. From all appearances, the driver had to be intoxicated. The car was weaving back and forth and getting dangerously close to the guardrail.
Rykerian kicked his speedster into high gear and swooped down alongside the Toyota Corolla. Behind the wheel was a young female who appeared to be sleeping. Rykerian knocked on her window several times, but he received no response. He quickly brought his speedster to a halt and entered the coordinates in his shadar. Moments later, he materialized in the passenger side of the vehicle. Grabbing the wheel and correcting the deadly path of the car alerted the driver who took one look at him and started screaming.
Thinking quickly, Rykerian thundered, “I command you to stop screaming and to bring this vehicle to a halt.”
The woman abruptly was silent and slowly made her way to the side of the road. When the car stopped, Rykerian breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes lifted to settle upon the young female, and he gasped. She was the most beautiful living thing he had ever seen. With hair so blond it almost didn’t look real, she looked like a mythical creature. Rykerian could barely breathe. Her eyes were entrancing; they were the palest blue green. Her features were perfection. She was mesmerizing, and he could barely tear his eyes away from her.
Without stopping to think, he delved into her mind to find out something, anything, about her. He experienced such a rush of emotion that once again, he found himself sucking in his breath. This female was utterly exhausted as if she hadn’t rested in days. She was sad, heartbreakingly so. He delved deeper, wanting to uncover the source of this profound sadness. The only thing he could discern was two small children, maybe a brother or sister, for she was much too young for them to be her own. He was desperate for more information about her, so he let the tendrils of his mind penetrate and entwine with hers. He hated what he found. This beautiful creature had lived a terribly lonely life. She was under a great deal of stress as well—mainly financial stress. She was worried about school and retaining her scholarships. She felt she would be unable to maintain her grades while working two jobs.
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