by Kasey Belle
“Oh. Cool. Thank you for not elaborating on certain perks that will cause me nightmares.” Fiona shuddered and Chris rolled his eyes.
Nick snickered at their banter. Fiona, Shane, and Chris treated each other like siblings. They teased. They pushed. They argued. She told them what to do and expected them to listen. Their relationship reminded him so much of the one he’d had with Summer. Nick felt a little pang in his chest. Thinking about his sister didn’t produce the deep debilitating sorrow it used to. The memories were now more bittersweet than anything. He still felt sadness because their life together was cut short. She’d been so young and would miss out on so much. Summer didn’t get to see him mated and happy. She’d never watch Leo grow and learn. She’d never know the man her son would grow into. She’d never grow old with Daniel. At the same time,
Nick realized how infinitely blessed he’d been to have her in his life. He couldn’t have asked for a better big sister. She’d been loving, protective, and his biggest supporter. They’d shared sorrows, fears, and hardships. But they also shared laughter, joy, and happy times. He’d been there when Summer met her mate, Daniel. He watched her become a mother. He felt her renewed hope and witnessed her bliss. Those happy memories were the ones he held close to his heart. The ones he would relay to Leo when his nephew was older.
Chapter 35
Mal felt Nick’s constantly changing emotional state. Sad one moment and happy the next. He didn’t know what was going through his mate’s mind because he wasn’t sharing. The one thing he did know was he didn’t like it when his Nico was sad. He entwined his fingers through Nick’s, leaned in, and placed a sweet slow kiss on his lips. He pressed their foreheads together and shared a smile. “Dance with me?”
“Okay.”
He stood just as Jennifer began her story. As much as Mal wanted to know what she told Shane and Chris, he wanted to hold his mate more. He led his Nico to the temporary dance floor situated in the center of the tent and pulled his mate into his arms. With their bodies pressed together from groin to chest and Nick’s head on his shoulder they swayed to the music. “You okay? You were sad earlier.”
“I’m fine. I was thinking about Summer and Daniel. My parents. Also, how happy I am. How good our life is.” He placed a kiss on Mal’s neck. The sensation of Nick’s soft warm lips raised goosebumps on his skin.
A few moments later, thunderous laughter erupted at Jennifer’s table. Based on the response, Mal definitely needed to find out what his sister-in-law did.
“She threatened to torture them,” Nick mumbled.
“What?” He glanced down at the top of his mate’s head. “Torture?”
“Yep.” He nodded without lifting his head from Mal’s chest. He led them around the dance floor as Nick entertained him with Jennifer’s reaction to learning Shane and Chris were Lada’s mates. He had tears in his eyes by the time his mate was done.
“Oh, man. I can totally believe she would do it, too.” Mal snickered again.
Needless to say Mal was shocked when Nick parted with that information before they made their way to the reception. He looked in Lada’s direction and his niece raised her head at the same time. Their eyes met. She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue then flashed him a wide toothy smile. She amused the hell out of him. He blew her a kiss.
He turned his focus back to his mate. Nick’s body relaxed against his and he sighed. His breath warming Mal’s skin. Mal held him a bit tighter. When the happy triad exchange vows, Mal felt the want and need his mate hadn’t realized he shared. Observing those emotions in Nick wasn’t anything new. He saw it in the way Nick’s eyes lit up when he talked about helping Jennifer find her dress or what music he planned to play. He’d seen it during the rehearsal last night. He knew what his mate wanted, but never considered an option.
He glanced over at his parents. His mother entertained Leo with a game of peek-a-boo while his fathers looked on with indulgent smiles. As if feeling Mal’s eyes on him, Erik lifted his head in their direction. His dad’s eyes lit up with a mischievous twinkle and he cocked an eyebrow. Mal gave him an imperceptible nod.
He kissed Nick’s temple then murmured against his skin, “You want this.”
Nick tilted his head back. “Huh?”
“This.” He swept a hand out indicating the room though his eyes never left Nick’s. “Grooms. Vows. After party. Marriage?”
Nick stopped moving. His breath hitched and stared at Mal. “Mal we’re already mated. That’s bigger than a piece of paper the―.”
Mal didn’t wait for Nick to finish his statement. He knew an empty automatic response when he heard one. He captured his mate’s lips with his. Nick’s lips were soft and sweet, parting for him so Mal could explore his delicious mouth with his tongue. He withdrew from the kiss before things got out of hand. Nick frowned. Mal gave him a quick peck. He discreetly adjusted himself then took a step back. Mal dropped to one knee and reached into his pocket. Silence surrounded them as his family and friends looked on, but he didn’t care. Mal only had eyes for his mate. His Nico.
Nick’s hands flew to his mouth and tears welled in his eyes. “No,” he whispered.
“I certainly hope that wasn’t your answer, baby.” Mal shot him a crooked grin. Taking Nick’s hand in one of his, Mal held up a platinum ring inlaid with two square cut stones: an emerald and a sapphire.
The meaning obviously wasn’t lost on Nick. He touched the colorful gems with the tip of his finger. “Us.”
“You are my mate, Nicholas Terrell Speer. You are the one the Fates deemed as mine. Just as I am yours. I want the whole world to know you belong to me and I to you. It is just a piece of paper, but I know how much you want it.”
“How did you know, when I didn’t?”
“Because I’ve known you my whole life, Nico. I just had to wait awhile to find you. What do you say? Will you marry me, Nico?”
“Of course, I will.” Nick lunged at Mal. They shared a passionate kiss as they kneeled on the hard wood.
Mal pulled Nick to his feet and addressed the cheering crowd. “Could I have everyone’s attention? As you Nosy Nancy’s have probably figured it out, my mate has agreed to marry me. I think now was the perfect time to make that happen. It seems wrong to waste all this―” Mal gestured at all the decorations and wedding paraphernalia. “―on those asshats I call brothers. No offense Jennifer, but you know it’s true.” He blew her a kiss. “My mate looks awfully hot in his tux.” He addressed Nick. “That sexy blue shirt brings out your eyes.” He wagged his eyebrows then grinned at his mate’s pink cheeks. “So, if it’s okay with the current bride and grooms….?”
His brothers and Jennifer rushed over and offered hugs and congratulations.
“Damn right it’s bloody okay,” Gunnar assured them.
Kell pulled Mal in to a strong backslapping hug. “Best wedding present ever, little bro.”
Mal addressed Paul as his older brother made his way over to them with Cathy. “You think you got one more ceremony in you, big brother?”
Paul pulled him and Nick into a group hug. “For the two of you? Of course.”
Mal glanced around for Emma Grace. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of color and knew it had to be the pixie’s boots catching the light. “What about you, Emma Grace? Think you can do a flower girl repeat for me and Nick?”
“It’s time.” Emma Grace squealed as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “I don’t need to change my dress right Uncle Mal? You said this one was perfect.” She didn’t wait for a response and ran over to Fiona. “I need more petals, Mommy.”
****
Fiona dumped a new bag or rose petals into the empty basket Emma Grace used earlier. The little pixie’s words penetrated his shocked mind. It took Nick a moment to find his voice. He pressed a palm to Mal’s cheek gaining his mate’s undivided attention. “You had this planned this.”
Mal shrugged. He pinched the air between his thumb and forefinger. “Maybe a little
. I had help.”
“I don’t expect this to happen today, Mal.” Nick warily eyed Jennifer. His brothers may not realize, but a bride’s special day, was just that, special. “We can do it another time if you want us to, Jen. I don’t want you agreeing to this just because Mal turned puppy dog eyes on you. I know how persuasive they can be. This is your day.”
“What? Oh, please. His puppy dog eyes have no power here. I mated to two men who’ve made that shit an art form. Besides, I am not bridezilla. I agree with everyone.” She took Nick’s hands in hers. “You helped me have my fairytale wedding. If it wasn’t for you I’d be in jeans right now. Let us give you the fairytale, too.”
Beyond words, Nick squeezed her hands and nodded.
Ilene whooped. “My babies are getting married.”
“Everyone,” Declan declared in a booming voice. “It appears as if we have another wedding to attend. If you could make your way over to the chairs once again, we’ll start the ceremony soon. I promise the caterers will keep the food warm and the bar will remain stocked so we can pick the reception back up where we left off as soon as Mal and Nick tie the knot.”
Emma Grace trotted over to them with Jay and Luke by her side as usual. “Can Luke and Jay sit up front this time so I can sit with them when I’m done?” She glanced up at him and Mal then over at Fiona who rolled her eyes.
“Of course you can if―” Mal leaned over and tapped his cheek. “―you give me a kiss right here.”
Emma Grace gladly complied. The tiny trio pumped their fists in the air causing the adults around them to laugh. “We’re gonna go wait with Aunt Maddie.” They ran off toward the back deck.
“Those boots are blinding.” Nick nodded in Emma Grace’s direction. The afternoon sunlight bounced off the crystals as she moved quickly through the glass.
Mal laughed. “Yeah they are. Cowgirl boots are kind of her thing.”
“No kidding. I’ve seen her in at least ten different pair since I’ve been here. Eleven now, because those blue ones are new. Oh, by the way. The other day she told me all about the purple sparkly boots she wore for her mother’s wedding. She had to give them to Lily Rose, because they didn’t fit her anymore and it’s super sad. She even gave me the face to prove it.”
“I bet the sadness was suffocating.” Mal nodded an amused expression firmly in place. “I take it we’re buying her a new pair blinged out boots for Christmas?”
Nick let his enormous grin answer the question. Not like Mal hadn’t already known the answer before he asked, anyway.
Fiona laid a hand on Nick’s forearm. “We’d be honored, Declan, Cade, and I, if you’d let us stand in for your parents and escort you down the aisle, Nick. I don’t know if guys do that sort of thing, but we aren’t big on tradition around here anyway, so…”
“I’d like that.”
Fiona smiled up at him as if he’d given them a gift by agreeing instead of the other way around. “We’ll see you over there.”
Mal wrapped his arms around Nick from behind. “You know? There might be something to this wedding stuff. It’ll tell all those humans you are mine and they have to keep their hands and eyes off my baby.”
Nick snickered. “You are so possessive.”
“You like it.”
He turned in Mal’s arms. “I kind of do.” Mal leaned in and gave him a short but no less sweet kiss. Nick ran his fingers along the skin under his eyes. “I don’t look like a raccoon do I?”
“Nope. You look hot as hell though.”
His cheeks heated. Even now, his mate had the ability to make him blush. He gazed in to Mal’s emerald eyes. “Thank you for this.” He pressed a palm to Mal’s cheek and kissed his once more.
“Don’t mention it, baby. I liked it so much I had to put on ring on it.”
Nick threw his head back and groaned. “Beyonce? Really?”
“I didn’t think the proposal was complete without at least one cheesy line. It’s kind of our thing.”
“It’s kind of your thing.” He poked Mal in the chest.
Mal took Nick’s hand and held it between them. Mal leaned in and murmured against his lips. “You love it.”
Yeah, Fates help him. He did.
Lada volunteered to handle the music boasting she had the perfect playlist on her phone to commemorate their love. Nick wasn’t so sure. He’d heard some of the stuff she called music on that thing. She made a believer out of him when Yirama floated through the outside speakers.
Emma Grace performed her flower girl duties like a pro. Mal kissed his cheek and walked up the aisle with Leo in his arms. Mal purchased a matching set of wedding bands. They were currently pinned to their little boy’s shirt.
Declan, Cade, and Fiona were waiting on Nick at the bottom of the deck steps. Fiona took his hand and pressed something into his palm. Nick looked down and drew in a sharp breath. She winked when he met her eyes. “Mal’s been planning this wedding longer I thought.”
He inspected the object in his hand. It was an Erzulie Freda pendant. It was different from the ones Cathy and Jennifer wore. Nick’s was a masculine version and made of silver with blue and green crystals embedded in the center. “Thank you, Fiona.” He looped the long silver chain over his neck and tucked the pendant inside his shirt.
She smiled and wrapped her arm around his. “Ready?”
“Born ready.”
Mal’s eyes shone with love as Nick made his way up the white silk covered aisle to the dais where his mate stood with Paul. If Fiona’s arm weren’t entwined with his, Nick would have taken off running. He wanted nothing more than to stand with Malcolm Creed and recite vows. Yes, their mating was far more binding than any piece of paper the state could give them, but there was just something about declaring your undying love for your soulmate to the whole world.
So, on a sunny, unseasonably warm November afternoon, Nicholas Terrell Speer married his soulmate Malcolm Brennan Creed. Human and shifter alike would now know that he belonged to Mal and Mal belonged to him. They would belong to each other for the rest of their lives and beyond.
The End.
Thank You!
Thank you for choosing me and my book as your author and book of choice. With so many authors and books out there I feel truly blessed that you picked me. I hope you enjoyed Mal & Nick’s story as much as I enjoyed telling it. If you are so inclined please leave a review on Amazon.
For more information on Kasey Belle and my upcoming books visit my website: www.kaseybelle.com.
About The Author
Independent Author Kasey Belle, whose sarcastic tendencies and faulty filter will most likely lead to an untimely death, is a southern belle with a sexy imagination.
In 2006, tired of hurricanes and mosquitoes “The Belle” family moved on up, to the west side of the MS, to Las Vegas. Kasey currently lives there with her sweet southern boy/husband, the infamous “Outlaw”, in their newly acquired empty nest. She is the mother of two grown children and grandma of a 2-yr-old fur-baby (cat) named Cosmo aka Princess Fuzzy-butt.
Kasey promises her readers few things: sexy, woobilicious alpha males; strong, snarky, sarcastic, sassy heroines; lots of hot, steamy sex, and a happily ever after. In Kasey’s opinion, a good romance, is raw and honest, limited only by the author’s imagination, not dictated by what society deems as normal. Love is love, and all forms are beautiful.
When Kasey isn't writing and perfecting her craft, she is spending time with family/friends or kicking back with a bottle of Moscato. Kasey admits she's addicted to tattoos and books, and won't be seeking help.
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*Begs profusely*
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/> Other Works
Copper Creek Pack Series
Their Cajun Queen: Book 1
Prideless: Book 2
Healing Cathy: Book 3
An Unexpected Triad: Book 4
Mating Mal: Book
Stand Alone
A Swing and A Dare: Erotic Version
A Swing and A Dare: Sweeter Version
All You Need is Love and Coffee
For more information, please visit my website www.kaseybelle.com
Coming Soon!
Sealing the Well
Soulmate for a SEAL, Book 1
2018
****
Cam’s Angel
Women Warriors Series, Book 1
2018
****
Adopted Pride
Twisted Kings MC Series, Book1
2018
For more information, please visit my website www.kaseybelle.com
