Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 100: Chapter 100

We didn’t want to risk another delay in our wedding, given the way our luck had gone so far. So Leo and I planned to hold our wedding as quickly as we could.
I would have happily said my vows right there and then at Leo’s coronation. My mother, Dr. Lee, and Ethan’s siblings insisted we had to have a big party. Apparently the wolf king and his Luna couldn’t just trade vows in a small, private ceremony.
I would have argued, but Ethan pointed out that I’d never had so much as a birthday celebrated by my pack. And Leo was so excited to marry me.
So we decided to get married two weeks after the coronation. Because the compound was still under construction, Ethan offered to host it in his gathering barn. I was happy to hold it there, because the barn was warm and inviting and seemed like a great place to have a party. Leo had good memories there, too, so he agreed.
Elise and Erma oversaw the decorations. All I had to do was pick my favorite colors. Eli volunteered to organize the cooking. He was very excited; apparently someone had given him a book of recipes for human confections, including ‘wedding cakes’.
Wolf weddings usually ended in a hunt. Any prey brought down would be cooked over a fire and shared out among the guests. Humans had a large, ornate cake. Because I was part human, Leo suggested that we do both. So Leo would lead the wedding hunt with me at his side. Meanwhile, Eli prepared a massive cake with icing flowers and little sugar candy wolves. It was almost too beautiful to eat.
My mother, Dr. Lee, and I went shopping for my wedding dress. The first dress I tried on made me feel like a doll. It was too frilly, although there was some pretty beadwork. The second, well, it looked too much like something Eva would like. I was done pretending to be my sister. The third, dress, though, was perfect. It was silver silk with tiny moons embroidered around the neck and sleeves. I loved it the second I saw it, and it fit me like it was sewn just for me.
I squeaked when I saw the price, but Dr. Lee assured me it was fine.
“We took up a collection at the hospital,” she told me. “Everyone pitched in. You could buy two of these dresses.”
My mother found a small silver and opal necklace with a matching tiara.
“You’re going to be queen wolf,” she pointed out. “You should have a tiara.”
“She should,” Lee agreed.
When the shopkeeper heard that and realized who I was, she insisted on donating the jewelry.
“No, I can’t,” I said, “I don’t want special treatment.”
“It’s not because you’re about to be Luna,” the shop owner said. “My son was one of the wolves caught in the Rogue attacks. He lived because of that healer, Dr. Angel.” She smiled. “He lived because of you, our Luna, Tessa. So please. Take these, and wear them at your wedding.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
The day of the wedding arrived. I was so excited I could barely fasten my dress. Mom had to help me.
Little Sable was dressed in a tiny dress in the same silver silk as mine. My mother carried her down the aisle.
Dr. Lee stood as my witness. Ethan, of course, stood as Leo’s. Titian officiated, since neither Leo nor I had a father to conduct the ceremony.
Leo made his vows first.
“From the first moment I saw you, I should have known,” he said. “You are my wolf’s choice, my fated mate.” He looked into my eyes, and smiled. “But more than that, you are the woman I love. You are gentle, kind, and strong willed. You stand up for the weak. You warm my heart with your smile. You are not just my wolf’s choice. You are mine. And I swear to you, that you will never want for anything while I live to provide it. You will have respect, care, and love. I swear that I will always listen to you. I will always honor you as my Luna. I will cherish you, as the mother of my children and as my wife.”
Children? Well, he did tell me once he wanted a large family. I blushed and smiled, and then it was my turn.
“I’ve loved you since I met you,” I said, “but I didn’t understand what that meant, not really. You taught me what it means to love with my whole heart. And I do. I love you with everything I have. My wolf chose you. You are my fated mate. And I accept and honor her choice, because she has wisdom I do not posess on my own. I swear to be faithful to you, as long as I live. I will be your wife, your support, and your Luna. You are my Alpha, my husband, and my love. I cannot wait to begin our life together, and I am excited to walk into the future at your side.”
After our vows, Titian held our hands together while Lee and Ethan signed special tokens witnessing our vows. We’d hang those tokens over our hearth, as a sign of our marriage.
After the vows, we held the hunt. Leo and I brought down a large deer together. Hunting next to him was wonderful. We moved in perfect unison.
The deer sizzled merrily over the fire whle Eli wheeled out his finished cake. It was every bit as delicious as it was beautiful.
After that, we decided to hold another human tradition. Supposedly, when the bride threw her boquet into the crowd of guests, whoever caught it would be the next to marry. It seemed silly and fun, so while I didn’t carry a boquet, it was easy enough to gather a bunch of wildflowers and tie them into a bundle. I turned my back on the crowd, and tossed it over my shoulder. To my delight, Lee was the one to catch it. I hugged her, and nudged Ethan.
After the wedding, Leo and I retired to a little cabin for the night so we could have some privacy. I lay my head on his chest and enjoyed the sound of his heart.
“Are you real?” Leo whispered to me as he bent down to kiss me.
“I think so,” I whispered back.
He hugged me close, and we watched the moon rise through the window. We spent that first night tangled in each other’s arms, and most nights after that.
It felt like a dream. But if it was, I never wanted to wake up. I had Leo, Sable, and my mother. I had friends, and a pack who respected me. Everything I ever wanted.
Our pack grew strong under Leo’s guidance, and he ruled as a wise and compassionate king.
Ethan eventually rose to be Leo’s beta, leaving his original pack to his own beta. Dr. Lee came with him, as his wife and Luna. After mine and Leo’s wedding, they decided to make another go of it. And this time, it went much better. Leo and I stood as their witnesses at the wedding later that year.
Sable soon had a little brother or sister on the way. This time, I got to enjoy my pregnancy, and Leo got to enjoy doting on me. It was wonderful.
I won’t say everything was perfect, but we were together, and so we faced every challenge as a team. And that was all I could ever want.