"Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today in the sight of the Moon Goddess to witness the union of Alpha Vael Vaeroth and Vessara Stavros in holy matrimony."
The priest's voice carried across the clearing.
Vessara's fingers trembled slightly around her bouquet. She could feel every pair of eyes on her, hundreds of them, wolves who had come from territories near and far to witness this moment. She focused on breathing. In. Out.
The priest, an elder with silver-streaked hair and kind eyes that had seen countless unions, turned to Vael. "Do you take Vessara Stavros to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Vael looked at her and Vessara felt the weight of that gaze like a physical touch. His eyes, usually so guarded, so carefully neutral, held something raw and unguarded. His jaw tightened, and he swallowed hard.
