Page 71 of Fated Hearts

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I need to see her. Now!” I demand again, the hard edge in my voice not leaving room for argument.

“You know I don’t care about bullshit wedding superstitions, but Ava does,” she hisses at me.

“I don’t give a flying fuck. It’s an order from your Alpha.”

“Wow, way to go being a dick, little bro.” She cusses me out under her breath and then starts speaking again. “Fine. I’ll make it happen. But you better remove that fucking stick out your ass before you see her because you’re going to ruin this day for her before it’s even started, and it’s supposed to be the best day of both your lives, you douche canoe.”

My eyes snap shut, and I run a hand over my face. “I’m sorry, Em. I didn’t mean to be a dick to you. I received some news, and my wolf is getting stir-crazy. I’m going to fucking shift and ruin this suit and then come for her.”

“Is it bad? Should we cancel the wedding?” she whispers, hertone laced with worry.

“No, we’re not canceling the wedding.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Don’t do anything stupid or rash; wait for my text.”

Fifteen minutes later, my sister ties a black scarf around my eyes and guides me into the room Ava got ready in at my mother’s house.

“Hey,” Ava says softly, and I feel her fumbling before she takes my hand in hers. We’re both blindfolded, and I make a mental note to thank my sister later for coming up with this brilliant idea. “Please don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet because my boobs look amazing in this dress, and it was a bitch to get on. I think I lost a rib or two in the process.” Her tone is casual. I don’t miss the anguish traveling through our bond, though.

I pull her to me and inhale her vanilla and caramel scent with a hint of wild violets. When I feel her in my arms, my wolf finally settles, and my lungs expand fully for the first time since Kaiden confirmed the Kabal’s implication. “No cold feet, baby. You know how much I waited for this day to finally come.”

“Oh yeah, I know. I swear to God, if I heard you one more time say ‘my fiancé’ or ‘future wife,’ I would have flung myself off the balcony,” she taunts, but I know she secretly loved itevery single time she heard me say it. Her fingers find my jaw, and she caresses the side of my face. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Yeah. I just needed to see you. Well…feel you at least since I can’t actually see you.”

“I’m here.” Her breath ghosts my lips before she kisses me. It starts slow, innocent, but not before long, we start devouring each other with undisguised hunger as I hold her like a lifeline. Ava’s nails scrape against my scalp, and she moans loudly in my mouth. I swallow the sound and suck on her tongue while cupping her perfect ass.

“Don’t you dare hump each other and ruin Ava’s makeup andhair! Do you hear me, Logan? I’ll fucking castrate you if that happens. We have only half an hour to get to the cabin,” my sister shouts, barging into the room.

We break apart on a hearty laugh, and we’re both breathless as I place a kiss on her forehead. “See you on the other side?” I murmur.

“Yeah,” she says softly and squeezes my hand one last time before my sister pushes me out of the room.

Half an hour later, atop a high peak in the wild violet field near my cabin with the mountains as our backdrop, Ava makes her way toward me on the white carpet, wearing the most beautiful smile. My heart thunders in my chest when our gazes collide. Topaz green fire lights up my insides, and I forget how to breathe entirely. She looks like an angel and a temptress all at once. The lacy white dress hugs her curves perfectly as silky strands of her hair blow softly in the wind.

“Ava…I…”I choke on the words even through our mental link.“I…Fuck…”Taking a deep breath, I try again.“I’m the luckiest man alive. You’re so beautiful it hurts to look at you,”I tell her, even if I know these words are not enough to describe how I’m feeling right now. Words will never be enough.

Her eyes glimmer with emotion.“Ditto, mi amor. Are you ready for forever?”

“Never been more ready for anything in my entire life,” I say aloud as I take her hands in mine.