The Gamma’s Second Chance (Crescent Lake #3)

37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

CASSANDRA

“Mama! Mpampa!”

I sprint down the dock of Selene’s island towards my parents, flinging myself into my mother’s arms when I reach her, hooking my chin over her shoulder. My dad stands behind her, hovering protectively with his arms crossed, much like my own mate does to me. I reach my hand out to him, and he grabs it, squeezing it and smiling at me, his face softening as it always does when he’s around me.

“I missed you,” I say, returning his squeeze.

He nods, and then his focus switches to Nolan, his face returning to the stern, concerned father look. I lean away from my mom and take Nolan’s hand, guiding him closer to my family. His dark bronze skin has a sickly green tint to it, and his palm against mine is sweaty and trembling with his nerves at meeting my parents, even though he’s spoken to them numerous times on the phone, both with me and without me.

“Mama, Mpampa,” I say, beaming up at my mate and sending reassurance to him with my touch and my smile. “This is Nolan. My mate.”

My dad stares at him, appraising him with an unreadable expression, and Nolan shifts his weight between his feet but returns his gaze with equal strength. “I’m honored to finally meet you in person,” he says, holding his hand out to my dad to shake.

My dad’s face cracks into a grin, and instead of shaking Nolan’s hand, he yanks him into a hug. “We’re happy to have you as part of our family,” he says, and Nolan relaxes, letting out an audible sigh of relief.

My dad releases him, and my mom takes his place, hugging Nolan as well. Nolan smiles at me over the top of her head as my dad slides his arm around my waist.

“You are happy?” he asks, lowering his voice so only I can hear him.

My eyes never leave my mate as I nod. “I am.”

“Good.” He kisses the top of my head. “That’s all I have ever wanted for my little girl.”

“Come!” My mom claps her hands and waves at us to follow her. “We have much to do to prepare for your ceremony tonight. Leave those,” she adds, pointing at our luggage Nolan turns to grab. “Someone will take them to the villa you’ll be staying in during your visit.”

Nolan nods at her and rubs his palms on his jeans before he takes my hand as we follow my parents. Up the hillside and around the winding paths through the white villas, my feet traversing the path by memory.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Nolan asks when we’re almost to my parents’ house as he gazes out over the sparkling, crystal clear water and around at the beautiful buildings and flora. “To leave this place? To tie yourself to me?”

I turn my face to the sun, soaking in the warmth and breathing in the sweet scents of the island. A breeze off the water flutters through my hair and the fabric of my yellow dress, and I exhale as it dances away from me, then open my eyes.

It’s a beautiful place, and I miss it, but it isn’t home. Not anymore.

I step in front of him, facing him, and pause, forcing him to stop in his tracks as I move in closer and drape my arms around his shoulders. “First of all, I already have your mark,” I remind him, tipping my chin up and baring my neck to him.

He growls, and his hands slide up my outer thighs to my hips, his eyes darkening as they lock onto the mark he gave me.

“Second…” I lick my lips and wait for him to return his gaze to mine. “Crescent Lake is my home. My lycan and I knew that even before we laid eyes on it. Every piece of music I’ve ever written contains essences of the lake, the trees, and the mountains. There is nowhere else I can imagine living out my days, and no one else I want to spend those days with.”

His eyes close and he leans into me. “Daisy…” He exhales and shakes his head. “I am so—”

“Let’s go, Cassandra,” my mom says, interrupting Nolan. He frowns and we both glance to where she stands at the top of the hill, on the path that leads towards the temple. “You must get ready at the temple grounds.”

His brow furrows more, and he tightens his grip on me. “But—”

“You will see her in a few hours, at your ceremony,” she says to him, waving me towards her again. “You will get ready here, at my home.”

He swallows and rests his forehead to mine. “I’ll see you very soon,” I say, cupping his cheek.

His reply is a fierce kiss, his hands wrinkling the fabric of my dress as he presses my hips against his body, not caring that my parents are watching. “I love you,” he says, backing away, keeping his hands on me until the last second.

I smile at him, and he walks to the doorway, giving me one final glance before disappearing inside with my dad. My mom waits as patiently as she can as I make my way to her on the top of the hill, and we navigate the winding path together, side by side, as it narrows and heads deeper into the center of the island, where the flowering jasmine vines and massive hedges and ancient trees hide the temple of Selene.

I sit on a cushioned seat in front of an ornate, antique vanity table with a large decorative mirror, wrapped in a silk robe as my mom styles my hair. The small room in the building just off the edge of the temple grounds is empty except for my mother and me, as is the tradition for this ceremony. Shimmering light from the twilight sky bathes the minimalist space, highlighting the gold in my mother’s eyes that match my own as she watches her hands twist my strands into a loose crown braid.

It’s beautiful, but I doubt the hairstyle will last the night. Not with the way Nolan loves to tug on my hair when we’re caught up in our sexual desires. Or with how he combs his fingers through it lovingly when we’re catching our breath in the aftermath and I’m drifting to sleep.

But my mind keeps conjuring an image of him pulling jeweled pins from my hair as we kiss under the moon and the stars in the open-air temple, my hair tumbling down my back as he drops each one onto the floor before he slips his fingers into my loose waves, and kisses down my neck until…

My cheeks heat, and I glance down at my hands in my lap, twisting them together and spinning my ring around my finger, distracting myself from the spellbinding vision my mind keeps replaying. I’ve kept the ring on since the morning after he asked me to be his, only removing it to shift into my lycan and explore the forest with his wolf. Not that I needed to, since I have his mark now, but the ring brings me joy and peace.

And it’s pretty.

“Daisy,” he mindlinks me, a frown in his tone. “You did not tell me I would have to wear these damn pants again.”

My eyes close at the sound of his voice, and I lift my clasped hands to my chest. It creates an ache in me, hearing him and knowing he is on the other side of the island, across the temple grounds and over the hill. We’ve spent almost every second together since he gave me his mark, and the wild, primal side of me can’t handle that he has yet to receive mine, too. It’s easier when he’s nearby, within reach, but the distance between us as we prepare for our ceremony is almost too much to bear.

“What’s wrong with them?” I ask .

“I hate them. I hated them the last time I was here, and I hate them now.”

“Why?”

“They’re…clingy.”

“You won’t have to wear them for long,” I point out to him, giggling at his intense distaste for a clothing item.

His responding laugh is dark and promising and tinted with a growl. It’s like a heated caress against my soul, reminding me of all the delicious things he’ll do to me soon and all the wonderful sensations he’ll bring to life as he does.

“I’m holding you to that,” he says, giving me one last chuckle before closing the link.

“I’m almost finished…” my mom murmurs, as if she knows I’m mindlinking my impatient mate. She pushes several more pins into my hair before sighing and lifting my chin with her hand. “There.”

I smile at her reflection in the mirror. “Thank you, Mama. It’s exactly how I imagined it.”

She returns my smile and nods, then perches on the edge of the cushioned seat, taking my hand and sandwiching it between both of hers. “Now, about your dress. I—”

“It’s all right, Mama,” I say, covering her hand with my free one and squeezing reassuringly. “I know it was short notice, and there wasn’t time for you to have my own gown made for me. I don’t mind that the gown won’t be custom-made.”

Her gaze softens, and she moves her hand to my face, thumbing across my cheekbone. “My sweet girl.” She shakes her head. “I have done everything in my power to make this day perfect for you. Including making you your dress.”

I frown at her words, confused. “But how? How did you have time? Even if you started making it when Nolan called you, there wouldn’t have been enough time to…” Her eyes sparkle as I speak, her lips tipping into a secretive smile, and I remember her words from our phone call my first morning at Crescent Lake— you will likely stay with the gamma for longer than you think you will .

“You knew?” I ask, and she nods. “How? Since when?” I sputter, laughing incredulously.

“I didn’t know for sure,” she amends. “When they came four and a half years ago, I had a brief vision of you and him hugging on the shore of a lake with marks on your necks. You were still young, though, and I wasn’t sure how you would end up in Crescent Lake. Not until King Malachi called asking if there was anyone who could help Luna Haven with her aura.” My eyes water and my lip trembles, but I smile at her. “As soon as you agreed to go, I began working on it.”

I dive forward and wrap my arms around her, clutching her tight. “Thank you, Mama.”

We hug for a long while, her swaying us side to side and me squeezing my eyes shut to stem the tears. Then she leans away and nods towards the armoire in the corner. “Your gown is in there, and your mate is waiting for you at the edge of the temple grounds. He is growing antsy, but take all the time you need before you join him.”

I nod, and she kisses my forehead, then rises from the seat and exits the room, leaving me alone to dress. I stand on shaky legs and cross to the closet, taking in a deep breath before I open it.

The diaphanous fabric of the white gown glitters with sparkling embroidery along the edges and scattered over the skirt and bodice. Each decorative piece is handsewn onto the fabric, and I can almost feel and taste the love, care, and thought my mother put into my ceremony gown. It’s beautiful and timeless, and everything I ever dreamed of for this moment I thought I’d never experience.

I trail my fingers over the floral details, admiring it on the hanger before I remove the pieces and lay them out on the cushioned seat so I can dress. First, I pull on the gown itself, slipping it over my head and adjusting the thin straps on my shoulder. The low neckline on the bodice cups my breasts, and the floral embroidery on the almost sheer fabric hides the pink of my nipples. I smooth my hands over the flowing skirt dotted with tiny jeweled daisies, swaying slightly so the gown’s skirt flows around me, before I slip on the second layer of the outfit.

The long sheer sleeves extend to my wrists, ending in a scalloped lace hem that matches the hem along the bottom edges and front opening of the outer layer. I clasp it in the middle, right at the bottom of my ribs, and trace the swirling edges and flowers along the split opening. The layers of sheer fabric work to hide my body from the world, but under the moonlight and in the candlelight of the temple, my mate will be able to make out almost every inch of me with his sharp eyes.

I stare at myself in the mirror, taking it all in, my heart full and my soul ready to become one with Nolan’s. The gown is more stunning on my body than it was hanging in the armoire. The glittering adornments catch the fading light and reflect it throughout the room, and I know it will do the same in the temple.

Inhaling deeply, I gather the skirt in my hand and head out the back door of the room. The sun is almost gone, the last vestiges of light clinging to the sky and hiding some stars, but the moon glows already, silver and bright against the darkening sky.

The winding trail lined with jasmine leads me to the edge of the temple grounds, right in front of the pond at the foot of the temple stairs. The open-air temple with the moon hanging above it is reflected flawlessly in the smooth surface of the water, but it all pales in comparison to Nolan.

My mate.

His back is to me, his arms crossed over his chest as he stares out at the temple beneath the rising moon. The tattooed wings on his shoulder blades ripple, and the blade down his spine sharpens as his muscles tense as he spins to face me.

His arms uncross and he freezes, holding himself still as his eyes roam over my dress before they lift to my face. They shine with love and wonder, and before I can take time to appraise him in his low-slung white linen pants, my feet are already carrying me to him, my dress flowing out behind me as I cross the distance between us in mere seconds.

“Cassandra…” he murmurs as he envelops me in his arms, pressing kisses to my neck and across my shoulder until his lips hit fabric and he makes his way back again.

His massive, firm arms embrace me with such gentleness, and once again I find myself wonderstruck by the juxtaposition of his visible strength and the tenderness with which he always treats me when he holds me like this.

“Goddess, you are so beautiful,” he whispers, leaning away to gaze down at me in his arms. I blink back tears as he continues to gaze at me with complete and utter awe, a lump forming in my throat at the pure love I feel for him and sense from him.

I slide my fingertips over his bare torso, tracing the outline of his muscles. He shudders beneath my touch, eyes closing and chin lifting as he strains his neck and holds himself back from me. “Are you ready?” I ask, even though I can tell he is by the tension in his body.

He nods and releases me from his grasp, and I back away, taking his hand in mine and leading him towards the temple to begin our ceremony.