Claimed by My Bestie's Alpha Daddy novel Chapter 224

The morning of our wedding began with a stillness! hadn’t felt in years. The Pack House was quiet in a way that felt intentional, like the staff had pulled back out of respect rather than routine. The usual rustle of paper and the clatter of trays were gone, replaced by a stillness that settled low and warm in my chest. It didn’t feel eerie, only careful.

Richard’s arm stayed slung across my waist, his hand tucked just under the curve of my ribs. He was warm behind me, breathing evenly in the dim light. I didn’t move right away. I let myself lie there, letting the weight of everything we’d survived settle into me. When I finally shifted out from under him, he didn’t stir, but I didn’t need him to. I knew he’d be there when I came back.

In the shower, I let the steam wrap around me while I ran my hands over the round curve of my belly. The baby moved gently, not forcefully, just a soft, steady presence, like they understood something big was happening.! pressed my palm flat and exhaled, grounding myself in that one, solid point of contact. This wasn’t just the start of a marriage. It was the start of a life.

Downstairs, Emma caught me before I reached the kitchen. She held out a bundle of lavender wrapped in white ribbon.

“You’re not supposed to be seen before the ceremony,” she said.”Says who?”

“All the wedding books you never read.”

“Then I’m doing something right.”

She gave me a quick hug. “You look calm,” she said. “Like you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.”

“I think I am.”

In the courtyard, guests had begun to arrive. Wolves and vampires stood near one another, not quite mingling, but not separating either. Their clothes didn’t match in style or formality, but they stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting.

That mattered more than any ceremony.

My dress moved with me, each step deliberate and unhurried, the fabric trailing behind like it had been waiting for this moment too. The embroidery across my belly wasn’t there for flair, it was there to make something clear. I was bringing a child into this kingdom, and that child wasn’t hidden, wasn’t an afterthought, wasn’t a symbol. They were real, and I was making sure everyone saw it.

When I stepped through the archway, heads turned.

Richard stood beneath the altar, his hands clasped in front of him, still as stone. But his expression changed the second our eyes met. His mouth opened just slightly. His shoulders dropped. His eyes flooded with tears. He didn’t hide it. He didn’t need to.

I didn’t look away. I walked all the way to him, through a courtyard full of history, grief, hope, and finally, joy. When I reached him, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, and he reached for my hand as if he had neveronce doubted that I would get to him.

“I love you,” I whispered, as soon as I reached him.

He exhaled slowly and took my hand.

We didn’t recite anything rehearsed. We spoke from where we stood.

“I choose you,” Richard said. “No matter what changes, no matter what we become. I choose you. I choose the weight you carry, the scars you hide, the way you stand up even when it hurts. I choose the woman who walked through fire and never once let it claim her. I choose every version of you, even the ones you haven’t shown me yet. I will be the one who holds the line beside you, even when the whole world is watching. Especially then.”