The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 263

Clairn

Congratulations

The morning of the ceremony dawned bright and clear.

Iva had barely slept, as she ended up speaking with her mother till late about everything: her escape, Nick, the rejection and Caleb.

Her eyes flew open before the first rays of sunlight crept through the curtains, her heart already pounding with a mixture of terror and exhilaration. Beside her, her mother Rana stirred, reaching out to grasp her daughter’s hand.

“Today is the day,” Rana whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Iva squeezed her mother’s hand. “Today is the day.”

The next hours passed in a blur.

A team of attendants descended upon her like a swarm of butterflies-gentle, efficient, utterly relentless. They bathed her in water infused with rose petals and moonflower essence. They brushed her hair until it shone like spun silk. They painted her face with careful, reverent strokes, transforming her features into something almost ethereal.

And then came the dress.

Golden, that seemed to glow with its own inner light. The fabric was silk and lace, woven with threads of silver that caught the light and sparkled like stars. It hugged her curves-her new, unfamiliar curves-and flowed behind her like a waterfall.

When she looked in the mirror, she barely recognized herself.

“You look beautiful,” her mother breathed, her eyes/glistening with tears.

Lori appeared at the door, already dressed in a gown of deep emerald green that complemented her red hair perfectly. She rushed across the room and threw her arms around Iva, careful not to crush the dress.

“You’re going to be a princess,” Lori whispered, her voice trembling. “My best friend is going to be a princess.”

Iva laughed, blinking back her own tears. “We’re going to be late if you make me cry.”

“Then we’ll be late.” Lori pulled back, beaming. “You deserve this. All of it.”

The procession to the Moon Goddess Altar was long and winding.

Ancient stone corridors lined with tapestries depicting the history of the Adama family. Arched windows that let in streams of golden light. Servants and guards and nobles who bowed as she passed, their eyes filled with curiosity and awe.

Iva walked between her mother and Lori-the two women who had shaped her, who had loved her, who had never given up on her even when she had given up on herself.

Her heart was racing. Her palms were sweating. Her legs felt like they might give out at any moment.

1.4

<Congratulations

#can’t do this,* she thought wildly. *I’m not ready. I’m not enough. I’m-*

A familiar warmth flooded her mind.

*You are more than enough. Stop overthinking. You are my everything, little wolf.*

Caleb’s voice rang with a mind link. Calm. Steady. Wrapped around her like a cloak of safety.

*I’m terrified,* she admitted through their bond.

*I know. So am I.*

She almost laughed. *You? Terrified?*

*Of messing this up? Of saying the wrong words? Of tripping over my own feet in front of the entire kingdom?* A pause. *Absolutely. But then I look at you, and I remember that I can do anything.*

Iva’s heart swelled.

*Together?*

*Together.*

She lifted her chin and walked forward.

–

Claim

The Moon Goddess Altar was magnificent.

It stood at the center of the grand hall, a massive structure carved from pale stone that seemed to glow with an inner radiance. Moonflowers cascaded from the ceiling, their petals shimmering like silver in the torchlight. Rows upon rows of seats stretched outward, filled with the most powerful wolves in the kingdom-Alphas and Lunas, ambassadors and dignitaries, the elite of the supernatural world.

And at the altar, waiting for her, stood Caleb.

He was resplendent in royal robes of deep blue and silver, his broad shoulders straight, his deep eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch. A crown of moonflowers rested on his dark hair, and his hands-those powerful, capable hands-were clasped in front of him.

He looked like a king.

He looked like hers.

Iva’s legs trembled as she walked toward him.

The aisle stretched before her, impossibly long, lined with faces she didn’t recognize and names she couldn’t remember. She felt their eyes on her-curious, assessing, hungry-and she wanted nothing more than to run.

Then Caleb’s voice echoed in her mind.

*Focus on me. Only on me.*

She did.

Congratulations!

Claim

She focused on the curve of his smile. The warmth in his eyes. The way his chest rose and fell with each breath.

Step by step, she walked toward him.

The journey felt like hours. Like seconds. Like both, somehow, at the same time.

She reached the altar.

Caleb extended his hand.

She took it.

His fingers closed around hers-warm, steady, unshakeable.

“Welcome,” he murmured, his voice low and intimate, meant only for her,

She smiled through her tears.

“Thank you for having me.”

The ceremony was surreal.

The Lycan King stood before them-Caleb’s father, ancient and powerful, his voice booming through the hall as he recited the ancient vows. Words that had been spoken for centuries. Words that bound souls together and created dynasties.

Iva barely heard them.

All she could feel was Caleb’s hand in hers. The bond humming between them. The love that radiated from him like heat from a sun.

“Today,” the Lycan King declared, his voice ringing through the hall, “my family gains more than a princess. Today, the Adama family gains a daughter.”

The crowd murmured.

Iva’s breath caught.

す

“By the power vested in me by the Moon Goddess herself, I pronounce you Crown Princess of our kingdom.” The Lycan King’s eyes met hers, warm and approving. “Ivana Adama.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify