Chapter 192: The wedding Pt 2.

Chapter 192: The wedding Pt 2.
Vida's POV
The moment the priest stepped forward, the entire hall seemed to fall into a sacred kind of silence, even the air felt different, thicker, heavier, filled with something unseen yet deeply felt. I tightened my hold on Meredith's hand, my fingers perfectly between his as if they had always belonged there, of course, they had always belonged there.
The priest smiled warmly at us before beginning, his voice calm yet powerful enough to carry through the hall, "Today, we gather to witness not just the union of two souls, Meredith Ramsey and Vida McCarthy, but the joining of two destinies..." His words flowed over me but I barely heard them, because all I could focus on was Meredith, the way he looked at me, the way he smiled at me, the way his body reacted to my touch, like nothing else existed beyond this moment, made everything fade away, "... Marriage is not just love in it's simplest form," the priest continues, "it is sacrifice, patience, forgiveness, and unwavering commitment..." my chest tightened at that, because we had lived everyone of those words, sacrifice, pain, forgiveness, and we still chose each other. "Do you both come here willingly, ready to give yourself to one another fully and without hesitation?"
"I do," Meredith was the first to answer, his voice steady, strong, and firm.
I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat, "I do."
The priest nodded, satisfied, "Then let us proceed."
The rings were brought forward, even though werewolves don't need rings to show they are mate, humans do, and everything that was happening here today, I know Meredith was only doing it for me. Even as we exchanged rings, my hand trembled, not from fear, but from the overwhelming weight of the reality. Forever was the end deal and this was forever. Then the priest stepped back slightly, his eyes softening, "It's now time for you both to express your vows."
My heart skipped, Meredith turned to me fully, his hands tightening around mine, for a moment, he says nothing, he just looked at me, and somehow that silence said everything, "you are breathtaking," he finally says, his voice low, filled with emotions, "I have seen you a thousand times, in pain, in anger, in strength but today..." He exhaled softly, shaking his head, "I don't think I've ever truly deserved you." My breath caught, "but I want to" he continues quickly, "I want to become someone who does." His thumb brushes gently against my knuckles. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice breaking slightly, "for hurting you, for calling you awful names, for pushing you away even when I knew my heart had already chosen you." Tears blurred my vision. "I was a coward," he admitted, "afraid of what loving you meant, Afraid of losing you, so I tried to walk away before you could leave me, I blame you for my own doing, I didn't think someone could love me in that condition, and when you kept coming back even if I hurt you a thousand times, I thought it was all for gratitude and I hated it when people try to repay my supposed kind deeds, I said so many mean things to you, I even call you awful names." My chest ached remembering those times, "but you didn't give up on me," he whispered, "even when I didn't deserve your kindness." A single tears slipped down my cheek, "you have been my strength," he continued, "my happiness, the reason to keep going when everything else felt like it was falling apart." His voice softened, "you've been my legs when I couldn't stand on my own" my breath hitched, "and now that I have you..." He said, his gaze locked onto mine, intense and unwavering, "I don't just want to love you," he leaned in slightly, "I want to be everything to you." My heart pounded, "I promise to become a better man, not just for you but for myself, because you deserve that version of me." His Voice curved faintly, "and if I have to rewrite the stars just to keep you by my side..." He squeezed my hands, "I will," a soft murmured rippled throughout the hall but I couldn't hear anything else because I was already mesmerized with his words, "I love you, Vida," he finished quietly.
And just like that it was my turned, I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself, but my voice trembled anyway, "you were never just someone I fell in love with" I began softly, my fingers tightened around his, "you were everything, I didn't know I needed," his eyes softened, "I don't want anything else," I continue my voice gaining strength, "not power, not status, not even the future, if it doesn't have you in it." A single tears rolled down my cheek, "I want to fall asleep beside you and wake up beside you every single day until we are old and grey..."" A small, watery laugh escape me, "until we are buried side by side," the hall was completely silent, "because whenever you are not beside me..." I whispered, my voice breaking, "the world loses its color." His grip on me tightened, "it becomes black and white, empty and meaningless." I shook my head slightly, overwhelmed, "you are not just the man I love Meredith..." I stepped closer, "... You are my world, you are the one I want to lay down my life for because I know you would do the same for me." His breath hitched, his eyes pooled with tears, "and I promise," I said softly, "to stand by you, to fight for you, to love you even when it's hard to," my lips trembled, "because you are worth it." A tear slipped from his eyes, "and I will always choose you, now and even my Afterlife." When the last words left my lips, the hall was already filled with tears, especially those who know every hurt we have gone through.
The priest smiled, "with the vows exchange, and your heart laid bare before one another and the crowd..." He lifted his hand slightly, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." My breath stopped, "Meredith," the priest said, "you may kiss your bride." Everything slowed, Meredith stepped closer, closing the little space between us, his hand rose to my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears that had fallen without me noticing. For a moment, he just looked at me, then he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips, at first he was gentle, then slowly the kiss deepened. His hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me closer as I melted into him, my fingers gripping his suit. The world suddenly disappeared, like there was no one watching me, it's just the two of us.
"Ahem!" Logan's voice cut through the moment, "That's enough, pity the single ones like us."
"Uh!" Austin hummed, and laughter erupted around us.
"Yes now!" Logan continued, I pulled back slightly, breathless, my cheeks burning.
Akira smacked Logan's shoulder, "shut up!"
He winced, "I'm just saying, some of us are suffering here!" I couldn't help but laugh at Logan's teasing, and Meredith also joined the laughter.
"Alright," the priest said, smiling. "Now that that is  settled..." He gestured toward the center of the hall, "It's time for your first dance."
My heart fluttered, I had imagined this day, a day where Meredith and I would have our first dance, his hands wrapped around my waist, and my hand resting on his shoulder, chest, or anywhere on his body while he swung me around, guarding all the way. Meredith turned to me, offering his hand, "May I have this dance?"