.•46•.

.•46•.
Crickets chirped in the night, their song faint. Pleasant. A bouquet of pure white roses rested in between Diana's hands. They appeared to be glowing in the moonlight, so soft and beautiful. She stood at the threshold leading to Hecate's garden, dressed in a Greek-style toga that matched the roses. Barefoot. She felt so warm. Relaxed.
The air thrummed with sensual energy, caressing her bare shoulders like a gentle lover, with every breeze that swept over her.
She could smell hints of apple and cinnamon wafting underneath her nose, with every breath that she took. They mingled with a scent of incense, and sage. Burning candles and delicate petals, of various colours littered the path that she was to take. Romantic. Like an evening wedding ceremony.
She raised her gaze to the full moon, marvelling at its beauty. It hung low in the sky, round and imposing. Gigantic.
Diana...child of the gods... It whispered to her. Slow. Enchanting. She set her feet in the grass, lulled by its magic. She took languid steps, unhurried. A faint sense of deja-vu poked at the edges of her mind, and when her gaze lowered, she understood why. Nicholas was standing at the other end of the aisle, waiting for her. He was wearing that sexy smirk of his, to go with his black attire.
Her heart did a flip. She smiled timidly, her feet carrying her faster towards him. She couldn't believe it. He was here, in the land of the gods. She stopped right in front of him and raised her gaze, peering between his dark and bewitching eyes. Her heart was beating so fast. She was shaking with nervousness. Excitement. She couldn't believe that he was here.
"God of the night and shadows, by the grace of the Holy Moon, you may claim your bride," She turned her head to the side at the sound of that, noticing Hecate's presence.
She looked back at Nicholas, her excitement increasing tenfold. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He was about to kiss her. Her body thrummed, desperate for his touch. His lips on hers. He leaned closer, and she closed her eyes.
"What are you dreaming about, dulcet?"
Her eyes snapped open after a startled gasp, meeting a pair of unnerving blue ones.
"Good morning."
She let out a short scream, scrambling into a sitting position and gathering the sheets close to her chest. She stared at Ares' imposing form lying right next to her, with a hand propped underneath his head.
"W-what are you doing?" she stuttered, eyes wide and heart pumping fast from the fright.
He gave her a beguiling smile, looking so relaxed. Unabashed.
"I was watching you sleep," he answered simply. Her eyes flittered over him, noticing that he was wearing his usual shirt and trousers. She met his gaze again.
"Why?"
"Just trying to get used to seeing you every day," he performed a small shrug. She stared at him, her gaze becoming unfocused as the dream that she'd been dreaming only moments ago played before her eyes.
She blew out a sigh, that hollow sensation returning in her heart. She pushed it down. There was no use in her feeling that right now. Not when she was so close to finally seeing her momma and Dan again. So close to freeing Nicholas. She knew that it wasn't what he wanted. He wouldn't have gone through all that trouble otherwise. But she wanted to do this for him. She knew that she was meant to do it. That symbol on her skin was the vivid proof of it. That she was his destined soulmate, and that she was meant to bleed for him. For his freedom.
Her gaze refocused on Ares, growing a little restless. Impatient.
"So when are we going to perform the ceremony?" she asked, biting into her lower lip.
Ares smiled. "This evening."

.••.

Velvety red petals floated around Diana as she stood in the pool, having long since bathed. The water remained at the same temperature, a subtle scent of roses rising with the steam. She peered at the empty bed and sighed, replaying the image of Nicholas lying there.
She was nervous. Scared, even. She was to finish bathing and then wear the dress Ares had left for her. Prepare for the ceremony. She still wasn't entirely convinced that she had made the best decision in agreeing to do this with him. Getting shackled to him for a supposed year, that is. He could be fooling her, for all that she knew. She could be walking straight into a trap. Either way, she had no way of knowing. Not until the deed was done.
She climbed out of the steaming pool and then went to dry herself up. She dried her soft curls using another towel, not even bothering to marvel when her hair came out completely dry from under it. She had gotten so used to the palace's charms and perks, she was starting to worry that she might miss it after all of this was over. Ares had promised her that she would be able to reside in the human world. She wouldn't be able to live in her own home, at least not until their so-called marriage had ended, seeing as he did not want to share a dwelling with anybody else other than her. So she had asked him to let her keep her job at the cafè in return.
She had no idea how she was going to explain his sudden presence in her life to her momma and Dan, or why she would live with him.
She was also still wondering what was going to happen once Nicholas had regained his godly status. Was he to return to the realm of the gods? Would he be allowed to remain in the human realm, with her? How was this even going to work, with her being bound to Ares and everything? Ares had told her that he didn't care what she did or with whom, as long as she returned home at the end of the day. Guess we'll have to figure it out along the way, she thought to herself.
And with an encouraging breath, she went to stand in the middle of Nicholas' bedroom chamber. She was already dressed in the gown Ares had supplied her. It was a Greek-style white toga. An exact replica of what she'd worn in her dream. She was growing more and more anxious by the second. She just wanted this to be over. And most of all, she wanted to see Nicholas again. Feel the comforting warmth of his touch. His presence. His smell. His gaze. She needed to tell him that she loved him too. That she had fallen in love with him from the very moment their gazes met that day, back in that crumbling greenhouse.
"Wolf?" she called out timidly. Her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Her heart was pounding by now. She was scared, but she was ready to do it. To go through with it.
The golden knight did not hesitate to appear, materializing right in front of her. She swallowed, raising her chin to peer up at him. "I'm ready."
He inclined his helmet-covered head. And then he stepped to the side, offering her his armored elbow. The girl took it, preparing herself to feel that tingling sensation of dancing electricity on her skin that she felt whenever he teleported her from one place to another around the palace. It did not come, for he proceeded to put one foot in front of the other, forcing her to do the same.
Her brows drew together, and she threw him a questioning look. The knight did not mind her, continuing to walk. He led her outside, into the hallway. And then they were travelling on foot, the way that she did with Ares. She did not put too much thought into it, that incessant worry of what was to happen to her next keeping her mind occupied. Until those doors finally came into view.