Chapter 204 Chapter 204

Chapter 204 Chapter 204
ELLE POV
I thought the nerves of today would be so overwhelming that breathing is difficult, but for the first time in a long time, I am at peace. Twirling the ring I found in the psychic shop, the ring my father gave to my mother, I know I should get rid of it, but a part of me can't give it up. While my mother owned it for a time, it was never truly hers but belongs the entire Luna lineage of Silver Run, so getting rid of it never felt right. So instead of thinking about my mother, I focus on the amazing Lunas' who wore it before her and will wear it after me. 'Biscuit,' Damon's husky voice comes through my mind, like liquid gold coating my body, sending shivers down my spine. 'I think your dad would understand if you didn't want wear that ring.' He comments, knowing my inner struggles without verbalization. Choosing to learn from our parent's mistakes, we always keep the connection between us open.
'I know,' I sigh, as I stare at the ring sitting on my finger, 'I miss you,' I change the subject as the makeup artist bends in front of me to fill my eyebrows and apply the fake lashes.
'So impatient for the private ceremony, are you?' he teases as he chuckles, flashing an image of him shirtless as he gets dressed, and I can't help the blush that creeps up my cheek or the heat that begins to form between my legs.
'Maybe,' I reply, a sneaky smile creeping over my face, flashing him an image of myself in the lingerie set I was wearing earlier.
"Elle, stop sending dirty images to Alpha Damon," Taylor murmurs with a smirk. Her voice pulled me from my naughty conversation, " I am finished; if you are ready to get dressed now."
"How dare you suggest such indecency!" I squeal, in mock horror, clutching my chest before bursting into giggles that I can no longer hold in as Charity and Emma join in on our antics. The four of us have been sequestered in the room since last night. It's a New Moon's tradition for the ceremony; Damon and I using traditions from both packs, The Alpha and Luna, are kept with a few same-sex friends, hidden from the rest of the pack until the very last minute.
'You sound happy. Goddess, I could live in your laugh,' Damon whispers like we are children, and he is telling me a secret. 'I'll see you soon, my Luna,' quickly as his baritone voice entered my mind, it was gone like it never existed. Damon throwing the wall between us into place, and my heart started to ache. I am used to his presence there or next to me at all times, two halves of the same soul. Being without him for a full day has been torture.
Standing from the chair, I grab the Silver dress, with moon and stars wove into the fabric and its deep v-cut neckline meant to drive Damon wild. Removing the hanger, Taylor and Emma help me get into the dress pulling the sleeves over my shoulders while Emma's fingers make quick work of the buttons at the back. Charity comes over the silver velvet choker meant to cover my mark until it's complete. The lines grow darker and more defined the closer it gets to midnight of a full moon.
While Taylor and Emma are her cousins, Charity would never allow them to put something around my neck, Summer taking her role as my protector seriously. "Wow," Emma says, as her eyes scan over my body, taking in the dress. I am sure that Taylor was speechless for one of the few times since birth.
Turning to face the mirror behind me, I am taken aback by the ethereal glow surrounding me, even with my mismatched eyes. My hair is in an updo, except for the few kept out to cascade down my back in loose curls. Clips and pins that match my dress. "Alpha Damon is going to rip out the eyes of every unmated male in the room," Taylor says, finding her voice after a few moments of silence. "Did you have a second dress made? I don't think that one will last the night."
A smile breaks over my face as I continue staring at the masterpiece she created. A knock on the door grabs our attention, and the moment falls into a memory. Answering the door, Emma finds Helena waiting on the other side, letting us know it's time to head down to the ceremony. Taking a calming breath, I straighten my shoulders and raise my chin before linking arms with my closest friends and allies.
Women who risked their lives to stand beside me are now honoring me by walking with me into the newest phase of my life. Charity and I exit the bridal suite, following behind the twins as they lead me into Silver Run's ballroom in the special events venue.
The cluster of scents waiting just inside the door to the ballroom has my nerves suddenly skyrocketing, realizing for the first time I will be the center of the room. Sure, that's fine when I am fighting but putting me in a dress and nice heels, I become a useless mess. What if I forget the words?
'Breathe, Biscuit,' Damon's voice sneaks past the barrier we should still have in place, but I welcome his voice like an addict, my worries melting into the ground. 'I'll meet you in the middle of the aisle; focus on me.'
Taking in a lungful of air, I exhale, centering myself as the doors swing open to reveal the guests packed into the space; looking across the hall, I find the only person who matters staring back at me. I know I said it a million times, but Goddess, did she create the most amazing man or what?
Consumed by the invisible string pulling me to him, my feet carry me down the aisle, and my cells are driven by one purpose; him. Every inch of my skin begs me to feel him against me as memories of our childhood flash before my eyes. The iPod he got me for Yule, how he has always been my safe space, a break from my mother's torment. With him, I was allowed to just...exist...
It's not until we finally touch that the crowd buzz breaks through the trance, calling our attention as the councilor stands before us, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "Alpha and Luna?" Councilor Johnson says, looking between us as Damon corrects him." Alphas, please," he says, but his eyes don't leave me like I am the only person to exist in his world.
"Of course," he says, looking at our eyes one last time before turning his attention to the crowd sitting in the seats, the moons glow illuminating the room through the giant skylights. "Welcome, everyone; we are here to celebrate a joyous occasion, uniting two Alphas and packs in a fruitful union underneath the Goddess' light."
I don't notice the others in the room. As Damon's thumb turns circles on my palm, a bubble seems to form around us as the rest of the world falls away. "The Goddess has chosen to pair these individuals because they complement and balance each other in a way no other could. Alpha Damon and Luna El-" the councilor starts, but one look from Damon has him correcting himself.