32

Caelan POV

2 months later

I pace the room and glance at the mirror for the hundredth time in the past five minutes.

I'm on edge and my wolf Rion won't calm down which makes me even more anxious without my mate by my side 'soon', I keep reminding myself, ten more minutes and I can go out there with all of our friends and family.

Today is the day I'm finally marrying my beautiful mate Acela Shaw.

Since my mate is pregnant and showing at two months, me and my wolf are constantly in protective mode around her, not leaving her side for more than a few minutes at a time, I have been her shadow ever since.

If Acela wasn't so stubborn and wanting to do everything by herself, I wouldn't be this overprotective of her, maybe- probably will but it's in my nature, I can't help myself, she's carrying our pup, she needs to be careful.

When she heard that Lycan and Werewolves carry their pups for only five months my mate looked at me in horror, white as a ghost, and then started to mumble something about stretch marks.

Even two months in, she is as beautiful as the day I met her, she is all I think about. Even with a bump and some weight on her, I find her extremely sexy, my animalistic instinct always wants her to be pregnant, I even made the mistake in mentioning this, which didn't end well with how she reacted.

I believe she said something along the lines of 'in your dreams'.

I snort at the fact, she would never deny me the pleasure of having pups with her, she is as obsessed with our unborn child as much as I am. We are both very much looking forward to welcoming our son or daughter.

We don't know the gender yet, Acela and I came to the agreement of keeping it a surprise until the day.

The door opens and my father walks in, dressed in a suit, he is followed by my best friend since childhood, who is also my best man.

Troy smirks at me and whistles. "Shit, you look terrified." He says whilst laughing at me, making me frown.

Do I really look terrified? I feel good, If anything I'm too excited to see my mate.

I snort and stop in front of the mirror and fix my tie again. I'm dressed in a formal royal uniform with all my badges and royal pin. Since I am the next king in a few months, after the birth of my pup, I will be taking over from my father.

Kane swats my hand as I fiddle with my tie that I can't get straight. "You look ready." My father says deeply and I nod my head, looking at myself in the mirror.

I sigh out. "I am, I've waited for this day to come for too long." I say truthfully.

I should be dead. Normally turning 100 would be a celebration, for me it was a death sentence, which I wouldn't mind, if not for the fact that I didn't even get to meet my soulmate, I would've died without meeting her, laughing with her, meeting her friends, get married.. or even had a family with her.

I came too close to losing it all, Acela had saved my soul the day I came back from Transylvania, the same day I had my last injection of The Tears of Tris.

My father Kane clears his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. "I'm very proud of you Caelan, so is your mother, we both prayed to the moon goddess for your happiness on a weekly basis, I'm proud to be your father." He says smiling at me and I stare at him.

He tightens my tie and sits it straight then pats my shoulder. "All set, let's get you married." He says with a grin and Troy howls, causing me to laugh.

Troy slaps me on the back, grinning. "I never thought this day would come, I think I'm going to cry." He says jokingly, wiping away fake tears, causing Kane to shake his head as he opens the door.

"Asshole." I mutter out as I calm my wolf down, we can smell our mate all over this building, she's close and I can't hold on any longer to see her, I just want to get this over with so I can be by her side.

Walking into the royal church in The Vale, I see all my friends and family and some press begin to stand as I walk forward down the aisle, ready to marry my beautiful mate.

As I make it to the front of the room, I see Aclela's family and smile politely, walking over to greet them as they look at me happily smiling.

Much to Acela's stubbornness, in the beginning, she has finally begun speaking to her mother again and invited Lucius, Brianna, and her three stepbrothers, Lean, Maximus, and Christophe to the wedding.

1 month ago;

"Oh hell no!" Acela says angrily, slamming her book shut, and throws it on the bed beside her.

I growl out warningly when she refuses to listen to me and walks away, outside the bedroom. "Acela baby, It's only for a few hours, Lucius and Brianna have sworn to me they will explain it in detail then it's up to you what you do with the information," I say, following behind her as she walks down the stairs of our home.

She turns and glares at me as she walks into the kitchen. "Caelan how would it even work? Maximus said she has a bounty on her head from her own family, when does the drama end? Plus she lied about being sick and faked her death, I had no one because of her, she shielded me my whole life!" She says annoyed as she slams the fridge and pours herself a drink.

I frown and turn her around to look at me. "My father is fixing that as I speak, there is an inquisition into the accusation to which the bounty was made for, apparently we found evidence your mother was set up from a family member with the murder of her father from her own sister, your aunt. After today your mother will be free to come and go as she pleases." I say simply to her and she frowns.

I can see her thinking about if from what I just said, which was all true, Brianna's sister, Acela's aunt had poisoned her own father to claim an inheritance, the sister blamed Brianna for the death with 'proof' she fabricated.

Acela sighs out grumpily and I smile at my girl. "Fine, but no promises I won't punch her in the nose either!" She says with a look and I laugh and shake my head.

*****

Present time

I walk up to Acela's family and smile politely. "Hello, I'm so glad you all could make it." I say towards the family.

Lucius brings me in for a hug which I accept. "We wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." He says with a wide grin as we pull apart and I nod knowingly.

Even with Lucius and I's differences in the past, we had overcome our issues for Acela's sake, he isn't all that bad, when I don't want to kill him he is a loving father to Acela, which is all I wanted for her, to have family here on our special day, a part of me wanted her to forget all about them and just enjoy the day with just us but the other part deeply wanted them here, they are family, issues or not, this day also brought them together again.

-end-

up next is the bonus chapter!