I didn’t have a ring. I didn’t have a plan. I had no idea how I was going to ask her or what I should say—but I knew, without a doubt, that I didn’t want to spend another day in this world without Juniper as my wife.
I knew Juniper would make an amazing mother one day. But I was getting ahead of myself. First, she had to say yes to my out-of-the-blue proposal.
And, right now, she was just staring at me, speechless. If she said no, I had no idea how I would ever go on. My life was inextricably bound to hers now.
“June…?” I asked, a little nervous. “Did you hear what I—”
“Yes,” she blurted out. “Yes, of course. Mateo, stand up.”
I rose up, embracing her as she flung herself into my arms. The passion, the pure honesty of that hug was everything to me right now.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “You’ve barely recovered and—”
“June,” I said, making her quiet. “You’re mine. Now and always.”
With that, I kissed her. Our lips tangled, creating a spark I could practically feel electrifying my whole body, making my hairs stand on end.
Lightning suddenly sprang from a lone cloud in the otherwise clear night. It struck only a few feet away, the crack of thunder echoing around us.
I flinched. But my alertness faded quickly.
We both looked upon the scorched earth, then each other, and laughed.
“Good thing you missed,” I said.
“I didn’t,” she said. “That burned patch of earth will always remind me that this is where you asked me.”
I kissed her again, pulling her even closer, her tongue dancing along mine.
Inside, I felt Zeus roaring with desire.
I grinned. Starlet must have been saying the same thing to June because she shifted, her clothes ripping to shreds before my eyes and, without another word, took off into the forest, daring me to chase her.
And chase her I would.
What a night. What a whirlwind. What an unforgettable moment Starlet and Zeus had shared. In our own way, Mateo and I had shared it with them.
But we tried to give them some privacy this time. We had been a little self-centered lately and they deserved their moment alone. Especially after Mateo’s sudden proposal.
I still couldn’t believe it.
He was whisking me away today to some island so that we could get married in secret. He didn’t want the pomp and circumstance of a traditional wedding.
Only our closest friends had been invited.
But, given how short notice it was, I had no idea who would actually show up. I didn’t know what to expect. It felt almost like I was in someone else’s skin.
Surely, this couldn’t be me.
In what world would Juniper Santiago—Goddess, did I love the sound of that—get to abscond on a wedding adventure with the love of her life?
For so many years, my life had been pure misery. All this joy now, it felt almost too good to be true. So, following Marissa’s advice, I promised myself not to jinx it.
We arrived at the venue, a humble series of cottages along the beach, and my heart practically skipped a beat when I saw it.
A canopy made of billowing silk.
An aisle of flowers.
A dozen chairs.
How was this possible?!
I turned to Mateo, speechless. He grinned. “I had a little help from some magical folk you may know.”
He nodded and I turned to see, running out of the nearby cottage, a group of familiar faces. Faces of those I loved. Of those who meant the world to me.
“Hi June!” Little Rose said, running up to me.
I kneeled down to hug her. The amazing little witch who felt more like a daughter to me every day. Behind her were Mama Deo, Balthazar, and Merlin himself.
“We hope it’s to your liking, June,” Balthazar said kindly.
Then I saw Alexa and Valentine run over; they were already dressed up in beautiful purple dresses that made them look like royalty.
“Finally!” Valentine said, shoving Mateo’s arm. “What took you so long, brother?”
“What can I say?” Mateo stammered, shooting me a bashful glance. “We may have gotten caught up along the way.”
Alexa giggled as I blushed. “C’mon,” Valentine said, taking my hand. “I can’t wait for you to see the dress.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
It wasn’t just a wedding dress. It was a gown fit for a princess. A lovely charmeuse fabric with a fitted bodice that cascaded toward the ground with a white lace trail so long I was sure I would trip on it.
I kept turning around, looking in the mirror, unable to recognize myself. Valentine and Alexa both looked giddy.
I turned to the girls, shocked. “How...where did you even…?”
Alexa laughed. “Who cares how we got it? What matters is that it’s beautiful!”
I considered my reflection once more. “It’s not just beautiful,” I said. “It’s perfect.”
I couldn’t believe this was my life. That moments from now, I would step out of this cottage and walk down the aisle to meet the man who would soon not just be my mate…
But my husband.
Alpha Dayton, the closest thing I had to a father, was on the run and the last person I would ever want walking me down the aisle. So who would it be?
Was I expected to walk alone?
I couldn’t think of a time I’d ever been this dressed up. But I had to admit—the tux suited me perfectly.
“Looking good, Alpha,” Orion said with a grin as I stepped outside.
“Thanks, Orion,” I said. “Is everyone here?”
He nodded. I considered the guests, already beginning to take their seats. I guessed it was time I approach the altar. Any minute now, Juniper would walk out and I’d finally marry the woman I loved.
That’s when I noticed Rose, the sweet little witch, looking at me curiously.
“What is it, Rose?” I asked, kneeling down.
She stepped toward me and brought her hand to my cheek. As soon as she touched me, something odd happened. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she began to mutter under her breath.
It almost sounded like an incantation. But what was it about?
“Rose!” Mama Deo said, running over, pulling her away. “What did I tell you? You have to be careful with your powers, young lady.”
She smiled sheepishly, stepping away. But then she shot me one last glance. A glance that looked almost...worried. Scared.
She whispered into Mama Deo’s ear. Mama Deo became pale.
“What is it?” I asked. “What just happened?”
“I…” Mama Deo stammered. “I can’t say. We recently learned that Rose is not an ordinary witch, Mateo. She’s an Oracle.”
“An Oracle? As in…”
She nodded. “She can see the future.”
“And?”
Mama Deo gave me a strained smile. “And it’s going to be a beautiful wedding. No doubt.”
I smiled, momentarily reassured, and made my way toward the altar where Merlin was waiting, ready to officiate.
But as I looked over my shoulder, I noticed little Rose’s eyes still staring at me. As if she had learned some terrible truth.
My nerves were getting the best of me. It wasn’t that I was scared to get married to Mateo. If anything, I couldn’t wait to start our lives together.
But the idea that I would have to walk down that aisle alone…
It reminded me of all the horrors my family had gone through. What was left of my family, anyway.
I was surrounded by people I loved here. But none of them were my own. Not really.
The wedding party was so small, there weren’t two sides like there normally were for the friends and family of the bride and groom. Everyone was mixed together.
It only served to remind me how few people I really had in my corner.
It was at that moment that someone knocked on the door. I turned to see Balthazar open it, peeking his head in.
“Do you mind if I come in?”
“Of course,” I said. “You’re always welcome, you know that.”
Balthazar had been the first to expose me to my true powers as a witch. He had unleashed Marissa and had been like a father figure ever since.
He cleared his throat and looked at his shoes. “Juniper, I was wondering…”
What could this be about? With all the craziness going on, it was hard to focus.
“Yes?” I asked.
“If you would have me, I’d love to be the one to walk you down the aisle today.”
My breath caught in my throat. Had he read my mind? I knew he was a powerful wizard, but I wasn’t sure clairvoyance came with the territory.
“You mean…” I said in disbelief. “You would want that?”
He nodded.
I wondered if this was just an act of pity or something else.
I hadn’t thought about that fact in a long time. My mother Gail had had an affair with a powerful wizard years ago. That’s why Dayton had always hated me. I was no child of his.
I smiled, taking Balthazar’s hand and holding back the tears. I didn’t want to ruin my makeup now!
“Balthazar,” I said. “The honor would be mine.”
We walked arm in arm down the aisle together as everyone watched. Behind me was the beach. Ahead was the ocean and all that it promised.
And standing at the center of the canopy were Merlin and Mateo. My Mateo.
He beamed when he saw me in my dress.
I nodded to Balthazar at the end of the aisle, squeezing his arm gratefully, then took my place in front of Mateo.
What Merlin said next I couldn’t really hear. There were a few jokes, I was sure. Because the crowd laughed. But I only had eyes for my mate. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ceremony if I’d tried.
At last, everyone went quiet and I realized that Merlin had asked me a question.
I turned and looked at Mateo, beaming. Tears forming in my eyes. Makeup be damned, I couldn’t stop them if I tried.
“I do,” I said.
“I do,” Mateo repeated.
And then we kissed. I swore I could feel the sea ahead of us swirling upward in an embrace of eternal love. “Hello, wife,” Mateo whispered.
If only this moment could last forever.
After the ceremony, we didn’t waste time with a fancy reception. We simply popped the champagne and began to dance right there in the middle of the beach.
It was only after a few songs and plenty of kisses from Mateo that I noticed Mama Deo staring at me from afar. I approached her.
“What is it?” I asked, a smile still wide across my face.
“I’m sorry to talk to you about this now. But I have no choice, Juniper,” Mama Deo said, her voice grave.
My smile fell. Odessa was gone. I had married the love of my life. What could possibly go wrong right now?
“Rose had a vision,” Mama Deo said. “It appears that before Odessa was expelled...she was able to cast one last spell. A curse.”
I felt my blood run cold.
“What kind of curse?” my voice creaked.
Mama Deo took my hand, looking at Mateo laughing in the distance, completely oblivious.
“In three days time, Mateo will forget you. The whole pack will forget you. You must leave or his inability to recognize his own mate...it will drive him mad. It might kill him.”
My knees nearly gave out as the gravity of Mama Deo’s words struck me like a knife through the heart.
How was this possible? This had to be some sort of cruel joke, right? Mateo, forget me? The whole pack, forget their Luna?
These kinds of moments didn’t just happen. Where was this coming from?!
Mateo caught my eyes from afar and frowned, seeing the expression.
“What is it?” he mouthed.
But I had no idea how to reply. How was I supposed to tell him about this wicked curse?
I couldn’t bear the thought. I couldn’t look him in the eye. I couldn’t do anything but stand there, allowing the truth to take hold of my entire spirit.
Mateo, my love, my mate, my husband...
