Freeing Starr
Chapter 37 ~ A grand mating ceremony

Beautiful.

I was in awe as I stared at the image staring back at me. The beautiful girl with her large doe like eyes and her face that glowed with youth and vigor. The dark circles that once circled her eyes and the puffy cheeks from her constant crying had all but disappeared.

The makeup she wore highlighted her features perfectly and made her feel excited for Leon to see her.

I was that girl.

I smoothed out a crease in my dress as I admired myself. The dress was a gorgeous white gown that flowed like water down to the floor. Lace sleeves decorated my arms, showcasing my shoulders in a modest and elegant fashion. Cute, floral patterns decorated the bottom of the dress as it formed a pool around me.

I touched the pearl necklace that matched the pearls in my ears tentatively, knowing how much they cost and fearing that I’d end up damaging them.

Compared to the outfit I wore for my last mating ceremony, this one was much more elegant and conservative and I loved it.

My hair was placed into a bun with two curled pieces hanging at the sides. A floral veil was placed delicately atop my bun and flowed down behind me.

Stacia stood behind me with her hand on her hip, looking on proudly.

I met her eyes in the mirror and smiled. She winked, “I did that.”

I chuckled and shrugged, “you’re amazing, can’t deny that.”

The door opened up and Leona popped her head through the gap, “everybody ready?”

Stacia bounced excitedly, “since I woke up!”

Leona rolled her eyes, “not you, mom.” She turned her smiling eyes to me, “Dad’s outside waiting. Leon is done greeting the important guests so we’ll be ready to start soon.”

I nodded in acknowledgment and took a deep breath to calm my nerves, smoothening out my dress again.

Stacia stepped forward and placed a calming hand on my shoulder, “remember Star, you’re going to be queen today. When you get into that room, keep your head up and be confident. You’re in control.”

I nodded in response and picked up the bouquet of flowers off the side table.

For some strange reason, my father came to mind and I felt a shudder rack my body as I thought about Zion and the others. There was no doubt that they’d already heard news of the Alpha King finding his mate.

My father probably already figured out that I was the one mating Leon. The timing of everything was just too coincidental. I left the pack, erased Zion’s mark then disappeared while at the same time, the Alpha King found his mate and is hosting a mating ceremony.

I wondered how they’d react knowing I’d become queen. Would they feel remorse for everything they’ve done to me? Would they try to ask for forgiveness? Or would they continue being as they’ve always been? Would I even be able to forgive them? Do I want to?

“You alright?” Stacia asked as she glimpsed the troubled look on my face.

I shook away my thoughts and focused at the task at hand. There was no need for me to think too deeply on that stuff. This was my day.

Leona popped back in again, this time Leondro came in behind her, a smile crossing his lips as he greeted me, “Starr, your beauty knows no bounds. My son is a lucky man.”

I smiled shyly and thanked him.

Stacia eyed her mate in displeasure, “you can give other women poetic compliments but not me. Who’s your mate?”

Leondro’s lips twitched in amusement as he humored her and replied, “my mate is standing right in front of me. The only woman whose beauty ever caused my heart to stutter.”

A satisfied smile tilted Stacia’s lips as she reached up to give him a small peck before pulling away, “that’s my man.”

“The one and only.”

Leona rolled her eyes and hooked arms with her mother, “let’s go, mom. We’ll see you guys inside. And Starr?”

I looked up from fiddling with my bouquet nervously.

Leona smiled, “you look beautiful.”

I returned her smile and felt my nervous heart calm down a bit. I nodded and muttered a thank you as she left the room with Stacia.

Leondro turned to me seriously, “are you ready?”

I nodded without hesitation, “of course.”

A smile tilted his lips as he nodded and offered me his arm, “let’s go, child. From today onwards, we’re family.”

My heart bloomed at that and a smile tilted my lips as I took his arm and followed him out of the dressing room and towards the hall that was occupied with many unfamiliar faces. My heart trembled in unease but I tried not to let it show on my face as I kept my head lifted and simply looked straight forward.

Keep looking ahead. That was all I needed to focus on. Forget about the people, they didn’t matter. This was my day and I was about to be mated to a king.

We came upon the large oak double doors that led into the hall. Two guards stood at the sides standing with their heads faced forward. When we approached, they bowed, their voice booming collectively.

“Your royal highness, princess Starr, may the goddess protect you,” they muttered the greeting of this kingdom.

Leondro nodded in greeting and I lifted a hand to consciously tug my veil to make sure it was covering my face properly.

I could hear the orchestra playing inside the room and took a deep breath to prepare myself.

“Open the doors,” Leondro instructed.

The guards quickly clasped the handles and pulled the doors apart to reveal the beautiful scenery inside. I kept my eyes straight forward to avoid the many stares that drilled into my body and my chin lifted in what I hoped was confidence.

My eyes instantly connected to Leon’s and a smile tilted his lips as his eyes clouded over.

“Beautiful,” his voice poured into my mind like a glass of fresh water, causing my tense shoulders to relax as this unnatural feeling of calm blanketed my body. This was the man that was destined for me.

I lowered my eyes shyly with a smile, and walked alongside Leondro as he led me down the aisle. The music played soothingly in the background, much different from my first ceremony and so much more better. The entire atmosphere wasn’t as tense either.

Leon stood proudly on the podium dressed in a black and gold tuxedo, gold being the color of the royal family. He looked dashing standing with that smile tilting his lips. I felt my heart and probably the heart of many other women in the room sigh at the scene.

I glimpsed Stacia and Leona standing at the side as my bridesmaids, since I had no one else available for those roles and on the other side were Leon’s men. The only person I recognized was the cardinal beta, Griffin.

As Leondro approached the podium, Leon stepped down to meet us with an arm outstretched towards me.

“Take good care of her,” Leondro said as he released my arm and stepped aside.

I raised my hand and placed it into his much larger ones, my eyes peering into his eyes that stared at me proudly. His wolf stood at attention, gazing down at me with a gaze so tender that I could feel my legs wanting to buckle beneath me.

We walked back onto the podium hand in hand, then turned to face the minister.

^^^

“Now, it’s time for the bride and groom to say their vows.”

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I turned to face Leon. Unlike my ceremony with Zion, where I had to recite the vow prepared for me, for Leon, we decided to create our own vows. I glanced across at Stacia, who quickly stepped forward and handed me my paper that I took and slowly unraveled.

I took a deep breath and glanced up at Leon, who looked at me expectantly.

“Darkness, that was all I knew. I’ve lived for many years and I’ve felt many things. Pain, Anger, Sadness but most importantly fear. I’m sure everyone has heard the rumors by now, even if there’s been a band on them but I’m not afraid to admit it. My past is an unpleasant one. I was forced to mate another man over a year ago.”

Chatter rose up in the hall as people leaned in to whisper to each other.

My heart stuttered as the memories flashed across my mind, my eyes turning glossy.

Leon’s lips tilted downwards as he mind-linked worriedly, “are you okay?”

I nodded firmly despite the turmoil I felt, “I’m fine. I have to say this.”

“Growing up, I was raped and abused constantly. Every day I walked around in fear because I was on my own. No one helped me, no one cared enough to or was brave enough to. So I had to rely on myself on those days when the pain was unbearable. I was tempted to give up to the point where I constantly contemplated killing myself,” a tear slipped pass my eye and travelled down my face as I finally laid my emotions bare and admitted the truth.

Sympathy rose up through the crowd and Leon’s eyes softened as the wolf behind his eyes whined for his mate.

A smile lifted my lips, “but I didn’t kill myself. I stayed alive through the thought of you, my soulmate. My dreams were what kept me rooted. I didn’t want to leave this world without being able to meet the one person who the goddess gifted to love me, care for me, and share a part in my happiness. I wanted to meet you so badly to the point where I could deal with anything life threw my way because I hoped that when it was time, I’d be able to slip away, gain freedom, travel the world and be with the one person I could trust with my life.”

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and I was thrown into another hell with a man that didn’t belong to me. A man that abused and looked down on me and yet still laid himself on me. I had given up all hope of finding you and I was finally ready to accept the darkness, but as soon as that darkness began creeping in, there you were. You finally revealed yourself. My savior and the one that set me free from the hell that was drowning me. Nothing in life prepared me for the happiness you’d have brought to me in just this short time of knowing you and I accept it with open arms. I accept you, Leon.”

“You’re the light in my world of darkness. You brought me back from the brink of self destruction and I’d do anything to make you happy. I want you to rely on me, to use my arms as your home and my love as your shelter. I want us to grow old together and get children of our own and raise them with the care that I didn’t have as a child. On this day, I vow to love you, forever and always. My past is my past and you are my future. This kingdom is my future. I’m not just your soulmate, I’m your partner, and your queen so rely on me, and keep loving me, because you’re the first and only man to ever move my heart like this. May our bond forever move our hearts, till death do us part.”

A beautiful smile bloomed on his face as he chuckled and murmured jokingly, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to beat that speech.”

The audience chuckled.

My face heated as I shyly looked away, a smile blooming across my face.

Griffin stepped forward to offer Leon his written vow but Leon shook his head and turned it down, “it’s fine. I don’t need to read off of a paper for this. Everything I say from this point on is from my heart. You deserve this much, Starr.”

He offered me his hand to which I gracefully accepted and he pulled me close, tilting my head to make sure I was looking directly into his eyes and at his wolf that gazed back at me in adoration.

“I can’t imagine everything that you’ve suffered before we met and to be honest, I don’t want to imagine it because if I do, I know I’d break down for you. You’ve been through so much, endured so much and yet you’re still here standing in front of me, beautiful, graceful and so strong that it makes me want to hold you in my arms and never let go. My will to protect you is fighting at me right now because all I want is to lock you away so that you never have to witness the cruelty of this world anymore.”

“I’m surprised that you were able to accept me so quickly after everything you’ve been through but I’m grateful that you did. I promise you Starr, that no man can ever hurt you as long as I live. I will be the shield that protects you from harm, the voice that comforts you when you’re down and the ears that listen to you when you need someone to confide in. I will be the hands that bring you warmth and the light that combats your darkness. I will be everything and anything if it means keeping you by my side.”

“You said that growing up, you had no one to turn to or no one to help you but now you do. You have me. Never will I turn my back on your tears or scowl at your complaints. You might think you’re not worthy of me but that’s not the case. You’re perfect. If you’re not worthy then I’m less than worthy. I am not a kind man and I’ve done many terrible things. You’re much more purer than you think. Despite the darkness that you’ve lived with, your heart is clear. This kingdom needs your warmth, I need your warmth. I haven’t known you for long but I see someone that I’m willing to give my life for whenever I look into those eyes that cries for my help.”

“If anyone were to ask me for my weakness, I’d point at you. You’re more powerful than you think, Starr. You can bring a King to his knees just by simply asking. So cast your fears aside and accept me. For you, my love will never fade nor will it falter. I will keep on loving you, today, tomorrow, and forever. Till death do us part.”

Claps resonated throughout the room as tears poured down my face. This cocoon of bliss wrapped around me and made me feel safe, comforted in this bubble that Leon has created for me. I smiled through my tears.

The minister smiled at us and nodded, “with that said, Your Majesty, you may now kiss your bride.”

Leon raised his hands to lift my veil up and over my head, revealing my tear stricken face. His hand came to rest on my waist as he gently pulled me into him and looked down at me.

I looked up as his face drew closer and instinctively closed my eyes, my insides twisted into knots as I waited in anticipation.

My knees grew weak as our lips finally met.

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