Bound: Highgate Preparatory Academy, Book 2

I wake up the next morning, my body aching in the best possible way, the scent of my guys lingering in the bed with me. Lying there, I take a moment to just breathe, the spring sunshine dancing across the ceiling.

I’m getting married today.

I turn eighteen today, on my wedding day.

The thoughts fill me with giddy excitement, followed by a rolling feeling in my stomach as nerves settle in. I wonder how Ash feels?

“Rise and shine, you gorgeous bride!” Willow calls, stomping into the room and eyeing up the bed. “I’d join you there, but Ash really needs to work on the soundproofing of this place.” Her nose wrinkles even as her eyes twinkle with mirth.

“Oh god,” I groan, my cheeks flushing as I hide under the duvet, which doesn’t help at all considering it still smells like them.

“Come on lazy bum!” she responds, way too cheery for this time in the morning as she yanks the covers off me. “The girls are already here to turn you into a goddess for your harem.”

“Urgh, fine,” I grumble, sitting up and then realising that I’m completely naked still. “Willow!”

She throws a silk robe at me, cackling evilly as she turns to walk out the door. She pauses, turning back to look at me with what seems to be a sympathetic look on her face.

“Oh yeah, and happy birthday, Lilly,” she says softly, giving me a small smile before turning and walking out, shutting the door softly behind her.

Putting the robe on, my chest a little tight, I follow her downstairs to find the large sitting room full of people. I pause, taking a deep breath before stepping into the fray.

Erica is the first to approach, an understanding smile on her face.

“How are you doing?” she asks, handing me a glass of juice with ice in it. I take a sip, giving her a grateful smile when I realise that it’s tropical, my favourite.

“Terrified,” I tell her with a huff of laughter. “Excited.”

“As to be expected.” She smiles warmly at me, guiding me to the table, one end of which has been set up like a dressing table, complete with a mirror surrounded by lights. “Now, Asher made it clear that my ovaries are on the line if you don’t have breakfast, so eat this all up and then we’ll get started.”

I chuckle, not surprised anymore by Ash’s dominating care of me. I do as ordered, finishing my homemade chocolate chip granola bar—Kai, you legend—and glass of fresh juice.

“Right, now comes the fun part!” Erica exclaims, leading me to the other end of the table, and sitting me down in front of the mirror. I’m kinda regretting my life choices right now, not having even put any knickers on.

For the next god knows how long, I’m primped, primed, and pampered to within an inch of my life. They even put rainbow colours in my hair to match the hem of the dress, pinning it in a complicated braided style that leaves the majority tumbling over one shoulder, my long lace edged veil pinned into place. When I look at myself in the mirror after I’m declared ‘done,’ I hardly recognise the beautiful bride sitting before me.

Willow appears in the mirror, looking ethereal after her own makeover, her eyes wide as usual.

“You look…wow,” she whispers.

“You do too,” I murmur back, and her hand comes to my shoulder, mine coming up to grasp it.

“Dresses, ladies,” Erica declares, ushering me out of my seat and up the stairs. “I’ll leave you to get your underwear on, just shout when you’re ready.”

I step inside Ash’s room once more, noticing that the bed has been made, a white gift bag sitting on top of it. There’s a notecard inside, Ash’s elegant scrawl over it.

Happy Birthday, my love

Wear this for me today, Princess.

I smile, taking the ivory silk lace out of the bag, impressed with his choices. Ivory silk and lace briefs, with a matching soft bralette with a low back so it won’t be seen underneath my dress. Matching lace edged thigh-high hold ups, the kind that just grip without needing suspenders complete the set.

There’s a flat square box at the bottom, and I open it to find a beautiful lace garter, another note nestled in the lace.

Happy Birthday, Pretty Girl

And wear this for the rest of us.

Smiling, I put it all on, marvelling at how comfortable the underwear is, and at how Ash clearly took that into account when buying it.

“Ready!” I call out, looking in the full-length mirror as Erica and the young dressmaker, Amelie, walk in.

“Excellent, now the dress,” Erica claps her hands with glee as the dressmaker helps me into the dress, doing up the buttons that fasten it at the back.

Once secure, Erica brings over my new Irregular Choice heels, a wedding gift from Loki on the understanding that I only wear them for the ceremony, and wear flats for the rest of the day and night. They’re the same style as my red sequin Dorothy heels, but are covered in white glitter, with a white bow on the toes.

“You look perfect, Lilly,” Erica tells me softly, her eyes a little misted as we stare at my reflection in the mirror. “Right, time to go.”

My fingers tingle as I walk out of the room, my nerve endings firing all at once when I walk down the stairs to see Willow and Ryan waiting.

“Lilly, you look…astonishing,” Ryan murmurs gruffly, his voice choked as he looks at me.

He talks my hand in his huge one, his eyes misty, and I choke out a laugh.

“Don’t get me started, my makeup took hours,” I tell him and he leans in, pressing a light kiss on my cheek.

“Your mother would be so proud, little one,” he whispers, and I blink furiously, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Although, I guess I can’t call you that now that you’re eighteen. Happy birthday, Lilly.”

“You can call me that for as long as you like, Ryan,” I tell him, a lump in my throat. A wave of grief crashes over me at the sudden realisation that not only will Mum miss my eighteenth, but my wedding day too.

“Time to get into the cars,” Erica interrupts quietly, helping to dispel the sadness surrounding us.

Willow steps forward, handing me my bouquet of beautiful rainbow coloured flowers, and I take a deep breath. Mum wouldn’t have wanted me to be sad on my birthday or wedding day. Keeping hold of my hand, Ryan leads us out of the mansion. An old-fashioned white car, a ribbon wrapped around the flying lady on the front, awaits us, glinting in the sun.

“Where on earth did you get a vintage Rolls?” I exclaim, eyeing up the beautiful vehicle with appreciation.

“Your soon to be husband has his ways,” Ryan tells me, a smirk of approval on his lips as the driver, who’s in a very smart dove grey uniform, opens the door. “You ready?”

I take a deep breath of the fresh forest air, our luck holding as the spring sunshine beats down on us, lending its warmth for the day.

“As I’ll ever be,” I reply, stepping into the car, and towards my future.

ASH

I stand gazing out at the stunning mountain view, beautifully framed by the floral archway. But I don’t see a damn thing, waiting for Lilly, my bride, to arrive.

“You okay, bro?” Loki asks, clapping me on the back, his hand squeezing my shoulder. Kai and Jax are showing the final guests to their seats, and have been greeting people as they arrive.

“Why am I so fucking nervous, dude?” I ask, bewildered at the butterflies that have taken flight in my stomach. My hands unconsciously play with my tie, and I have to force them back down to my sides.

“Because you’re marrying the girl of our dreams, you fucker,” Loki replies, and I know that he’s only half joking, his hand tightening a little more on my shoulder.

“Yeah, I know,” I reply, turning to look at him just as the musicians start playing the bride’s piece of music.

My heart leaps in my chest as I face the aisle, and the sight that greets me stops my breath, the world pausing as she walks towards me. She looks…transcendent, her beauty surpassing everything in this universe and all the others. Her dress floats around her, hinting at her pregnancy, and I have to suppress a primal growl of satisfaction at her obvious fertility.

The dress is exquisite, and I follow down to the hem, which looks as though she’s stepped into the setting sun behind us, bringing it with her. The timing of the ceremony now makes sense at least. She wears a long veil, but her face is free, her hazel stare locked on me when I tear my gaze back up to her radiant face.

I almost fall to my fucking knees at the smile she gives me, nerves clear in the tightness around her eyes, but also a happiness that I never knew I could inspire on her beaming face.

“I fucking hate you,” Loki grumbles in my ear, and I can’t blame him. I would hate me too.

Finally, Lilly is standing beside me, Ryan placing her hand in mine. She gives it a squeeze, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she looks at me.

“Great song choice,” she comments, and I smile, wanting to laugh out loud.

I gave her free reign over everything, bar the music for today. And I didn’t tell her either, as I wanted to keep it a surprise. The song being played on a baby grand and cello by The Piano Guys is a rendition of A Thousand Years, and I chose it after hearing that she went to see the Twilight films at midnight with a group of friends, and squealed when that werewolf took his shirt off. Fucking amateur. She laughed at me when I commented that I never understood why Bella had to choose between the two, although personally I was always team Jasper and Alice.

“Happy birthday, Princess,” I whisper, watching as a mixture of emotions cross her beautiful features. I can’t be sorry that we’re getting married, but I wish that we could have chosen our own date. Today will be hard enough on her without the added strain of feeling like she’s missed out on her eighteenth.

“The best way to spend it,” she finally replies, grinning up at me, and a goofy smile tugs my own lips up.

The piece comes to an end, those damn butterflies still flying around inside me.

“Dearly beloved…” The registrar begins. The rest of the ceremony passes by in a blur until suddenly I’m placing a ring, my ring, on her finger, and she’s doing the same to me. Her hands don’t shake, her words don’t falter as she looks me dead in the eye and becomes my wife.

“You may now…” I don’t wait for the fucker to continue, cupping her face with my hands and pulling her soft lips to mine.

It’s the kiss of a new beginning, all fresh and sweet like the twilight mountain air that surrounds us. I kiss her as if she’s the very air I need, the thing that keeps me breathing because she is. And she’s so much more, to me, to all of us. She matches me stroke for stroke, her hands on my chest, gripping my morning suit jacket and pulling me closer.

I vaguely register cheers and whoops, mostly coming from Loki behind me, but I’m lost in this woman, my fucking wife, and I don’t ever want to be found. Reluctantly, I pull back, grinning when I see that she’s just as affected as I am, her pupils blown and lips swollen.

“Hello, wife,” I murmur, tasting the smile on her lips.

“Hello, husband,” she replies, and damn if my knees don’t go a little weak at hearing her call me that.

The registrar interrupts us, reminding me that we need to sign the register and marriage certificate, Loki and Jax following as witnesses. Once that’s done, it’s time for us to walk down the aisle, her hand tucked into the crook of my arm, as man and wife. A delighted peal of laughter rings from her lips, echoing around us as the piano plays a version of Earned It by The Weekend. A blush coats her upper chest and cheeks, blooming under her skin, probably remembering what happened the two times she’s heard this song.

“Naughty, husband,” she teases with a smile as people throw rainbow petal confetti over us. I can’t even be annoyed at the petals sticking to me, a shiver running through me at her words. I lean down, close enough to whisper in her ear.

“The next time you call me that, I’ll be buried deep inside your sweet cunt, wife.”

I watch enraptured as her nostrils flare, the red on her cheeks deepening as she licks her lips.

It’s a promise that I intend to keep.