Chapter 199: Here Comes the Bride
**Avery**
The air on the bluff tasted of salt, magic, and revolution. Below us, the ocean crashed against the cliffs of Talos in a thunderous, celebratory roar. The land itself seemed to breathe with me, a deep, rhythmic pulse of power that had lain dormant for centuries, now reawakened by our presence, our purpose. This wasn't just my wedding day. It was a declaration. A challenge hurled into the cosmos, aimed directly at a self-proclaimed Goddess who had made the colossal mistake of underestimating her victims.
I wanted the world to know. I wanted every shifter, dragon, and supernatural creature who had lived in fear or ignorance to see this union and feel the shift in the balance of power. I wanted her to see it. I wanted her to watch as the bloodline she tried to extinguish was forged into an unbreakable weapon. I wanted her to tremble. Because after this day, after I claimed my mates and my throne, I was coming for her. I was coming to right all of her wrongs.
But for now, in the quiet serenity of my suite, it was just about me. About the woman I had become, preparing to meet her destiny. The dress was a masterpiece, a creation of starlight and defiance. It wasn't white, but a shimmering, ethereal silver that caught the light and fractured it into a thousand tiny rainbows. It felt less like fabric and more like solidified magic against my skin.
A frantic knock preceded Alden poking his head through the door, his face flushed with a mixture of excitement and sheer panic.
"You look amazing," he breathed, his ancient eyes wide with awe. "That dress… it reflects every facet of you. You are not just a sacred flame, but a diamond that has been pressed from the roughest of earth. You are beautiful, Avery."
I smiled, a genuine, warm feeling spreading through my chest. "Thank you, Alden."
He wrung his hands, his gaze darting towards the hallway. "I have your mates a bit… tied up… but I don't know for how much longer. Cassius is now using earth magic to try to wiggle out of the ropes, and Clint is trying to sweet-talk a serving girl into setting him free. So do hurry," he said, rushing forward to plant a quick, fatherly kiss on my cheek before practically sprinting from the room.
A laugh bubbled up from my throat, pure and joyous. The thought of my six formidable mates being momentarily thwarted by Alden and a few lengths of rope was a perfect, chaotic start to the day.
Taking one last look in the mirror, I saw not the orphan girl, but a queen. My hair, a fiery cascade, was woven with tiny, glowing moonflowers. The bracelet from my mother was a cool, steady weight on my wrist, its pulse a familiar echo of my own heartbeat. I was ready.
As I stepped out of the suite, the distant, haunting melody of a string quartet began to drift up from the bluff. My heart hammered against my ribs, a wild drumbeat of anticipation. I reached the top of the stone steps that led down to the aisle, a path strewn with iridescent petals that glowed in the afternoon sun. I could see them all waiting. My mates, standing at the altar, looking so devastatingly handsome in their tailored suits they stole the breath from my lungs. Our friends, our allies, a sea of powerful faces turned in my direction.
But just as I was about to take that first step, a shadow fell over the sun.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. A sound, deeper than thunder, ripped through the sky. I looked up, and my heart stopped. Circling above us was a dragon. He was a creature of midnight and fury, his scales the color of obsidian, his wingspan blotting out the sky. A raw, ancient power rolled off him in waves, so potent it made the very air crackle. There was no mistaking him. It was the same oppressive, familiar darkness I had felt in the cabin.
Adrik.
He descended, his landing a surprisingly graceful impact that shook the cliffside. The guests scrambled back, a mixture of terror and awe on their faces. But I didn't move. I stood my ground, my gaze locked on his molten gold eyes, eyes filled with a century of sorrow and rage. I felt no fear. Only a profound, soul-deep recognition.
Ignoring the panicked whispers and the protective stances my mates had instantly adopted, I walked towards him. I gathered the shimmering fabric of my dress and ran, not away, but to him. I reached his massive head, larger than my entire body, and threw my arms around his snout, pressing my face against his warm, hard scales.
"I knew you'd come," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.
A tremor went through his colossal form. The moment my skin touched his, a blinding flash of silver light erupted from the bracelet on my wrist, enveloping us both. A wave of magic, pure and untamed, washed over the bluff. When the light faded, the dragon was gone.
In his place stood a man.
He was tall, impossibly so, a mountain of lean, powerful muscle. His skin was tanned, kissed by a sun from a different world, and covered in a tapestry of intricate black tattoos that coiled around his arms and across his chest like sleeping dragons. His hair was as black as a raven's wing, and his eyes… his eyes were the same molten gold, now filled with a shocked, dawning wonder. The curse was broken.
"I knew I would see you again," I said, my voice trembling slightly. I reached up, tracing the line of his strong jaw. "I also see where I got my dark looks from, before Regina emerged."
A low, rumbling laugh escaped him, a sound of pure relief and disbelief. It was a beautiful sound. "Yes," he said, his voice a deep baritone that vibrated through my bones. "But your mother was my star. She broke through the darkness." His smile faded, his golden eyes clouding with a grief that was still raw. "I miss her."
I squeezed his hand, my own smile unwavering. "It won't be much longer," I promised. "I will bring my family back." I glanced towards the altar, towards my waiting mates. I grabbed the skirt of my dress, a symbol of the moment. "But first, I need to go do this."
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