The Half-Witch Bride

Winds of Change

~Elden's POV~

We were nearing the banquet house in formation. A she-wolf led us, with me behind her. Lucius and Thallan walked behind me as Ruvaen led his warriors behind him. I could already hear the buzz of voices and music coming from the open doors as we approached closer and closer. I could see a bit of the inside, decorated nicely. I enjoyed the abundance of flowers as they made the air smell delectable. But I once again caught myself smelling jasmine and sandalwood again, taking a deep breath in. It enticed me greatly, beckoned me to go quicker and find the source. But I stayed calm, following the Omega through the doors, the scent rapidly increasing, making my heart pound in my chest. I glanced around the room, meeting the eyes of every wolf until they met hers.

Beautiful, green eyes, shining like precious gems, were set in a small petite face. I watched as her perfect, plump, pink lips parted in surprise. My eyes wandered down her body, my fingers twitching slightly as my eyes crawled over her every curve and dip. It took every fiber of my being not to walk up to her and claim her as mine, but I held back. Grand displays of claiming of mates was looked down upon, and I didn't need Lucius lecturing me the entire way back home. I walked ahead and straight to her, leaving my men behind.

"Your Highness! What are you doing?" I heard Lucius hiss behind me, but I ignored him and proceeded to walk until I stood right in front of her. The top of her head reached my chest, making me at least a foot and a half taller. I took another deep breath and confirmed that she was indeed the source of jasmine and sandalwood. Goddess, she smelled and looked better than all of the flowers in the Vale combined. She was my precious flower.

"Welcome, King El-" The Alpha spoke, but I interrupted him by taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss upon it. I heard the crowd gasp and mumble quietly as they observed. I raised my eyes to meet hers, to see her reaction, enjoying how bashful and flustered she was. I rose again as I heard a flurry of fabric approach me from behind.

"Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?" Lucius asked. I heard the strain in his voice as he tried to stay calm in front of the wolves.

"Lucius, you'll be happy to hear that our time on Earth has come to an end. I have found my mate." My calm declaration caused another wave of commotion. The Alpha and Luna were absolutely shocked as they both looked between me and her. She stood motionless and silent, simply staring at me with those eyes. The crowd around us mumbled, some happy, and some questioning.

"This is such wonderful news!" The Luna exclaimed, snapping out of her shock. "Now it's an even more special party! Up the music! Everyone, please enjoy yourselves!" I watched as she grabbed her husband and son and dragged them away, while Thallan urged Lucius to walk away, leaving both of us alone. I continued to hold her hand in mine, engulfing it completely. Her hands were a bit rough, but I enjoyed the feeling of them against my skin.

"Are you Celeste?" I asked, wanting her to speak to me, to say anything so I could hear her voice.

"Y-yes, I am." Her voice sounded so sweet, like soft rain falling down in a quiet forest. She continued to look up at me and all I could do was stare back, falling endlessly into those emerald pools. Gods, I just wanted to embrace her, kiss every inch of her body, claim her as mine over and over again. I took a steadying breath, maintaining my calm composure as I led her to others dancing, pulling her close. My hand rested on the small of her back and I relished in the feeling of having my hand on her body. With her other hand lifted with mine, I gently eased us into a slow waltz. She was quite graceful, her long hair swaying each time we spun. It made me want to know how it would feel to have my fingers buried in her hair.

"The Goddess has blessed me with a beautiful Queen," I stated, watching as her face reddened. I would most likely never tire from seeing her blush.

"Your Highness, I-"

"Please, call me Elden. There is no need for formalities in our own privacy."

"Elden..." she said, testing out my name. It sounded so good coming from her.

"Again. Say my name again, my precious flower." I couldn't help myself. I wanted her to say it again, to hear it on her tongue. I watched as she shyly bit her lip. It took all my strength not to kiss her right then and there.

"Elden," she said, her tone breathy and quiet. I pressed her a bit closer in response, breathing deeply. We continued to sway with the music, turning and spinning across the dance floor. Gods, please grant me the strength to stay composed.

~Lucius' POV~

I watched the King dance with the girl, sick to my stomach. A half-witch harlot had him utterly seduced. There was no way the Gods would choose her to be the Queen of the greatest kingdom in all the lands.

"Lucius, I can read your face like a book." I turned around to Thallan, who stood beside me as we watched the King.

"This must be a mistake," I uttered, not entirely hushing my voice around these mutts. Thallan's eyes grew wide, looking around cautiously.

"Lucius, be mindful of your words. The King has found his destined mate. We must respect the ways of the Goddess." I simply huffed in response. Insolent fool.

"They say she's half witch. What if she used these flowers to put a spell on him?" Thallan looked at me, a questioning gaze in his eyes.

"You heard the Alpha yourself. She cannot do much except grow plants. I highly doubt she can suddenly make a spell, especially with no spell books to learn from."

"You trust everything they say then? What if it's just a ruse? Make a useless daughter useful by making her a Queen?"

"Lucius, how can you say such a thing?" Thallan said, the shock in his voice evident.

"I say such things because it seems like I am the only one looking out for the King and the throne. The Queen should have been someone else, someone far more adequate than anyone found on Earth." I hissed. Thallan stayed quiet.

I plucked a flower from a nearby column, crushing it within my hand.

~Celeste's POV~

Oh Goddess!

I felt so hot and flustered being pressed close to him. My heart wouldn't stop pounding to a point where I was sure everyone in the room could hear it. He was so calm, collected and composed while I was barely hanging on. The amount of times that I wanted to just press my face into his chest and inhale was exponentially growing the more we danced and talked. I was painfully aware of his hand on my back, his touch sending shivers up and down my spine. Each time he looked down at me, I couldn't help but drown in those blue eyes of his, reminding me of crystal clear pools. And his voice, dear heavens, his voice! Just one word sent me in a spiral as his tone, like smooth, warm, honey, washed over me.

The Elven king was my mate, my mate! I had a mate. I was altogether surprised, excited, scared and shocked that my mate had ended up the Elven King. That would mean I would become a Queen. Oh my Goddess, I'm gonna be a Queen. I certainly wasn't going to wrap my head around being a Queen anytime soon.

"My rose." There he goes, speaking again in that honey tone. "You look like you're thinking about something." He spun me around effortlessly, catching me within his arms again, making it hard to think straight.

"I...it's nothing really." He leaned his head to the side with a questioning gaze. I was an awful liar, but he stayed silent. We danced until the song ended, and with a final twirl, he leaned over and placed another kiss upon my hand. The feeling was absolutely electric as his soft lips grazed my skin, intrusive thoughts entering my head. I dispelled them with a quick curtsy, hoping that was the correct response. It elicited a small smile from him as he looked up at me, and I couldn't help but absolutely melt at the sight. It made him ten times more handsome than I already thought he was. He straightened up and led me away again, this time towards my family who were chattering together. As soon as we got close, my mother looked our way and smiled.

"You two look so lovely together!" Mom said, smiling warmly down at me. Dad and Brendan stood quiet, simply nodding in response. "We were just about to about to call everyone to the table. I hope you brought your appetites. I went ahead and made a few arrangements so you two lovebirds could sit together."

"Wonderful, thank you Luna," Elden said, bowing his head forward.

"Twin Moon, let us feast!" My mother announced to the party, causing a migration towards the long table that had been set and laden with food. The table cloth matched the colors of the decorations and a few of my floral arrangements were placed in intervals on the table. Elden, never letting go of my hand, led us towards the middle of the table, sitting me down next to him. I made sure my dress sat right and smoothed my hair down, hoping that I wouldn't look like a sack of potatoes next to him. I watched as everyone took their seats, my father taking the chair to the right of me. The very last person to sit down was one of the elves, tall and regal, but his face clearly displeased as he took his seat. This only caused my mind to darken a bit, remebering that dad told us the Elven people liked their customs and traditions, and from the sounds of it, someone like me didn't exactly fit in with those standards.

My mind cleared when I heard my father stand up, a glass of champagne in his hand as he addressed the entire pack.

"Twin Moon Pack, His Highness Elden, and our esteemed Elven quests," he began. "While today was already a monumental day for our pack, being able to dine with the Elvish people and meet their King, it seems it is also a big day for our pack as one of us is the destined mate for the King. While I wasn't expecting it to be one of my own children, I am more than sure that she will make us proud as the new Elven Queen. My lovely Celeste..." He had to pause as his voice caught in his throat, tears welling up in his eyes. It took almost all of my strength not to tear up as well, watching my strong Alpha father show such emotion in front of the whole pack. I watched as my mother stood up, placing a hand upon his shoulder, rasing her own glass to toast.

"To Celeste and her new adventure! You may not be a wolf, but in every sense of the word, you are a member of the Pack and we will support you on every path you take."

"Hear, hear!" the rest of the pack roared, glasses clinking left and right as everyone cheered and downed their glasses in an instant. I stood up to hug my parents, their warm embrace happy yet sad at the same time. I wasn't sure why, but I brushed it aside. When I sat back down, I noticed Liam, sitting a few seats down to the left at the other side of the table. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile, quite obviously trying to hide his disappointment, yet still trying to put on a good face for me. I sighed internally, noting that I would definitely have to talk to him sometime tomorrow.

Elden raised his glass towards me, taking all of my attention as my eyes met his face again, causing my heart to skip a beat. Goddess, am I going to feel like this every time I look at him? I had heard that the initial meeting between mates was intense, but this was overwhelming. It felt like I was on the verge of a death so sweet that I was happy to die.

"To you, my mate, my rose, my Queen," Elden said quietly to me, his eyes boring into mine. I raised my glass to clink with his and sipped down the champagne rather quickly. Elden took a drink from his cup, his every move so elegant and graceful. I must look like a clumsy new-born foal next to him.

"You are quite beloved by your pack," he continued. I smiled at his comment, turning my gaze around to each and every member laughing, drinking and eating.

"I thank the Goddess for that." I responded. "Although I was adopted by the Alpha, every single one feels like a family member to me. I may not be a wolf, but that hasn't stopped them from caring about me. Everything I do is to repay them back for every kindness shown to me." I paused, blushing as I looked shyly back to Elden, accidently oversharing my feelings in front of him. But it was disturbingly easy to share the thoughts I held in my heart. His expression was one of surprise, and I internally whacked myself over the head. He probably thought I was stupid for blabbering on so much.

"It is good to know that your beauty also comes with compassion and kindness. A rare thing among my people."

"What do you mean?" He placed the glass down upon the table and cleared his throat.

"Feelings and emotions, such things are regarded as...weak, especially for kings. They are not useful to us, to our laws. We are proud to be the most rational and composed race. Any feeling or emotion we hide inside of us. As a King, I must be stoic, unfazed, strong and unmoving."

"That sounds hard, to never allow yourself to show feelings and emotions."

"Behind closed doors, every emotion is allowed." He looked at me in a curious way that made my cheeks blush and my heart pound. My mind raced at the idea of being alone with just him behind those said closed doors. Oh Goddess, give me the strength to survive all of this.

~

The night went on without a hitch. Pack members drank and ate and danced the night away into the early hours of the morning. Elden never let me go five steps away from him, but that didn't bother me one bit, as I didn't want to be any further than five steps away from him. Each touch, each glance, each dance with him fueled my desire for him even more. My skin felt like it was on fire and even this tiny dress was almost too warm to be in. But I remained as calm as I could, taking advantage of various pack members walking up to speak with me, a welcome moment of calm among the flames.

Everyone began to spill out of the banquet hall, all heading back to their homes to sleep or continue the festivities. When I and Elden stepped outside, we were immediately surrounded by his Elven guard, startling me a bit with their quiet yet sudden appearance. Although I was used to always having an eye placed on me for protection, this was quite a bit. Something I would have to get used to if I was to be a Queen. The tallest of them stepped away from the group, bowing his head to Elden and then to me. Another thing I will have to get used to too.

"My Lord, please accept my congratulations upon meeting your mate. My lady, my name is Ruvaen, I am the head warrior, responsible for the protection of the kingdom, the King and now you. Please do not hesitate to call me for any of your needs."

"Oh..uh...thank you Ruvaen. It's good to know Elden...I mean the king...has such good protection around him." I wanted to smack myself for being so awkward. I heard a disapproving 'tsk' behind me, but Elden merely nodded and we continued forward towards the house. The entire way down the path was silent with only the soft rustling of fabric and the click-clack of my heels reverberating in the still, night air. Everyone was so tall, and their strides long, that I was almost speed-walking to keep up. My heels and the alcohol coursing through my veins weren't helping either, as I stumbled over my feet. Elden caught my arm quickly, a quick flash of concern played across his face before it just as quickly returned to his neutral stoicness.

"I'm sorry..." I started to apologize.

"No, forgive me for not taking into account our height differences. I will walk slower for you." He held out his arm for me to wrap around to help balance myself. He kept true to his word and continued on at a slow pace that was comfortable for me. Although I appreciated everyone slowing down for me, it didn't help quell the awkwardness of the silence, prolonging it instead.

At last we had finally reached the front doors of the house. An omega swung the doors open for us as we walked in. Elden turned his head and silently dismissed his men with a nod. They all gave a bow and headed to their rooms and posts. Once he was truly sure that we were alone at the bottom of the stairs, he turned to me, cupping my face in between his large palms.

I froze instantly, watching with a horrified eagerness as he leaned down and engulfed my lips with his. He kissed me so passionately that it took the breath away from me and I melted into his arms. His lips guided mine perfectly, as we melded together. His tongue teased my lips, causing me to part them and he took his chance to slip it in playfully exploring. I wrestled with his tongue, gripping onto his clothes, a soft moan escaping my lips. I felt him instantly tense up, gripping me exceptionally hard against him that it almost hurt. He hesitantly unlocked his lips from mine with a frustrated sigh. I may not have been the most experienced in the pack when it came to romance, but I was certain that this was the best kiss I ever had, and will ever get.

"I waited all night to kiss you," he said, opening his eyes and giving me a slightly mischievous sideways smile that almost made me faint. "Frankly, there is so much more I wish to do to you, especially after you granted me that lovely glimpse into the noises you make." I thought my face would burst into a thousand flames from his comment. "But, tradition dictates that we wait until after the wedding for more."

"O-oh, right of course." I cleared my throat, trying not to look disappointed, yet also surprised at my eagerness to jump into bed with him so quickly. I took a deep breath to calm down my racing heart as he stepped away from me and reached into his tunic. He took out a small, ornate, white, wooden box and presented it to me. I looked up at him first before taking it from him.

"Open it," he prompted as I hesitated. I slowly opened the box and gasped as a sparkling diamond ring shined brightly in the moonlight that was streaming in from the various windows. The band was silver and intricately sculpted to look like leaves and vines that wrapped around the finger and the stone in the middle. My initial observation of it being a diamond was wrong as I took a closer look. It couldn't be compared to any stone that we had on earth as it flashed in a multitude of colors, colors that I had never before seen. He took the box away from me and picked up the ring, lifting my hand as he slipped it onto my ring finger. It was too big at first but quickly reshaped itself to fit perfectly around my finger.

"I had this specially made many, many years ago. I employed the finest Elven jeweler in all of the Undying Vale to create the perfect ring that I would give to my Queen, who I hoped would be my destined mate."

"It's...it's so beautiful. Thank you Elden."

"It pales in comparison to your beauty," he said softly, embracing me once more in a soft embrace. "I am happy to have finally found you."

His voice sounded so different just then, soft, and airy, free from the constraints of his position. I thought I couldn't possibly have even more feelings for him than I did, but my heart grew a thousand times bigger. I wrapped my arms around him tightly.

"And I am happy that you came to find me." I felt him tighten his embrace. We stayed like this for what seemed like hours, but barely a minute passed before he let go of me.

"It is late, we should retire to our rooms. There is much to do tomorrow." His voice returned to normal as he gathered his regal composure.

"Oh uh yea...I mean yes, we should. Good idea."

"Goodnight, my sweet rose," he said, taking my ringed hand and placing a soft, lingering kiss upon it before turning and heading up the stairs. I watched as he made his way, turning to the right and disappearing behind a wall, before I slowly made it up and to my room, flopping into my bed as I stared up at the ceiling. My mind and my body felt heavy and foggy, as if this wasn't reality. I lifted my hand to look at the ring, it's sparkle solidifying the events of tonight being a hundred percent real.

Although I hoped that the Goddess had a mate for me, I wasn't expecting her to drop an Elven King into my life.