I spread my thighs a little more, lowering myself until I can feel his breath ghosting against my clit. “Only one way to find out.”This short originally appeared as the February 2020 short for my Patreon. Each month, patrons nominate their favorite couples and characters, vote on one, and I write a brand new short featuring the winner. For more bonus stories, please consider joining my Patreon.10A Beastly WeddingIsabelleI didn’t expect to be nervous. I pace around the small room. It didn’t feel small when I first arrived here to wait for my cue, but now I’m sure the walls are closing in.
I shouldn’t be here alone. My father should be with me, his steady presence calming the racing of my heart and offering me his assurance that this was the right choice. Maybe he’d even tell me he was proud of me for getting out of my own way.
The thought makes me smile past the tightness in my throat. I adjust my grip on the bouquet, my fingers following the two ribbons artfully hanging from the arrangement. One for my mother. One for my father. It’s nowhere near a good enough replacement for the man himself, but it still feels right. I’m not sure I believe in heaven or hell, but if there’s an afterlife, I hope my father is watching this moment and is pleased.
We’ve done it. The conflict with Ursa that threatened our borders is resolved. She’ll continue to test because that’s the kind of territory leader she is, but she’s no longer looking to take a bite out of us.
The music changes. That’s my cue.
I give myself one last shake and move to the door, careful not to step on the long flowing white masterpiece of a dress that Tink created for me. I’d argued against white, but she prevailed. I’m glad she did now. It’s perfect. The off-the-shoulder style and fitted bodice hug my body and then flare gently to fall to the ground. It’s a deceptively simple style, classic and expensive. I love it.
The short walk to the greenhouse feels strange and surreal. I step through the doors and pause, my breath catching in my throat. The greenhouse isn’t designed for a large gathering. There are winding pathways designed to immerse a person in the beauty of the flowers and plants, all of it cumulating in a small space in the center with a few benches.
That’s where I find my men.
Gaeton and Beast stand shoulder to shoulder, both of them decked out in tuxes. I have to pause again, but there’s no catching my breath this time. The tuxes bring out different aspects in each of them. Gaeton looks like a barbarian king, the clothing playing up his size and ferocity. Beast looks like a fallen angel. Without normal clothes to dampen his beauty, he’s so beautiful, it shorts out my brain.
Was I worried about this not being the right choice? One look at them, at the way they watch me walk toward them, appreciation and heat in their respective gazes. This isn’t a cage. It’s the first step in a new chapter for us. One I want with all my heart.
I walk up the path to them in slow steps, barely noticing the small handful of chairs filled with my sisters and Muriel on one side, and Aurora, Tink, and Hook on the other. My sisters had wanted a huge wedding like they each had, one worthy of the Belmonte name. I didn’t want to share this day with anyone who I didn’t care about—who my men didn’t care about.
This is just for us. No one else.
Beast and Gaeton shift to the side, and David appears in the space between them. He gives me a warm smile. “You ready?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. No fear. Only a heady anticipation for what comes next.
“Please take each other’s hands.”
We do, forming our own little triangle. Since our marriage isn’t legal in the most literal sense, we ultimately decided to go with a handfasting ceremony instead. David moves around us, binding each of our forearms together with a length of red rope, speaking in a voice designed to carry to the rest of the room, talking about the commitment we’re making and how it will last a year and then we’ll revisit. It’s all noise to me. I only have eyes for my men.
The weight of the bindings feels larger than it is. Significant. As David finishes his circle and resumes his position between Beast and Gaeton, he grins at us. “If you want to say a few words…”
Gaeton gives a rough nod. His eyes are shining and he’s gripping my forearm tightly. I suspect he’s doing the same to Beast’s. “I promise to care for and love you both. Not just for a year. Forever.”
When Beast speaks, his voice is rougher than normal. “I promise to protect and lead.” He raises his brows when Gaeton snorts. “And love. You’re both mine. I’m never letting you go.”