Henry leaned in, and she turned her lips up to meet his. Their kiss was brief but deep. The crowd cheered and clapped even louder, and Olivia couldn’t help it. She was giggling again. Henry pulled her into a tight embrace and waved to the clan. In the front row, Maureen and Jennifer were hugging as they both sobbed uncontrollably.
Henry let her go and took his first step down from the podium, bringing Olivia with him. She stumbled, just slightly, in her high heels. Henry bent over and swept her into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. The clan roared their approval.
“To the back garden!” Nicholas cried. “Let the party begin!”
As Henry carried her to the tents, the crowd flowed along behind them. Olivia was overwhelmed by the excitement, her head swimming. Henry kissed her softly as they came to the reception area, where the tables were set up around a massive, paved courtyard.
The live band began to play as they stopped at the main table. Olivia looked around, her hands clutching at Henry’s shirt.
“Are you all right, my love?” he asked. She shook her head.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Can I put you down?”
“I hope so,” she said. He chuckled and gently lowered her until her heels lightly touched the stone.
“Sit down,” he whispered, holding out one of the large wicker chairs. She sank into it gratefully.
Henry sat beside her and took her hand. To Olivia’s surprise, most of the crowd was lining up in front of their table instead of taking their seats.
“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice caught in her throat.
“They want to pay homage to you, to show fealty,” Henry whispered. Olivia felt panic grip her stomach.
“But I’m not a queen or anything like that!”
Henry reached out and gently cupped her chin, turning her face to look her in the eye.
“But you are. You are now a queen in your own right, a ruler, just like me. Our children will be princes and princesses. You must accept their loyalty and their service. Anything else would be a great insult.”
Olivia felt like she might be drunk, even though she hadn’t touched a single drop of alcohol. She knew all of this. She’d had it explained to her already. Seeing hundreds of shifters gathered before her certainly made a difference in her understanding.
A beautiful woman with long blonde hair stepped up to the front of the table. Henry nodded regally, acknowledging her.
“Alphas of the clan,” she said softly. “I honor thee and bless your wedding. My clan swears fealty to the alpha and his bride.”
“We accept your service, Gwendolyn,” Henry said, nodding.
How will I remember all their names?Olivia thought in panic.
The moment was frozen. Everyone was waiting for Olivia.
“We appreciate your blessings, Gwendolyn,” Olivia said, her voice coming out much stronger than she felt. “Thank you for your loyalty.”
The crowd murmured in approval. Olivia let out a small sigh of relief. Obviously, her response had been acceptable to the shifters’ ancient ways.
She looked out over the vast crowd of people lined up before them. Now she only had to do it another hundred or so times.