Page 74 of Love At First Roar
“Mine,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “Forever.”
She smiled up at him, her body still warm, sated, glowing with magic and love. “Yours.”
The fire crackled gently. The trees rustled around them, content. The Veil pulsed with calm.
They curled into one another under the blanket, tangled in limbs and magic, letting the woods hold them a little longer.
There was nothing left to fear.
Only love to grow in. Together.
40
CALLUM
Callum had never been one for ceremony. He didn’t like attention, didn’t care for speeches or fuss. But when he stood at the center of the glade beneath Hollow Oak’s silver-lit trees, Cora’s hand in his, even he had to admit—it was damn near perfect.
The moon was full and high, casting soft light over the mossy clearing like a blessing. The Veil shimmered faintly in the background, more visible than usual tonight, a gossamer ripple across the trees. Magic pulsed through the woods, quiet and calm, as though the land itself had decided to hold its breath and watch.
Callum glanced at the faces circling them—familiar, weathered, smiling. Maeve leaned against the base of an old maple, arms crossed but eyes suspiciously bright. Miriam stood in the front row, her hands clasped over her heart. Twyla sniffled behind a handkerchief she’d half-heartedly claimed was only for allergies, while Edgar fussed with the ceremonial thread of his robe with damp eyes.
The entire damn town had shown up. Even the cranky elders who only left their cottages for winter firewood stood to bearwitness. It was strange and humbling, standing there as not just a ranger or Veil guardian, but as a man who’d chosen to share everything with the woman beside him.
Cora.
She stood barefoot in soft green, the same color as the dress she’d worn the first night he realized he couldn’t look away from her. Pale lilac blossoms had been tucked behind her ears, and her golden hair was braided in loose strands threaded with slivers of forest herbs—moonmint and rosemary, if he had to guess. The sight of her stole every thought from his head.
She caught him staring and squeezed his hand. “You’re thinking too loud.”
He smirked. “I was thinking I might kiss you before the officiant’s done talking.”
“I dare you.”
He leaned in slightly, voice low. “That’s a dangerous thing to say to a lion.”
Before she could answer, Varric stepped forward, wolf-carved staff in hand, his eyes gleaming with something deeper than solemnity. Maybe pride. Maybe a touch of awe.
“We stand tonight,” Varric said, voice echoing softly through the glade, “at the center of the woods, at the heart of the Veil. And it stands with us.”
The Veil pulsed behind them, a subtle ripple of silver against the black of the tree line.
“Not all love is loud,” Varric went on, glancing at Callum. “Some is steady. Relentless. Some grows between storms and thrives in the quiet after.” Then he looked at Cora, his expression softening. “And some love is wild magic—raw, fierce, unafraid. Tonight we honor both.”
The ceremony was simple by design. No runes etched into the ground, no lavish enchantments. Just a single pine bough, wrapped with silver thread, passed between them and tied at thewrist. It was a symbolic knot meant to fall away once vows were spoken, but Callum had carved it himself that morning from a fallen branch, whittling until it felt right in his palm. Until it felt like them.
Varric nodded. “Speak your truth.”
Cora turned toward him, eyes shining. “I came here running from everything I thought I was. And I found someone who saw me anyway. You don’t just protect this town, Callum Cross—you protect hearts without asking for thanks. You love hard, even when it scares you. I’ve never felt safer than I do when I’m with you. I choose you. Every day.”
His voice cracked but held. “I spent years thinking I’d already used up every part of myself worth offering. Then you walked into my forest. And you saw me. You remind me why I fight. You gave me back the part of me that I buried so deep, I thought it was gone for good. You’re not just my mate, Cora. You’re my heart.”
His hands tightened around hers as he saw her eyes begin to glisten.
Varric stepped back and nodded once. “You may seal your bond.”
Callum didn’t wait. He leaned in and kissed her like the whole world stopped spinning.
The glade exploded with light.
