Page 91 of The Explorer
Ever since I was little, Raven had been my mentor and taught me to fight. She had encouraged my strong will and told me to never let anyone tell me I couldn’t do something.
“I apologize for us being late, but Leo got caught up at the station.”
“It’s fine, but you missed a wonderful announcement.” My mother smiled like a cat who just caught a large fat mouse. “Aubri and Indiana are getting married.”
“No fucking way!” Leo stared from me to Indiana. “How the hell did you manage that?”
“I’ve got skills,” Indiana said with a confident grin.
“That’s brilliant.” Raven pushed at Indiana’s shoulders. “Who would have known you had it in you? Here I thought you were a nice boy.”
“He is,” Christina said defending her son, but Raven laughed out loud.
“Not if Aubri picked him. She would never go with a sweet and gentle guy.” Leaning her head back she grinned up at Indiana. “I’ll bet you’re a beast in bed. Is that it?” Her question was aimed at me but with our parents standing right there, I joined her laughter rather than answering.
“Wow, you know how to disperse a group,” Mason told Raven with a crooked smile as our parents spread out to tell the good news about next week’s double wedding.
Raven shrugged. “Ahh, don’t be naïve. They’re beasts themselves. They just hide it in front of us.”
“Maybe your parents hide it, but our parents can’t help themselves,” Mason said and looked after Magni and Laura. “I’ve seen my dad smack her butt at the morning buffet and she pushed back by taunting him to do it again.”
“Did you hear that?” Raven asked her son Jayden. “You always complain that Dad and I are all over each other, but Mason turned out fine.”
“For the most part,” Mason grinned and tousled Jayden’s hair. “It’s good when your parents love each other, don’t you think?”
He scrunched up his face. “I guess, but I wouldn’t mind if they toned it down a little.”
Indiana pulled my back against his chest and placed his arms around me while kissing my cheek. “I wouldn’t know how to tone down my love for my young grasshopper.”
“Aww, you two…” Belle raised her hands to her chest. “That’s so romantic.”
“That’s it!” Mason bent down and picked Belle up in his arms, bridal style. “I can’t have Indiana make you swoon like that. I’ll fucking show you romance.”
We howled with laughter as my brother carried off his wife toward the house.
“What’s going on?” Khan called from across the patio. “Is Belle feeling all right?”
“She will! I’ll make sure of it,” Mason called back without turning.
CHAPTER 23
Bridal Festival
Indiana
Thirty years ago, I would have fought to marry Aubri in a bridal tournament. If I was skilled enough to make it through all the bloody fights as one of the five champions, I would have stood half beaten, praying that she would choose me.
Today, I would make men across the country green with envy when I married Aubri Aurelius while looking my best.
She was the strongest and most stunning Northlander woman but anyone who thought that I’d won her without a fight was mistaken.
My fight for my woman had taken years and cost me excruciating emotional pain at times. But it was all worth it a thousand times over, now that she was mine.
The yearly bridal festival was a massive event that attracted people from all over the Northlands – a full week of festivities, fights, comedy, and couples-matching. At the end of it all, there were weddings bringing hope of a new generation and love to those who longed for it.
The grand event of it all was the double wedding of the Aurelius twins.
The largest arena, which had been bloody from fights yesterday, had been transformed into a romantic setting with flowers, ambient lighting, and rose petals strewn on the stage. The arena was packed with family, friends, and important members of the public.
