Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains #4)(71)

Avery felt like a princess. She sighed and wondered what was taking so long. Harper had asked her to wait here for some cue to make her way through the doors. Maybe Weston hadn’t been able to secure the last-minute wedding license as he’d hoped.

The door behind her opened with a pretty ding of the bell. She turned and froze.

Weston’s fearsome father, Beaston, strode toward her, his bright, inhuman gaze locked on hers. For a moment, she seized in fear, but he smiled and took her empty hand in his rough, calloused palm.

“You don’t have no worthy daddy to walk you down the aisle,” he murmured. “Weston said you wanted a quiet wedding, just you and him, but I wanted more. My Ana wants to see her boy married.” Beaston shifted his weight and dropped his eyes to Avery’s flowers. “You smell scared, but you don’t have to be. I won’t hurt you. My boy loves you.” He lifted that terrifying gaze back to her, but he angled his face, giving her his neck. “I only have one raven boy, and he had my heart from the first second I laid eyes on him. My Ana gave me girls after Weston, all bears. So you see,” he said softly, “you will be my only raven girl. You can’t be the daughter of my blood, but you can be the daughter of my heart. You take good care of my boy. You will make him feel steady when the visions get bad, and you’ll keep Harper from putting him down. You’ll save him, and he’ll fix your inside scars. I don’t want you going down the aisle alone when you meet him. I want to be the one to walk you.”

Avery bit her lip hard so she wouldn’t lose it. She’d been terrified of Beaston and shifters like him all her life, and now he was telling her she was his girl. Her own flesh-and-blood father had never declared as much. Jerkily, she nodded, and slipped her hand into the crook of his strong arm. “I would be honored,” she whispered.

Beaston gave her a crooked smile, one that looked so much like Weston’s, and pushed the door open.

Her eyes locked on Weston, waiting in front of the Justice of the Peace in a dark suit, his smile stunned and taking up his whole face. Her lip trembled as Beaston led her past the tiny crowd. Mom was standing next to Aviana, tears in her eyes. She must’ve defied Dad to be here, and for that, Avery was so proud of her. On the other side, Officer Ryan and Officer Hammond stood out of uniform with their hands clasped in front of them, easy smiles on their faces. Kane stood leaned against the far wall, hands in his pockets, his sunglasses on, and a slight smile curving up his lips. He nodded a greeting, and she waved her flowers gently at him. Up front, the Bloodrunners stood for her and Weston, looking so proud, as though she was a welcome member.

Everything was perfect.

She kissed Beaston gently on the cheek before he left to stand by his mate, and then Avery handed Harper her bouquet of wildflowers. With a happy sigh, Avery slipped her hands into Weston’s. And as she looked up into his eyes, lost in how deeply she loved him, they repeated the simple vows, and each said their I do.

Weston kissed her for so long Ryder told them to “get a room.” Avery giggled against her mate’s lips when he lifted her off her feet and hugged her tightly. The others were clapping and whistling, and Avery had never been happier than in this moment.

They signed the certificate, Avery’s heart banging against her chest the entire time. She was married to the man of her dreams. No, neither one of them was perfect, but they were perfect for each other.

“I’m starving,” Weston said after a few pictures.

“I’m hungry, too, and it would be fun to go out to eat all dressed up,” Avery said.

“I could eat like…seven cows of steak,” Ryder announced, reviewing pictures on the camera.

“Gross,” Lexi teased from where she was hugging his waist.

“I have one last surprise,” Weston murmured against Avery’s ear.

“More surprises? Weston, you’ve already given me the best day of my life.”

“Best day of our lives, Ave.” He grabbed her hand and led her across the street, the others following and chattering happily. Up a few shops, he pulled her into a fancy looking restaurant on the corner called The Cork and Bean Bistro. It looked unassuming enough on the outside, but inside, it was beautiful. Rustic iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the walls were paneled in polished wood. There was a bar along the back wall with three tall chairs in front of it, and chalkboards with drink specials and sprawling mirrors adorned the wooden walls. The tables looked hand-carved, and the chairs were all made of polished thick wooden branches. Avery would’ve never guessed this gem lay hidden in the heart of this quaint town.

A server was waiting for them and smiled brightly when she saw Weston. “Perfect timing. We just opened up the kitchen to serve dinner for your party. Right this way,” she murmured.

Weston led them into a back room where the tables had been pushed away from the center of the room and soft music played over the speakers. Two of the walls were covered in the same polished wood as the bar room, but one was made of exposed red brick. A huge iron chandelier hung above, and matching mirrors and sconces decorated the wall. The last wall was made of windows, and natural light streamed in, casting a beautiful glow on the wooden floors and tables.

“You have this room for three hours,” the server said to Avery with a beaming smile. “We don’t usually do private parties, but your man was very persuasive. You got yourself a good one.”