Save the Sea (Saved by Pirates #3)(30)

“We all gather here today to witness the marriage of Cassandra of Onaya and her chosen. The gods tells us life is eternal, that there is no end, even in death. When two souls are bonded, they become eternal together. There is no end for them either. We ask the gods for their blessing, for their strength, and for this marriage to be blessed in their light and love. If you have anything you wish to say, now is the time.”

I clear my throat, gaining all of their attention, even though I doubt I ever lost their attention for even a moment. “I read in a book once, that the meaning to life is love. Now when I read it, I remember thinking that was stupid and untrue. That there was no way that love could be everything in life. I was wrong. I will admit, when we first met, I didn’t think there was a chance in hell I would fall for any of you pirates,” I say, and they all chuckle.

“Did you decide that when you tried to jump off the moving ship, or when you hit Chaz over the head with the book?” Jacob asks, and I roll my eyes.

“Let me finish.” I chuckle when they nod their heads, almost in unison with each other. “But I did fall for you, one by one. When we were separated, and I knew I never wanted to be away from any of you again. Love is just a simple word. It doesn’t describe how we feel, how unimaginable it is to feel this way for another person. So, I can’t put into words how I feel for each one of you, but I know you can feel it. Like I can feel how much you each love me.” I stop, unable to go on more. Ryland kisses my cheek, while Chaz squeezes my hand. Every one of my pirates look close to breaking the circle and kissing me, telling me how they feel without words. Our bond tells me enough.

“The marriage of Cassandra and her chosen has begun,” Tyrion says, and walks into the circle, with Jacob and Hunter parting to let him in. Tyrion looks at me as he pulls a thin needle out of his pocket and a pot of black ink.

“We discussed the fact that we don’t have six rings, and Zack suggested a mark on all your ring fingers would be better? It’s a tradition in Sixa, but you have final say."

“You would do that for me?” I ask, glance around at them all.

“We are already marked as yours, this would just make you our legal wife. Yes, we all want this,”

“Can I have the same mark?” I ask.

“If you wish,” Tyrion says, and I pull my hand from Chaz's to hold it out.

“Just above the ring please,” I ask, and he nods, dipping the needle into the ink and drawing onto my finger. It hurts as he cuts, but I keep my eyes on each one of my pirates one after the other. When it’s done, I look down at the hexagon, and the tiny triangle mark in the middle.

“Six lines make the hexagon, one line for each of us, and you are our centre,” Ryland explains as he holds his hand out, and Tyrion starts cutting his finger.

“I love you all,” I say quietly, but I know they hear me. When Tyrion has marked all the guys, he smiles at us.

“Now you are married, congratulations,” he says, seconds before he’s pushed out of the way, and my six husbands pull me into an embrace.





16





Chapter Sixteen





Cassandra





“Being sick, again?” Everly asks me as I throw up into the bucket by the bed. I look up to see her close the door behind her. I wait until I don’t feel like I will throw anything else up before I answer her.

“It’s seasickness, I guess. Chaz says some people get it,” I answer, picking up a towel and wiping my mouth from the awful taste. I pick up the glass of water off the side and look up at Everly, who leans against the door. She waits for me to drink it and then to take the bucket to the bathroom to empty it.

“There is something else it could be,” she says slowly when I walk back into the room.

“Like what?” I ask.

“I forget just how shielded you were sometimes,” Everly chuckles, “no wonder you haven’t thought about it.”

“About what?” I demand, wanting to know what she thinks. Chaz suggested all sorts of things to help with the seasickness, but nothing has worked.

“On Onaya, when the women were in the earliest stage of pregnancy, they sometimes would be sick every morning,” she says quietly, but I move back on the bed, shock rolling through me. I never thought about it, about the chances of getting pregnant. I guess in the back of my head I knew we weren’t being safe, but it’s still so shocking.

“But no one ever gets pregnant. It’s so rare in younger women, that I didn’t think it could happen so quickly,” I say in a rush.

“That was on Onaya, where the women were starved, and they weren’t strong enough to get pregnant. You have been well fed and looked after. It’s not surprising to me at all. I just assumed you would have thought about it,” she explains.

“Well, I didn’t,” I bite out and take a deep breath. “Sorry, I’m not mad with you, but at myself. This baby couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

“You do have a lot of husbands, Cassy,” she says with a laugh, but I’m in a daze. I can’t even think about anything other than the fact we are heading into mermaid waters in less than four hours, and I could be pregnant. I could be carrying a baby. My baby. My eyes water as I look down at my flat stomach, where my hands have instinctively gone to cradle.