She couldn’t very well say that their relationship had ever been easy, but then, neither had Wolf and Scarlet’s.
But had it always been right?
Her pulse hummed at the question.
It must have been, she thought, even way back when everything was so wrong. She couldn’t have fought so hard for him otherwise.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed with her lost in thought when a subtle knock sounded at the door and Cress reentered. “The flowers are taken care of,” she said, and winked at Iko. Luckily, Scarlet had her eyes shut and didn’t notice the blatant code word, if that’s what that was supposed to be.
“I’m almost finished,” said Winter.
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve done to my beautiful dress,” said Scarlet, although she didn’t sound overly concerned.
“You will love it.” Winter tied a knot into the thread and bent over, using her teeth to cut off the long strings. “There.”
Scarlet sat up as the others crowded around.
This time, when Cinder saw what Winter had done, even she couldn’t prevent a joyful gasp from escaping her.
In the beautiful blue thread, into the silk lining of Scarlet’s wedding dress, Winter had embroidered a single word in simple, elegant script: Alpha.
“You’re right,” said Scarlet, rubbing her thumb over the word. “It’s … perfect.”
“It’s something blue, at least,” said Winter.
Cress cleared her throat. Cinder looked up to see that she had her portscreen with her, and she was entering some command. She had an excited, beatific smile on her face.
“What now?” said Scarlet, her suspicious tone returning.
The only response, though, was the sound of string music echoing up from the floor below, loud enough to fill the whole house.
Scarlet pulled herself off the bed and let her uncertain glare travel from one friend to the next. “What’s going on?”
Cress pulled open the door, letting the music spill into the room.
Scarlet took a hesitant step toward the door, but Iko stopped her and made a few quick adjustments to her hair before nudging her forward. They all filed behind the bride as she emerged on the landing and peered down the narrow staircase. Since Cinder had been out before, the banister had been wrapped with white crepe paper and finished with an enormous tulle bow. The doorway below, which separated the foyer from the sitting room, was hung with fine white streamers. The whole house smelled of roses.
Scarlet turned back. “What have you done?”
They all stared with close-lipped, secretive smiles.
Shaking her head, Scarlet made her way down the stairs in her red-heeled shoes. When she turned into the sitting room, she was greeted by Jacin, holding out an expertly crafted bouquet. She took it from him, her mouth hanging open, and stepped through the fluttering streamers.
Then she began to laugh.
Cinder hurried to join her, eager to see what the boys had done. But when she stepped into the sitting room, it was not the decorations that caught her attention first, but Wolf, standing in front of the fireplace altar in his formal black-and-red tuxedo. Though it had been made especially for him, the jacket still stretched across his broad chest and shoulders, and the red bow tie was almost humorous against his fierce features and lupine bone structure.
Almost.
Despite everything Levana had tried to do to him, Cinder had to admit that he was still handsome, with his olive skin and vivid green eyes and unkempt hair. Most of all, though, it was the look he was giving Scarlet, which would have taken away the breath of any girl.
Kai and Thorne were there, too, each of them standing with their hands in their pockets, rocking back on their heels with supremely smug looks on their faces, like they were daring anyone to suggest it wasn’t the most beautiful impromptu wedding ever created.
And they had done a marvelous job—much better than Cinder would have expected. The turmoil from before had somehow been tweaked and massaged into a picture-perfect scene, with flower garlands over the tables and ivory fabric draping the windows and pillar candles flickering around the room.
There was also Émilie, Scarlet’s friend and the girl who had once been deathly afraid of Cinder, back when she was a wanted fugitive. Now, Émilie was beaming and standing next to a small table that held a towering pyramid of golden pastries.
“What,” Scarlet breathed, clutching the bouquet, “is this?”
Wolf smiled around his canine teeth. “You are the most beautiful sight I have ever laid eyes on.”
Scarlet cocked her head. “And you look like you’re about to get married.” There was blatant amusement in her tone.
Wolf’s eyes dipped once to the carpet, but he didn’t stop smiling. He paced across the room and took Scarlet’s hands in his, so that their palms engulfed the wrapped flower stems.
“Scarlet,” he said, “I know how frustrated you’ve been with the … attention our wedding has brought, and how much you hate what it was turning into. And on our wedding day, all I want is for you to be happy and content. I don’t want you thinking about journalists or cameras or newsfeeds. You didn’t sign up for any of that, and it isn’t fair to you. So … I thought … I wondered if you might marry me now, here, instead.”
Scarlet tore her gaze from him and let it wander to everyone else in the room. “You were all in on this.”
“Wolf had the idea a few weeks ago,” said Kai, “when he noticed you were getting … upset about the media. That’s why he wanted us all to come early.”
Scarlet blinked tears from her eyes. “I … this is … it’s perfect, but I think you might have forgotten one important element.” She turned back to Wolf. “There’s no officiant here. Who’s going to marry us?”
Wolf’s grin widened, and he glanced at Kai.
Scarlet followed the look. “Seriously?”
Kai shrugged. “I’ve never done it before, but it is within my powers as the emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth to marry people. It will be perfectly legitimate and binding.”
Wolf took a step closer so that he towered over Scarlet, creating what could have been a moment of intimacy if the room hadn’t been so crowded. “So? Will you marry me?”
Scarlet started to smile.
“Wait. Before you answer that,” said Thorne, gesturing around the room, “you should know that the store where we got all this stuff doesn’t take returns.”
Casting her gaze skyward, Scarlet said, “Well, in that case. Yes. Yes, of course I will.” Her eyes glimmered as she draped her arms over Wolf’s shoulders. His hands spread out across the sash at her waist and he bent toward her—
But just before their lips touched, Thorne thrust his hand in between them, receiving dual kisses on his fingers. Wolf and Scarlet jerked back.
“Slow those rockets,” said Thorne. “I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure we’re not to the kissing part yet.” He pried Scarlet away from Wolf, who growled low in his throat, and ordered, “Places, everyone!”
Cinder gladly claimed one of the wooden chairs that had been brought in from the kitchen, and Émilie took the seat beside her, whispering, “Aren’t they the most beautiful couple? I introduced them, you know.”
Cinder cast a frown at her. “You did?”
Émilie shrugged and flashed an impish grin. “Well … sort of.”