Blood Moon

8

Wedding Bells

I sat in front of Emily's mirror, trying to keep my nerves under control as Leah, Kim, Emily, and Bella hurried around behind me. They were busy trying to get all the pieces of my dress for me. I settled for a dress that was lightweight and covered in beautiful lace; the perfect dress for a beach wedding.

Bella pulled the dress from the bag, showing it off to Emily, Kim, and Leah before she turned toward me.

"Hey," Bella said softly, hanging the dress behind me. "Take a breath, Lena. I don't know why you're so nervous. Paul's literally your soulmate."

"I don't know, either." I said, looking at Bella through the mirror. "I wasn't nervous last night."

"Don't worry." Bella said softly. "Everything is going to be perfect, I promise."

I nodded at her words, accepting her help in stepping into my dress. Emily approached me next, pushing me down on the seat in front of her vanity so that she could take the curlers out of my hair. I glanced down at my manicured nails, trying my hardest to shake the nervous feeling.

"And... done." Emily said with a smile, putting the last roller back into the bag it came from. "Now all that's left is shoes."

"You decent, kid?" Dad's voice flooded through the house.

"Yeah!" I called. "We're upstairs!"

"Wow." Dad said as soon as he caught my eye in the mirror. "You look beautiful, Helena."

"Thank you, dad." I smiled softly, slipping on the shoes Leah brought to me.

"When did you grow up?" Dad asked with a slight frown.

"You literally watched me grow up, dad." I said with a giggle.

"I know, but..." Dad sighed. "You and your sister grew up too fast. Anyway, are you ready?"

"Yes." I nodded, taking my bouquet from Kim. "Thank you for helping me get ready, girls."

"You're welcome." Emily smiled warmly. "We'll see you out there."

Emily took the girls downstairs, and I watched them walk through the trees before I turned toward my dad.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dad questioned.

"I don't think I've ever been more sure of something in my life." I admitted with a blush, standing up from the vanity.

"Then let's go." Dad said. I wrapped my arm around his, following his lead down the stairs and out into the forest. We walked for a few minutes in silence, making the nervous feeling bubble up in my chest again. After another minute, we were on the edge of my favorite beach.

Paul glanced up as dad led me toward the aisle, and as his eyes met mine, I felt the nervousness wash away. A smile broke out across Paul's face, and he eagerly accepted my hand from my dad's arm. Dad took his seat, and the ceremony started.

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"I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride." Paul wasted no time in grabbing my waist and pulling me in for a long kiss. When we pulled away from each other, I felt a grin break out across my cheeks.

"I love you." Paul hummed, ignoring the cheering of our friends and family. "Mrs. Lahote."

"I love you, Mr. Lahote." I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Alright, alright!" Embry cried. "Break it up, you two!"

"Yeah, plenty of time for flirting after we eat." Jared added, looking over at the food that Emily prepared earlier in the day.

"Let me flirt with my wife." Paul said, breaking out into a grin towards the end of his sentence. He looked back down at me with a light in his eyes. "I get to call you my wife."

"And I get to call you my husband." I said, pulling him down for another kiss.

"Lena, please." Quil huffed this time. "We're hungry."

"You're ruining the moment." Paul snapped, glaring at his pack brothers.

"Come on, let's get these wolves fed." I murmured, pulling myself completely away from Paul.

"No." Paul said, pulling me back to his side by my waist. "You stay with me, baby."

"Food!" Jared groaned this time.

"Come on, baby." Paul gently pulled me toward the food. "You know, you look beautiful in this dress."

"Thank you." I blushed, offering him a smile.

"You're welcome, baby." Paul handed me a plate of food, gesturing to one of the tables that was set out in the sand. "Go sit before the guys ruin your dress trying to get at the food."

"Okay." I nodded, taking the plate over to one of the tables. I sat down, watching in amusement as the wolves descended onto the food tables. Paul managed to get out of the chaos, sitting down beside me with a plate stacked high with food. "I can't believe you're wearing a suit."

"Anything for Mrs. Lahote." Paul winked, grabbing my hand in his. "Are you happy?"

"I'm so happy, Paul." I nodded. "You have no idea."

"I have some idea." Paul said, kissing my knuckles. "I can feel your happiness."

"Congratulations, Lena." Seth grinned, stopping in front of the table.

"Thank you, Seth." I smiled.

"I wanted to be the first." Seth stated. "I'm really happy for you two."

"Thanks, kid." Paul grinned.

I sat back and looked out in the crowd, finding myself amused at the wolves fighting one another for the food. I saw Bella, Sue, and my dad talking with Billy, Jake, and Renesmee, happy that despite my sister's change, our family was still together. Looking out at the people gathered to celebrate Paul and I, I felt a sort of peace settle like a blanket over me.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Paul asked, looking away from his half eaten plate.

"I'm just..." I trailed off. "At peace. Everyone I love is here celebrating with us, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You're very well loved, Helena." Paul stated as though it were a fact. "We wouldn't be the same without you."

"I love you." I repeated, gently grabbing Paul's collar and bringing his lips down to mine.

"I love you." Paul hummed against my lips, making me laugh.

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Unedited.

A short but sweet chapter to bring a definitive end to Paul and Helena's story. I hope you all enjoyed reading, because I sure enjoyed writing this. Thank you for reading.