Hunter (Riders of Apollo #2)

Epilogue: Julian Atlas

Finally, the day has come. Marielle is graduating from college with a degree in biology and she's finally free from this shit hole that drags her from our bed at the crack of dawn. I get her to myself for a few months since Gem has to stay in school and trust me, we're gonna take advantage of that time.

It's really bright out today, the sun beating down on our backs as we gather in the stands. The entire club is here, and we're being given unimpressed looks by the other parents and family members. Marielle chose one of the most prestigious schools in the country, so I suppose it's a surprise to see a load of bikers attending their graduation service.

Gem is on Breaker's shoulders to make sure she can see everything and will most likely stay with him while we sit down for the speeches. She'll probably get fussy when she gets hot, so I've made sure Breaker gives her water as often as possible and keep her hat on because she keeps trying to get rid of it.

It's a beautiful day to celebrate on though and we all shuffle to take our seats as the head professor takes his place at the podium. He's tall and in a perfect suit with shiny shoes and a look of exasperation and heat stroke. Poor bastard is pushing sixty and here he is giving out certificates and baking in the hot sun. He needs to count himself lucky because leather is definitely more of a hindrance during the summer and my cut is melting into my skin right now.

As a group we all fidget and fuck around waiting for the only person we actually give a shit about to cross the stage and her last name is Lennox (not for long, obviously) so she's smack bang in the middle of the list. Meaning we can't leave early, life sucks sometimes. I'm fucking proud of her though; she's come a long way and she deserves that degree more than anyone. I mean surviving a brutal relationship, raising an adorable daughter and sitting through two wars all the while continuing with her studies.

That's a superwoman story if I've ever heard one.

It takes an hour before her name is finally called and we've listened through the gentle claps and a few whistles but when they say her name all of us rocket out of our seats screaming and shouting, whooping really loudly and everyone jumps in surprise. Mari's face when we do it makes it worthwhile; she blows us kisses and shakes people's hands while heading off the stage.

I'm definitely rewarding her later.

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I'm currently waiting in our lounge for my woman as I'm taking her out for dinner tonight at some really fancy restaurant since she's always wanted to try it. I even had to put on a suit for this so I'm feeling a little uncomfortable, but everything is in the details. I feel the velvet box in my pocket and my heart rate picks up a little.

I know she's already agreed to be my Old Lady which, in the MC community, means more than marriage, I also know that she's always wanted a real wedding. Big with the bridesmaids and the flowers and the white dress. If it makes her happy then I'll do it with a fucking smile. I check my watch again noticing we've only got fifteen minutes to make the reservation and the drive is ten.

"Okay! I'm ready." Mari cheers, I hear her feet hit the last step, so I turn around to make sure she doesn't fall over or anything only for my breath to catch in my chest. She looks phenomenal with a black silk dress hugging her curves and her hair is long and caramel coloured, long legs emphasised by heels.

"Maybe we shouldn't go anywhere." I suggest, running my hands over her slender waist, readying to rip the silk off.

"You've had this reservation for months; you can have desert afterwards." Her playful tone just makes my slacks tighter as I pull her closer to me.

"Tease." She tugs me out to the car, and I slip into the drivers' seat. Unfortunately, I can't take my bike because they have a valet that moves your vehicle and I don't trust anyone to ride my bike besides me so.

It feels weird handing Prius keys to some guy wearing a maroon vest, but I do so while helping Mari out of the car. As a biker I've never been in a restaurant of this calibre, everything is dripping in wealth and extravagance and Mari takes it in with hungry eyes. Thank God my plan is to propose at home and not here, while it's pretty it just doesn't match our relationship in a way that our home does.

Dinner goes well despite my constant nerves, I kept running my hands over the little box that is literally haunting me to try and calm my anxiety. I don't know why I'm so freaked out, it's not like she'll say no, but I want her to have a story to share in the future. Obviously on the way back I'm too tense to say a word and if she picks up on that she doesn't mention it so small victories.

When we get back my hands are shaky, and my heart rate is probably way too high to be healthy as I escort her through the house and into the back garden. I took a risk here because I decorated this earlier today so I had to hope that she wouldn't go out here. Her favourite flowers are iris', so I got a lot of those and there are little twinkling lights wrapped around the veranda.

It looks good if I must say so myself.

"Oh my gosh, Jules, this is gorgeous." Her eyes are too focused on the lights that she doesn't see me kneel behind her. As she turns around to meet my eyes, she finds me, and her hands go up to cover her mouth. "Oh god."

"Mari, you are the love of my life, mother of my child and my woman. I want you to have my last name, to be my wife in every sense of the word. I want you to be mine by law not just by heart... so, Marielle Lennox..." I reach out for her hand and she gives it to me, still crying softly as she sniffles, "Will you marry me?"

She nods avidly, crawling into my lap and hugging me so tightly I thought she was trying to strangle me.

I laugh softly and slip the ring onto her finger, smiling as it fits perfectly. "I love you." I whisper, wiping away a few of her tears and laying a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I love you, too."