Whatever the shade of white was called, it was perfect. It highlighted her warm skin and dark hair. The little bits of lace and pearly buttons enthralled him. He couldn’t wait to get her alone again and take his time unwrapping her like a present. Although, once the unwrapping was done, he wasn’t sure he would have the patience to take things slow and easy.
It had been four days since they had last made love. She had been so tired lately and even had headaches from the stress of planning their wedding. She had been going to bed before his shifts ended, but she always left a home cooked meal waiting for him, usually with a short love note. Even though he craved sex with her, he enjoyed holding her and sharing a bed. It was a gentle sort of intimacy that made everything just right.
“And do you, Swift, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To take and to keep her, in good health and in bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and honor and protect until death?”
Swift held Alys’ watery gaze and nodded solemnly. “I do.”
Alys grinned up at him as the pastor repeated the vow and waited for her answer. He barely registered her promise because he was suddenly overwhelmed with the moment. She beamed at him, and his heart thumped in his chest. He had expected that Alys might get misty eyed during the ceremony, but he hadn’t expected it from himself. Yet, here he was, emotionally overwhelmed by the sound of Alys making a vow to him.
After wanting the pastor to hurry up, Swift suddenly wished he would slow down. The ceremony wrapped up rather quickly after they exchanged vows and rings. She tucked her arm through his and leaned her head against his arm as they turned to face their friends who clapped and smiled. They walked down the makeshift aisle under a falling cloud of paper confetti, and when they exited the meeting space they had reserved for their ceremony, Alys tugged him toward a door.
“Alys,” he said, laughing at her enthusiasm. “We’re supposed to go straight to the general’s quarters for our reception.”
“We will,” she promised, “but I want to show you something first.”
As much as he wanted to stay on schedule, he wanted to see whatever she had to show him even more. “I hope it’s what you don’t have on under that dress.”
“Swift!” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I know.” He stepped into the room after her and reached for her arm as she shut the door. “Come here, wife.”
“Only one kiss, husband.” She eyed him warningly. “You’re not going to distract me with your kisses.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He would. He did. All the time. He claimed her mouth with a tender kiss, relishing the softness of her lips. When he tried for a second, she yanked back and shook her head. He pouted dramatically. “We just got married.”
“We’ve been married for a while now.” She touched the leather collar around her neck. He had been toying with the idea of a color like green or blue for her permanent collar. Once he had seen the rich natural brown leather, he had known there was no other choice. It was perfect for her. Earthen. Natural. Warm. It looked lovely around her neck and against her skin.
“But only married according to your customs for less than five minutes,” he argued and tried to sneak another kiss.
“Wait.” She turned her head, denying him what he wanted, and reached for a small white purse on a table. This was the room where she and Zadie had primped prior to the ceremony. There were still a few flower petals on the floor, and he crouched down to pick them up and toss them in the trash bin. “I know I’ve been acting a bit strange the last few days.”
“Have you?” Swift discarded the petals and turned his attention toward her. “You’ve been stressed with the ceremony and reception planning. It’s normal to be tired after all of that.”
“That’s not why I’ve been so tired, Swift.” She reached into the purse and withdrew a small pale blue envelope. “This is.”
Swift took the envelope from her. It had the insignia of the medical wing on it. He opened the envelope and withdrew two glossy images. At first, he wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but the longer he stared at the image, the clearer it became. His heart flipped wildly, and his stunned gaze snapped to her face. “Alys? Are you...? Are we...?”
She grinned. “We are.”
Swift dropped his gaze back to the images. “But there are two? Does that mean...?”
“Twins,” she confirmed with a giddy laugh.
Staggered by the revelation, he let out a shocked huff. “Twins! On our first try!”
“Yes, well, I do come from a long line of very fertile women,” she reasoned.
The mention of her mother and grandmother and all the women before her sent him into a panic. He knew how many of her mother’s pregnancies had ended badly, and her maternal grandmother had died after giving birth to her eleventh child. What if I lose Alys?
“Swift,” she said, as if reading his mind, “I’m going to be perfectly fine. I’m healthy. I’m young. I have access to proper medical care.”
“I know,” he said, trying to convince himself she was correct and he shouldn’t worry.
She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed her cheek to his chest, and he embraced her, drawing her in tight and reveling in the moment. Everything he had fought for, every valor point he had earned, had brought him to this moment, to Alys and the discovery that he would soon be a father. He was overcome with emotion and kissed her temple. “Thank you, Alys. Thank you for choosing to stay with me and to build a family with me.”
“No, thank you,” she replied, squeezing him tighter. “For choosing me and giving me a chance to be in charge of my own life.”
When she leaned back to gaze up at him, he was overwhelmed by an emotion he had been afraid to name. Looking down at her, he was no longer afraid to say it. “Alys, I love you.”
Her eyes widened, and her lush mouth curved into a grin. “I love you, too.”
“Good thing since we just got married,” Swift teased before capturing her lips in a loving kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers. “We’re going to be parents.”
“We are.” She kissed him this time, pressing her lips to his and clutching his shoulders. She whimpered as his hands slid down her back to grasp her bottom, and she made no protest as he walked her back toward the table. His intent was clear. He wanted her, right now, right here.
But a knock at the door drove them apart.
She smiled sheepishly up at him as the knocking continued, this time accompanied by a voice. “Swift?”
He registered the sound of Orion’s voice and turned away from Alys in concern. The admiral wouldn’t be knocking on the door to hurry them out of the room and to the reception. No, if he was knocking, it was something important.
As soon as he opened the door and got a look at the admiral’s face, Swift knew their plans for a casual reception with friends hosted by Vicious and Hallie had been scuttled. “Sir?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Swift.” The admiral kept his gaze fixed on Swift, ignoring Alys and her mussed hair and swollen lips. “There’s been an urgent message from the outpost near Alys’ farm. Her mother is very sick, and her brother has requested that Alys come as soon as possible to see their mother before....” The admiral didn’t finish the thought. “There’s a transport scheduled to leave in an hour. I’ve asked them to wait for you, but you should hurry and pack what you need.”