Hale: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance (22 page)

Tori slipped into her professional role, directing every one and making sure they knew what was expected of them. She took one more look into the field and sighed with happiness as she looked around. It was a scene from a dream. One that Lorali had locked in her head. Together they made this dream come true and she was glad to be a part of it.

The waterfall was set up giving the field an exotic island look. Hale had been replaced as best man. Dante insisted the best man must be unmated. He would need to provide protection to the maid of honor, who stood there with all the patience of a five year old. She was beautiful with her smooth brown skin and a head full of ballies making her flowing curls stay in place.

Lorali introduced the young lady as Amber. She and Sergey met Amber when they were running from the military personnel who were hunting Lorali. Lorali said a purple quilt brought them together, before giving Amber a wink that caused her to giggle.

Tori had immediately been impressed with her intelligence and taken back with her deep calmness. Amber would scare people because she was so different from most children, instead she earned Tori’s heart immediately.

When they were alone Tori asked Lorali why she choose someone so young to be her brides maid. Lorali replied with a laugh, ‘Dante.’ Then she went on to say she was having a hard time choosing from one of her new sisters when she wished they could all be the matron of honor. On night at dinner Dante mentioned she might want to think of having a maid of honor instead of a matron. That made her think of Amber, it just felt right to her.

Dante’s brothers were seated throughout the crowd. The employees from Dare securities where there along with a group of women who had been targeted by the tainted Created and many more. In the end it was probably the General along with several other dignitaries who took her breath away. One was the prince of a country she never heard of. Tori realized the Dares were a powerful family who wanted nothing more than to be left alone to live and love. She made the right choice when she chose, Hale.

It was time for Lorali to shine.

Aran was waiting when Lorali finally walked into view. Tori was holding her train and talking softly to her.

Lorali took a deep breath and placed her hand on the crook of Aran’s arm and slayed the butterflies that were refusing to die. This was just a formality she already had everything she needed in her mate.

“Are you ready?”

Was she ready? She looked out into the crowd. The number of colleagues and friends she had amazed her. Both Military and civilians were here to see her pledge her undying love to Sergey. She watched as an actual King bent over to kiss his daughter on the head reminding her of how she met Sergey.

She looked at Aran, then looked at the beautiful trained spread out behind her.

“Yes. I have a mate to marry.”

“You have a mate who can’t wait to marry you.” Aran agreed with her.

“I’m ready,” Lorali responded to Tori.

Tori gave the cue for the music and Lorali took her first step towards her future.

Everything faded away except for Sergey as he stood at the end of the aisle waiting for her. He was dressed in a black tux she was dying to slowly remove from his body with her teeth. He stood at military attention as he watched her slowly coming down the aisle towards him. She could feel the beat of her hear quickening with each step she took. She was finally doing it, she was marrying her Prince Charming, the man she dreamed of as a child.

Flashes of a future with him ran before her eyes as she blinked fast trying not to let tears of joy flow. He changed her life and she changed his. For better or worse she whispered to herself as Aran turned her over to her mate and soon to be husband.

She looked up into Sergey’s eyes as the minister started the ceremony. Listening with half and ear she focused on Sergey. He switched from the stance of attention to at ease as she stood beside him. A sign only for her letting her know he had nothing to hide when around her.

The minister led them through the traditional vows to love, honor and obey. Then he announced they would add on their own vows.

“Sergey,” Lorali’s love filled voice rang loud. “I vow to love each side of you and to never shy away from you. I will always have you in my heart and will follow you wherever you choose to go both on land and in space. Sergey your acceptance of me has humbled me. Your love has become my rock. I promise my heart to you for all eternity; I am proud to become Mrs. Sergey Dare.

“Lorali,” Sergey’s strong voice reverberated through the field. “I vow to love and protect you. I will always be there for you. I will protect the children we conceive and provide for them as I provide for you. Lorali, you taught my heart what it meant to love. Without you I would still be lost. You brought both joy and peace into my life, I am proud to say I am the husband of Lorali Dare.

Forget the makeup, a big fat tear rolled down her face.

“Lorali,” the minister’s voice rang out. “Do you take this male to be your husband?”

“I do.”

“Sergey, do you take this female to be your wife?”

“I do.”

“The rings.”

Ash reached besides him and picked up a delicate pillow that held two rings. He handed Sergey Lorali’s ring.

Reaching out, Sergey took Lorali’s hand slipping on the gold band onto her finger.

Ash reached over and handed Lorali the other ring.

She took Sergey’s hand letting her fingers caress his before slipping the gold ring on his finger. Anyone who glanced at his hand would know he was taken, just the way he wanted it.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Sergey slowly reached down to gasp the edge of her veil. He allowed his fingers to caress the lacey material. She watched feeling nervousness spread through her body. She’d kissed him thousands of times, but this time would be special. The start of the rest of their lives. Her tongue came out to lick at her dry lips as she slowly lifted the veil revealing her as Mrs. Dare for the first time.

After agonizing minutes she was finally free from the veil. He lowered his head and took her lips in a breathless kiss that sealed their future together. Reluctantly they broke apart and turned to the crowd.

“May I introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Dare.” The minster’s voice rang loud with happiness. The guests cheered.

They walked down the aisle to well wishes and hopes for many children as well as a long life together. Lorali smiled knowing she would have all of that and more.

“Pictures,” a voice called. Lorali took Sergey’s hand and led him towards the fountain. “Every wedding needs pictures,” she told him.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Yaksim dropped the force field and a dark shadow covered the stadium. He had watched as the vows were said. Crude, but it got the job done. He had patiently hid as they laughed, danced and had fun. It reminded him of the things he once enjoyed on his planet. The more he watched the more his hands started to shake. In his mind, he could see Brie – the female who should have been his - looking up at him with pride gleaming in her big eyes. Then they came.

She always believed in him, backing him up in any issue. Until that child was born. She was captivated from the very beginning by that one. How she could bring herself to touch it and to let it touch her was beyond his advanced logic. Not that it mattered, once he killed this one and his family he would go after Brie. There would be no one left for her but him.

Bitter laughter left his lips as he watched the humans panic. He would kill them also, just because he could. There would be a massacre today, a warning to the planet that life was about to change.

He shook his head in disgust when Dante and his brothers began to gather the humans. It didn’t matter, he was going to kill them all. He jumped over the balcony and landed on the field directly across from Aran. He would kill him first, maybe he would kill him several times just for fun.

“Aran.”

“Scientist.”

“The name’s Yaksim. Are you afraid to say it? Do you still fear me? Does my programming still affect your tiny brain?”

“Humility was never your strong suit…Yaksim.”

The stadium was filled with deep growls as Aran met the challenge head on and defied the scientist.

“Kneel before me, Aran.” Yaksim voice was confident.

His name would trigger latent programs that not even Nicolas or Dante could find. His confidence grew as he saw Aran struggling not to move. Maybe he would have Aran kill his mate and child before he killed him. The crack in his mind the one he tried to fight at times, was growing bigger. He liked the feel of it.

“I said kneel, Aran.” His voice echoed in the silence of the stadium.

Dante and his brothers took the humans to safety even though they could only go so far due to the force field.

Aran’s eyes had been glued to his mate and their son. Now he turned his eyes to Yaksim and slowly walked to stand before him. The force field around him would only allow Aran to get so close.

He lifted his head and looked him squarely in the eyes. “No. If you want me to bow then you will have to be strong enough to make it happen. Your latent programs were broken by my beautiful mate and my small son.”

Aran stood tall before him waiting for his next move. Yaksim directed his force field at him. It met Aran’s energy field, the one that he had years to perfect. He went flying backwards as Aran stood tall.

“I will kill you all.”

He bounded to his feet taking off at a run.

“Ash. Chase him down and bring him to me.”

Ash took off at a run after the tainted Created. There was a struggle. Aran watched as they fought over a weapon of mass destruction. One wrong move by either of them would kill everyone in the stadium.

Aran walked over to his mate and son gathering them in his arms. He ignored the look of his brothers each of whom wanted to be the one fighting with the tainted one. They would not understand why he chose Ash over them, not that it mattered. It was his call.

The tainted Created caught Ash unaware knocking him to his back; he used the weapon to press down on Ash’s windpipe. Ash’s energy shield was still protecting him, keeping Yaksim from doing any real damage. Wrapping his legs around Yaksim, he used his heavier body to flip their positions. He sprang up and retreated before Yaksim could grab him.

Ash would have to find a way to infiltrate Yaksims force field. He looked around for something that would indicate it was producing the energy. The Scientist was not generating an internal field that he was pushing outwards to protect himself. The energy had been cold when he touched it.

Aran watched and ignored his brothers who were demanding the opportunity to go in and kill Yaksim.

They circled each other as Ash looked for his weak spot. He had to have one. The kick Yaksim used knocked him in his knee causing him to fall to the ground. Ash hit the ground with a hard thud that rocked his energy field, leaving him without protection.

Ash gave up as the scientist covered his body with his arm cutting off his air supply. Yaksim roared his victory, turning he gave Aran a gloating look. Ash brought his arm up and around Yaksim’s back grabbing the small generator that was nestled in the small of it. He had almost missed it. He allowed Yaksim’s foot to connect after he caught a glimpse of it.

The force field disappeared causing Yaksim to roar out in fury. Ash quickly turned the tables, flipping him over while changing forms and wrapping his deadly claws around Yaksim’s throat.

Ash’s beast kept the scientist under control as he lifted him and marched him back to face Aran.

“I will just come back for you when you’re not paying attention. You will never be free of me.”

“Freedom is easy to achieve. All I need to do is kill you,” Aran replied.

“You wouldn’t dare. It’s against your code.”

“We have learned through centuries of warfare that the only way to stop your enemy is to destroy him. We learned that from you, thank you.”

“Who did he kill?” Amber looked up at him.

Aran saw her when she walked in. Dante let her pass so he hadn’t worried about her. She asked to hold Alexei and still had his son in her arms, with a very watchful Rena hovering over her one side, and her mother on her other side.

“He has killed no one, but he has tried several times to kill my brothers and our mates.”

“I understand. You were stronger than him. Why did you send your brother Ash after him?”

He looked down at her again. She had too much knowledge in her eyes for one so young. He could feel the gazes of his brothers burning holes through him.

“We are only as strong as our weakest link. Today I needed everyone to understand we do not have any weak links. Soon a battle will be on our doorstep and we will have to protect the family and the earth. No matter what order you were born, each and every one of you is strong and wise. Ash handled his battle in a way I would not have, but it worked for him. Sergey choose to draw out the enemy he faced. No matter the method it is the one right for you.”

The males relaxed. Dante softly spoke to his brothers after Aran was finished speaking. Aran looked down.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Her small voice reached inside of him. “Will you kill him now?”

He heard that same tone used on him more than once, usually when Rena was trying to patiently show him the error of his ways.

“Does anyone have any other suggestions?” he asked of those gathered around him.

“You’re weak, Aran. You were never meant to lead. Your tw…” Blood gushed from his mouth and he hit the ground.

Aran looked around. No one touched Yaksim.

“My what?” Aran questioned, getting no answer.

“I can offer you a different path,” Dante said quietly. “You can give him to me. He will never be back to harass you again or you can kill him.” He shrugged his shoulders and waited.

Aran looked down at Amber who was still held Alexei. Rena and Amber’s mother were around her showing her again how to hold him. He met Rena’s eyes and saw her belief in him, no matter what he choose.