Marked in a Vision (25 page)

“Emily,” he began, “I never thought I would find someone like you who loves me unconditionally.  You make me smile when I least expect to, or when I am just having a bad day.  I love you more than I could ever say in words.”  Emily dropped her hand and smiled at him as pleasure made her eyes shine brightly.

“Would you do me the honor of marrying me?” he asked as he dropped to knee on the ground opening up the ring box.  Emily looked at him in stunned shock for she had not been expecting a proposal and then she looked down at the ring.  She gasped as tears filled her eyes for the ring was beautiful with only one stone in the center, a amber stone, and it was in the shape of heart with two hands clasped on either side of it.

She looked up at him with stunned filled eyes, but there was excitement in them that made Jay catch is breath.

“Yes,” she breathed, “I will marry you, Jay Caine.  I love you, too.”  He slid the ring on her finger and he was amazed that it fit because he had not gotten her size for the ring before
he
ordered it.  He stood swiftly to his feet as he pulled her into a deep,
but sweet kiss that was more accurate than any wo
rds.

He pulled back so that he could put a hand in his other pocket to pull out the necklace and Emily looked at in awe.

“It resembles are mate mark,” she said softly and he nodded his head as he put
it
on for her.

He adjusted it so that it sat low on her neck where the dress r
evealed most of their mate mark.

“The jewel matches the jewel in your ring.  I want everyone to know that you are my mate,” Jay said his voice full of pride in her for being his mate.

Emily looked at him with tears in her eyes and she raised one hand, the hand with her ring, to play with the necklace.  “Thank you,” she whispered leaning up to kiss him.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and was leading her out of the room when he asked, “For what?”

Her answer was instant,
“For loving me.”  He stopped
and turned her around to kiss her not caring that Mark and Sasha were standing right there.

“For the rest of my days,” he said soft enough for ears to hear and she blushed.

“Are you ready?” Mark said noting the blush and his eyes twinkled with humor.

Sasha squealed as she pounced on Emily, “You look gorgeous.”
“So do you,” Emily said with a smile as she looked at her sister.  Sasha was dressed in a flowing green gown
that
had no straps but cupped her breasts and flowed down until it reached her thighs before it flair out.

“Let’s get the show over with it,” Jay said teasingly and Mark threw a punch at him as they walked down the stairs heading for the backyard where the actual ceremony would take place.

Downstairs
, their parents were standing
next to the unlit fireplace when
Victoria
walked into the room.  They had been talking with other members of the pack as she walked up to them in an elaborate dress that revealed more than it covered.

She had a satisfied smile on her lips as she greeted them.

“Alpha, Alpha Female,” she said bowing her head in respect although she ignored Stacy and Jacob who looked at her narrowly.

“
Victoria
,” Cass said coldly and
Victoria
smiled at her although there was a look of triumphant in her eyes that Cass would love to destroy.

Then Arnold and Eve arrived and Cass smiled as they made their way over to them.

“Jay told me he invited you, Alpha Arnold,” Stan said with a smile.

Victoria
narrowed her eyes as she asked sweetly, “When did you finally get the position,
Arnold
?”
“After I met Eve,”
Arnold
replied politely before he turned his attention back to the others.

“You remember my mate Cass,
Arnold
, and this is Jacob and Stacy Jackson,” Stan continued when he turned back to them.

Arnold
smiled as he said, “Nice to meet you and this is my mate, Eve Shaw.”

“Uncle Jacob, Aunt Stacy,” Eve whispered her eyes huge in her face which fil
led with tears as they pulled her into their arms
.

“I am going to kill those young ladies because they did not tell us that you were his mate,” Stacy remarked as
Victoria
looked on in astonishment.

She frowned in confusion before she asked waspishly, “Where is Jay?”
They turned to look at her as Eve stepped away from Stacy and back to Arnold who grabbed her hand.

“He will be here soon,” Stan answered.

Arnold
had a question in his mind but Stan just looked at him and he knew the answer
to it.  He had been friends with Jay a
longer time than he knew
Victoria
so he knew what his friend was thinking of even if they had not talked for a long time.

Someone came over to Stan and said with a smile, “We are ready, Alpha Stan.”

Stan smiled clapping him on the back, “So let’s go meet your future Alpha and Alpha Female.”  They all smiled as they followed them out of the house to the backyard where the ceremony was going to be held.  Stan smiled for the only person going to be surprised was
Victoria
, the rest of the pack knew who was going to be the future
Alpha
and they accepted it because in their minds they were still getting both.

Victoria
smiled as she followed them out to the backyard although the smile dropped as she saw Jay with his arm wrapped around the human’s waist and she strolled towards them.

“Jay,” she cooed as she reached them glaring at Emily who only looked at her before turning her attention back to where Stan and Cass were taking their place on a makeshift platform.
 

Then
Victoria
said sharply, “Jay, now that I am here you do not need the substitute.”

She did not realize
that she was attracting a crowd until Stan said with complete authority, “
Victoria
the ceremony is about to begin.”

She nodded her head as she stood next to Jay sliding a hand through his arm.

Jay did not shake her arm off his, but his arm tightened more on Emily’s waist to draw her closer to him and his fingers clasped her side in his rage at what
Victoria
had called her.

You are no substitute
he told her through the mate link.  He felt her hand settle on his at her waist and her heard her whispered reply,
I know am not.  Remember, I am wearing
y
our ring.

Looking down, he noticed that the hand she had clasped his with and her ring glinted from the lights.  He smiled as he moved his fingers lightly so that her fingers slid it through his at her waist.  He turned his attention back to his dad more relaxed now.

Victoria
,
not noticing the interaction, smiled thinking she knew the reason for his sudden relaxation as she looked towards Stan and her future.

“We are gathered
here today,” Stan began with Cass next to him, “to pass on the leadership of our pack to the next Alpha.  I have enjoyed my time as your Alpha, but it is my time to step down and let my sons take over for me.  I have faith in them to lead the pack with strength and respect.  I also have faith in the mates that were chosen for them to help and continue with our l
egacy.”  There was clapping as
he finished and he smiled as he raised a hand to quiet them down.

“My sons step forward, please,” he asked.

There was a murmur through the crowd as Jay stepped forward with an arm wrapped around Emily while
Victoria
was clinging to his other arm.

Eve
Arnold said through their link.

Don’t worry I am prepared although I don’t think we will need it
she replied back to him.  He nodded his head as they focused on what was going on.

“My eldest son, Jay,” Stan said.

“Yes father,” he replied holding his gaze.

“You have asked that I pass the Alpha position to your brother.  Do you still want to do that?” he asked him.

Victoria
gasped at what he said and her nails bit into Jay’s arm to gain his attention, but he ignored her.

“I still do,” Jay confirmed.

Stan nodded his head, “Then I will ask your mate the same
questions for you both have
to agree.
” 
Victoria
relaxed as she realized without her agreement then Mark cannot be Alpha.  She waited for the question and when it came, she was dumbfounded.

“Emily Jackson, as Jay’s mate, do you agree with his decision?” Stan said turning to Emily.

Emily said clearly, “I agree with his decision, sir.”

Stan nodded his head although his eyes were smiling, “Mark, as your brother has passed on the Alpha position to you, do you accept it?”

“I do,” Mark said and he felt power go through at his confirmation.

Stan smiled this time fully
, “Sasha, as the next Alpha Female, do you accept your mate’s decision?”

Sasha took a deep breathe and knowing that Emily was smiling with encouragement along with her parents; she said clearly, “I do.” As with Mark, she felt the power go through her along with all the th
oughts of all the pack members.

“Let me present your new Alpha and Alpha Female,” he declared throughout the yard as
Victoria
stared around her in stunned
silence
at what just happened.  Her hand dropped away from Jay as Mark pulled him forward along with Emily as the applause welcoming the new Alpha and Alpha Female died down.

Mark said loudly, “First order of business before we enjoy the rest of the night.  Jay, will you accept the position of my second-in-command?  Will you be my Beta?”

Jay smiled as Emily giggled, “I accept, Alpha.”

They all laughed as
Victoria
vibrated with anger.  She would wait though until the party ended before she tackled Stan about what happened.

The party lasted for a few more hours until everyone decided to head home except the one
s
who stayed in th
e pack house although it was
only few unmated males.  Jay had asked Arnold and Eve to stay and they were sitting around talking with them as their parents sat near the open doors leading to the garden.

Victoria
came strolling in to stand in the middle of the room, “Alpha, I need to speak with you.”

Mark stepped forward, but she ignored him as she stared at Stan.

“What can I do for you, Victoria?” Stan said as everyone stared at her.

“I feel that I should let you know that you have been deceived,”
Victoria
said bluntly.

Stan raised an eyebrow at her as the others looked at her in amazement, “Really,
Victoria
?  How was I deceived as you put it?”

“I am Jay’s true mate,”
Victoria
said confidently.  “As his true mate, I do not a
ccept his decision to give up the Alpha position
to his brother.”

“True mate!” Mark scoffed. 

Victoria
ignored him as she smiled at Stan, “Jay knows this to be true although I am surprised that you allowed him to proclaim a human as his mate.”

“
Victoria
,” Stan said tensely and she smiled thinking she had won that she did not hear the note of anger in his voice.

“Did Jay mark you?” Stan asked suddenly.  Everyone looked at him in confusion for they knew the answer to that question.

Victoria
tossed her hair over her shoulder as she answered demurely, “No, he wanted to wait until tonight.”

“I see,” Stan said slowly, “Jay, do you know what would have happened if you had not marked your mate before the ceremony tonight?”

“Of course,” Jay said with a smile.  “She would have no say in whether or not I accepted or passed up the decision.”

There was complete silence at his words.  Then Stan said to
Victoria
, “So you see,
Victoria
, even if you were his mate, you would not have been able to deny his decision because you are not marked by him.  Only marked mates can give their vote in such a ceremony.”

“But…”
Victoria
said looking at them.  Then she noticed what she did not before.  Emily’s dress showed where her mate mark began as the rest was hidden by her dress
.

Her face screwed in anger, “You marked her as your mate, Jay, a human.  Why would you want that worthless female compared to me, a she-wolf?”