The Isle (Chronicles of the Irish Princess Book 1)

Every girl dreams of the perfect wedding. She has the perfect guy, her prince charming and the dress. Her hair is all done up and she looks like a million dollars. When the ceremony starts, the venue she spent months getting lined up and hours with her bridal team decorating, is filled with close friends and family. All of them ready to witness and share their joys with the bride and groom. She is standing outside the doors waiting with her father trying to hold back all the tears as she listens to the music. There's a tissue tucked in her bouquet that will eventually be soaked with the same tears that she's holding in.

My special day began just the same as anyone else would think. Everything was perfect. My family was there, Kai's family was there. All of our guests and the other packs were gathered in the Great Hall. My hair was done up, with curls flowing and my veil in place. The Hall was draped in beautiful white lace linens. There are lilies and baby's breath flooding the air with a sweet flowery aroma. I was ready to marry my prince.

Like everyone else I am hoping and expecting my big day to go like any other wedding. My father takes my arm as we hear the music begin. When the doors opened, everyone stood and looked back at me, my eyes were on Kai. Tears still at bay, we began our decent to my future husband. He stood at the other end of the aisle, my light at the end of the tunnel. None of us expected it all to come to a halt. I never made it down the aisle. My father never gave me away, because of my mother. My uninvited, possessed and completely deranged mother, who somehow got past all the guards and into a seat. She had been well hidden right behind a photographer at the end of a row.

I saw Kai's face turn wide and white and the scene began to unfold in slow motion. Before we could stop her, my mother had come up behind us reached around my father's neck and slit it open from one side to the other. Many people screamed as my father reached up and applied pressure to the wound. But it was already to late. Blood pooled at our feet and my once pure white gown was now dyed red. I reached out just in time to catch my father's now lifeless body before it could hit the marble floor.

"PAPA, look at me. Open your eyes. Dad?" I shook him my voice cracking. "Daddy, please. Please come back."

Malakai had come next to me as I began to come to terms with what had just transpired. He was dead, my father was dead. My eyes spilled over with tears of anger and regret and every other emotion one feels with death. I raised my head ready to cry out. I wanted my mother dead, and the whole Isle was about to know it. All hell would freeze over before I let her get away.

"FIND HER," my voice bellowed clearly ringing out with the power I possessed, which was now being fueled by my emotions.

I sat there holding my father's body listening to the sound of guards, wolves and even some guests making their way out of the hall and across the grounds in search of my mother. All of the other guests were escorted to various rooms of the castle that had already been secured. I could feel my aunt kneeling before me. Another sob racked though me as her hand rested on my shoulder.

"Leah, we need to move him. We can't stay here like this. Please sweetheart, let the doctors take him."

Emotionless for the first time in my life, I let them take my father from me a second time. The blood on my arms and face had dried. Kai lifted me off the ground and swooped me up in his arms. My eyes still closed, I buried my face in his shoulder as he carried me across the castle. I could feel others, Luca and Sarah, Oran, Gran, Queen Arianna and Chief. After a few moments I was placed on a soft surface. I realized as Kai sat next to me that it was a couch. Opening my eyes, I found myself in my father's office which had become Luca's over the last few weeks. It was where we often met to discuss battle strategies. I looked to my brother, then Sarah, who was kneeling in front of me with some tissues and a damp rag. I took the rag from her using it to take the blood off my hands and arms.

I looked next to my aunt who stood behind the desk. She looked like a warrior who had been told to suit up for battle. She looked strong and ready for a fight. Gran came up to me with a cup of Lavender and honey tea. Handing it to me she kissed my head and sat next to Chief.

Oran stepped forth and turned to Luca, "From the moment the King gave his last breath, Luca became the Price Regent. Until there is an official ceremony, he will remain the Price Regent. However, he is the acting King, with myself, Chief and Emilia as his advisors."

"What do we do now? Declare war on my mother? On Aideen? How do we go forth from this moment?"

"War? Luca, our father is dead no less than and hour and you want to talk war." I stammered through my emotions.

He looked at me, "Yes, Leah. Because like it or not, we are at war with someone. That someone murdered our father to start this war. To take the throne and overthrow everything we stand for. I want to mourn him and we will, properly. But first we need to get our troops in order. Most importantly we need to secure this castle. We are on lockdown as of this very moment."

I watched through tear-filled eyes as my brother stormed out of the room with two guards, Moriarty and Scott headed for the security office. When the door slammed behind them the tears let loose again. Malakai pulled me to him protecting me from everything around us that seemed to be falling apart.

"Leah," Aunt Em spoke softly. "We need to complete the bonding ceremony."

"Emilia, it can wait until morning." Kai's voice was sharp.

"No, Kai, she's right. We need to finish this. If things are going to get worse and I'm certain they will. Then I can't spend one more night unbonded to you. We need to complete this. No, it's not how it was supposed to go, but Kai. I love you, and I'm not going another day without being completely yours."

He sighed, he knew I was right. He knew Emilia was too. My life was at stake unbonded to my mate. The people were looking to us. If we moved this because of my father, how would that make us look. Not weak obviously. But I knew we couldn't start a war, not one so big, without each other. With a nod he finally agreed and followed me out and back to the hall. Oran had come back to check on things, to investigate. We stopped just outside the doors Kai pulling me back.

"Leah, we don't have to do this. You should grieve, your father just died her not hours ago."

"Kai, if there is anything that I've learned over my last few months here. It is that royals do not get the same luxuries that the people do. We will grieve, we will give my father the burial he deserves. But I am not going to sit here and cry and put off my life. I am not going to give that bitch have more time to prepare herself and make more plans against my people. My father knew that today would be his last on this Earth. He told me so this morning, he also told me that he was ready. My premonition about his death came true. War has begun. We are stronger together, remember. He told us that."

"Okay."

Kai took my hand as we entered the hall. There was still a slight stain on the floor from where my father was killed. I took a deep breath and kept walking past it. I looked up to Oran as he sat on his throne. That was going to belong to Kai soon. I watched the old man as we came up to him. He was lost in thought, no doubt still thinking about my father.

"Sir," Kai spoke softly. "We need you to help us complete the ceremony please."

"Right. Leah are you sure that you don't want to wait until morning?"

"Positive."

"Have you brought the rings?"

I looked to Kai.

"Luca still has them."

"Well, you didn't think that you two were going to do this without us did you?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Luca, Sarah and many of the packs walking back into the Great Hall. Everyone found a seat and got settled. Luca and Sarah walked up the stairs hand in hand standing on either side of us. Then Luca reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the rings Kai and I had picked out only a month ago. With a smile he handed the rings over to Oran and looked at Kai.

"Man, you are my best friend, please do not screw this up."

That got the crowd to laugh. Once we all settled, Oran looked at me once more. "This may be a bit different than what you are used to Princess."

"I'm ready, My King."

With a nod he motioned for the two of us to face each other. Naturally we took each other's hands and stared into each other's eyes. Instantly, I got lost in them. I could hear everything Oran was saying, but my body, my brain they were acting apart from me. It felt as if I was watching it all play out in front of me.

"Do you Leah, take Malakai to live together, fighting side by side, until death takes you from this earth?"

"I do," I smiled, unable to contain it.

"Do you Malakai "White Wolf" take Leah, to live together, fighting side by side until death takes you from this earth?"

"I do."

Then Oran gave us each the other's ring and we exchanged them. He bound our hands in the traditional Irish fashion of hand fasting. He said a small blessing over it and kept us bound.

"Leah, if you'd repeat after me please."

"I Leah, take you Malakai, to be my husband, through every storm, every calm, everything in between. I take you to be my protector, lover, friend and partner. Forever, until death takes us from this earth." I mouthed the words "I love you" after and smiled at him.

Oran turned to Kai who repeated the same words I had said just moments before. Then we slid our hands out of the knot each grabbing an end and pulling it tight. Everyone around us began to clap as Oran pronounced us married to the congregation. Before he could even get out the words, Kai's lips were on mine. Our guests went off to get drinks while we signed our marriage license. Then it was completely official. For the first time I had officially signed my name as Leah Jeffers. It was a little awkward, as for once it wasn't on a lined piece of paper I was trying to hide from Luca.

"Do you still want to do dinner with everyone?"

"Yes, but not in this dress. I have a spare I was had as a back up."

He nodded, "Then why don't we go finish this real quick."

"You mean?"

Again he nodded and I noticed is fangs had already begun to protrude on their own. I realized then how important it was for his wolf to claim me as well, and now that we were married, there was nothing stopping his wolf from taking over.

"Sarah, we'll be back. I'm going to go change. Please have them start appetizers."

"Sure thing sweetie, but do come back. I can tell right now your brother may be deciding to drink a little heavy."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled at her. "We will."