Annie had been gone for three months. Her absence was still felt keenly by all those who had known her. Old Henry, Sienna perversely called him that as that was how Annie had referred to her sire, pointed to her leaving as a failing on Zak’s part. It wasn’t true. Annie’s leaving had little to do with anything that had happened since the clan at Akiak had splintered. Although she missed Annie every day, today her absence was especially notable. For today she and Zak were having their bonding ceremony.

Many shifters had switched to just having weddings like their human counterparts, but for some—it seemed especially prevalent in bears—the old tradition of handfasting had remained the joining ceremony of choice. Sienna supposed it stemmed from a time when humans and shifters had lived together—each knowing about the other. And while shifters still knew about humans, the same could not be said about the majority of humans knowing about shifters.

For Sienna, handfasting was a ceremony that symbolized the binding of two lives. Many clans had bindings that were centuries or even millennia old. She and Zak had briefly discussed asking to borrow Akiak’s bindings but had quickly eschewed the idea as they wanted nothing from Akiak. The bindings were used to tie the hands of the two people being joined. As theirs was a new clan, Zak found a local weaver who created a silken cord that reflected the color of the aurora borealis. He then found a carver who created a box made of carved soapstone in which the clan would keep and preserve the cord for generations to come.

Bears most often included a ‘blood of my blood’ ritual where a ceremonial dagger was used to draw blood from the left palm of the individuals. The two being joined then clasped each other’s left hand before the officiant bound their hands together.

There were still special dresses, people close to the couple who ‘stood up’ with them and a huge celebration that followed the handfasting, but for Sienna the actual ceremony held the most significance. She’d been forced into a pair bonding to a bear she loathed and had refused to be marked by him in any way, so they’d simply had a wedding. Kurt had insisted to everyone that it was his choice to bring that clan into the twenty-first century.

Zak and Sienna’s ceremony had been planned, announced and invitations sent. They’d chosen to send two special ‘invitations.’ The first was to Old Henry who was told he was not welcome at their ceremony and would be barred by whatever means necessary. The second they had done at sunset, surrounded by those that were forming the new clan. They had taken one of their hand-calligraphied wedding invitations, set it afire and let the wind catch the embers taking them out over the ocean to be taken to Annie wherever she might be.

Sienna pressed her fingers against her eyes. She had vowed she would cry nothing but happy tears this day, and she knew she would have Annie’s blessing about that. She often felt Annie’s presence in their lives and continued to believe that someday Annie would return to them.

People were gathering and the ceremony was about to take place. It was important to Sienna that this bonding ceremony be radically different than the one she had been forced into with Kurt. She had freely chosen Zak—well as much free choice as there could be in a fated mate situation. She wanted the handfasting ceremony complete with the ritual bloodletting. She had also refused to allow anyone to walk her down the aisle. Sienna wanted to make the point that she had chosen to be with Zak and that she gave herself freely to him. That had caused tears to form in the big bold alpha bear’s eyes. For a badass he had a decidedly romantic side.

She took a final look in the mirror. The dress she had chosen was a romantic lace A-line with long sleeves. It was exquisite with beautiful all-over floral lace. It had covered button detail both at the wrists of the sleeves and down the back. Underneath the lace was a semi-sheer, strapless bodice with a sweetheart neckline and corset boning to make the most of her figure. Its beaded floral details sparkled in the Alaskan sun. The rest of the dress was a whimsical mix of frothy tulle and lace that finished in a full skirt with a cathedral train.

Sienna had left her long, curly hair down, with two small braids drawing it back from her face. Zak had gifted her with a pair of earrings from his mother. The night after she was murdered, Zak, Derek and Annie had all stolen into their mother’s bedroom and taken a keepsake. Zak had chosen an exquisite pair of shimmering diamond dangle earrings that had been in his mother’s family for hundreds of years.

There was a quiet knock on the cottage door before Derek stepped inside. “I had thought to make a crack about you still had time to choose the better brother…”

She grinned at him. “I already did.”

Derek, to whom she had become so close, said, “I was kind of afraid you were going to say that. I will say my brother is a lucky sonofabitch. You are gorgeous and he doesn’t deserve you, but then I’m not sure I would find anyone who was truly worthy of you. Suffice it to say, I’m glad you have chosen to join our family and help us build this new clan. Are you sure you don’t want me to walk down the aisle with you?”

Sienna hugged Derek. “I appreciate that you want to more than I can say, but no. I want to make sure everyone, even those in Colorado, knows this is something I am choosing to do of my own free will.”

“Zak said that’s what you would say, but I wanted to offer.”

“And I love you just a bit more for doing it. Would you mind carrying my train until I get to the aisle?”

Derek bowed in what should have been a sarcastic manner, but which instead showed the gravity of his emotions. “It would be my honor, Milady.”

She shook her head. Neither she nor Zak were big on honorariums. “Then let’s get this show on the road.”

They had chosen to get bonded in the late afternoon as the sun was setting and Nicole Wells, who had gained a reputation as one of Alaska’s premier event planners, had strung small twinkling lights throughout the lighthouse compound  to come on as the light began to fade. They had tested them the night before and the effect had been magical.

Derek followed her out to the aisle where all she could see was Zak with his spellbinding eyes waiting for her at the other end. She could hear their guests stand, but for Sienna the world had collapsed until all she could see was Zak waiting for her. Derek lowered her train to the ground, arranged it so it would follow her and then backed away so he could go join his brother as best man.

A Celtic harpist had been among those invited and a live Irish folk band engaged to play for the reception. As the first notes were plucked on the harp, Sienna let go of all the baggage from her past. It had no place in this new life she was creating with Zak. It was time for it to be on its own and fade beyond the horizon with the setting sun.

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