The moment Emily heard Klaus utter the word "marriage," she froze, and for ten seconds, her mind went blank.
"Are you surprised?" Klaus's hands were like steel around Emily's waist, and he brought his mouth close to her ear.
"Have you forgotten our agreement?"
When Emily regained her composure, she took a deep breath and pretended to be calm.
"Looks like you didn't take my words to heart at all," Klaus said, releasing his grip, leaning back casually, and pretending to consider.
"Maybe I should break my promise to you."
Emily shook her head quickly, unconsciously grasping Klaus's wrist, hoping he wouldn't change his mind.
It was impossible to jump out of the car and run now, and there was no other option. Emily thought to herself.
She remembered that Nancy had mentioned in a phone conversation with Katherine that the ceremony would take place within a week of their arrival in the North, and she had thought there would be time to escape, but as it stood, there was no turning back.
Once the wedding took place, she would be his mate. That was a fact that could not be changed. Emily had to accept it.
Emily opened Klaus's palm and traced the word "remember" with her fingers. When she saw that Klaus was indifferent, she traced the words "I do" again.
When Emily's fingers touched Klaus's palm, he felt a slight electric current spreading from the center of his palm throughout his body. It was something he had never felt before, so despite himself, he pressed Emily's hand in return.
Emily, startled by his action, looked at Klaus slightly bewildered, but this time she didn't struggle.
Through her sunglasses, Emily couldn't see any expression on Klaus's face, but she could sense the intense possessiveness emanating from him.
The car slowly came to a stop, and Mark opened the door and said to Klaus, "Here we are."
Klaus released Emily's hand and stepped out of the car. By this time, night had fallen, and the full moon hung high in the sky, its white light illuminating the paths in the woods.
Mark led them deeper into the woods. Emily noticed a flicker of light a little way ahead, and when they reached their destination, she saw candles arranged in a circle on the grass, each with flames dancing in the wind.
A gray-haired priest stood in the center of the candles, dressed in voluminous priestly robes and wearing a silver chain with a moon pendant hanging from his chest. He looked gravely at Emily and Klaus and gestured for them to come forward.
Woods, moonlight, candlelight—it was the traditional werewolf wedding ceremony.
"Let's go." Klaus's voice was deep.
Emily hesitated for a moment before stepping into the candlelight. She and Klaus stood face to face on either side of the priest. The clergyman coughed twice and then announced that the ceremony was about to begin.
"Great Moon Goddess, today I am here to witness the union of two newlyweds. Though they were not each other's original mates, fate has bound them together. They have both volunteered to be each other's Mate of Choice." The priest said in a loud voice.
Emily's heart ached when she heard the priest speak of the original mate. She was not Klaus's original mate, and she would never meet the mate she was destined to be.
Because she had lost her wolf, she had also lost her destined mate.
"Klaus Camille, do you accept Emily Fox as your mate?"
"I, Klaus Camille, am willing to take Emily Fox as my mate," Klaus said calmly.
The priest turned to look at Emily and asked, "Emily Fox, do you accept Klaus Camille to be your mate?"
Emily could not speak; she looked imploringly at the priest. So the priest whispered in her ear, "Just nod if you want."
Emily nodded slightly, her head down, not looking at Klaus. The ceremony felt so basic and almost surreal to her.
"I now declare you officially married, and the groom can now mark the bride," the priest said.
As the priest spoke, Emily suddenly looked up at Klaus, and once he marked her, it meant that she belonged to him.
Nervous, Emily's hands gripped the hem of her wedding dress as she fixed her eyes on Klaus, but all she could see were the black sunglasses on his face. Until now, she had never even seen him in his true form.
Klaus's body trembled as he approached Emily, and Klaus's hand ran up Emily's back, pulling her hair back from the nape of her neck. Then, he laid the palm of his hand on the side of Emily's neck.
Emily's breathing began to quicken and her heart to beat faster.
"Take it easy, it'll be fine soon," he soothed her tenderly.