Kira had known this day was coming since she was fourteen. She'd dreamed about it countless times, but the reality was much different. The guy in her dreams was always some blonde douche bag who looked like he should be in a crappy boy band. He was always a jerk, there were a few dreams that she remembered where he told her she was fat and left her at the altar. Growing up, she thought that she wanted to be a princess on her wedding day. She thought she wanted a huge church wedding, wearing an extravagant gown, and a big, fancy reception. She'd dreamed of her dad walking her down the aisle and sharing a father-daughter dance. If she was going to have an arranged marriage, she wanted to have a wedding that was over-the-top and traditional.
The real wedding, however, was going to be much different. They'd elected to get married outside, at one of the most beautiful parks Kira had ever seen. Walking down the aisle included a flight of stairs, which would make for a lovely entrance, unless she fell, and she was worried she would. The ceremony was going to be short and sweet, they were going to have a simple meal, and, at Lydia's insistence, a dance.
Kira had spent so much time imagining what her future husband would be like, but she'd never imagined it'd be someone like Derek. She was always worried she'd end up with someone that she hated or someone that hated her. When she was fourteen and found out about the marriage, she'd had a massive crush on the Jonas Brothers and was convinced that the guy she married would look exactly like Nick Jonas. While her idea of the "ideal husband" had changed over the years, Derek was better than anything she could have hoped for. He had all of the attributes shed wanted him to have, he was caring, smart, strong, brave, and funny, but she never knew that she could have such a connection with another person.
From the moment she got into Derek's car, she'd felt a special bond between the two of them. Before she knew that he was the guy she was searching for, the guy she'd been dreaming of, she knew that there was something special about him. They just fit together perfectly, she'd never felt uncomfortable or awkward about him. When he found her hitch hiking, she'd already been on her own for almost a week. She'd spent most of the nights outside, sleeping wherever she could. She'd grown accustomed to waking up alone, somewhere dank and cold, so waking up inn Derek's arms was a pleasant change. He made her feel safe for the first time since she'd left home. He was warm and soft, his voice was smooth and calming. Kira loved listening to his heartbeat and feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath. She knew they would be there for each other, she understood why their parents had arranged for them to be married.
She couldn't believe the day was finally here. Kira took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. She was getting married today. It was the perfect day for an outdoor wedding: sunny with a light breeze, not hot, not cold. She had just stepped into her dress when Lydia came back into the room. "It's almost time to go," Lydia said as she zipped up the dress. "Are you ready?" She offered Kira her hand.
Kira glanced in the mirror one last time before she took Lydia's hand. "Ready," she smiled. She could feel her hands trembling. She didn't know if it was from nerves or excitement, maybe a mixture of the two. She spent the entire drive playing with her dress, her veil, and anything else she could get her hands on. When they got to the park, Kira took a deep breath before she got out of the car. They'd run through everything the night before, but she was still worried she'd trip on the stairs.
"You start walking when the music changes," Lydia reminded Kira, handing her the bouquet before taking her place as the maid of honour.
Kira could feel her heart pounding when Lydia was out of sight. She was ready for this. They were meant to be. Everything would be fine. When the music changed, she sucked in as much air as she could before she started her descent of the stairs. She knew that she should look up and try not to focus on each step, but she couldn't risk falling. When she got to the bottom, she let out the breath she'd unconsciously been holding and looked up.
Derek was the only thing Kira saw when she raised her gaze. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but Derek's were the only ones that mattered. She thought she'd eventually get used to the way her body reacted when he looked at her, or that the reaction would get weaker, but it hadn't. If anything, it had only gotten stronger. He was looking at her like they were the only two people in the world, and, in that moment, they were.
When she reached the end of the aisle, Derek took her hands in his. "You're beautiful," he whispered, squeezing them gently. They didn't break eye contact for the entire service. Kira didn't pay attention to what the Justice of the Peace was saying until it was time for them to say their vows. Before they had even finished saying "You may now kiss the bride," Kira felt Derek's mouth on hers. He tasted like candy, more specifically, blue raspberry Jolly Ranchers. She giggled against his lips and it didn't take long before he was laughing, too.
They took each other's hand and made their exit. When they reached the top of the stairs, Kira wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a warm, passionate kiss. "I really do love you," Derek murmured, his lips brushing hers. "I'm not just pretending because of the prophecy and everything."
"I know," Kira smiled. "I really love you, too." She pressed another kiss to his lips.
"Come on, Mrs. Hale," Derek beamed, "let's go relax for a bit before the reception." He took Kira's hand and led her to the gazebo nearby. He sat down with his legs on the bench and pulled her down onto his lap.
"I wish we weren't having a reception," Kira mumbled, nestling her head into the crook of his neck. "I wish we could just leave for our honeymoon instead."
Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight. "Me too," he said, gently kissing her temple. He smiled when he felt Kira tracing her fingertips along his arm absentmindedly. It was one of the many habits Kira had that Derek loved. He found it calming, her hands seemed to have that effect on him. Whenever he was nervous, worried, stressed, or angry, all she had to do was gently touch his skin and he relaxed. He leaned his head against the cool wood and let his eyes drift shut. He wasn't sure how long they sat there like that before Lydia walked in.
"Hey, lovebirds," Lydia called. "Everyone's waiting for you to start the reception."
"We'll be right there," Kira replied before slowly turning to get up. "C'mon, Derek," she lightly kissed his lips, "let's go." She grabbed his hand and dragged him to his feet.
They casually made their way over to the reception area with their fingers intertwined. People clapped as they took their seats at the head table. Kira thought it was a little bit weird, but they smiled and waved anyway. During dinner, a few of the pack members made toasts and told stories about Derek, which he didn't appreciate as much as Kira did. It was nothing too bad, mostly stories of times he accidentally ran into something or fell over.
When it was time for their first dance, Derek was a little bit nervous. They'd chosen not to do a waltz or any kind of dance that needed actual training. The only practice they'd had was the times they danced around the house, usually while Kira was baking. They had picked one of the songs they danced to frequently and decided it would be best if they were just to wing it. All of his nerves vanished when Kira grinned and pulled him onto the dance floor. She was all he could see in that moment, and he didn't care if he looked ridiculous. She was so confident and carefree, it was infectious.
The evening went by quickly, and before Derek knew it, he and Kira were on a plane to Hawaii. They were spending two weeks at "one of the most romantic resorts in the world," according to the brochure. Most of the flight was spent listening to music through shared headphones with Kira resting her head against Derek's shoulder.
When they got to the resort, Derek put the luggage down beside the bed. "So…" he started, "what do you want to do?"
"Well, we could go check out the hot tub right outside our door," Kira suggested, motioning to the deck adjacent to their room. Derek agreed and they quickly changed into their swimsuits. "This is really nice," she mumbled as she sank into the hot water. "We should get a hot tub at home."
"We should," Derek nodded, drawing Kira onto his lap. In that moment, he felt so lucky. Before Kira had shown up, he'd felt a little bit lost, like he didn't know what he was doing with his life. She brought a sense of purpose with her, a secret that helped to give him a sense of direction. While they still didn't know exactly what it was they were supposed to do, at least they were lost together. He wasn't alone anymore.
Kira turned on his lap so they were sitting face-to-face. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips and stood up. "Let's go inside," she smirked, gently pulling on Derek's hand.
As soon as they had closed the door, Derek hungrily attacked Kira's lips with his own. She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, kissing him back with the same level of ferocity. He peppered light kisses along her jaw and on her neck. He could feel her heart pounding as he nipped and licked at the sensitive skin. He let his hands wander over her body, exploring her curves and soft skin. Kira slowly pushed him back onto the bed.
Everything became a tangle of limbs. Derek couldn't tell where he stopped and Kira began. He felt like his body was on fire. He felt his skin come alive where Kira touched him, her skin was hot against his and she was breathing raggedly into his ear. The noises he elicited from her spurred him on. They were perfectly intertwined in a moment of pure bliss.
He collapsed beside her on the bed, chest heaving, legs still tangled together. "I love you," Kira whispered, tenderly caressing his cheek.
Derek wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against his chest. "I love you, too," he murmured. He kissed her forehead softly and let his eyes close. It didn't take long before his breathing had evened out and he fell asleep.
Kira watched him dreaming, a smile on her face. All of the worries she'd ever had about her future husband and having an arranged marriage had disappeared. Nothing in her life had ever felt as perfect as her relationship with Derek. She knew that there would be hardships and trials, but they would get through it together. They'd only known each other for a few months, but Derek already knew her better than anyone else she'd ever met. They just clicked.
When Kira woke up, her heart was pounding and she felt like she couldn't breathe. "Kira? Are you okay?" Derek's voice seemed to echo. She blinked hard as she sat up, looking around. She took deep breaths until her heartbeat slowed. "Are you alright?" Derek asked again, eyes full of concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him. "It was just a nightmare, I'm okay."
"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?" He took her hands in his.
"It was just a silly nightmare, that's it," she assured him.
"Okay," Derek nodded. "You stay here, I'm going to get us breakfast." He kissed her cheek before he left the room.
Kira let herself flop backwards onto the pillow. She couldn't close her eyes without replaying the nightmare. She didn't remember all of it, but she could still feel the heat of the fire and smell the blood in the air. There were flashes of Derek and the rest of the pack, screaming in pain. She tried to help them, but she was stuck. The last thing she saw before she opened her eyes was the face of someone familiar, someone terrifying. She tried to push the dream aside, tried to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach, but she couldn't pretend it didn't mean anything. She knew what it meant.
They were coming for her.