The Royal Mark-Chapter 71: Wedding Bells

As soon as they exited the room, Chris reached for Elsa’s hand, and he was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t object. She reciprocated by clasping his hand, bringing a smile to his face, all while they remained unaware of what awaited them outside.

Upon leaving Laura’s house, they were met with all eyes fixed on them, a fact that Elsa quickly noticed. Instead of feeling embarrassed and lowering her head, she boldly intertwined her fingers with Chris’ and wrapped her other arm around his. This simple act prompted many of the onlookers to engage in hushed conversations, speculating about Elsa.

Prince Andrius and Prince Drake who were both clearly drunk, greeted them with glasses of beer. "Where did you two disappear to? You nearly missed the festivities. They’re about to start the marking ritual," Drake remarked as he handed a glass of beer to Chris.

"I-I was waiting for my dress to dry," Elsa stammered, vividly recalling the events that had unfolded between her and Chris while her dress dried. The chilly weather didn’t help her forget, especially since she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

"What would you like to drink, princess?" Chris offered, "I’ll fetch something for you."

"Anything not too strong or bitter will be fine," Elsa replied. Without breaking their gaze, Chris gently kissed the back of her hand before excusing himself, leaving her with Andrius and Drake.

"Wow, are we going to hear wedding bells in the near future?" Drake quipped, playfully nudging Andrius.

Before Elsa could respond, Laura’s grandmother handed her a basket filled with white flower petals. "Here, dear, take this. You’ll need it later," the elderly woman paused and brushed aside the hair covering her shoulder, her fingers briefly touching the red marks on her neck. "Oh, my apologies for this. It seems the bugs have a liking for human blood and have bitten you. I’ll need to fumigate tomorrow."

With that, the old lady departed, leaving Elsa in astonishment. When she glanced at Andrius and Drake, the two were struggling to suppress their laughter, well aware that those red marks weren’t from bug bites. Elsa placed her hands on her hips and warned, "Don’t ask anything about it. Keep your mouths shut!"

"Wedding bells are definitely ringing soon," Drake couldn’t resist commenting, as both princes burst into laughter.

Chris returned with a glass of wine for Elsa and his other arm encircling her waist, inquiring, "What’s so funny over there?"

"Nothing, they’re just a little too tipsy," Elsa replied tersely.

"Let’s go join the others," Chris suggested, taking Elsa’s hand and leading her toward the crowd.

"Prince Christopher, we’ve saved a seat for you," one of the she-wolves mentioned.

"But there are two of us," Chris pulled Elsa closer, indicating that she was the other person.

The she-wolf awkwardly smiled and fetched another chair for Elsa. Elsa noticed the she-wolf rolling her eyes when she took her seat, and she couldn’t help but smirk. ’He’s taken, you bitch,’ Elsa thought to herself.

Chris squinted and narrowed his eyes at Elsa, asking, "Were you saying something, princess?"

"Huh? I didn’t say anything," Elsa responded, tilting her head in confusion.

"I thought I heard you swearing earlier," Chris remarked.

"Hmm... By the way, earlier you mentioned that your kind doesn’t have weddings, but this seems like a wedding. Is one of the couples perhaps human?" Elsa changed the subject but still wondered how Chris had seemingly heard her thoughts, as she was certain she hadn’t spoken them aloud.

"You’re right on both counts. The groom is an alpha from one of the packs that relocated here, and like me, he recently discovered that his mate is a human. They met just two days ago," Chris explained.

"What? They met just two days ago, and the woman agreed to marry him already?" Elsa exclaimed in disbelief. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Here in Vectus, non-werewolf races consider it good luck or a blessing when they are found to be a mate of a werewolf because we are the most loyal beings. Once we find our mate, it’s for life. We don’t look at anyone else anymore. There’s also something called a mate bond, which is a telepathic connection between mates. So everyone wishes to be a werewolf’s mate, but not everyone is lucky enough to find theirs. Many werewolves never find their mates in their lifetime, so when we do, we seize the opportunity and mark our mates as soon as possible."

"I’m sorry, Chris," Elsa lowered her head and looked unhappy.

Chris was taken aback by Elsa’s reaction. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"I’m sorry that I’m making it difficult for you. Finding your mate is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and not everyone gets to experience it. You must have been working so hard to control yourself, and here I am, prolonging that agony," Elsa said.

Chris leaned in and surprised Elsa with a kiss on the lips. He then said, "You are worth the wait, princess."

The two exchanged smiles, but before their conversation could go deeper, the wedding ceremony started. Elsa closely observed the unfamiliar ceremony, noting how different it was from what she was accustomed to. Even the bride’s dress, which was not white and made from light, thin fabric, piqued her curiosity.

"Chris," Elsa whispered, not wanting to draw attention during the ceremony, "Why is the bride’s dress like that? It’s as if she’s going to sleep right after the ceremony. She’s wearing something like a nightgown! I understand why her shoulders are bare, but the fabric of her dress is incredibly thin."

Chris chuckled, and Elsa quickly covered his mouth with her hand. He lifted his arm, drawing her closer, and whispered, "Because it will be torn later," Chris chuckled once more.

Elsa failed to see the humor and stared at Chris with wide eyes. "It seems your kind enjoys tearing things apart."

Chris cleared his throat and whispered again, "I’ll tell you one more thing. You’re right about the bare shoulders. Later on, the groom will mark his bride in front of everyone under the full moon. But that’s not always the case. If the ceremony or marking falls on nights that aren’t a full moon, then the groom will mark the bride in private. The groom must time it during the bride’s orgasm to strengthen their bond. If he can synchronize his climax with her, it’s even more perfect."

Elsa’s jaw dropped as she looked at Chris, causing him to stifle a laugh at her reaction.