Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 46803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
I drink every bit of him in with incomparable thirst. He is so distinguished, so proper, so rough and so fucking ready to do battle for me — though he’s not making even the slightest hint of an aggressive move, everybody in this massive cathedral knows better than to fuck with him. He must have fought through hell to come and find me.
“Kahn!” I call his name with wild and unruly excitement.
I try to run to him, intending to meet him halfway down the aisle, but there is no running in this dress, and it feels as though someone is stopping me… yes, when I look over my shoulder, I see Commander Rex standing with both feet on the extensive hem of the dress. I shoot him daggers, which he ignores, as he is too busy staring at Kahn. None of the guard present today are armed in a way that would make the slightest dent in this alien’s armor, and nobody wants to create a scene. Better to allow a massive alien to crash the wedding than to cause a public scandal on this, my father’s special day.
My father steps out in front of Kahn, blocking the aisle. I always thought my dad was the largest person in the world, but of course Kahn is much larger than he is. Kahn could roll right through him if he wanted. He could rip my father’s head off.
But Kahn doesn’t. He comes to a respectful halt.
“Who do you think you are?”
“Kahn Voros,” Kahn says, offering my father his hand. “I’m the rightful owner of your daughter. I am also heir to a great alien fortune and large estates on my home world.”
If anybody else introduced themselves that way, I’d assume they were a huge fucking jerk, but I think Kahn has taken my father’s measure in an instant.
My father hesitates for a moment. I know he is running some calculations in his head. He is wondering if it would be better to attempt to continue this wedding as planned in spite of the very large, clearly warlike alien now standing in the middle of the cathedral — the very same alien he has already been briefed on by Commander Rex, or if it might be better to just give Kahn and me what we want.
Political and material considerations aside, my father has always been impressed by displays of boldness and strength, and what is more bold than quite literally crashing a wedding and demanding the bride? I cannot see my father’s face, but I imagine there is a look of quiet respect in his eyes.
He takes Kahn’s offered hand.
“Nice to meet you, Kahn Voros.”
The man who was to be my husband is very put out and making little mouth noises of protest, but nobody particularly cares. Everybody has already forgotten he exists. Even his own family doesn’t really seem to care. Kahn has stolen the show in every way possible.
“So you have come to marry my daughter,” my father says.
“Your daughter is already mine.”
“So,” my father repeats, with more significance in his tone. “You’ve decided to marry my daughter.”
This time, Kahn understands what my father is saying. He looks from my father, to me, while my father’s guard, also very much understanding what my father is saying, go about removing the man who was my husband-to-be.
“Yes. I have come to marry your daughter.”
My father steps aside, allowing Kahn to come to me.
Ever the proper gentleman, Kahn plays along with the requirements of the ceremony. He stands opposite me and takes my hands in his. I am beaming so broadly my face hurts. The tears in my eyes prevent me from taking his expression in properly, but I feel his love wrapped around me like a physical embrace.
I know he has sacrificed everything to be here. He has exposed himself to the world. He knows that from this moment forth, everybody will know that his kind exists. For centuries, humans have wondered if they are alone in the universe.
Nobody is wondering anymore. Aliens are among us, and they are marrying us.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of…”
The ceremony begins, a rather flustered priest doing his level best not to show the great fear he has of Kahn. If I was not entirely enamored of Kahn and so obsessed with him that I cannot think of anything else whatsoever, I would take extra pleasure in the fact that Commander Rex, who did everything in his power to destroy Kahn, is forced to stand by and watch the alien he said he killed, marry me with my father’s blessing.
Kahn
I love this woman more than I ever knew I was capable of loving anybody.
It has been a long, hard journey to get here, but there was never any doubt in my mind that I would get here. Every breath I took drew me one breath closer to this moment.