"Nice, you look..." Maxwell's tongue falters, his throat tight. He'd promised himself he wouldn't cry, but how could he keep to it when his only child is to be married in a few minutes? Once, your father would've been able to ignore the blatant signs of you growing up, but it stands here now before his very eyes. "Very nice. And you picked well."

He's not talking about your attire, no. As much as Maxwell hates to admit it, Soren, your fiancé and soon-to-be husband, is a good pick. He'd hated the idea of you being with someone like him— an alpha who'd been known for his rebellious tendencies back in Rosewood Academy both you and Soren attended together and Maxwell had been a professor at.

But you changed Soren, and he changed you. Maxwell still recalls the night Soren had asked for his blessing in private, and though the older man kept up the appearance of a classic overprotective father with a strong dislike for the boy — man, now — he wouldn't have accepted anyone else.

Maxwell steels his breath, hooking your arm with his, "We shouldn't keep them waiting long."

Soren stands at the altar, trying his hardest not to fiddle with the collar of his polished suit and keep his palms from producing too much sweat. The wedding is going as it should— from seats filled with guests, to a beautifully decorated venue, nothing can keep his mind from going astray.

Not even the fact that his father's seat is empty.

Today is about you and him, finally doing what he's yearned for most the very day Soren laid his eyes on you for the very first time. He'd been an immature boy then, swaying you with his charms and convincing you to skip classes instead of being a goody two shoes. Like everyone here, though, from childhood to college friends and work colleagues, Soren knows you changed him into a better man.

Soren tries — truly, he does — to hold back the tears that gather in his eyes when you walk down the aisle. But here and now, with no father to look down on him for shedding sentiment and not acting as an alpha should, he lets one fall. Two, actually.

He gives Maxwell a nod once you stop before the steps, earning a half-assed glare from the man and a silent nod. Soren swears his heart stops a little once you step up and stand before him on the altar. How many times had he practiced this with one of his friends to make sure it went perfectly? Countless.

Soren takes your hands in his, "You're beautiful."

He cringes internally, realizing that the mic attached to his collar was already on. He gives a nod to the officiant, but the words the man says go in one ear and out the other. You know, more than anyone else in this room, that Soren will be with you through all the highs and the lows.

And when the officiant, finally, finally asks Soren if he'll take you as your lawfully wedded spouse, he nods with a grin, "I do."

The question is then directed at you, and Soren can't help but squeeze your hands a little tighter. He knows you'll say yes, but he's as anxious to hear it as everyone else present.