by Julie Wetzel
Drawing in deep breaths, Darien slowed his heart. He focused on the noise of the people filling the room. Slowly, a smile slipped across his face. They were here to celebrate his union with Vicky. This had to be the best day of his life. Sure, he shared a mark with her, and they had been forced into a handfasting at Halloween, but this was their choice. A declaration to everyone that they would share their lives, and for a vampire, that could be a long time.
A frown creased Darien’s brow. He would have to turn her if they wanted to spend more than just her short life together. That worried him. Even though he had raised many fledglings, he had only turned a handful of them. The last time he’d tried had ended in the death of the woman he loved. His jaw clenched as he came to a decision. He would put off Vicky’s turning as long as he could. Maybe he would just live out her life and end his existence when she passed away. The thought of Vicky dying hurt his heart and Darien pushed the idea away. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. This was a time of new beginnings; endings were not things he should be thinking about.
Elliot patted Darien on the leg. “It’s time.”
Darien opened his eyes and glanced around. All but a few of the guests had taken their seats, and the ones who were still standing were making their way to empty chairs.
“Right.” He stood up and considered the four men at the front of the room. Rupert stood, dressed in a nice suit. It was the best that Darien had ever seen on him. The alpha had even managed to comb and style his normally windblown hair. Next to him stood Elliot, Phalen, and Allen. All three men were dressed in tuxedos with dark green vests and bowties. Each man had a white rose with a gold ribbon pinned to his lapel. Together, they made a handsome bunch. Darien stood up to join them. Giving his jacket a tug, he pulled it into its proper place and checked his own boutonnière to make sure his fretting hadn’t damaged the delicate flower.
“You look fine,” Elliot reassured him. “Get up here and relax.” He pulled on Darien’s arm. “Jakob is bringing Ann in now.”
Darien turned to see the younger vampire settling Vicky’s mother down in the front row. She looked up, gave him the most unusual smile, and mouthed a word, almost giddy.
“Twins?” Darien mouthed the word back to her, not understanding what she meant by it. His eyes jumped to the twin walking back down the aisle. What had the boys been up to? He looked back to her for an explanation, but Ann just shook her head and lowered her eyes.
The first chords of the wedding music sang across the crowd and everyone turned to the divide in the curtain. Jakob drew it back and Maggie stepped out in her long gown. The white roses with their trailing gold ribbons looked amazing against the dark green of the silk gown. Darien suspected that Zak was the reason Vicky had picked green as one of her bridal colors, but he really couldn’t complain. The dresses she and Vanessa had chosen were beautiful.
Beth stepped out next and followed Maggie down the aisle. Shortly behind her, Vanessa stepped out. All three girls were staring at Darien, giving him a smug look.
Darien glanced down at himself to make sure he hadn’t left his fly open or something more embarrassing. Everything seemed okay to him. He looked back up as the first of the girls reached him. The grin that rode her face confused him. Sure, they should be happy for their friend, but that wasn’t what was showing on their faces. Darien looked over his shoulder and gave Elliot a confused look. The younger vampire just shrugged and turned back to watch the women.
“You’re in for it now,” Beth whispered as she made the turn to take up her place next to Maggie.
“In for what?” Darien asked concerned. Had something happened with Vicky? Had he done something to make her upset?
Beth just shook her head and turned to face the crowd.
Anxiety grew in Darien as Vanessa stepped up to the dais. “What is it?” he asked, wanting to know what the issue was so he could fix it.
Vanessa grinned at him. “You’ll find out soon.” She turned into her place, leaving Darien confused.
He looked back over his shoulder at Elliot, concerned.
Elliot nodded towards the opening at the far end of the room as the music changed. “Don’t worry about it now.”
Darien turned to face the curtain where his bride would be entering. A swarm of lesser fay flew over the crowd, raining red rose petals down as the first notes of the wedding song rang out. Vicky had picked a soft Irish ballad for the wedding march and the sound of uilleann pipes soothed the worry from his mind. Darien’s breath caught as the music peaked and Vicky stepped through the split in the curtain. The spider-silk dress Arachne had given her on their handfasting looked just as amazing on her now as it did when he had first seen it, but this time he had a chance to appreciate the clinging silk as she strolled down the aisle on the arm of a man Darien didn’t know. Even the wings, quivering on her back, couldn’t dent the joy making his heart soar.
After a moment of enjoying Vicky’s beauty, Darien cast a glance at the man escorting her. From the flowers pinned at his breast, Darien could tell he was wearing an usher’s tux, but this man hadn’t been with them at the fitting. He was tall and trim, with dark messy hair that appeared to have a greenish cast to it, but it was the eyes that grabbed Darien’s attention and held it. The man’s eyes were pitch black, and even at a distance, Darien could tell they held no whites.
The man flashed a set of disturbingly sharp teeth. Teeth that had no place in a human mouth.
Darien gave Vicky a concerned look, but she just smiled at him reassuringly. Taking a deep breath, Darien concentrated on her. There was nothing in the set of her body that showed concern, so whoever this was, she knew him or felt comfortable enough in his presence to be relaxed. The way the man walked drew Darien’s eyes away from Vicky. It was very alien. Where his movements should have been fluid, he jerked oddly, almost if he weren't sure how his body worked. It was like the stiffness of his bones and the way his joints bent confused him. Vicky kept whispering to him as they walked, but his eyes never left Darien and his face never lost that sharp smile. Darien could feel the threat held in that grin.
The strange man escorted Vicky up the short steps onto the dais and stopped in front of Darien. Pulling Vicky behind him, he got right up in Darien’s face and growled.
Darien stretched his spine so he arched away from the threat and looked at the stranger, confused. Why was this man threatening him?
“Zak.” Vicky tugged on the back of the man’s jacket. “Behave.”
The man turned around and gurgled at her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against him. Turning her around, he glared over her shoulder at Darien, before burying his face in the side of her hair and purring.
Both of Darien’s eyebrows shot up as he recognized the gurgle and purr. There was only one creature that would treat Vicky this way at his wedding. “Zak?” he asked, disbelieving his logic. Hellhounds could take many forms, but Darien didn’t remember human being one of them. Had Vicky not said the little horror’s name, Darien might not have made the connection.
At the sound of his name, Zak opened his eyes and peeked through Vicky’s curls at Darien. He growled protectively.
Vicky patted him on the back. “Enough.” She reprimanded him and forced the hellhound to release her.
Stepping back, Zak took Vicky’s hands and turned so he stood between the vampire and his bride. Glaring, the fay ran his eyes up and down the vampire, evaluating him. Darien just stood there, stoic, as Zak got up in his face again. The two men held each other’s gaze, silently challenging one another. Finally, Zak snorted and shook his head, stepping back. He grabbed up Darien’s hand and placed Vicky’s in it. He gurgled a final warning to the vampire before releasing their joined hands and jumping down from the dais to sit in the front row next to Vicky’s mother.
The older woman gave the changed fay a wary look before turning her attention back to the main event.
Darien looked at Vicky with questioning eyes, but she shook her head sli
ghtly. Turning, she handed her bouquet to Vanessa before coming back to take both of Darien’s hands.
“Well.” Rupert shuffled his notes, sorting them out and breaking the tension in the room. “There was that.” He cleared his throat, drawing the crowd’s attention to the front of the room, and started into his speech.
Darien let the sound of Rupert’s words wash over him as he studied Vicky. He’d always thought she was beautiful, but today she was especially so. If Lady Aine had gifted her with feathered wings, he would have thought her an angel. Slowly, he took in each of her features—the shimmering veil that framed her face, the soft bounce of her golden curls, and the glow of her skin. There was an odd twinkle in her sky-blue eyes and a curl in the corner of her mouth that held a hint of the smirks the other women had given him. Darien cocked his head slightly, curious to know what the women found so amusing.
As if she could read his mind, Vicky’s smile widened and she shook her head ever so slightly. She dropped her eyes away from his gaze, hiding her thoughts from him.
Lacking Vicky’s eyes to look into, Darien’s attention dropped to the shiny object on her chest. His mouth gaped open when he found the necklace that matched her engagement ring was replaced by the replica of his cross. Releasing her hand, he raised his fingers up and touched Vicky’s skin next to the charm. The bite of holy energy had him drawing his fingers back, but curiosity overwhelmed him. “Where?” he asked softly.
Rupert cleared his throat, interrupting Darien’s inquiries.
Darien glanced at the alpha, embarrassed that he had interrupted his own wedding. He dropped his hand and took Vicky’s up again. The answer to his question could wait until after the ceremony.
Nodding his head, Rupert continued on with his speech.
The ebb and flow of Rupert’s words held Darien’s attention for all of three seconds before it dropped back to the cross on Vicky’s chest. It was a perfect rendition of the one on his wall, except for the two small diamonds tucked in the silver. Why two? Wouldn’t it be better to have a single jewel in the center? Or perhaps four, one at each point of the crossing. Something tickled at the back of his mind, and he worked to get the answer to form.
Darien’s thoughts were interrupted when Elliot nudged him from behind and pointed to Rupert waiting. Darien turned to the alpha in confusion.
“Your vows,” Rupert said with a hint of annoyance.
“Oh, yes!” Darien turned back to Vicky, embarrassed again.
Vicky bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
He cleared his throat and caught Vicky’s eye before he began. “You cannae possess me for I belong to myself, but while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannae command me, for I am a free person, but I shall serve you in those ways you require and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.” He pushed through the thin magic between them and poured as much of his feeling into the next words as he could. “Tugaim mo chroí go brách duit.”
Vicky gasped as his emotions rolled over her. When they had sat down and decided on their vows, he had told her he was going to use Gaelic to pledge his heart to her forever, but he hadn’t actually told her the words. It sounded beautiful to her ears.
Rupert nodded his approval and shifted his focus to Vicky. “And yours, My Lady.”
Smiling, Vicky met Darien’s eyes and gave him her vows. “I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. I shall honor you above all others.” She paused as she formed the words she had practiced in her mind. “Thabharfainn fuil mo chroí duit.” When they had decided to stick to Irish wedding vows, Vicky had come across the pledge of heart’s blood and it just seemed right. Elliot had heartily agreed and worked with her until her pronunciation was as close to accurate as possible.
Darien’s eyes lit up with delight and he drew her hands up to hold them against his chest. “Tá grá agam duit.”
“I love you, too.” Vicky smiled. That had been another Irish phrase she had found in her research.
“The rings,” Rupert called out, looking to Elliot.
The younger vampire pulled out two rings of gold and passed them to Darien.
Taking the slimmer ring, he handed his larger band to Vicky.
She smiled as she took the heavy band and rolled it in her hand, reading her full name inscribed on the inside. They had talked long about what they wanted for wedding bands, but decided that a simple gold ring with their names on the inside would be perfect.
Darien rolled the thin ring around until the light reflected in the grooves of his name. Over the many things he’d been called, he’d chosen to go with the name the monks had given him, Daigh. Names were powerful things, and this one held the most power over him. Had he known what his birth name was, he would have given her that, but it was lost to fire and time.
Drawing in a deep breath, Darien held the ring out to Vicky and caught her gaze. “I take you, my heart, at the rising of the moon, and the setting of the stars. To love and to honor, through all that may come. Through all our lives together.” He paused as he slid the ring on Vicky’s left hand. “With this ring I give you my name, to hold forever, close to your heart.” He curled her finger up and wrapped his hand around hers, claiming her for the world to see. A smile slid across his face. “Mine,” he whispered softly.
Vicky blushed as she tipped her head forwards, enjoying his little addition to the verse. Looking back up, she repeated the words, claiming him with the other golden band.
Rupert smiled at the two of them before finishing the ceremony. “As Alpha of the wolf pack of Brenton, I now pronounce you man and wife.” He turned to Darien. “You may kiss your bride.”
Darien’s face lit up with joy as his knees bent and he caught Vicky up around the waist. She squeaked in surprise as he lifted her up against him and turned his face up towards her.
With her hands on Darien’s shoulders, Vicky leaned into his upturned face and pressed her lips to his. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Slowly, Darien let Vicky slide down his front until her feet were solid on the floor again. Only then did he break their kiss.
“It is my utmost pleasure to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Darien Ritter.” Rupert introduced the happy couple to the congregation.
Reaching back, Vicky took her bouquet from Vanessa before following the pull of Darien’s hand as he led her down the short steps of the dais. Distracted, she missed the last step and slipped over the edge, rolling her ankle. Darien’s hand caught her before she could end up sprawled on the floor, but the damage was done. She gasped as pain shot up her leg.
“Victoria?” Darien asked as he stabilized her.
She tried to put her weight on the foot, but it hurt too much. “I think I twisted it,” she admitted, on the edge of tears.
Darien shot her a mischievous grin as he scooped her up and tossed her up on his shoulder.
Vicky’s stomach came down on him hard enough to drive a gasp from her. She let out an exasperated laugh as Darien took off down the aisle with her hanging over his shoulder. Planting an elbow in his back, she used her arm to prop her head up and gave the people behind them an indulging look. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked softly as they passed through the split in the curtain.
“Love me,” Darien said as he found a chair and placed her in it. Dropping to his knees, he lifted the hem of her dress so he could inspect her twisted ankle. “And let me fix this.” He slipped Vicky’s shoe off and rubbed his hands over her foot, pouring his healing powers into the injury. A bouquet of roses came down into his face, knocking him backwards away from Vicky.
“You stupid oaf!” Vanessa cursed and whacked him with her bouquet again. “You could have hurt her.” She dropped the mangled flowers on him and went to Vicky’s side. “Are you okay?”
Pushing up to a sitting position, Darien rested on the heels of his hands and gave Vanessa a shocked expression.
“Goofball.” Maggie nudged him in the hip as she passed.
“What the hell do you think you were doing?” Beth snapped as she actually kicked him on the other hip.
“I’m all right,” Vicky reassured her friends.
Darien glanced from the three abusive women to the groomsmen who had escorted them out. The look on their faces showed that they were as shocked and confused as he was.
“Victoria!” Ann cried as she burst through the curtain and forced her way through the men. “Are you all right? Did he hurt the babies?”
Zak followed just a step behind her. Pausing, he glanced down at Darien sprawled on the floor before going over to Vicky. Dropping down by her side, he laid his head on her lap and petted her stomach lovingly.
Ann’s words rang through Darien and he stared up at Vicky. “Babies?” he asked more confused than he had been.
Vicky smiled at him as she lowered her hands to her stomach. “I’m pregnant.” She ran her fingers through Zak’s hair, soothing him.
Stunned by this, Darien’s body went numb. “Babies?” he asked again, not fully comprehending what she was telling him.
“Twins.” Vicky smiled at him, ready to cry with the mix of emotions swelling inside her.
Zak gurgled at her in a comforting way.
“Mine?” Darien asked still rocking from this information.
“Of course they’re yours!” Vanessa picked her bouquet back up and smacked him with it again.
The force of the blow knocked Darien back down and he laid there staring up at the pissed off bridesmaid, dumbfounded. “Babies,” he said again as he tried to process this.
Zak sat up from where he was relaxing to watch Vanessa assault Darien.
Vanessa held her crushed flowers ready to continue the flogging. “Shall I hit him again?”
Vicky laughed. “No.” She wiped a tear from her eye and patted Zak again “Give him a minute to recover. Really, I’m fine.”