by Jessica Swan
“One baby at a time, honey. And please stop fretting. We’ll be great parents. You’ll be an excellent dad. We will just have to take this a day at a time and try not to let it overwhelm us.” She was not going to be able to take it if he started to freak out again.
“Hmm, I wonder what werewolf babies look like,” he thought out loud.
“Me, too,” she replied casually. Suddenly, a very frightened look appeared on her face. “What if we have a wolf pup instead of an actual baby?”
“If that happens, I know we will have seen it all,” he laughed. She wasn’t laughing, however. In fact, she looked terrified and on the verge of crying, and he completely understood why. “It’s alright, sweetie. Whatever happens, happens. No matter if our baby looks like a human or a wolf, we’ll still love him or her. They’ll still be our son or daughter.”
Kate sighed, smiled, and said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t worry. As long as he or she is healthy.” However, then again, he wouldn’t be the one to be giving birth to a puppy. She had to try to erase that thought from her mind before she was the one freaking out.
“Those are exactly my thoughts.”
They lay there for a few moments in silence, except for an occasional happy sigh from one of them, mostly Kate. It was obvious that she was as overwhelmed with excitement as he was, probably even more.
“Just curious,” she said, rolling onto her side to face him, grinning at him mischievously. “Has all this baby talk ruined your mood?”
“Not in the least.” He grinned and leaned in for a kiss, a kiss that quickly turned into playful love making.
Now that Kate was a werewolf, they both enjoyed being intimate with each other more than ever. Kate couldn’t get enough of James’s kisses and caresses on her warm skin, her heart racing in response to every way he pleased her.
James loved the way she smelled, her sweet fragrance no longer laced with the tangy scent of blood. He couldn’t get enough of her. He loved the way her warm lips and skin felt against his mouth, and the way her lips left a trail of kisses along his skin. The way he felt when he was inside her was incredible, her warmth enveloping him.
No, expecting a baby did not change this particular aspect of their life. The news about her pregnancy, and the fact that it was the night before their wedding, filled them with even more happiness and excitement. This was only the beginning of their long, happy life together, and they planned on making the most out of every kiss, every touch, and every moment of their existence together.
They didn’t go to sleep that night until a couple of hours later, when Kate told him she was exhausted. After making love, they cuddled for a little while; something they both enjoyed a lot. Then Kate fell asleep, and James simply lay there with her in his arms, thankful in every way for the life they had ended up with and happy with the choices he made along the way. He stared at his beautiful fiancée until he drifted off to sleep as well.
From Now Until Eternity
~ Chapter Eleven ~
Kate and James were so excited that their wedding day had finally arrived. It had been only a month since they got engaged, but the anticipation made it seem a lot longer. Though, the time they spent together seemed to have flown by so fast.
They decided to wait until the wedding reception to tell everyone about the baby. It seemed like the perfect time, and everyone they knew and cared about would be there to hear the good news, including James’s mother, who they were glad was able to make the trip from Florida. Kate had been looking forward to meeting her.
Amazingly enough, Kate managed to keep her wedding dress, and even pictures of it, out of James’s sight. Yvonne had helped her pick out the dress one afternoon about three weeks ago and offered to hold onto it at her apartment, until the day of the wedding. She seemed even more excited than Kate to go shopping for a dress. She offered her honest opinion about each one Kate picked out. The sixth and last one she tried on was perfect. Yvonne told her she looked dazzling in it. It was a very beautiful dress, but nothing like the old French style dress Kate would’ve tried to pick out. This was indeed much better, and far simpler. It looked like a normal, white, formal dress with thin shoulder straps and a beautiful, sparkling bodice. Kate knew this dress would be practical for walking and dancing in, compared to a more traditional wedding dress.
Finally, it came time to put on the dress. Once she put it on, Yvonne helped by zipping the back for her. Kate turned around with a smile on her face. With her smile and beautiful dress combined, she simply glowed and sparkled with beauty.
“You look amazing! You make such a beautiful bride,” Yvonne said excitedly, just like Kate’s own mother would have.
“Thank you, so do you,” Kate sighed happily. She thought Yvonne looked gorgeous in her long, lavender dress.
“You know, every day I think to myself how lucky James is to be with such a wonderful woman like you. You know how special he is to me. I always treated him like he was my own son, especially since his father died when he was so young and even more after his mother moved to Florida a few years ago. And now I am getting a daughter, too.” Her eyes were overflowing with tears; by the time she finished talking.
“Aww, you’re so sweet, Yvonne. I know James is special to you. I can see it in your eyes every time you talk about him. I would be honored to be considered you daughter.” She leaned in and gave Yvonne a huge hug. It took all of Kate’s strength to fight back her own tears before she messed up her makeup. She wanted to look her best for James.
“Are you ready to leave?” Yvonne said, pulling back out of Kate’s embrace.
“Yes, more than ever.” Kate couldn’t wait to get to the park and finally become James’s wife.
They left Yvonne’s apartment and rode in her car over to Central Park. They parked as close as they could, while staying out of view.
The walk there was secluded until they were a very short distance away from the crowd. Yvonne walked ahead of Kate slowly, and the beautiful music from the violins and harp started to play, almost bringing tears to her eyes once again.
Everyone stared at Kate with smiles on their faces as she slowly walked up the aisle. She barely noticed them. She only saw the one person that was truly meant for her; James.
He looked more handsome than ever in his tuxedo, smiling at her as he and the minister stood under the massive oak tree that she and James loved to visit.
‘Yes, I agree with him. This is the best place in the entire world to get married,’ she thought. It was a very special place to them, not to mention the beautiful scenery. It was chilly that day, but there was no snow on the ground. The sun shined down on them and the lake next to them sparkled like diamonds, as the faintest breeze rippled on the water’s sunlit surface.
As Kate stepped up in front of James and faced him, he gently took both of her hands in his. They smiled, unable to take their eyes off of each other, even when the minister started to speak.
“We are gathered here today to witness this holy union between James Gray and Katherine Rousseau. If anyone objects to this couple being wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Kate glanced at the crowd and saw James’s mother, Evelyn seated next to Damian, Devon, Lin, and Lucius; who she and James were glad to see had made the journey all the way from France to come to their wedding. Evelyn was indeed crying as James expected she would be.
“Very well,” said the minister with a smile. “James, you may recite your vows.”
James’s eyes locked onto Kate’s, and he smiled.
“Kate, ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew that you were the woman of my dreams. And when I started to fall in love with you, I knew you were my soul mate. You are the most beautiful woman in existence, both inside and out. Being with you brings me more happiness than anything else in the world. I promise to be by your side, in sickness and in health, and I will do anything for you, even give my own life to save you. I am forever yours, Katherine Rousseau.”
Kate barely noticed
the tears escaping from her eyes as he slipped the shiny, white-gold, diamond wedding band on her finger, right beside her brilliant engagement ring. They matched perfectly.
Kate heard the three female guests, Evelyn, Lin, and Yvonne crying. Then Evelyn whispered to Damian in her Brooklyn accent, “I can’t believe my son is finally getting married!”
“Kate, you may recite your vows,” said the minister.
“James, I knew we belonged together from the moment I met you. I have never in my life met someone as kind, and gentle as you. I will never be more thankful than when you saved my life, and I will never be as happy as I am now by your side. My soul is yours, from now until eternity. Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi. Je t’aime. I can’t live without you. I love you, James Gray.”
She slipped his white gold, diamond accented wedding band on his finger, and as she took both of his hands in hers, he gazed up at her, his own eyes glazing over with tears as a brilliant smile spread across his face. He whispered, “I love you.”
She whispered back to him, “I love you, too.”
“By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
James held Kate’s face and kissed her with such passion that it sent shivers down her spine. When she was young, she never dreamed her wedding kiss would be this spectacular, and her first wedding kiss hadn’t been. This one was so amazing; she suddenly became completely unaware of the people around them, and all of their surroundings. At that very moment, there was only one person in the entire world for both of them. It didn’t matter what they had, where they were, or what they were, as long as they had each other, which was all that mattered. They could have lived forever in that perfect moment.
When the kiss ended, so did their special moment, but they smiled at each other, knowing there would be plenty more moments like that to come. Everyone in the small crowd stood up and clapped and cheered loudly. Kate and James saw that Evelyn, Lin, and Yvonne were still crying.
James grinned at Kate and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her past all of their guests to the limo that was parked nearby, waiting for them. Once he set her down carefully in the back seat, he sat down beside her and closed the door. Grinning at her, he closed the privacy glass between them and the limo driver, so they could continue their kiss where they had left off.
Far too soon, the limo came to a stop outside the small restaurant where they were having their wedding reception. Kate didn’t want to see anyone else but James for the rest of the night. James was feeling the same way, but they had to thank their guests for coming and for the wedding gifts. Besides, they would have plenty of quality alone time later.
Before they got out of the limo, Kate checked her makeup and hair in the mirror and James straightened his clothes. He opened the door and helped her out of the car like a gentleman, holding her hand all the way into the building.
It wasn’t a fancy reception. Neither of them wanted that. They wanted something simple, especially since they had only invited a few guests.
“That was so beautiful!” said Yvonne, coming up to them immediately as they entered the building. She wore a big smile on her face and still looked like she was on the verge of tears, as she hugged them both. “You make such a perfect couple.”
“Thank you, Yvonne,” said Kate, kissing her on the cheek.
“So how does it feel to be married?”
“Wonderful,” they said in unison. Everyone laughed.
“You are by far the cutest couple I’ve ever seen! The way your eyes sparkle when you look at each other is just amazing, not to mention the rest of the things that make you so compatible.”
“Thank you, Yvonne,” said Kate. “You’re such a sweetheart.”
“Yes, thank you so much,” said James, smiling as he held Yvonne in a tight embrace. “Thank you for everything.”
As James and Yvonne separated from their hug, Kate saw another guest approaching them out of the corner of her eye. She looked his way and saw it was Lucius. She had noticed during the wedding how handsome he looked. He looked like a completely different man from when they had seen him in France. He was now clean-shaven, his slightly grayed hair was combed back neatly, and he wore a tuxedo and shiny black shoes.
“Looking good, Lucius!” said James, impressed by his change in appearance as well.
“Thank you, James. You both look stunning, especially your wife,” he said, smiling at Kate. “You look like you walked out of a dream.”
“Thank you, Lucius,” she said, blushing. “And thank you for coming. I know it was a long journey for you from France.”
“Wait, is this one of the people you went to visit in France?” asked Yvonne. When she glanced in another direction for a second, Lucius looked her over briefly. He then smiled and looked away before she caught him. Because Lucius was converted to a werewolf when he was in his early forties, they appeared to be about the same age as Yvonne. Kate learned that and a few other things about him, through word-of-mouth from other vampires in past years.
“Yes, he is,” answered James.
“I’m sort of related to him, in a way,” Kate added.
“Really?” Yvonne replied, looking him over. “I guess good looks run in the family then.”
“Why, thank you, madam. You’re quite gorgeous yourself,” said Lucius, taking Yvonne’s hand and placing a soft kiss upon it.
Yvonne blushed, giggled, and said, “Thank you.”
“May I buy you a drink?” he asked her.
“Sure, that would be wonderful,” she replied with a smile as they walked away, hand in hand.
“Wow!” Kate said in almost a whisper, shocked.
“I know!” said James, as shocked as she was. “Lucius and Yvonne?! Who would’ve guessed that would happen?”
“Well, you’ve got to admit; they’d be a very cute couple.”
“Yes, they are. This further proves that the universe works in very mysterious ways.”
“You’re right. It sure does.”
The reception was going well. It was great for Kate to finally meet James’s mother.
“Wow, my son sure found a winner!” said Evelyn as she walked up to Kate and James. “You’re gorgeous! And if you’re half as nice as you are beautiful, James is the luckiest man in the world.”
“Thanks, mom,” said James, smiling. Yes, he definitely considered himself to be the luckiest man in the world.
“Thank you,” said Kate, blushing. Yes, she could finally blush again. Being a vampire, she never had any sort of red pigment to her skin. “It’s nice finally getting to meet you, Mrs. Gray.”
“Aww, call me mom,” she said, hugging her.
Apparently, Evelyn seemed to approve of Kate as James’s choice for a wife. She was glad his mom was so welcoming, even though they had just met. Evelyn was full of excitement, gave many hugs and kisses, and even a few more tears of joy. Now that James and Kate were expecting a child of their own, she understood how Evelyn would be so happy for her son.
‘Speaking of which, that reminds me.’ Kate thought, as her face lit up with a bright smile.
“Excuse us, everyone!” she said to the crowd. Everyone quieted down immediately to pay attention to the bride. “First of all, we would like to thank you all for coming to our wedding. James and I have something we’d like to share with you.” She paused briefly, taking a deep breath. They all waited with looks of curiosity and anticipation on their faces. “We’re having a baby!”
“Wow, congratulations!” shouted Yvonne and Lucius. They both looked shocked, but happy for them, as did everyone else. Evelyn, however, simply stared at them both with a wide-eyed, blank look of shock on her face. James took Kate’s hand, and they rushed over to her.
“Are you alright, mom?” he asked. She seemed to snap out of her state of shock when he spoke.
“Oh, James, this is such shocking news! But I’m so happy for you!” she said, tears glazing her eyes as she hugged James and then Kate. “Fir
st, I get a call saying you’re engaged and getting married in a month and now this? I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandmother! Are you trying to kill me, James?”
“Mom, I’m not trying to kill you. It just all happened so fast. Isn’t it wonderful, though? We’re so happy.”
“This isn’t why you two decided to get married, is it?”
“No, no,” Kate answered. “We found out about the baby only yesterday. We figured telling everyone at wedding reception would be a good idea.”
“Good,” said Evelyn, smiling and then sighing happily as she walked away, saying to herself, “Ah, young love.” She had no idea that there were very sensitive ears around.
“If only she knew how old I really am,” Kate whispered to James. He busted out laughing.
“Well, I happen to think older women are really sexy,” he said, placing a soft, sweet kiss on her lips. “Especially an alpha female such as yourself.”
“Well, alpha male of mine, just wait. You’ll see what I have in store for you later, on our honeymoon.” She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.
He looked into her eyes with a smirk on his face and said, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Before they left, they had one night in their apartment together as man and wife; James carried her over the threshold and proceeded to lead her into a room filled with candles, and roses. It was beautiful, and romantic. She could not have asked for a more picture perfect wedding night. Everything looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale.
Together they had consummated not only their marriage, but also the joining of their wolves, as mates. Now, they would be together forever; their immortal nature would never allow them to separate. They looked upon each other before falling asleep and James whispered, “To Live and to Love. That is our only adventure left.”
Kate smiled and fell asleep.
True Happiness
~ Chapter Twelve ~