“If you just want something quick, no bells and whistles or a witness, then we have Minister Lincoln. He’s not included in the fee, so we do ask for a donation.”
“Sounds good.” I bent down, brushing my lips along Kat’s temple. “You want anything else? If so, we’ll do it. Whatever it is.”
Kat shook her head. “I just want you. That’s all we need.”
I smiled and glanced at the blonde. “Well, there you go.”
The woman stood. “You two are adorable. Follow me.”
Kat bumped me with her hip as we trailed behind the blonde entering the “Tunnel of Love”—and boy did I have a ton of nasty comments building up in me about the name of that. I’d save them for later.
Minister Lincoln was an older man who looked more like a grandfather than some guy who married people on a whim in Vegas. We chatted with him for a few minutes, and then we had to wait for another twenty while he finished up a few things. The delays were starting to make me paranoid, and I expected an army to storm the chapel any second. I needed a distraction.
I pulled Kat onto my lap and circled my arms around her waist. While we waited, I told her about the ceremonies my kind did, which were very much like a human wedding with the exception of rings.
“Is there anything you do in its place?” she asked.
Tucking her hair back behind her ear, I smiled a little. “You’ll think it’s gross.”
“I want to know.”
My hand lingered along the curve of her neck. “It’s kind of like a blood oath. We’re in our true form.” I kept my voice low, just in case anyone was listening, though I was sure stranger things were heard in the Tunnel of Love. “Our fingers are pricked and pressed together. That’s about it.”
She lightly stroked my hand. “That’s not too gross. I was expecting you to say something like you have to run around naked or consummate the relationship in front of everyone.”
I dropped my head to her shoulder and laughed. “You have such a dirty mind, Kitten. That’s why I love you.”
“That’s all?” She wiggled down so that her cheek was beside mine.
My grip tightened. “You know better than that.”
“Can we do it—what your kind does—later?” she asked, tapping her finger on my chest. “When things die down?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“It is. I think that would make it more real, you know?”
“Miss Whitt? Mr. Rowe?” The blonde appeared at the opened doors. I was sure the tan chick had a name but couldn’t recall it for the life of me. “We’re ready when you are.”
Hoisting Kat to her feet, I took her hand. The chapel portion was actually pretty nice. Enough room if you wanted people to be there. White roses were everywhere—on the ends of the pews, bouquets of them in the corners and hanging from the ceiling and placed upon the pedestals at the front. Minister Lincoln stood between the pedestals, holding a bible in his hand. He smiled when he saw us.
Our steps made no sound on the red carpet. Actually, we could’ve been stomping our feet and I wouldn’t have heard it over the pounding of my heart. We stopped in front of the minister. He said something. I nodded. God only knew what it was. We were told to face each other, and we did, our hands joined.
Minister Lincoln kept talking, but it was like Charlie Brown’s teacher, because I didn’t understand a single word of it. My gaze was locked on Kat’s face, my attention focused on the feel of her hands in mine and the warmth of her body next to me. At some point I heard the important words.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
I think my heart exploded. Kat was staring up at me, her gray eyes wide and misty. For a moment, I couldn’t move. Like I was frozen for a precious few seconds, and then I was moving, cupping her cheeks and tilting her head back. I kissed her. I’d kissed her at least a thousand times before this, but this one—oh, yeah—this one was different. The touch and taste of her reached down into me and branded my soul.
“I love you,” I said, kissing her. “I love you so very much.”
She gripped my sides. “And I love you.”
Before I knew it, I was smiling, and then I was laughing like an idiot, but I didn’t care. I pulled her into my arms, cradling her head against my chest. Our hearts were racing, beating in tandem—we were in tandem. And in that moment, it seemed like everything we’d been through, everything we’d lost and had to give up, was worth it. This was what mattered—would always matter the most.
Chapter 26
Katy
Feeling like one of those cartoon characters that daintily raised a leg when she was kissed by Prince Charming, I was dizzy with happiness and absolutely swept off my feet in a way I never believed possible. It was just a piece of paper I clenched in my hand. A certificate of marriage between two names that weren’t even real.
But it meant the world.
It meant everything.
I couldn’t stop smiling, nor could I get the emotional lump out of my throat. Since we’d exchanged vows, I’d been in a constant state of almost crying. Daemon probably thought I was insane.
On the way out, the blonde from the front stopped us. She handed me a photo. “On me,” she said, smiling. “You two are a beautiful couple. It would be a shame if you didn’t have something to capture the moment.”
Daemon peered over my shoulder. The photo was of our kiss—our first kiss as a married couple. “Good Lord,” I said, feeling my cheeks burn. “I’m pretty sure we’re eating each other’s faces.”
He laughed.
The blonde smiled as she stepped aside. “I think that’s the kind of passion that lasts a lifetime. You’re lucky.”
“I know.” And in that instant, I did know how lucky I was, all things considered. I looked up at my…my husband. Deep down, I knew the marriage wasn’t legal, but it felt real to me. My eyes wanted to start with the waterworks again. “I do know how lucky I am.”
Daemon rewarded me with a scorching kiss that lifted me clear off the floor. Any other time I would’ve been embarrassed by that, since we were in public, but I didn’t care. Not at all.
We totally cornballed it up on the way back to the house, holding hands and making googly eyes. It took us a couple of minutes to get out of the car. The moment he turned off the engine, we were all over each other. Greedy—we both were so greedy. The kissing wasn’t enough. I crawled over the gearshift, straddling his lap. My hands were under his shirt, against the ridges of his stomach. He slid his hands up my back, tracing the line of my spine until his fingers tangled in my hair.
I was breathing heavily when he pulled back, pressing his head against the seat. “Okay,” he said. “If we don’t stop, we’re going to do something very naughty in this car.”
I giggled. “That’s one hell of a way to pay her back for letting us borrow it.”
“No doubt.” He reached over and opened the driver’s door. Cool air washed over us. “You better get going before I change my mind.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to change his mind, but I forced myself to climb out of the car. Daemon was right behind me, his hands on my hips as we entered the house through the door that led into a small pantry.
Matthew was in front of us the moment we stepped into the kitchen, blue eyes flashing with anger. “Where in the hell have you two been?”
“Out,” replied Daemon. He stepped around, blocking most of Matthew.
“Out?” Matthew sounded flabbergasted.
I peeked around Daemon, holding the license close to my chest. “I wanted to see a few things.”
Matthew’s mouth dropped open.
“I really don’t think that was a good idea,” Archer said, appearing in the open archway. “To go sightseeing when you have half the government gunning for your ass.”
Daemon stiffened. “It’s all good. No one saw us. Now if you would excuse us…”
Archer’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe you two…”
The whole time he was talking, I was singing “Don’t Cha” in my head, desperately trying not to think about the marriage, but one of us must’ve failed, because Archer’s mouth snapped shut, and he looked floored. Like someone just explained to him that you can have an endless salad bowl at Olive Garden.
Please don’t say anything. Please. I kept thinking the words over and over, hoping he was peeping in my head at the moment.
Matthew glanced back at Archer, brows furrowed. “You okay, bud?”
Shaking his head, Archer pivoted on his heel and muttered, “Whatever.”
“I know you’re butt sore about this, Matthew. We’re sorry. We’ll never do it again.” Daemon reached back, finding my hand. He started forward. “And you can yell at us all you want in about…five or so hours.”
Matthew folded his arms. “What are you up to?”
Sliding past him, Daemon cast him a cheeky grin. “It’s not what. More like who.” I smacked his back, which was ignored. “So can your epic lecture hold off for a little while?”
Matthew really wasn’t given a chance to say any more. We breezed out of the kitchen and through a purposeless room with lots of statues and a table in the middle. Dee’s and Ash’s voices echoed from another room.
“We’d better hurry,” Daemon said, “or we’ll never get away.”
Though I was eager to spend some quality time with Dee, I knew why we were hurrying. Halfway up the stairs, Daemon turned and wrapped his arm under my knees, picking me up.
Biting back on the giggles, I looped my arms around his neck. “That’s not necessary.”
“Totally is,” he said, and then made like an alien. Within seconds, he was placing my feet on the floor of the bedroom and closing the door behind us.
Clothing didn’t stay on very long. Things were fast and tumultuous at first. He spun around, backing me up until I hit the door, his large body crowding mine. There was something different about what was happening. It seemed truer in its nature, as if that funny piece of paper that was now lying on the floor changed everything, and maybe it did. My legs were wrapped around his hips, and everything moved at a fevered pitch. I told him that I loved him. I showed him that I loved him. And he did the same. We finally made it to the bed, and things were sweet and tender then.
Hours passed, probably a little more than the five that Daemon had promised Matthew. No one had interrupted us, which was surprising. I was mighty comfortable in his arms, my cheek resting against his chest. I know it might sound stupid, but I loved listening to his heartbeat.
Daemon played with my hair, twisting strands around his fingers while we talked about anything and everything that had nothing to do with the immediate future and everything to do with the one we hoped for—the one where we were in college, we had jobs.
We had a life.
It was good, like cleansing the soul in a way.
Then my stomach grumbled like Godzilla.
Daemon chuckled. “Okay. We’ve got to get some food in there before you start gnawing on me.”
“Too late,” I said, nipping at his lower lip. He made that sexy sound in his throat, the kind that led to things that would take up another couple of hours. I forced myself to put some distance between us. “We need to go downstairs.”
“So you can eat?” He sat up, running a hand through his hair. He looked adorably disheveled.
“Yeah, but we also need to find out what everyone is doing.” Reality was a bit sobering. “We need to figure out what we’re doing.”
“I know.” He bent over the edge of the bed and picked up my shirt. He tossed it to me. “But there better be food involved.”
Thank God there was. Dee was in the kitchen making a late lunch—or was it an early dinner?—consisting of cold cuts. Daemon headed off toward the sound of his brother’s voice, and I sidled up to Dee.
“Can I help?” I asked, rocking back.
She glanced at me. “I’m almost done. What kind do you want? Ham? Turkey?”
“Ham, pretty please.” I grinned. “Daemon probably wants ham, too. And I can make them if you haven’t.”
“Daemon wants anything he can consume.” She reached up, grabbing a paper plate. I thought it was kind of funny that this house even had paper plates in it. As she slapped two ham sandwiches on it, a burst of loud, male laughter caused her to glance over her shoulder. She looked relieved.
“What?” I asked, glancing back to the hall Daemon had disappeared down.
“I don’t know.” A small smile appeared. “I’m just surprised. Archer is in that room. I figured there’d be yelling instead of laughter.”
“Daemon is just…you know, a bit overprotective when it comes to you.”
His sister laughed. “A bit?”
“Okay. A lot. It’s not against Archer. He’s actually a really good guy. He helped me—helped us—while we were with Daedalus, but he’s older, he’s different, and he—”
“Has a penis?” Dee supplied. “Because I think that’s Daemon’s main problem.”
Giggling, I grabbed two cans of soda. “Yeah, you’re probably right. So have you been talking to him?”
She shrugged. “Not much. He’s not very talkative.”
“He’s a guy of few words.” I leaned my hip against the counter. “And he hasn’t been exposed to a lot. So he’s probably just taking all of this in.”
She gave a little shake of her head. “It’s just insane and horrible what they’re doing to people. And there’s more, right? I wish there was something we could do.”
I thought about the hybrids I’d seen and the origins we let loose. Could some of them have escaped? Setting the cans aside, I sighed. “There’s so much wrong with so much.”
“That is true.”
There was another explosion of laughter that I recognized as Daemon’s. I was smiling like a goofball before I even realized it.
“Look at you. Aren’t you chipper today.” Dee elbowed me. “What’s going on?”
I shrugged. “Just a really good day. I’ll have to tell you about it soon.”
She handed me a cold cut. “If it’s what you two have been doing in that room upstairs all afternoon, I don’t even want to know.”
I laughed. “I’m not talking about that.”
“Thank God.” Ash slinked between us, grabbing the jar of mayo. “Because no one wants to hear about that.”
Unless it involved Ash’s past with Daemon, then she was all kinds of talkative, but whatever. I smiled at her, which earned me a strange look.
Ash grabbed a spoon, scooped up some mayo, and popped it in her mouth. My stomach turned. “The fact that you’re so damn skinny and you eat mayo by the spoonful is universally messed up.”
She winked a catlike eye. “Be jealous.”
The funny thing was, I wasn’t.
“Then again, maybe I’m the one who should be jealous, Kitten.”
Dee smacked Ash’s arm. “Don’t start.”
She grinned as she tossed the spoon in the sink. “I didn’t say I wanted to be his Kitten, but if I did, well…this story may have a different ending.”
A couple of months ago, she would’ve gotten a rise out of me. Now I just smiled.
She stared at me a moment, and then her blue eyes rolled. “Whatever.”
I watched her leave the kitchen. “I think I’m growing on her,” I said to Dee.
She giggled as she put the last sandwich on the platter. There were more than a dozen. “Actually, I think the biggest problem is that Ash wants to dislike you.”
“She does a good job at it.”
“But I don’t think that’s how she really feels.” Dee picked up the platter, cocking her head to the side. “She really did care for Daemon. I don’t think it was ever love, but I think she always believed that they’d be together. That’s a lot to get over.”
I sort of felt guilty. “I know.”
“But she will. Besides, she’ll find someone who can tolerate her bitchiness, and all
will be right in the world.”
“And you?”
She giggled and winked. “I just want everything to be right in the world for one night—if you know what I mean.”
I choked on my laugh. “Good God, do not let Daemon or Dawson hear that.”
“No kidding.”
Everyone was in the rec room—bodies draped over couches, settees, and lounges. The biggest TV I’d ever seen hung on the wall, damn near the size of a theater screen.
Daemon patted the spot beside him on the couch, and I sat down, handing him his plate and soda. “Thank you.”
“Your sister made them. I just carried ours.”
Dee placed the platter on the coffee table and glanced over to where Archer sat with Luc and Paris. Then she took two sandwiches and retreated to the burgundy settee. Two pink spots bloomed on her cheeks, and I hoped she was having nice, clean thoughts.
One glance at Archer, who was now staring at Dee, had me assuming that she wasn’t.
On the other side of me, Dawson leaned forward and grabbed two of the subs, one for him and the other for Beth. The girl was bundled up in a quilt, looking half asleep. Our eyes met, and a tentative smile brightened her face.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Great.” She picked at the bread, pulling off little brown patches. “I’m just tired.”
Again, I wondered what could possibly be wrong with her, because something was. She didn’t look just tired; she looked absolutely exhausted.
“It’s been a lot of traveling,” Dawson elaborated. “It’s kind of worn me out, too.”
He didn’t look worn out. If anything, he looked like he was bursting at the seams. His green eyes were particularly bright, especially every time he looked at Beth.
Which was all the time.
“Eat,” he said quietly to her. “You need to eat at least two of these.”
She laughed softly. “I don’t know about two.”
We stayed there for a while, long after the food was gone, and I think everyone was delaying the inevitable—the big talk. So much so that Matthew left the room, telling us he’d be back in a few moments.
Daemon leaned forward, dropping his hands to his knees. “Time to get down to business.”
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