“I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you.” Roger frowned. “And I haven’t, have I?”
“Just because you say something doesn’t mean it’s true.”
Roger shrugged. His face was turning pink with embarrassment, and Angelina had to roll her eyes again. Honestly! Had this whole kidnapping just been someone acting out in order to get attention? What was wrong with writing a letter or picking up a phone? Hell, why not fenagle it so he was at a press release and blurt it out for the world to hear?
“As for telling him, I tried. I wrote letters, I phoned, I left messages. I even stood outside his apartment for a week waiting for him to come out. Nothing worked.”
It was Angelina’s turn to be embarrassed, although she still stood behind the press conference stunt.
“I wanted to get to know him. So, I had to get his attention somehow. Nothing else was working, so why not just get him to figure it out for himself.” Roger shrugged but didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “And I thought, from what I’ve seen, he likes the flair of dramatics. Why not show him it’s a family trait?”
Angelina opened her mouth angrily, but Rainer burst into laughter. Tommy, apparently, decided that this was funny and started to laugh as well. Angelina had to roll her eyes, but Rainer put his arm around her. He flicked the broken zip tie into Kavan’s face and grinned at his brother.
“Well done. Now. How’d you like to be part of a wedding?”
***
Luckily, Roger’s dramatic stunt only cost them a day as far as the wedding was concerned. Rainer was, of course, surprised and cautious to find out he had a brother, but rather than risking this new relationship by not believing him, or risking Angelina and Tommy in case Roger was lying, he had a background check done on the sly. Everything that came back in the first day checked out, and so Rainer allowed him to be part of the wedding party.
Roger, it seemed, had not expected that and was made very uncomfortable by the attention. Rather than participating when he didn’t even know Rainer, he elected to stay out of the spotlight and wait until after the honeymoon to start getting to know him. Rainer was fine with that, mostly. He knew he was going to be wondering about his brother all the time he was away…
But then again, he was going to have Angelina with him. And they had a lot of things to discuss... and do…
In the meantime, he was able to get everything for the wedding back in order. Sure, it pushed it back a day, but that was why he’d booked the venue for a full week. There had to be plans in place for making sure everything went smoothly, and besides, it had taken three whole days just to decorate it. His foresight proved favorable, though, as now they didn’t have to rush to find another venue.
There were going to be so many rumors about this. He could see the headlines now. Bride Gets Cold Feet. Or maybe even accusing Angelina of cheating on him. He was going to have to put out an official statement soon enough to sway that. Although, he was going to leave out the part where his brother kidnapped his fiancée. Which meant that was one thing that Kavan McBride wasn’t going to face, but Rainer was sure that he’d be back in jail soon enough anyway.
Now, he stood in the large hall. Everything was done in shades of blue and purple. Tables were set up in the back, and in the front were chairs full of invited guests. It was a small wedding, really. Only two hundred people. Most of them were necessary invitations, like the Elders, but the closest of friends sat in the front row. Emma had Tommy on her lap. Beside her was Phoenix, beaming, and next to them was the new king of the Starlight Mountains. Morticia had somehow managed to get herself crowned, though Rainer didn’t know how.
Nor did he necessarily want to know. His eyes were focused on the back of the hall, where a golden arch had been erected with blue and purple orchids growing up over it. His heart sped up as the music from the band he’d hired changed to Angelina’s chosen tune. He leaned forward, as though that would help him see her sooner.
Angelina had decided against having bridesmaids. Emma was her maid of honor, but she had said she wanted to walk down the aisle by herself.
When she appeared, all the air left Rainer’s lungs. Her dress was satin with beading on the bodice, which framed her curvy figure perfectly. The skirt fit over her flared hips and then turned to a graceful mermaid, the toes of her shoes peeking out as she walked. It was strapless, but a lace shrug over her arms gave her the modesty she wanted. Her hair was done in large, soft waves that tumbled down her back like a graceful waterfall. Small white flowers made a crown about her head. The bouquet in her hand was lovely, too, but he barely spared it a second glance.
Rainer was tempted to pinch himself. How had he gotten so lucky to have Angelina in his life? He thought of all the years he had spent craving something more than he had. Thinking that if he just got something better than what he had, he’d be happy.
And in the end, it wasn’t a matter of getting more at all. It was recognizing what he had. He had everything he needed to take care of his son, to take care of Angelina. He would be able to help her achieve her dreams. For the first time in a very long time, he didn’t feel unsatisfied with his lot.
Angelina reached him, floating like an angel, and he grinned widely at her. Her returning smile was like a rainbow after a thunderstorm. So beautiful, so perfect. He reached out for her hands and took them in his. Together they stood there, lost in each other’s eyes, until the officiator cleared his throat.
“Right,” Rainer said as their guests tittered.
The two of them quickly got into position. Their hands remained twined as they beamed at each other. The officiator smiled at them.
“Love is the foundation of all good. Love is what keeps us alive as children. Love is what grows us into good people. You have been fortunate enough to find someone that you can love until the end of time. But love is not a river flowing; it is neither endless, nor does it simply run out. Love is a garden. We must nurture it daily, rid it of the things that might strangle it. We must never neglect our love for one another.”
Rainer nodded, completely understanding what he was saying. It was time for their vows now. He turned to his mate and was lost once more in her beauty. “I… Angel. I love you. I have problems, like we all do. But I swear, from this day forward that I will not let those problems overcome me. I will always be here for you, even after the sun runs cold.”
He slid the white-gold band onto her finger.
“I love you. I know I’m not perfect, and I’m so grateful that you know that, too.” She paused as the audience laughed again. “You are the father of my child. The love of my life. I don’t know who I would be if you had never come into my life. I swear, I will always be here for you. Even after the sun runs cold.”
She put the ring on his finger and met his eyes again. Looking at her, he knew what that meant. They hadn’t talked about her becoming a vampire again since the first time it came up. Now he knew. She was telling him that she wanted to be turned. So she could be with him forever.
The rest of the wedding progressed quickly. A dinner was served, and then the floor opened up for a dance. As gentle music played, Rainer took Angelina onto the floor for their first ever dance as a married couple. He wrapped his arms around her waist, she put her arms around his neck and they started to sway to the music. They had plans to surprise everybody in a bit with a traditional ballroom dance, but for now, they just held one another, aware of the many eyes on them but not caring.
“So,” Angelina whispered to him, “I had an idea.”
“What sort of idea? I hope it involves no clothes.”
“Oh, I suppose no clothes would be okay, but I don’t think you’d like it so much.”
He spun her and pulled her back into his arms. “And why’s that?”
“Because it includes doing a butt-ton of interviews with a whole bunch of sexy vampires.” Angelina’s eyes twinkled. “See, I was thinking. About Psalm’s Haven. That is a piece of history erased and rewritten to justify killing an
entire village. But because of Roger, we know better. How much more of history can vampires clear up?”
Rainer hummed, nodding for her to continue.
“My thought is that we could run a ‘history you never knew’ sort of series. A new vampire every week, explaining about some piece of history that has been distorted through time.” Her eyes grew brighter and she spoke rapidly, a sure sign that she was excited. “You know what? There should be more vampires in schools. Teaching history from people who actually saw it. Can you imagine? That would be fantastic!”
“That would be. I’d like to set a few things straight myself.” Other people were joining them on the dance floor now, and he lowered his voice a little to keep it between the two of them. “That’s not exactly an article, though.”
“I’m not exactly a reporter.” Her chin lifted stubbornly. “I can make it into an article if I want.”
Rainer laughed and kissed her. “You can do just about anything if you set your mind to it.”
She grinned back as she pressed a slower, deeper kiss to him. “You better believe it.”
“I do,” he assured her. “I surely do.”
*****
THE END
Thank You!
Thank you so much for reading ‘In Bed with the Vampire’!
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading my book as much as I did writing.
I would appreciate if you’d be willing to share a review that allows me to continuously improve my books and motivates me to keep writing.
Also a big thank you to my husband and my son. Your support means the world to me!
P.S. Stay tuned, there are more books in the Dating Shifter Service series to follow:
Accidentally married to a Dragon (Prequel, visit my Author Page)
The Wolf’s Surprise Babies (Book 1)
Between Good and Evil (Book 2)
In Bed with the Vampire (Book 3)
The Shifter’s Fake Fiancé (Book 4)
Sold to her Enemies (Book 5)
Paranormal Friends with Benefits (Book 6)
Make sure to visit my Amazon Author Page to check their availability.
Also by Jasmine Wylder
Separated by Time
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 8)
Dragon Secrets
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 5)
Fated Bears
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 5)
Rocky Mountain Shifters
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 4)
Savage Brotherhood MC
Tornado (Book 1)
Blizzard (Book 2)
Thunder (Book 3)
Hurricane (Book 4)
Typhoon (Book 5)
Twister (Book 6,)
Cyclone (Book 7)
Storm (Book 8)
Bound by Fate
The Vampire's Bride Awakening (Book 1)
The Vampire's Secret Baby (Book 2)
About the Author
Jasmine Wylder is a Real Estate Agent by day and an emerging Paranormal Romance Author & Adventurer by night. Hailing from California, her passion for sultry stories, steamy scenes, and all-things romance began early on and it has stayed with her ever since.
When she isn’t creating captivating storylines, Jasmine loves spending time in the great outdoors, practicing yoga, and treating herself to fine cuisine.
Whether it’s out-of-this-world love (literally), dragon shifters setting your heart ablaze, or unquenchable vampiric desire, Jasmine has you covered!
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In Bed with the Vampire: A Paranormal Romance (Shifter Dating Service Book 3) Page 19