Knowledge Revealed

by D. S. Williams

  There were two hundred invited guests for Marianne and Striker's wedding – last night their friends from Egypt and New York had arrived and I guessed they must also be out hunting this morning. Despite my anxieties, they'd turned out to be very nice… vampires. Friendly and polite, they'd accepted my presence with good grace and pleasant greetings and to my amusement, I found myself enjoying their company, listening to stories about how they had all met.

  Sipping my coffee, I mused over discovering things I'd never known existed in rapid succession over the past few months. A world humans didn't know existed – was now my world. Strangely, it was a world in which I found myself feeling very comfortable. Knowing Lucas was there to protect me made all the difference – despite his ongoing concerns regarding his thirst – I was positive he would never harm me. The thought of Lucas warmed my heart and unbidden, my mind wandered to when I'd gone into Puckhaber and returned home to have him greet me in jeans. Only jeans. The recollection of that drop of rainwater, hanging enticingly from his nipple caused a swell of sheer, unadulterated lust to wash over me and I could imagine licking it off with my tongue. I knew it was dangerous to daydream like this, the more time we spent together the more I wanted what was impossible to have. It was becoming harder and harder to control myself when he kissed me, because there was so much more I wanted to do. With a sigh, I drained the coffee cup, wondering once again if we would find a suitable solution to our many problems.

  ≈†◊◊†◊◊†◊◊†≈

  With one last look at my reflection in the mirror, I turned from side to side to ensure everything was okay with my gown. I was particularly pleased with the overall effect, even if I did have some misgivings concerning the underwear.

  Acenith had outdone herself in selecting this dress, I mused happily, admiring myself just one last time. This dress was so beautiful, made of soft jersey it was pewter grey and sewn with dozens upon dozens of crystal beads that made it shimmer under the light. The bodice of the dress was skin-tight and the exquisite lacy bra I wore underneath gave me elegant cleavage in the subtle 'v' of the neckline. The skirt tapered slightly, making it easy to walk in the cast and it reached the floor in a flow of gently draped material. If you didn't know about it, you wouldn't even know there was a cast on my foot. To add to my delight, it featured a cute little train at the back and I'd never felt more beautiful in all my life.

  Gwynn had appeared earlier to help me with my hair; she'd worked it into a smooth chignon at the nape of my neck, a miracle for hair as curly as mine. I'd put on my own makeup, I didn't often wear it and chose to wear just a little eyeliner, blush, lipstick and mascara. Staring at the woman in the mirror, I had trouble believing it was me. I felt like a princess and the deep grey of the material made my green eyes appear luminescent.

  The only thing I wasn't comfortable with was the underwear Acenith had provided. I'd always been a plain bikini kind of girl, and Acenith had presented me with a tiny little thong, explaining that was the only style that wouldn't show under the dress. I'd stared at it doubtfully for a long time. Even now, I felt somewhat naked under my dress. I'd contemplated changing into some of my own underwear, but decided against it. Acenith wouldn't be pleased if I did and the thong matched the beautiful bra she'd purchased. I was getting used to the sensation of the thong, but I wasn't sure I was ever going to like it.

  I'd been alone for the past hour or two, whilst everyone got ready for the wedding. The men were down at Ripley's converted stables and the women were ensconced downstairs in Marianne and Striker's bedroom, helping her prepare for her big day. They'd been concerned about someone helping me, but I'd shrugged it off as being unimportant and insisted Marianne deserved all their attention. My nerves had returned and although I wouldn't admit it, I worried Alison would make a play for Lucas.

  Picking up the lipstick and mascara, I threw them into the tiny pewter-colored bag Acenith had purchased to match the dress. It was a little before four and I'd been given strict instructions to be ready and downstairs at four o'clock. With one last check of my reflection, I opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

  In the hallway, I heard an appreciative wolf whistle and a recognizable voice. “Wow.”

  Nick appeared beside me, dressed impeccably in a black suit, which enhanced his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He'd shaved the goatee beard, revealing a tiny cleft in the centre of his square jaw and I stood staring at him, wondering why he was here.

  To my surprise, Nick held out his arm. “I've been requested to come and escort you downstairs, Charlotte,” he announced gruffly. “You look lovely.”

  “Um, thanks?” The response came out more as a question and I cursed silently. The last thing I wanted was to spend time with this man, who'd been so rude when I met him.

  “I promise, I'm on my best behavior,” he said with a wink. “Marianne'll kill me if I piss you off a second time.” He waggled his fingers in my direction, his gaze flicking to the arm he still held out for me.

  With a harrumph of disgust, I linked my arm through his; prepared to put up with his obnoxious behavior for the five minutes it would take to get downstairs. Pausing for a second, I leaned over to pick up the train of my dress, slipping the tiny loop over my finger. It wouldn't do for me to fall down the flight of stairs now.”

  “How do I look?” Nick asked, instinctively slowing his pace to match mine.

  “Fine,” I announced through gritted teeth.

  “Gee, thanks.”

  Ignoring his sarcasm, we made our way slowly down the hallway to the head of the stairs and Nick paused, eyeing me uncertainly.

  “Maybe I should carry you.”

  “No. Thank you.” I smiled coolly and gripped the handrail determinedly.

  Nick shrugged. “Okay then.” We walked slowly down the stairs and a cacophony of sound reached my ears from the living room below. Coming round the corner of the stairwell, I swallowed nervously. The living room was crammed with people – while I'd been preparing upstairs the furniture had been removed and rows of gauze-draped chairs now stood in the large room, each decorated with a jaunty bow on the back of the seat. Huge urns of fresh flowers were placed around the room and the sweet smell of jasmine wafted towards us.

  Concentrating on not falling, I didn't notice Lucas waiting for me. He looked completely stunned when we reached him and Nick released my arm.

  “There we go. I'll go find the pack,” Nick announced to no one in particular and left us alone.

  I touched the dress self-consciously and glanced up into Lucas's smoldering blue eyes. “Do I look okay?”

  Lucas swallowed heavily, his eyes heavy lidded as his gaze swept across my body from top to bottom and all the way back again. “You take my breath away, my love,” he responded simply. He drew me into his arms, nuzzling against my neck. “I have never seen a more beautiful woman.” Pressing a soft kiss on my lips, he drew away, seemingly unable to draw his gaze away from me.

  I smiled happily. “You look nice, too.” Nice was a ridiculous understatement – he looked magnificent. Wearing an exquisitely tailored black tuxedo, his white shirt was contrasted with a narrow tie in pewter. The cut of the suit enhanced every inch of his well-honed body and he was perfection, and was catching the eye of more than one envious woman in the room.

  Lucas held out his arm and I hooked mine through his, savoring the feel of the fine material beneath my fingers. “I'll take you to your seat.” He guided me carefully through the crowds milling at the back of the chairs and then we walked down the aisle towards the front of the assembled crowd. For a split second, I could imagine this being me one day, walking down the aisle to Lucas. It was an enchanting daydream and I filed it away to be looked at in more detail later.

  Rowena sat in the front row on the left, flawless in a gown of aqua blue silk. Katie sat beside her, pretty in a gown of the palest pink, her hair French braided and she was playing with the ribbon tied around her waist. Lucas brushed a brief kiss against my lips and promised
he would return soon, and then with one last heated glance, he strode towards the back of the room.

  Rowena leaned towards me conspiratorially and whispered in my ear. “I told you he would only have eyes for you, Charlotte. You look breathtaking.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered back.

  Ben completed his duties as usher and came to sit beside his wife in the seat she'd saved on her right, offering me an appreciative glance and a wink.

  Glancing around with interest, I saw Lonnie seated a few rows back. She had Alison beside her and I was smug when I realized that Alison had watched Lucas and I walk up the aisle together. She looked remarkably, as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. Lonnie greeted me with an enthusiastic wave and I recognized the slim, dark haired man beside her as her boyfriend, Mike.

  Minutes later, the other men strode in, stunning in black tuxedos with pale pink ties and silk handkerchiefs in their pockets. The three of them looked so happy together, laughing and incredibly striking. Striker caught my attention and winked and I smiled back happily. Ripley was performing the duties of best man, William was groomsman, and Gwynn and Acenith had both been selected as bridesmaids.

  Rowena and I spoke quietly while waiting for everyone to take their seats and when the music began, I closed my eyes briefly. When I opened them again, it was to find Rowena watching me questioningly.

  “Marianne's family wanted to see the service,” I whispered. With a little concentration, I had Marianne's mother and father, her grandmother and her siblings in the room with us. They looked across to me, smiled and waved, then turned to watch their daughter marry the man she loved.

  “You'll have to let them go if they cause you any discomfort,” Ben warned in a low voice.

  “I think it's okay. I've been practicing,” I reassured him softly.

  Gwynn and Acenith walked solemnly down the aisle, their dresses a gorgeous pale pink silk. Both wore simple garlands of roses and jasmine in their hair. The music changed to Mendelssohn's Wedding March and Marianne appeared, clutching Lucas's arm tightly. She was breathtaking in a gown of white silk and tulle – always a beautiful girl, today she was positively radiant. Gone were the flamingo streaks in her hair, she'd dyed it back to its natural sleek black and it was woven into a French braid, intertwined with tiny pink rosebuds and sprigs of jasmine. Carrying a bouquet of pink rosebuds, she made her way to a grinning Striker and Lucas released his hold on her, kissing her cheek gently before giving her hand to her husband-to-be.

  He left them together in front of the minister and sat down beside me, taking my hand in his. He didn't seem able to take his eyes off me and I was thrilled with the effect I was having on him.

  The service wasn't long, the minister marrying Striker and Marianne kept things short and very moving. I was mesmerized by the whole event, smiling and exchanging warm looks with Lucas as the service progressed. When Marianne and Striker exchanged a long, lingering kiss, I stood with the rest of the guests, cheering and applauding.

  From the corner of my eye, I watched as Marianne's parents applauded along with everyone else, and then shut my eyes again, removing their image from the wedding. It was getting far easier to do, even bringing the five of them out of the box and corporeally into the wedding had caused only a mild ache behind my eyes and it dissipated rapidly.

  We walked from the house to the marquee as darkness fell and the effect in the marquee was enchanting. Thousands of flowers were highlighted by dozens of gently flickering candles, and waiters moved amongst the crowd and offered trays of canapés and drinks. Lucas caught a waiter as he passed, taking two glasses from his tray, and offering one to me.

  “What's this?”

  “Champagne, love.”

  “I'm not twenty one.”

  Lucas grinned. “Oh, I believe we can live a little dangerously tonight.” He glanced down at my dress, his eyes tracing a sensuous path across my body and he leaned forward, whispering against my ear. “I would like to live very dangerously later, my love.” He pressed a tender kiss against my neck. “I must go speak with Ben, I'll return soon.”

  With legs that had turned to jelly, I sipped the champagne while I tried to control my rampaging hormones. Did he mean what I thought he did?

  The evening was magical, Lucas and the others were impeccable hosts, there was tray upon tray of food, and only the best wines, beers, and spirits were served. I watched carefully and noticed that whilst Lucas and his friends consistently took glasses and food from the trays, nothing passed their lips. It was a clever trick designed to make them appear as human as everyone around them.

  “Having a good time, Lottie?” Lonnie and Mike appeared, holding hands, and grinning happily.

  I nodded and smiled my agreement. “What about you?”

  Lonnie almost jumped up and down on the spot, because she was so excited. “It's amazing, and you look absolutely stunning.”

  “She does, doesn't she?” Nick strode towards us, his tie loosened at his throat. He held out his hand to Mike and they shook hands, before he smiled down at Lonnie. “I'm Nick Lingard, a friend of Marianne's.”

  “Mike Tredway and this is my girlfriend, Lonnie Stewart. I've seen you around town, haven't I?”

  “Yeah, I work at the repair shop out on Ford Road.”

  Mike nodded with a grin. “I knew I'd seen you somewhere.”

  Nick glanced down at me, his expression giving the impression he was nervous, although I had no idea why. “I came across to ask this lovely lady if she would dance with me,” he announced smoothly and I groaned inwardly.

  “Go ahead, Lottie,” Mike urged, taking my champagne glass before I could protest.

  Nick held out his hand and I felt I had no choice but to go with him, not willing to make a scene in front of Lonnie and Mike. I placed my hand in his begrudgingly, and he smoothly drew me towards the dance floor in the centre of the marquee.

  He drew me into his arms and I looked up at him helplessly. “I can't dance,” I admitted in a low voice.

  “Just follow my lead, you'll be fine,” he said smoothly, grasping me more firmly around the waist. “It's not too hard.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I muttered underneath my breath, watching my feet as I stumbled a little against him.

  “Look at me, Charlotte, not your feet,” he commanded in a low voice.

  “Do I have to?”

  To my surprise, he chuckled, the sound deep and low. “You really hate me, don't you?”

  I glanced up, found his grey eyes watching me with barely concealed amusement. “I couldn't say I like you,” I admitted with a blush.

  “We got off to a bad start,” he admitted as he slowly twirled me across the dance floor. “I don't trust easily.”

  “Obviously.” For a few moments, we danced silently and I concentrated hard on not falling over and making an utter fool of myself.

  “Can we start again?”

  “Why?”

  My reward was a heavy sigh before he spoke, his voice low. “You're Lucas's girlfriend. He's my friend. We should make nice with each other, for him and Marianne.”

  “Maybe you should have thought about that when you first met me,” I responded tartly.

  He cursed softly beneath his breath. “I told you I don't trust easily, it makes it hard to take anyone I'm meeting for the first time at face value. Particularly when they're giving me bad news about my pack.”

  I glanced up into his eyes. “It was someone from your group, then?”

  He nodded, his eyes scanning the crowd around us for anyone within hearing distance. “One of my younger pack members was getting carried away when he was out. Let himself be seen, which is a definite no-no. He's been reprimanded.”

  “I assume you yelled at him, too?”

  “I did not yell at you,” he responded calmly.

  “Fine. You grumped at me.”

  To my annoyance, he laughed aloud, eyeing me with an amused smile. “You remind me of my kid sister, she was always telling me I
was grumpy.”

  “Obviously a very astute girl,” I replied, then I eyed him again as I realized what he'd said, how he'd used past tense when he spoke of her. “What happened to her?” I questioned softly.

  “Nothing, as far as I know.” Seeing my startled look, he continued quietly. “My folks kicked me out when they discovered what I was, told me I was a freak of nature and I couldn't live there anymore. I haven't seen them or my sister for nearly ten years.”

  A wave of sympathy for him stopped me in my tracks. “I didn't know. I'm sorry.”

  He shrugged, drawing me back into dancing with him again. “Probably why I'm such a bastard to people I don't know. It takes a lot to gain my trust and I know I should have known better with you, being Lucas's girl and all, but old habits die-hard. I've been kicked in the ass once too often in the last few years.”

  The song ended and Nick loosened his grip on my waist, preparing to escort me off the dance floor but I tugged at his hand and he stopped, turning back to me with a curious expression in his eyes.

  Offering him a soft smile, I spoke. “Hi. I'm Charlotte Duncan, Marianne's friend. Would you like to dance?”

  He grinned, his grey eyes lighting up with pleasure. “Nick Lingard. It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlotte. I'd be happy to dance with you.” He drew me back into his arms and we began to move slowly around the dance floor to the ballad being played by the band. For a minute or so, there was silence and then I heard Nick's voice in my ear. “Thank you.”

  “You're welcome.”

  We continued to dance in a companionable silence and I glanced around, catching sight of Alison walking along the edge of the dance floor. She was making a beeline towards Lucas, who stood with Ben near the bar and my blood began to boil. I couldn't believe her, how dare she make a move on my boyfriend and right in front of me?

  Watching her furiously, I saw her doing her absolute best to capture Lucas's attention, laughing too hard, smiling brilliantly, and making certain he got a good look at the ample cleavage displayed in her low cut gown.