Lucky in Love (Charmed in Vegas Book 3)

by Bethany Shaw

  She drew in a deep breath and began to walk. The aisle was covered in roses that led to the altar where Charlie and Laik stood.

  In true Vegas fashion, Charlie was wearing his Elvis costume for the ceremony. After much discussion, she and Laik had offered Charlie the opportunity to officiate the ceremony.

  Laik stood beside him, wearing a tux. At least some things were similar to a real wedding. Charlie waved her forward. She took her first step forward while gazing into Laik’s eyes. He was hers—all hers. How had she gotten so lucky?

  She floated down the aisle, holding Laik’s gaze the entire time. The world narrowed until all she could see—all she could feel—was him. Nothing else mattered.

  Laik took a step down the stairs and offered her his hand, helping her up to the altar.

  Charlie began the ceremony, his voice booming over the small crowd. Laik grasped her other hand and together they listened to Charlie’s speech. After a moment, Charlie turned to Laik and continued to speak. Laik repeated the words back, then Charlie turned to her.

  Elly listened to Charlie’s lilt and did her best to recite it back to him.

  Charlie grasped a ribbon, wrapped it around her and Laik’s wrists, and then tied it into a bow before he spoke again. He went to the altar where he poured red wine into a goblet. Charlie held it up before coming back to her and Laik.

  The vampire produced a needle from his pocket and pricked both her and Laik’s fingers, then squeezed a droplet of their blood into the goblet. Elly lifted her brow when Charlie handed the goblet to Laik. Laik took a drink and offered it to her. Elly swallowed, unsure how the blood would mix with the wine. She lifted the goblet to her lips and swallowed the warm, delicious liquid.

  Charlie took the cup and said some more words in Latin before clapping his hands together.

  Laik grinned and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. Elly sighed against his mouth, breathing in his scent.

  “That part's done,” Laik whispered in her ear.

  “What’s next?” Elly asked.

  “There is no reception for us. We will go to our room and complete the ceremony, just the two of us,” he told her with a grin.

  Elly shivered as anticipation rumbled through her belly. “I think I can handle that,” she breathed.

  “Good,” Laik growled as he lifted her up and carried her down the aisle. “I can’t wait to get you out of this dress and claim you.”

  Elly giggled as she nuzzled into his neck. “Me either.”

  “I love you,” Laik told her.

  “I love you, too,” she murmured against his neck. Laik was hers, all hers. Tonight they would start their lives together as mates. Who would have thought running away from her problems would lead her to her happily ever after?

  ***

  Thank you for reading! Remember, if you join our newsletters you get a free read. Bethany Shaw Michelle Fox

  And if you're not ready to leave Vegas, the other books in the series can be found here.

  Below is a sneak peek at Vanished, the first book in my Times Journey series.

  Chapter One

  Zak glared at the empty house. Cadence’s sweet lilac and vanilla perfume wafted in the air. For the first time, in his very long life, he was torn. He’d been genuine and allowed his undead heart to feel.

  For half a second, he’d believed the breathtaking witch was going to give him a chance—until she betrayed him. Tonight had been a shame. She’d lured him out with the specific purpose of playing on his feelings for her. All so her friends could attempt to murder his brother. To make matters worse, his mother was back and preparing to kill him and his siblings. This night sucked. Someone needed to pay.

  He'd left his house determined to make Cadence suffer for her part in this. The sooner she was eliminated, the better. She was a distraction he couldn’t afford.

  He should kill her now, yet as he stood outside her home he couldn't bring himself to harm her. What was it about her? It angered him that one girl had gotten under his skin so much. What is happening to me? Surely, I’m not going soft.

  Headlights shone down the darkened road and he stepped forward, walking across the street to stand next to the driveway. The familiar red car’s blinker turned on a second before it came to a halt in the center of the road. Cadence peered at him from behind the windshield. She chewed on her lower lip and he could see the indecision on her face. Will she make a run for it? He could catch her if she tried, but did he really want to? Could he end her life? She was his enemy.

  Cadence ran a hand through her wavy, sandy blonde hair, closed her brown eyes, and then opened them as she inched the car into the driveway. She glared at him through her windshield, never once letting her gaze stray from his.

  She hesitated, letting the car idle as her fingers gripped the steering wheel. Her eyes widened and her human heart sped up as it pulsed within her chest.

  His gums ached as he imagined what her sweet, hot blood would taste like. She’d be delicious, of course. What would it be like to drain her dry? Would he feel remorse as she gasped her last breath? Yes. Somehow the little witch wiggled her way into his heart and he couldn’t fathom how that happened. It had been years since he’d cared for someone other than family. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her as he waited for her to make a move.

  Her gaze flicked away from his and her hand went to her neck, brushing aside her sandy blonde curls as she rubbed her throbbing pulse point. Does she possess the power to read minds? Her fingers trailed across her throat as she glared. Perhaps she does.

  To his surprise, instead of throwing the car in reverse and pealing out, she shut the car off. The door creaked open and, after inhaling a deep breath, she stepped out into the cool night air.

  That was why he liked her. She might be afraid, but she didn't let it rule her. Any other witch would’ve bolted by now. He admired her for standing up to him; so few ever did, actually, no one ever did. She told him how she felt to his face rather than behind his back. He admired her honesty.

  Cadence slowly made her way around the car and stopped several feet away from him. "Are you going to kill me?" she asked bluntly as she raised her arm, readying to do some sort of witchy voodoo on him should he attack.

  The answer should be yes, but he couldn't do it. He gritted his teeth and balled his fists at his side. Damn it! She was a weakness, one he needed to eliminate—now. He should attack, tear into her neck and drink her life force dry. "No," he said, betraying his thoughts.

  "Then why are you here?" she asked, dropping her hand to her side.

  "You betrayed me, Cadence," he told her honestly. "Why would you come home? You know I can get in there," he modestly stated, nodding to the house. Either she was extremely fearless or just that stupid. His vote was fearless. Cadence was too smart to have forgotten he’d been invited into her home.

  "This is my house and I refuse to live in fear. So if you're not going to hurt me, or kill me, please leave. I have company coming," she replied as she held her ground.

  He sighed, inhaling the fresh, cool night air drifting toward him carrying a hint of her perfume. She smelled amazing. All he wanted to do was hold her close and breathe in her intoxicating scent. But she wasn’t his. Not only that, she was his enemy. "I really did want to get to know you, Cadence."

  She huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. “How did you think this was going to turn out? My loyalty is to the coven. That’s no secret. You marched into town and declared war on the witches. Maddie is my best friend and you and your siblings are trying to kill her. She's like my sister and I’d do anything to protect her. Surely you can appreciate that."

  "Loyalty, family," he mumbled. He could appreciate that. It didn’t change the fact that she’d betrayed him and was still breathing. He’d killed for far less than that.

  "I'm sorry," she said her voice barely above a whisper as she met his gaze. If he didn’t have vampire hearing, he wouldn't have heard her.

  He cocked his head.
Most people apologized to him—eventually. More like they begged for forgiveness because they feared for their lives. This was different; Cadence was sincere. But why was she apologizing? She was right, he had attempted to off her best friend.

  Zak opened his mouth, but paused as the soft sound of chanting rippled on the night air. Had she betrayed him yet again? He growled, snarling as he zipped toward her, grasping her shoulders as his fangs extended.

  Cadence gasped, wriggling in his grip. “What are you doing?” she demanded as her eyes widened.

  It’d be easy to latch onto her perfectly, pale neck and sample her right now, but something was wrong. He peered into her eyes; the deception and secrets that flourished there earlier during her treachery were not present now. Only fear and concern registered.

  Flames shot up around them and Cadence screamed in surprise as she glanced around the inferno. Zak released her and spun on his heel.

  His mother, Liana, approached, both arms outreached, chanting. Liana’s long mousy hair floated in the wind as the gusts picked up and flames danced in her mocha-tinged eyes. Her words were intelligible, but whatever she was doing couldn’t be good.

  Zak leapt forward, but collapsed to the ground as dizzying pain sliced through his skull. The flames drew closer, growing hotter and causing sweat to bead on his brow. He scampered back and hopped to his feet as he stood protectively in front of the young witch. Whatever his mother planned for him, he didn’t want Cadence caught up in it.

  He met his mother’s gaze and snarled. The fire flickered in his mother’s gray eyes, showing her for the monster she truly was. "Mother," he hissed. "What is the meaning of this?"

  "I truly am sorry for your involvement in this," she said, turning her attention to Cadence. "You have a pure heart, but I saw an opportunity and I had to take it. I’m sure you can understand," she said as she began chanting again.

  "Mother!" Zak bellowed as he blocked Cadence completely from his mother’s view. His mother could attempt to harm him, but he wasn’t going to let her hurt Cadence.

  The flames billowed higher and Cadence shrieked.

  Smoke engulfed him and he coughed. The ground evaporated and the world whirled around him. He was falling into a black abyss. Where is Cadence? Did she make it out?

  ***

  Cadence gasped as icy pain stabbed her. Dizzying darkness threatened to pull her under. Her cold surroundings were the only thing keeping her conscious. She opened her mouth to scream, but instead water flooded in. Her rubbery limbs sluggishly thrashed in the water. Which way is up and which way is down? Her lungs burned. The little bit of breath she had left wouldn’t last much longer. Her heart hammered as she sloshed through the murky water trying to find the surface.

  Her chest burned, desperate to draw in a breath. Where is the surface? She whirled from side-to-side, her blonde hair cascading in the water as she fought to survive.

  Arms encircled her waist and tugged hard. She rose above the surface, sputtering as she drew in a breath of air. Her lungs ached as she panted while coughing out water.

  “I’ve got you,” Zak mumbled from behind her as he carried them both to the edge of the water. He pushed her onto the gritty dirt before crawling out next to her.

  She rolled onto her back, coughing and gasping as she forced air into her lungs. Her heart hammered in her chest and she shivered as the icy air assaulted her.

  Zak stood, offering his hand to her. Begrudgingly, she accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

  Cadence stumbled as another bout of dizziness threatened to knock her back to the ground. Her teeth chattered violently—she half expected them to crack—and her breath puffed out in front of her. "What the hell happened?" she asked wrapping her arms around herself as she staggered to a fallen tree limb and sat down.

  "My mother," he growled.

  His stormy blue eyes flashed golden and spidery black veins erupted around his temples. She took a step back as her heart kicked up a notch. He hadn’t harmed her yet, but given his current mood that could change. Sure, she was a witch, but her active powers were touch and go.

  Zak closed his eyes, when he reopened them, they had returned to their normal silvery blue. He ran a hand through his auburn hair, sending the short locks into tiny spikes.

  "Where are we?" she asked, pushing her drenched hair out of her face as she glanced around. They were in the middle of nowhere. Trees stretched as far as she could see surrounding the icy pond. There was no light or signs of life. Fantastic. She needed to get someplace warm and out of these wet clothes before she got hyperthermia.

  He sighed, looking around the dark woods. "I don't know," he said shaking his head. His gaze continued to drift around the woods as he took a few small steps toward the tree line.

  She groaned. "Well, isn’t this just great." She pulled her cellphone out of her coat pocket, praying the water hadn’t ruined it. She touched the phone and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the light illuminated. She started to dial, but stopped when she heard Zak laughing.

  She glared at him trying to ignore the way his wet shirt clung to his body. How did I not notice his muscles before now? Yes, that is what I should be thinking about right now. Not!

  "I don't think that is going to work, sweetheart," he sobered.

  "Why not?" she hissed annoyed. He probably didn't want her calling her friends. He was probably enjoying this. Hell, if Liana hadn’t been involved, she’d think he set this whole thing up. But Zak’s mother would never do anything to help him. She was hell bent on killing him and though she was here with him, it wasn’t Zak’s doing.

  This was the only way he was ever going to get her alone. He should enjoy the moment while it lasted; she was getting out of here.

  He looked around again and blew out a breath as he dragged his hand through his hair again. "Because I'm pretty sure the cellphone hasn't been invented yet."

  "Excuse me!”

  ***

  Zak sat down on the broken log Cadence had vacated, watching as she paced back and forth. It’d been five minutes and she was vainly attempting to get a call through. It was cute, but it wasn’t going to work. He prayed he was wrong, but he was almost sure he wasn’t. He’d grown up in these woods centuries ago and still visited them frequently. His senses were heightened and they told him there was very little human life nearby. The closest signs of life were well over a mile away, probably more, as the burning brush smell was only faint.

  Cadence teetered as she took off her heels and chucked them into the trees. Her bare feet smacked across the wet, cold earth. She hugged herself tightly as her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Her jacket, dress, and hose were soaked through. As much as he liked the way her garments clung to her lithe form, he worried she was getting too cold. Cold wasn’t a worry for him, he was a vampire, but Cadence, although a witch, was human.

  "This is your fault," she snapped stopping to look at him.

  "If I recall, it was your coven that awoke my mother and brought her back from the spirit world," he reminded her. "So this is more your fault than it is mine."

  "Yeah because she was supposed to kill you," she spat. He tried not to let her words hurt, but they did. Did she really want him dead? She looked at her phone again like it might magically start ringing. "My friend, Jamie, is supposed to be coming to my house," she said quietly. "She was going to help me replace the barrier spell so you can’t get in there anymore. I’m sure she’s there by now and has noticed I’m missing. She’ll get to the bottom of this and get me back home."

  He exhaled, watching his breath in the cool night air. "You know, we could play the blame game all night. It isn't going to change anything. We're still stuck here together. And..." He smirked as he heard the howling of a wolf. "You should be nice to me."

  She scoffed. "Jamie is going to figure out a way to fix this. She’s probably at my house now and knows something is wrong," she repeated. “Any minute now the coven will show up and they’ll fil
et your ass.”

  "Maybe,” he conceded even though he found it unlikely. “But in order to fix this she would have to know where we are. What time we're in." She glared at him rolling her eyes. "Seeing as how we don't know that, I doubt she does either." He grinned, watching her flinch as she finally picked up on what he’d heard a moment ago. The howl of a wolf pack, and they were headed this way. "Like I said, sweetheart, you should be nice to me."

  She turned toward the direction of the sound taking a step back. He walked to her leaning in, inhaling her sweet scent as he spoke. "How good are your active powers, Cadence?” He could see her involuntary chill, whether from him or the inevitable attack he wasn't sure.

  "You're not going to let them hurt me are you?" Cadence asked, moving to stand behind him as her hand gripped his bicep.

  He chuckled. No, he wasn't going to let them hurt her; he would kill them if they dared. Hell, he’d saved her life only a few moments ago when he’d pulled her from the icy waters. She didn’t need to know any of that. He was enjoying her touching him even if it wasn't for the reasons he would like. "No. I'm an Original Vampire. They will bow down to me."

  She shook her head. "Cocky much."

  "I'm indestructible. I can afford to be," he boasted. One wolf pack wasn’t a concern for him. Cadence, on the other hand, could be killed. One bite out here in the middle of nowhere, without proper medical supplies could kill her. Infection was a nasty thing. He’d seen plenty of people succumb to it over the years, which was all the more reason to make sure she didn’t get hurt.

  Zak focused on his adversaries as they slowed to a trot and broke through the tree line. The wolves crept toward them and Cadence’s grip tightened on his arm. She surprised him though when she held her free hand up defensively. Surely, she wasn't crazy enough to fight them off, although, he didn't really expect anything else from her. He doubted she had enough control to do any real damage. If she had the power to protect herself, she wouldn’t be cowering behind him.