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“We were meant to be together,” he assured her.
Traditional vows were exchanged. They each slipped a ring onto the other’s finger, and Jade basked in the excitement and pleasure in Davian’s eyes as she took him as her husband.
When the chaplain pronounced them man and wife, Davian leaned in for a kiss before the words even left the officiant’s mouth. This caused a ripple of laughter through the crowd. He didn’t seem to notice. His civil kiss morphed into a passionate one, and that led to gasps and hooting—and a lot of clapping and cheering. Davian’s arms encircled her waist and he kissed her deeply before releasing her and grinning down at her.
She fanned her face with a hand, the flush of public embarrassment not quite rivaling the heat of the moment.
“I think you’ve just given everyone a glimpse at our wedding night,” she teased.
“No one knows about the sashes.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a devilish way, and the flush of her face became even more vibrant.
“Behave,” she murmured.
He embraced her fervently again, and said, “That’s not at all what you want from me.” He was right, of course. Then he shifted his attention to the group gathered and announced, “My chefs at the castle have worked with the chefs in the village to prepare tonight’s dinner. And there’s plenty of champagne for everyone to enjoy.”
Linking Jade’s arm with his, they led the way to the riverbank on Ryleigh’s side. The feast was outstanding, and the villagers were obviously impressed. After the dishes had been cleared away, music and dancing ensued. Jade could not remember such a lively occasion taking place in her now-twenty-seven years. And she was pleased to see Walker had recovered enough to dance with Lisette.
Sheena, clever vampire that she was, had paired the castle’s seamstresses with those in the village, the butchers from both sides of the border, the candle-makers and hand-blown glass artists, and so on. This broke the tension, but also opened discussion for sharing trade secrets that might assist with improvements on both sides.
Jade had no idea what the future held, but Jinx Cromley had once predicted the human world would be restored. What he hadn’t realize, she believed, was that the demons were friends of Mother Nature and that modern advancements could be made while paying particular attention to the environment. A win-win, she thought, might truly be in sight.
The wedding night was another affair to remember. The party wound down in the wee hours of the morning and Davian lifted Jade into his arms and carried her across the threshold of the cottage, that being the place she’d wanted to spend their first night as newlyweds. He hadn’t put up a single argument.
Sheena and Lisette had set the décor on the sly, lighting candles and scattering rose petals everywhere, as well as opening the windows to allow a sultry gust to waft through the small house. The sound of the water rushing over the rapids outside added a soothing element to the sensual ambience.
Davian took her straight to bed. She didn’t complain.
As he thrust slowly and deeply into her, she murmured, “Thank you for loving me.”
“I waited nearly nine years for us to be together. But, really, Jade. I waited over two hundred years to find you.” He kissed her ardently before staring into her eyes and saying, “And now you’re finally mine.”
“For all of eternity,” she vowed.
Epilogue
The next day, following brunch at the castle—to further celebrate the marriage with those who hadn’t come down to the river the night before—Jade took her red rose to the south woods and placed it on Jinx’s grave. She had another bouquet for her parents’ burial place.
Though she had many centuries ahead of her, she swore to herself she would not forget her past, her friends or her family. They were, after all, the people who had helped to shape her life and make her the person she’d become. Along with the people still presently involved in her daily activities.
Returning to the village, she stopped into the tavern. Michael bowed and she sneered playfully at him.
“Stop that,” she said.
“But you’re the queen now.”
“I’m still me.” Sitting at the newly sanded and polished bar, she added, “I was glad to see you at the wedding. I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”
He poured her a glass of merlot and set it in front of her. “And I was afraid you were going to badger me until I agreed. So I figured, what the hell? You’re into peacekeeping and I can support that effort.”
With a shake of her head, she said, “I wouldn’t have badgered you. I would’ve understood if you hadn’t wanted to come. I couldn’t guilt you into it. I wanted you to be there of your own accord.”
He crossed
his arms over his wide chest and rolled his eyes dramatically. Acting as though it’d been a difficult night to suffer through, though she knew he only mocked her because she’d noticed he’d enjoyed himself at the reception.
He said, “Well, I suppose I could concede it was a nice event. The food was unbelievable, and I’ve never served champagne here at the tavern, so I had no idea what it tasted like.”
“Sensational, isn’t it?”
