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If I ever got married, it was definitely going to be like this, I thought a few hours later.
This was a party, not something stiff and formal.
Everyone was laughing and talking, and the food was amazing. They were serving a spiked cider that tasted almost as good as the apple tart I’d had every day since trying my first one. There were booths set up around the room with different foods to try, and there was a face painting station for the kids. I'd watched Ares bob for apples against a couple of teenage boys, raising his fist in the air in mock victory when he finally got one.
I had just stabbed my fork into my slice of maple flavored wedding cake with cream cheese frosting when I hit something. Curiously, I fished out a small metal pumpkin. I picked it up, and tapped Ares on the shoulder. When he glanced over at what I was holding, a knowing gleam was in his eyes.
"You got the kissing pumpkin," Connor said from next to him.
"The kissing pumpkin?"
"It's a wedding tradition. If you don’t kiss your date before you enjoy the cake, you’ll have bad luck for nine years…” Connor explained.
I hadn't considered myself an overly superstitious person in my life, but considering the bad luck I'd had lately, I wasn't really wanting to risk it.
Or at least that's what I told myself when I turned expectantly towards Ares.
There was a question in his gaze.
“Yes, I want this,” I whispered, with a smile.
His hand captured my face softly, and he leaned forward, our breath dancing together right before his lips met mine. And then he was kissing me deeply, reverently, like this kiss meant everything to him.
Before I knew it, his tongue was pushing gently into my mouth and I was responding. The kiss seemed to last forever, and then not long enough. It was only when the sound of people cheering and laughing nearby grew louder, that he reluctantly pulled away from me, my breath heavy.
I felt a little woozy, and not from the cider. That had been the most romantic moment of my life.
And he appeared to feel the same way, judging by the stars in his eyes.
Connor elbowed him and said something, but Ares only nodded, not taking his gaze away from mine.
A few minutes later, the music started up. The bride and groom did their first dance. We were welcomed to the dance floor after that, and I eagerly took Ares's hand as he led me forward. A slow song began to play that I recognized, but I couldn’t come up with the name. I was too lost in Ares’s touch, the way he was holding me, in his gaze. He had pulled me so close that every part of us was touching, his eyes on me the entire time.
Later on, so late in the night that it would actually be morning soon, we walked into his house, still holding hands. He led me up to my room, and we stood in front of my door, just staring at each other like we had been all night, tethered together.
"I had a good time, Ares," I murmured.
"The best night of my life," he responded, his thumb rubbing against my cheek. It made me feel fluttery inside. As he walked away, it was everything I could do not to call him back into my room with me.
…
The following week, the whole town seemed to be in recovery after the festivities. The day after the reception there’d been carnival games and rides all day, followed by an enormous bonfire and feast that lasted late into the night once again. The next day there’d been a series of competitions, like who was the strongest and fastest. Of course, Ares didn't participate in any of those, because we all knew who would win.
The last day had been another enormous party, the carnival still set up with rides, and more amazing food. I couldn't remember ever laughing so much or a better time I'd had. And Ares stayed by my side the entire time. It had been torture in its most exquisite form. We’d kissed a few more times, but he'd never pushed it further. Every brush of his hand against mine, and every time our lips met…I wanted more.
Today was actually the first time that we'd been separated since he brought me here. He was going out for a large supply run with Connor and some of the others, and I hovered anxiously in the doorway, watching as he drove away. Today was the first time it hadn’t been sunny, and it seemed to match my somber mood in his absence. I felt like I was becoming addicted to Ares. Without him there, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. Finally, I decided I would get a ride to the mines, not wanting to walk through the forest with the impending storm.
Armand dropped me off at the entrance, and the guards nodded at me respectfully. I knew their names now, after celebrating with them for four days. The rest of the workers said hello when I came in, and one of the girls set me up with my own station. I went to work, doing my best to do it how Ares had taught me, but I was incredibly distracted. I kept anxiously checking the phone Ares had given me, looking for a message from him that said he was on his way back. He was only supposed to have been gone for a few hours.
I finally got into a rhythm when I heard shouting from outside. Connor ran in, his face pale and his gaze frantic. "Rune, there you are," he gasped, his chest heaving as if he’d run all the way here. "You need to come quickly, Ares…he's hurt."
I dropped my tools and ran towards him.
"He's hurt?"
Connor grabbed me by the arm and led me to a waiting car. "We were attacked by some Hunters who happened to be passing by where we stopped. Ares was trying to keep them away from all of us, but he got distracted. Then one of them stabbed him.”
A sob slipped from my lips. "Is he going to be okay? What can I do?" I asked frantically. I knew he had to have supernatural healing, but it didn’t sound like it was working.
