Aria

Six months later

William paced anxiously from one side of the room to the other, running his hands through his hair as he muttered to himself. Aria bit on her inner lip to keep from laughing at his nervous movements. “You’re going to wear yourself out,” she told him.

“What is taking so long?” he demanded.

“You know how women are when it comes to getting ready,” Jack replied, and Aria shot him a look.

Jack met her glare with an innocent smile as he adjusted the lapels on his black coat. His hair was brushed back from his face, emphasizing his handsome features. Beside him, Braith wasn’t bothering to hide his amusement over her brother’s frantic behavior. He grinned as he stood with his arms folded over his chest. Like Jack, his hair had been brushed back from his face to emphasis his gorgeous features. Her heart melted when his eyes met hers and he winked at her.

Stepping away from the wall, Braith strode across the room to her. He drew her into his arms as William started cursing. She melted against his chest, inhaling his crisp, masculine scent. Her fingers dug into his back as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift for a minute.

The past six months had been difficult to get through. It had taken them months to sort through the mess Sabine had created, to find any humans and vampires who had survived her imprisonment, and to check on all of the existing border towns. Some of the towns had managed to escape her wrath, others hadn’t been so lucky.

They’d discovered the humans Aria had seen with Sabine in the forest had been locked in the basement of one of the homes within the town. They’d been able to get them out before the building had been consumed by the fire. Some of the people had been too far gone to save, but the others had all been set free. The vampires Sabine had imprisoned, starved, and turned into monsters incapable of being saved, had all been hunted and destroyed.

They had increased the amount of the king’s guard in every town and recruited more humans and vampires to join the guard. She and Braith were determined to make sure that what had occurred with Sabine would never happen again.

Now they had double the amount of men and women working for the king’s guard and received weekly reports from every town. If something were to happen with any town again, they would know as soon as one of their representatives failed to arrive with an update. Before Sabine, they had been confident Braith was the eldest vampire, that there were no more threats out there against them. Despite the fact Sabine had denied any others of their line lived, they would not be caught unawares again if a new threat rose.

Throughout everything that had happened, they had somehow managed to keep Braith’s ability to rise from the dead a secret from almost everyone. There was no denying he was more powerful now, everyone could feel it, but most attributed this newfound power to his destruction of Sabine. Though most vampires didn’t feed from each other, some believed he’d consumed some of her blood before killing her.

Xavier had told anyone who would listen that Sabine had most likely faked her own death all those years ago, so she could freely roam the earth with no restraints placed on her by vampire society and so she could kill freely. Maybe some doubted this explanation, but no one was willing to question him or Braith about it.

“Perhaps a drink would help,” Max suggested to William.

Xavier shook his head when Timber lifted his silver flask into the air. “Here, here!” Timber declared enthusiastically.

“No drink,” William muttered.

The Council and humans who resided in and near the palace had unanimously elected Max to fill Daniel’s place last month when they’d been able to hold the election. The other human and vampire Council members who had been elected from the border towns over the years had all survived the war and retained their seats on The Council. There were now nearly a hundred members of The Council and the number would continue to grow as the population flourished once more.

When everything was completely settled, Aria had a feeling Max and Maeve’s wedding would be the next one they’d all be attending.

Aria released Braith and stepped away from him. As William’s best woman, she had to do something to calm her brother; she just didn’t know what.

He spun toward her. “Aria, go make sure she hasn’t changed her mind,” he said.

“She’s not going to change her mind,” she replied.

“Go, please,” he pleaded.

She kept a lid on her impatient reply. It was her role to do these things for him after all, but he had to realize how ridiculous it was to think Tempest would change her mind about marrying him, she was helplessly in love with him.

“I’ll go,” she assured him.

She kissed Braith’s cheek before walking over to take Timber’s flask away from him. “Hey!” he protested.

She shoved the flask into William’s hand when he paced by her again. “For crying out loud, relax!” she told him, earning her a lethal look before she slipped out the door.

She made her way swiftly down the hallway to the room where Tempest was getting ready. Glancing out the wall of glass on her left, she smiled when she saw the colorful blooms of the peonies, hydrangeas, and roses lining the walkways of the garden and spilling into them.

Within the center of the colorful array of blooming roses stood the fountain she’d come to love dearly. Clear water ran through the fountain to spill into its basin. Red and white rose petals floated in the water and more petals had been scattered over the center walkway to create a rose carpet for Tempest to walk down. Chairs were set out, and all of them were filled with the numerous guests waiting for the ceremony to start.

William had wanted to get married in the woods, but Tempest had fallen in love with the garden the minute she’d seen it. After seeing the fountain, she’d decided they should be married while standing before it, and William had happily agreed.

Sadness slid through Aria as she recalled her own small wedding in the woods and Daniel’s loving and wise words as he’d married her and Braith two years ago. At the time, Daniel had been so young. He’d had the whole world at his feet and a lifetime stretched out before him. If only they’d all known how short that lifetime would be, she would have tried to cram in two lifetimes worth of time with him before he’d been killed.

Today, instead of Daniel marrying William and Tempest, William had asked Xavier to perform the ceremony. Glancing back, she realized Xavier hadn’t been the one to follow her out of the room, Braith had.

“What are you doing?” she inquired of him.

“Making sure you stay safe,” but his eyes were latched hungrily onto the swell of her breasts in her blue gown. She may not be one of the bridesmaids, but the blue of her gown matched their gowns. It also matched the blue cloth square Braith and the other groom’s men wore in their coat pockets. Maggie, her friend and lady-in-waiting, had sewn the gown for her.

“I’m perfectly safe within the palace,” she retorted.

His mouth curved into a smile as his eyes met hers. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

She nearly tripped over the hem of her dress and had to resist the impulse to run back and jump him. “I have things I must do,” she replied with far more haughtiness than she felt.

“So do I,” he replied, and one of his fangs flashed in the sunlight spilling through the windows.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as her feet stumbled on the carpet. Turn away! I’m the worst best woman ever!

She forced herself to focus ahead of her again, but she heard his stalking steps behind her. She didn’t dare look back when she arrived at the solar where Tempest and the other women were. Her hand trembled when she lifted it to knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Hannah called.

“It’s Aria,” she called back.

“Come in! Come in!”

She dared a glance back at Braith when he leaned against the wall beside her, his thick arms folded over his broad chest as he watched her. “As soon as this is over, you’re mine,” he vowed.

Aria swallowed and her toes curled in her slippers. “Then I’m going to get their butts in gear,” she replied before slipping into the room.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it until she trusted herself enough to walk away from it. Her eyes widened when she took in the chaos of the room. There were clothes strewn everywhere. Hannah hustled from one end of the room to the other with a veil in her hands. Tempest’s best friend, Pallas, was fluffing her hair as Melinda pinched Tempest’s pale cheeks.

Aria almost groaned aloud when she saw Melinda doing this; she recalled her sister-in-law trying to do the same thing to her. Nora, one of the young orphans from Tempest’s town stood in the corner, looking completely overwhelmed by everything. Moira, another woman Tempest had fled Badwin with, was pushing white roses into a thick bouquet while Maeve wrapped a ribbon around the stems.

“We’re almost ready!” Melinda declared. Her hand went to her back as she stepped away from Tempest to reveal her rounded belly. She was due to give birth next month, but Aria thought the baby would be coming sooner as it seemed far too big for Melinda’s slender frame.

“How is William doing?” Tempest asked anxiously.

“He’s nervous,” she admitted as her gaze ran over Tempest’s exquisite gown. She’d never seen anything like it. The sleeves were off the shoulders and dipped down across her upper arms. The low cut of the bodice revealed the swell of her breasts and the front of it ran down in a deep V that emphasized her slender figure and rounded hips.

Ice blue thread had been stitched throughout the gown to match the color of the bridesmaid dresses. More than the ice blue color gave it a wintry appearance. Icicles had also been intricately interwoven and threaded throughout the lace covering the skirt of the dress and the train spilling across the floor behind her. Tempest came from a town where winter had ruled; she’d loved her mountains and the snow. It was only mid-September, yet she looked like the snow-covered village she’d escaped with William and her friends.

“That dress is beautiful!” she gushed to Tempest.

Because Aria was part of William’s wedding party, this was the first time she’d been allowed to see the wedding gown. Melinda had been afraid she’d accidentally reveal something about it to William. Aria didn’t like that Melinda believed she couldn’t keep a secret from her brother, but she’d been more than happy to avoid all of Melinda’s wedding planning. Her interest in dresses was as much as most people’s interest in dirt. She’d actually rather deal with dirt.

Tempest gave her a radiant smile as she smoothed her hands down the front of her gown. “Thank you,” she said.

“Don’t just stand there, help us!” Melinda commanded.

“What should I do?” Aria inquired as she approached, unwilling to get too close to the dress in case she stepped on it or somehow made it dirty.

“Aria’s not good around dresses,” Melinda said to Tempest, and Aria glared at her. Melinda ignored her as she took the veil from Hannah and settled it onto Tempest’s silvery ringlets before flipping the veil back. “She’s getting better with them, but let’s face it, she belongs with the guys on this one.”

Aria rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t argue with the truth. She still couldn’t walk in high heels and refused to try anymore. However, if it made Braith look at her again like he had in the hallway, she may wear this dress every day.

“Fix the train, Aria,” Melinda commanded impatiently.

“If you weren’t pregnant, I’d choke you,” she muttered as she bent to carefully rearrange all the many layers of lace within the train.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Melinda replied with a wave of her hand and stuffed a pin into Tempest’s hair.

Melinda placed another pin between her lips as she studied Tempest carefully. Aria smoothed the train out further, careful not to touch it for too long for fear she’d somehow tear the delicate material.

“Was this made by the same tailor who made mine?” she inquired. Her dress had been beautiful, but Tempest’s dress was a work of art.

Melinda pulled the pin from her mouth. “No, he retired last year and moved away. A new dressmaker moved into town shortly after he left. She’s making quite an impression here.”

“Milly is a true talent,” Hannah confirmed.

“She really is,” Aria couldn’t help but agree. Her fingers ran over an intricate design etched into one of the icicles on the train.

“We’re ready!” Melinda declared, drawing Aria’s attention away from the dress. Aria rose to her feet as Moira handed the bouquet over to Tempest. “Now go do your job, Aria, and get the groom out there.”

Melinda placed her hands in her back and propelled her toward the door. Or at least tried to propel her, as Melinda waddled when she walked now. Melinda threw the door open, shoved her out, and slammed it in her face.

“I’m going to kill your sister,” Aria grumbled to Braith.

He burst into laughter as he stepped away from the wall and held his arm out to her. “It could be worse. You could be Ashby.”

“That poor man,” she sympathized while they strolled down the hall together to the room where they’d left William.

***

William

William swore his heart lurched in his chest when Tempest stepped onto the walkway behind her bridesmaids. All the other women vanished from view as his eyes immediately latched onto her. He’d never seen her look more beautiful. She beamed as everyone stood to watch her walk down the aisle; her gaze remained riveted on him as she moved.

At her side walked Abbott, a young, orphan vampire they had rescued from her town when they’d fled it. With no one else to give her away, the young man had stepped forward to offer to do so.

Now, as she walked forward to join him, William realized he’d never been so lucky in his life. Her doe brown eyes shimmered with happiness; her cheeks were prettily tinged with pink as heat crept over her silken skin.

He held his hand out to her, and she took hold of it before they both turned to face Xavier. William would have preferred to have had Daniel standing before him, smiling as he wowed everyone with his eloquent way with words, but he knew that not everything worked out as planned.

Despite the still aching loss of his brother, William was far more blessed in his life than he ever would have dreamed possible just two and a half short years ago. He looked forward to every day he would be fortunate enough to be granted for the rest of his life.

Though his grief for Daniel was still piercing, he hadn’t tried to run from it this time, as he had after his father’s death. He’d learned there was no running from this, but he had Tempest and all of his other loved ones to help guide him through it now.

Daniel had never run from his responsibilities, had always faced everything head on, and so would he from now on. He would stay and help rebuild this world they’d all fought and lost so much for. Gideon and Ashby had created a place for him on The Council. They both agreed he would be vital in human/vampire relations with his history as a rebel and the fact he was one of the few who had ever survived the change from human into vampire.

There was plenty of room to live within the palace, but it wasn’t the place for him. He, Max, Timber, and Jack were currently working on building a home for him and Tempest in the town. Max and Maeve were planning to build a house next to his when they were done. They would visit Chippman and Hannah’s family often, but Jack and Hannah would be staying here from now on too. Jack had also earned a seat on The Council and took his role there seriously. For now, Jack and Hannah had decided to remain living in the palace with Jack’s siblings.

After his father’s death, William never believed he’d settle down anywhere near the palace. Now he knew it was where he belonged, even if he still disliked all the walls. There were plenty of woods to get away to when it became necessary.

William’s gaze slid to Tempest, he couldn’t help but grin at her when her hand went toward her mouth to bite her nails before she pulled it away. She shot him a sly glance out of the corner of her eye as he tried not to laugh.

His attention was pulled back to Xavier when he asked William to recite his vows, which he did in a loud, clear voice before Xavier turned to Tempest. She proudly repeated what Xavier asked her to say.

“Rings,” Xavier instructed.

William turned to Aria. She smiled at him when she handed him the delicate wedding ring with a row of diamonds set into the gold band. Jack and Braith stood behind her, watching him over her shoulder and grinning in that “cat that ate the canary” way they’d both had since the wedding planning started.

William turned back to Tempest as Pallas handed her a band for him. He recited what Xavier told him to say once more and slipped the band onto Tempest’s finger. For the ceremony, she’d removed the engagement ring he’d created for her, but she’d proudly worn it every day since he’d first given it to her, and she still refused to let him replace it with something else.

Her hands shook as she slipped his band onto his finger and recited the words Xavier told her to repeat. “I now pronounce you man and wife,” Xavier said. “You may kiss the bride.”

William didn’t have to be told twice. He wrapped his arm around Tempest’s waist and pulled her against him. She was laughing when he crushed his mouth to hers. Her laughter faded away as her body melded against his.

“Now it’s time to celebrate!” Jack declared, breaking into their kiss as loud applause echoed around the garden.

William turned to face the cheering crowd while Tempest blushed prettily. He led her through the clapping humans and vampires as they threw handfuls of red and white rose petals at them. Within the crowd, he spotted Mary and waved to them as he tried to avoid being covered in the roses. It was a battle he was happy to lose.