“Sam.” She licked her burgundy-painted lips and heaved a breath. “Your ability to love me unconditionally is the most precious gift you could ever give me.” She twined the ribbon, weaving it over my hand, underneath our joined one, then over hers. “I’ve chosen the black because it signifies your power and strength that will protect us as we build our future and raise our children together. Our journey so far has been bathed in chaos, yet through it all, our love shines the brightest and always will.” Then she pressed a hand on her chest. “My heart will only beat for you. I’m honored to be your wife and partner.” A tear slid down her cheek.
My pulse was banging in my ears as my stomach was on a roller-coaster ride. The emotions pouring off her were stealing my ability to think clearly.
Quiet sobs and light sniffles broke the beat of silence.
I fixated on Layla, my heart slamming against my rib cage. “Baby doll, baby mama, my beautiful bride.”
She laughed through her tears.
I pushed out a nervous sigh. “No matter where we come from, who we are—mortal or immortal, human or vampire—or what we believe, love is the great unifier.Ouruniversal truth. My world is a better place with you in it.” I wrapped the red ribbon around our hands. “I’ve chosen the color red as it symbolizes your passion for those you care about and resilience in how you handle adversity.” I touched my heart. “You are the yin to my yang, the brightest star in my universe, and I give you my soul. I love you.”
She blinked away a waterfall of tears. I was shedding one or two myself.
The sobs from our guests grew louder.
“Sam, Layla.” George’s deep voice quieted the room. “Your commitment is steeped in your love for each another and represents the dawning of your new future together. Sam, go ahead. Kiss your bride.”
Thunderous applause filled the room.
“I’m the happiest fucking vampire alive,” I said to Layla before I mashed my mouth to hers.
I felt more powerful than I ever had—whether it was because of the magic pulsing inside me or the love in my heart, I knew that whatever lay ahead, I was ready for it—or so I prayed.
32
LAYLA
Iran under a canopy of trees as the rain pelted down. Sticks, rocks, and dead leaves embedded in my feet, the adrenaline keeping me from feeling any pain.
The woman ahead of me tossed a look over her shoulder, her red eyes glowing like the devil from the depths of hell. I skidded to a halt, gulping in the cold, crisp night air as I struggled to make out who she was or what she was.
“You need to stop her, Mom,” a five-year-old boy said from somewhere nearby. “She’ll kill us if you don’t.”
I swiveled my head in all directions but couldn’t see a fucking thing. When I returned my attention to the woman, she was gone.
My eyes flew open as I lifted my head off the pillow. I squinted through the blurriness at the clock on the nightstand—1:30 a.m.
For fuck’s sake. Not again. Night after night over the last two months since the handfasting ceremony, I’d been waking up at one thirty from the exact dream. Only tonight, I learned the faceless woman had red eyes like Noah. I didn’t even want to speculate if I’d been having visions of Rianne.
I wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand and eased out of bed, not wanting to wake Sam. He was dead to the world, sprawled out on his stomach, arms tucked under his pillow, his tight, toned ass, muscular legs, and strong back on display. The vampire didn’t believe in blankets or sheets. As of late, I didn’t either. My body was running hot due to the pregnancy, and with the recurring dreams, I’d been waking up in a pool of sweat.
After I threw on a robe and grabbed my phone off the bedside table, I wound my way down the hall—or rather, waddled. My belly was fucking huge. I looked like I was more than nine months pregnant when, in fact, I was just over five months. My C-section was scheduled for next week, and I couldn’t wait to shed the weight. The babies had been active, my back hurt constantly, breathing was a monumental task if I exerted myself the tiniest bit, and I was constantly in the bathroom.
Dr. Martin and Dr. Vieira were elated that I wasn’t bedridden. I didn’t see why I would be. I hardly did anything except rest or take catnaps. In between, I’d been in the library, helping to sift through old vampire records mainly to find the missing pages in Emily Crawford’s medical file. But no such luck.
Regardless, I didn’t dwell on pregnancy complications. Instead, Sam and I made a list of names. We still had to come up with two more aside from Liam and Luna. He might be right. We needed to see their beautiful faces first. I couldn’t wait to see what our children would look like—Sam or me or a combination. I was also curious about what types of magical powers they would have.
Entering the kitchen, I flipped the switch on the wall, squinting beneath the bright LED lights as I beelined it for the fridge. Water—I needed cold water. I stuck my head in, sighing as the coolness of the air breezed over my face. What I wouldn’t give to have a walk-in freezer right about now. The apartment had air-conditioning, but it never seemed to be cold enough to counteract the heat emanating from my body.
I lingered for a long minute before snagging a bottle of mountain spring water. I set my phone on the counter, then twisted off the cap and chugged, the cool liquid erasing the parched feeling in the back of my throat. Once the bottle was empty, I was about to toss it in the trash when my phone dinged.
Kendra’s name flashed with a text. I’d finally decided to call her last week when I was in the right headspace to listen to her story about how she knew my father and whether she’d murdered him. I doubted she would admit it if she had. That day in the hangar at the abandoned airport outside of Chicago, I’d gotten the vibe that she cared about my dad. My uncle Jack assumed Kendra and my father had slept together. Neither he nor Ray knew the whole story, only that Kendra was an enemy who should be strung up over our firepit in Montana and burned to a crisp.
I hadn’t been able to actually talk to Kendra yet. I’d gotten her voice mail and asked if she could reach out when she had the chance.
Kendra:I got your message. I won’t be back in the States for a few weeks. When I return, I’ll reach out.
Me:Thanks for responding. Safe travels.
