Týr’s grin dropped.
Aethan chuckled. “Cheer up, man. I doubt Kira bites.”
Dagan shook his head and said to Týr, “Why do you bring this on yourself? However, if she does bite, I can assure you, it will shake your world.” He smiled, the tips of his fangs flashing briefly.
Only a vampire would say something like that.
Týr snorted. “The wedding fever fucked you all in the head.”
Blaéz glanced back to the twinkling wooded entrance. It was past the time.
Where was Darci?
* * *
Darci sat still as Kira weaved the tiny baby’s breath blooms through her hair. She inhaled deeply, her stomach fluttering as if a million butterflies had taken flight there.
Finally, it was almost time for her wedding, and too darn long since she’d last seen Blaéz.
“Nervous?” Grace asked, dragging her attention away from her newly manicured nails, now gleaming with clear nail polish.
“I shouldn’t be, right? I mean, I’m already mated to him. Nothing can ever separate us, but I’m terrified of walking out there.”
“It’s okay. I was the same when I married Declan.” Grace patted her shoulder.
The door opened. Echo rushed in, wearing a stunning off-the-shoulder, pale lilac sheath that hugged her slender figure and had a slit up one side. She appeared ethereal and lovely.
“Wow, look at you!” Kira grinned, her dimples flashing. “Nice.” And she’d changed her purple hair to dark auburn and had swept it into a smooth topknot.
Darci had never seen Kira with unbraided hair before. Either way, the girl was gorgeous.
Echo laughed, brushing away her over-long bangs from her eyes. “Aethan seemed to like this, too. A lot.” A blush crept into her honey-hued skin.
Kira rolled her eyes. “I’m just glad it’s not wrinkled.”
“Oh, we were very, very careful, I assure you.” Echo smiled slyly, then added, “Why aren’t you dressed yet?”
“I will, as soon as we get Darci ready.”
“Go change.” Echo shooed her away. “We’ll help her.”
Shae glided into the room. The woman looked like a goddess in her sleek, midnight-blue gown and pinned-up, coppery hair. “Lucky I’m in time,” she panted, setting her Nikon on the bed. “I didn’t want to miss seeing you put on your dress. We have to capture the first look.”
“Here we go.” Echo hurried out from the dressing room, the gown still in its protective, white covering. As she unzipped it, gasps followed.
Finnén had cancelled her damn dress, too. Thankfully, the store still had it.
But Darci’s trepidation increased as she slipped her feet into her ivory satin pumps. She’d refused to allow the designer to let out the seams and prayed it fit. Her heart pounding like a drumroll, she rose, removed her terrycloth robe and dropped it onto the stool. Echo held open the dress.
Here goes nothing.Darci stepped into her gown and pulled it up. As Grace and Echo fastened her in, she pressed a hand to her churning stomach, not daring to inhale…
“There, all done.” The women finally stepped back, smiling broadly.
Wait, I can still breathe?Oh, man! A huge exhale of relief escaped her. The trauma of what she’d been through two days ago must have eliminated the stress-induced bloating or whatever had caused the dress to be so tight during her earlier fittings.
“Sweet Mary,” Grace whispered. “You’re beautiful, Darci.”
The others added their own agreements.
