Page 57 of Bitten By Chaos

“I think she’d want you to be happy,” Zoe said on a sigh. She pried my fingers away, before I picked all the petals clean off my beautiful flowers, and threaded her own through them.

I nodded, fighting back tears. This was our day, and we’d fought for centuries to get here. I refused to let that man or anyone else interfere any longer. I worried that he’d somehow defied my mind-bending by trying to come close, but that was no reason to delay. If anything, it meant we should move forward.

“I am marrying Julian today. No more waiting.”

“Sam and I will be watching and ready to take care of anyone trying to crash. You just focus on Julian. He’s looking pretty hot, I have to admit. Not that I go for the clean cut type.” With that, Lydia swept from the room, and Zoe spun me around to have a look at me.

“You ready?”

One deep breath, and I was poised behind the door, stupid reanimated heart beating like a maniac.

Binx, who’d been waiting cross legged on the floor with Em, stood to offer an arm. He always looked sexy, being an incubus, but in a tight tuxedo, I had to force my gaze away. Still, I grinned and accepted his elbow with a squeeze. He’d taken one of Zoe and Hazel’s charms that allowed him to be out in daylight so he could be here for our brunch time ceremony. I appreciated it more than he knew—it hadn’t escaped my notice that he’d avoided visiting in the early hours, ever since he almost died from being stuck in our dimension.

Zoe blew me a kiss and walked through the portal to the sound of music and the rush of water. With her honey-colored curls and red strapless dress that flowed over her body, she looked like a Grecian goddess. Next, Em grabbed her basket of petals and stepped through in a bell-shaped white dress with a big scarlet sash. Her hair was piled on her head and tied with a matching bow.

Then the music changed, and it was time. Butterflies filled my stomach and threatened to take me away into the sky. But Binx held on to me firmly and guided me forward with a gentle tug.

We stepped into the warm breeze of the island and turned to head down the aisle toward the water, where Julian stood waiting.

Gods, he was gorgeous. The hundreds of wings in my gut settled into a calm warmth and confidence as our eyes met, closing the distance between us. His tuxedo was an old style with long tails and a fitted vest beneath in a red that matched the color scheme I’d picked. The gold chain hanging in a U from his vest pocket made me smile and finger the ring on my left hand. His dark curls moved in the wind, reflecting with bluish highlights in the sun. And the love on his face stirred a longing to rush across the pathway and into his arms. A tear tinted with crimson dropped from the corner of his eye as I approached.

When I finally reached the archway, he took my hands in his, and we shared a moment that felt frozen in time before Hazel’s voice cut through the connection.

“We are here today to witness the joining of Julian Carver and Charlotte Devaux. This marriage has been a long time coming—over five hundred years in the making.” She paused while our small audience tittered behind us.

“Words feel inadequate when it comes to this moment. The bond they share is more than that of biological mates. It goes deeper than the calling of blood. Their bond has survived treachery, violence, and manipulation, and they’ve come through it all. Do you know why?”

I tore my eyes away from Julian’s to look at Hazel, dressed in a traditional witchy gown with draping sleeves. She smiled at me in response.

“Because love is the strongest magic that exists in this or any dimension. And though evil can separate it, this couple is proof that no matter how long it takes to right things, nothing will permanently tear it apart.”

My vision blurred with tears as Julian tightened his grip on my hands, calling my attention back to his glowing indigo eyes, deeper than the sea before us. The satin of our handfasting ribbon slid against my flesh as our wrists were bound together by Hazel in an infinity symbol. She then handed us a copper goblet from a small table set beside her.

“The couple will share their combined blood as an inclusion of the vampire tradition,” Hazel proclaimed putting it in Julian’s hand so he could lift it to my mouth. We’d slashed our hands over the goblet last night before separating until the ceremony, but Hazel had kept it fresh and warm with magic. The combination of both of us was a nod to the mating bite we’d already done instinctively when he’d turned me. And obviously we couldn’t do the whole act in front of everyone else, no matter how close we felt to them.

The taste on my tongue was a heady mixture of sweet, tangy, and indulgent. So much so that I had to suppress the urge to lick my lips before I tipped it to Julian’s. We hadn’t shared blood since the day I’d almost reanimated Julian, though I’d been looking forward to the honeymoon. And it still somehow surprised me when I watched a soft pink and golden aura flow over Julian’s body when he swallowed his taste. His tongue darted out to take in the drop that had caught in the corner of his mouth, and desire swelled low in my belly.

“Now, it’s vow time,” Hazel announced. “And the couple has written their own. Julian?”

“Charlotte, my love, you are my reason for existing. I’ve made mistakes in my long life, but I must have done something right for the gods to bring you back to me now. I vow to always be there for you—to never run away again, because I know we are better together. I vow to support you in whatever choices you make. I vow,” he stepped forward to cup my face with his free hand, “to love you with all of my being until the end of time, no matter what forces try to divide us, whether they be internal or external.”

“Julian,” I began, voice shaking only slightly, “You are my soulmate. You’ve shown me patience, devotion, and trust. I vow to treat our bond with kindness and appreciation. I vow to share everything with you, even my darkest thoughts. I vow to love you forever.”

A slow clap shattered the moment, and we both turned to find Elsa sauntering down the aisle in a black suit with no shirt beneath her plunging jacket. Her hair fell long and loose down her back in stunning waves.

A glance at the other attendees showed they’d frozen in place, Sam and Lydia halfway out of their seats, Zoe’s face contorted in shock as she grabbed Em, Binx and Daphne turned to face the threat, and Hazel behind us, hand raised with green light surrounding it and then trailing off between us. Even Poppy and Karma had frozen side by side further back toward the tree line, white and black unicorn statues.

The only person she’d left alone, aside from Julian and me, was my father, who shouldn’t have been there at all. He glanced between us, clutching the back of a chair in the last row. My heart sank. He must’ve told Elsa that I’d drained Merlin and Bres after all. She had removed my mind bending as I’d feared, so he’d chosen to align with his supposed nemesis to become my enemy.

So be it.

“I’m hurt,” Elsa said with an exaggerated pout. “I didn’t receive an invitation. It’s like the whole Sleeping Beauty tale all over again, except the fairy queen wins.”

“The real fairy queen lost her head, and you seem to be angling for the same,” I said, slipping my tied hand into Julian’s as we faced her.

“How dare you interrupt our wedding,” Julian growled. “You’ve interfered in our lives enough, Elizabeth. No more.”

“It took you long enough to figure that out.”

---