Page 75 of Hitched to the Vampire King

I had no idea. First, we’d have to see if it survived the investigation. If not, the future of vampire policing would fall in Elias’s hands when he took over as king.

When no one answered, Ginny wished us goodbye and vanished into the surrounding crowd. The council’s arrest had attracted quite a few onlookers.

“Come on, let’s get outta here,” Jaden said, slinging her arm around our shoulders. “I’m craving ice cream.”

I shot my two best friends a grin and said, “That sounds delightful. And maybe you can help me start planning something.”

“Oh?” Jaden asked. “What are we planning?”

“Nothing big,” I assured her, my smile widening. “Just my wedding.”

Jaden’s deafening squeal echoed through the streets and my ears. Laughing, the three of us walked away from the Academy, perhaps forever, and toward our unknown future.

ChapterTwenty-Six

ONE YEAR LATER

My bedroom doorburst open and startled me awake. I bolted up in bed with a gasp and nearly screamed at the sight of two women charging inside, with a third little lady skipping in behind them. Before I could so much as take a breath, the three of them screamed, “Happy Wedding Day!”

“Good grief,” I gasped, my hand flying to my chest.

It was a good thing Gabriel slept like the dead—literally. At least they hadn’t disturbed him.

Hardly wasting a second, Jaden seized my wrist and yanked me out of bed. “Come on, let’s go!”

Oh, thank goodness I had slept in pajamas last night. As a werewolf, nudity didn’t bother me, nor did it bother my sister or niece—our little miniature werewolf in training—but that didn’t mean I wanted them gawking at my naked ass. Especially since they’d already dressed in their bridesmaids’ gowns.

“Move it, move it, move it!” Lucy barked like a drill sergeant, herding me into the living room by slapping me on the butt.

Before I’d had a chance to rub the sleep from my eyes, she planted me in the middle of the room and started tugging at my clothes and hair.

“Give me a second to wake up,” I begged. “Maybe take a shower?”

“Nope!” Jaden announced. “No time for anything like that. Sunset is in an hour, and we have a lot to do.”

I gasped and whirled around to stare out the window. Twilight was upon us, the deep blues and purples darkening the sky. I wasn’t a vampire, but I definitely kept the hours of one. Joys of living with and loving a vampire. My clock was more nocturnal than the average werewolf’s.

“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” I demanded.

Lucy snorted as she disrobed me. Before I knew it, my nightmare from earlier, of me standing buck naked in front of everyone, became a reality. At least Sam and Josh weren’t here.

“You didn’t get in until when, a little bit before sunrise?”

I thought back to this morning and nodded. “Last night’s hunt was a tough one. The bastard kept eluding me.”

“And then you stayed up, making sure everything was ready for tonight?”

I nodded again. “I think it was around eleven am when I finally hit the sack.”

“Exactly,” Lucy said, “So we thought it’d be best to let you sleep. I mean, no one wants a cranky bride on their wedding day.”

“I’m never cranky,” I argued.

Laughter echoed through the room as Lucy and Jaden shared a conspiratorial glance. “Sure you aren’t.”

Even Annalise, my dear sweet niece, laughed. At my playful glare, she lifted her stuffed bunny to her face, muffling her laughter.

“Traitor,” I mumbled.

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