Page 142 of Taming the Beasts
Zoey smiled. “I knew I liked Callum.”
“Grudge seems to be getting along well with Kebe though,” I said. The two of them were sitting together chatting. Grudge really did look like a stripper without a dress shirt beneath his tuxedo. At least you couldn’t really tell is was a rip-away number.
“Yeah. She’s getting along with Bennett’s formerly missing friends too.” Zoey pointed to the other side of Kebe.
I could only really see the back of their heads. But the one closest to Kebe seemed to be talking to her just as much as Grudge. Hopefully she’d fixate on all of them instead of Callum and Huxley. “I’m so glad they’re not actually missing.”
“Me too. I really can’t believe our luck. Eek! I think it’s time.” Zoey turned to me. “Wait for the music to change and then you can make your grand entrance.”
I nodded.
Zoey took a step out from the hedge and then turned around and hugged me tight. “You are the most beautiful bride. And I am so freaking happy for you. Knock ‘em dead.” She released me from her embrace and walked over toward the aisle.
Everyone turned to see her walking.
I stayed hidden behind the hedge, but did my best to watch. I was seconds away from walking down the aisle to Callum Walsh.
A month ago, a piece of me thought that maybe I’d imagined that night with him ten years ago. I never thought I’d see him again. I’d been this shell of a person, hoping and wishing he were real. And some mornings before I rolled over and saw him staring at me, I still thought I was dreaming.
I gently pinched my arm.
Yeah, this was real life.
The music changed to the wedding processional. I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the hedge.
Everyone rose as I adjusted the end of my bow to trail behind me. I would have been nervous about everyone staring in my direction. But as soon as I dropped the bow, I was solely focused on Callum. His eyes trailed down my dress and down to my red high heels, and then snapped back to my eyes. I really hoped the portrait artist was capturing this moment. Because I wanted to remember it forever.
We’d moved the date up because we didn’t want to waste any more time. But also because we were worried about the cure. And what would happen when Callum took it. We’d been worried about our forever being cut short.
But I didn’t have a single worry as I walked down the aisle to him.
Callum Walsh and I were finally on the same page about what forever meant. Yes, he was Theo Gold now. And he’d been Sir William Evans before. And probably dozens of names in between. But this moment was about us. The version of him I’d fallen in love with.
When I reached the gazebo, Callum took the two steps down, grabbed my hand, and helped me up.
I wasn’t sure if the crowd hushed. Or I just stopped hearing them. I was solely focused on Callum.
“You’re breathtaking, Emma.”
“You too,” I said.
He chuckled. “Well, thank you. I was going for more debonair.” He reached out and touched the side of my face.
“Yes, you’re that too.”
His fingers trailed down to the side of my neck. To a bruise that I’d covered up with makeup. I wasn’t ashamed of him biting me. I loved it. But a purple mark on my skin didn’t look great with my dress.
“You smell extra sweet tonight,” he whispered.
“I do?”
He leaned forward and his lips grazed mine, feather light. “Yes.” He pulled on the back of my neck, pressing his lips more firmly against mine. When his tongue slipped between my lips, I realized he hadn’t been talking about my blood. He’d just been talking about...me.
The pastor cleared his throat.
I laughed and pulled back from the kiss.
“Usually we wait until the end for that,” he said.
