Page 110 of Enchant the Dawn

“Well, we’d better go,” Ava said. “There’s a perfectly good dinner waiting for us at the best restaurant in town!”

Chapter 44

Jasper stood in the shadows outside the church, his anger growing stronger with every passing moment. So, Dominic had married the girl and now they were all just one, big, happy family. No doubt they hadn’t given him a thought since Portland, while he’d thought of nothing else but the shabby, thoughtless way they’d treated him.

Well, he intended to make them pay for every day he’d been trapped in that toad’s hideous body, for every disgusting thing he’d had to eat to survive—bugs and worms and flies. He could still taste the loathsome things, doubted he would ever forget.

He supposed he owed Dominic a word of thanks. With the Elder Knight’s death, the enchantment that had trapped him in the body of a toad had been broken, thereby freeing him from the Knight’s revolting spell. But he didn’t feel grateful, only angry and jealous.

And bent on vengeance. Not so much against Dominic, but against the witch who had refused to release him from the Knight’s enchantment. The same witch who had turned him into a vulture over twenty-five years ago.

And heaven help anyone who tried to stop him.

Chapter 45

The restaurant was lovely. Ava had ordered a lavish dinner, complete with wine for the vampires and champagne for the witches.

While they waited for dinner, Callie reached into her large handbag and withdrew two small packages wrapped in wedding paper. Handing the smaller of the two to Maddy, she said, “This one is from Andras and Mirella, Dominic’s grandparents. They said to tell you both they were sorry they couldn’t attend the wedding, but there was some serious trouble that only Andras could settle.”

Wondering what it could be, Maddy carefully unwrapped the gift. Inside, she found a check for a hundred thousand dollars. Speechless, she handed it to Dominic.

“Well, damn,” he exclaimed softly. “I never expected anything like this.”

Quill laughed. “It’s for a down payment on a house. Your grandfather had a feeling you might want to stay in the States for a while.”

“He knows me all too well,” Dominic said.

“Yeah. Well, it comes with a contingency.”

“We have to go home for a visit at least once a year,” Dominic said with a wry grin.

“Right the first time.”

“This is from us,” Callie said, and offered Maddy the second package.

This one held plane tickets and an all-expenses paid trip to Italy.

“For your honeymoon,” Callie said. “Or whenever.”

“And this is from me,” Ava said, producing a package wrapped with colorful ribbons. “Although it’s really for Dominic.”

Curious, Maddy unwrapped the package. Feeling a blush rise in her cheeks, she lifted a long, white nightgown from the box. It was lighter than air and shimmered like starlight.

“Thanks, Grams,” Dominic said, grinning. “I love it.”

“That’s not my only gift, although the second one is really for me. I’d like to decorate the nursery when the time comes.”

“Of course,” Maddy said with a smile.

“This is from me for Dominic,” Lily said, handing a small bag to her brother. “Although it’s really for Maddy.”

Dominic removed the tissue paper, glanced into the bag, and lifted one brow as he looked at his sister.

“What is it?” Maddy asked.

With a shake of his head, Dominic pulled a pair of black bikini briefs out of the bag.

Quill laughed, Callie rolled her eyes, Ava snickered, and Maddy blushed.

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