Page 84 of Judgment Day

She licked her lips, then smirked. “I thought we were late.”

Someone knocked on the door before I could answer.Lincoln.

I kissed her forehead. “It seems like we’re right on time, little dove.”

* * *

The coronation was heartfelt and majestic and everything someone like Anniston deserved. I held Lyric against my side the entire ceremony. She tensed when we first walked into the cathedral, but Lincoln and I both assured her it was safe. She was safe with us. Both of us.

The nightmare was over. It was time for the healing to begin.

FIFTY

Six months later…

The palace buzzed with excited chatter. Anniston was in her suite with dozens of people helping her dress for the wedding. Chandler had turned Winston’s study into a poker room and was currently in there with all the guys. The palace staff floated up and down hallways with linens and flowers and trays of drinks like a symphony of butterflies. There was an excitement in the air that this place hadn’t seen in a while. Since it had come out that Winston and Sadie were involved in human trafficking and had committed double suicide once the news was leaked, a dark cloud had settled over Ayelswick. Grey could have covered up their deaths like the Brotherhood so often did, but he said they shouldn’t get off that easily. He wanted the world to know what kind of monsters they really were. I couldn’t say I disagreed.

I was in my own suite, helping Ciaran with his tie.

“Was it like this? When you married my dad?” he asked as I lifted up the collar of his shirt.

Was our wedding like this?

It was elegant and formal. I wore a beautiful gown, and we exchanged vows in front of noble guests. But none of my friends were there. My family wasn’t there. I’d even told Grey it wasn’t real, and he’d told me it was as real as it got. It turned out, he was right.

“Yes. It was very much like this.”

I thought about my ceremony with Linc and how different it was. We’d stood in front of our friends, on the beach where Caspian and Tatum shared their vows. We made promises and sealed them in blood. There was no crowd or flowers or elegant reception, but it was every bit as real as what I’d shared with Grey.

I pulled the silk tie through Ciaran’s collar, then tied it in the front. “There,” I said as I straightened the knot. I flipped his collar back down and smoothed the front of his shirt. “Handsome as ever.”

“Can you teach me how to do it myself one day?” he asked.

Of course, he wanted to do it himself. He was a Van Doren—officially. Grey signed the paperwork yesterday.

I smiled. “Absolutely.” I paused. “But only if you teach me how to properly brush a horse.”

He smiled back and it stole my breath. He was so much like his father, it made my heart ache. “Deal,” he said.

* * *

“You should be here, getting ready with me.” I FaceTimed Tatum as I touched up my makeup. “I hate that you miss out on so much.”

She and Caspian were watching the whole thing through a live stream, thanks to Leo, but it wasn’t the same as having her here.

She flipped the camera and panned out across a white-sand beach and crystal-blue ocean. “I’m exactly where I want to be.” She flipped the camera back to her gorgeous face. Caspian leaned in from behind her, planting a kiss on her shoulder. “But I really freaking miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” I finished my lipstick, then glanced at the time. “I gotta get dressed now, and trust me, Caspian does not want any of this.” I gestured to my full body.

Tatum reached behind and covered Caspian’s eyes with one hand. “No, he doesn’t.”

I laughed. “Love you.”

“Love you back.”

I tossed my phone onto the bed, then undressed. My reflection stared back at me from a nearby floor-length mirror. I was naked except for a pair of white lace panties. My hair was back to its natural blonde. My body had completely healed. There weren’t even any scars on my nipples.

I ran a hand over my stomach, wondering if I’d ever have kids of my own. Then I grabbed the bridesmaid’s dress from its hanger and carefully stepped into it. The smooth satin licked my skin as I slid it over my hips and up my body. Grey’s face appeared behind me in the mirror. He pulled my hair off my back and draped it over my shoulder. I didn’t even hear him come in.

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