by Larissa Ione
Idess shrugged. “Well, she didn’t wear it for her second marriage, and that one didn’t turn out so well, either.”
“Good point.” Limos slipped on the bracelet, the garter, and put in the earrings. When she was done, she looked in the mirror for the first time since the other females had messed with her hair and makeup.
She nearly fainted.
“Are you okay?” Runa asked.
Limos’s eyes stung. “I… I’m…”
“Beautiful,” Idess finished.
“Yes.” Limos’s voice was little more than a whisper.
Human girls all over the world dreamed about their wedding day, spent years going over it in their heads. But Limos had spent centuries fantasizing about what she’d do if she were a normal woman, changing her ideas as trends came and went. Now, it was finally here. She felt beautiful, feminine, like the luckiest female ever.
Runa’s cell rang, and she answered it, then returned to Limos. “That was Shade. He said everything’s ready. We’re supposed to arrive outside where you usually cast a gate.”
Limos led them all outside, and even though her hand was shaking, Limos threw a gate, and then she, Runa, and Idess stepped through, coming out in the snowy courtyard in front of the entrance. Someone had erected a long tent and laid out a red carpet, along which a trail of candles lit the way to the front door.
“Wow,” she said. “This is amazing.” Thanatos and Ares approached, both in tuxes, and both grinning like fools.
“We’ll be inside the house,” Runa said. “Good luck.”
The females hurried inside as Limos’s brothers stopped in front of her.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” Than said, going down on one knee to kiss her hand. He was always so formal.
Ares leaned over to kiss her lightly on the cheek. “You’re stunning.”
Limos had to choke back sobs. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat of the hoarseness. “Who is escorting me?”
“We both are.” They each held out their arms, and she took them, walking between her brothers toward the entrance of Than’s keep.
When they stepped through, she stopped, momentarily in awe. The grin ld out theeat room had been transformed into a true winter wonderland. The floor was strewn with fake snow and glitter. Lit Christmas trees filled the room, and huge bouquets of poinsettias, silver and white flowers, and sparkling baby’s breath decorated tables loaded with food and drink. A champagne fountain gurgled near the far wall, and a huge fire roared in the hearth, its flames throwing a mix of colors, from the usual orange to blue, green, and purple.
And upon a makeshift stage in the very center of the room, were Idess and Arik. Limos’s gaze locked with Arik’s, and her heart fluttered. He was wearing a crisp, formal military uniform that perfectly suited his broad shoulders, deep chest, and slim waist. At his hip he wore a ceremonial black holster, but she doubted there was anything ceremonial about the pistol tucked inside. His long legs were spread slightly, his hands behind his back.
His intense gaze bored into her. Hunger gleamed in the hazel depths of his eyes, taking the breath right out of her lungs. She’d always found him to be handsome, had always seen the soldier in him. But now, as he watched her walk toward him she saw the whole, exquisite package—honorable soldier, powerful warrior, ferocious lover, heart-stoppingly gorgeous male.
“You sure about this?” Thanatos whispered in her ear, and as though Arik heard, he gave a single, slow nod.
If there had been any doubt before, it was gone.
“Yes,” she whispered back. “I’ve never been so sure about anything.”
Twenty-six
Regan hated weddings. Seriously hated them. Not only did she despise sitting through the boring-ass ceremony, she didn’t understand the point of spending a ton of money, mostly on other people, when the money could be better spent on a down payment for a house or for the honeymoon. Why start off a marriage in debt?
Especially when most marriages ended in divorce anyway. At least if you spent the money on the honeymoon, you’d have several days in a place you probably loved, even if it was with the asshole you ended up divorcing.
People said she was cynical. A pessimist. She wasn’t. She was a realist.
But in this case, not a lot of planning had gone into the event, and the Horsemen seemed to have money to burn, and Regan hadn’t been required to dress up. Even better, this wasn’t your usual wedding ceremony. This was more like a big party, with supernatural beings as guests.
The great hall had been turned into a fantasy, lit with a thousand candles, fir trees draped in lights and tinsel, and confetti splashed on tables and shelves. In the kitchen, Than’s vampires and Ares and Limos’s servants were preparing hors d’oeuvres for the reception, which really was going to be a liquor-and-food fest.
That was assuming that the ceremony went off without a hitch.
Though the pre-wedding mood had been mostly uplifting, there had been an 0em" widthundercurrent of worry—enough that Sin and Lore had used their contacts to hire an entire den of assassins to act as security, and Cara had enlisted the help of several hellhounds to patrol the grounds. Only one was inside—a floppy-eared drooly pup named Hal that was clumsier than a drunken, three-legged moose. And actually, he might be drunk; Regan had caught him twice with his nose in the champagne fountain.
Then there was Thanatos, who definitely wasn’t drunk. The man was a study in grace and control as he stood near the stage where Limos and Arik were facing each other and saying their vows, his silky blond hair framing his angular face, the braids at the temple only adding to his savage handsomeness. His black tux stretched over thick shoulders and hugged his muscular butt and thighs in a fit so perfect it was clear the clothes had been tailored for him.
And with that gorgeous suit… he wore combat boots. Had he been anyone else, she’d have suspected he forgot to change his shoes, but no, not Thanatos. He was too detail-oriented and too careful. This was the man who, for hours prior to the ceremony, had prowled the keep like a tiger patrolling his territory, checking every nook and cranny twice, testing the guards’ weapons, and seeming to make a point of ignoring Regan. How the hell was she supposed to seduce a guy who had avoided her since their encounter in the gym, as if she’d given him a disease?
Oh, she’d caught him staring at her, the banked heat in his gaze searing her skin, but a moment later, the cold indifference would return, and he’d turn away with an air of arrogant dismissal.
The man was a puzzle. A dangerous, sexy puzzle. Over the last few days, she’d come upon him reading next to the fire, his fingers caressing a book as if it were a lover. The next time she saw him, he might be armored and bloody, and the very air around him would crackle like a brewing storm. He wouldn’t speak, never offered information freely, and his sense of humor was… odd.
Yes, Regan suffered from mild obsessive-compulsive issues, and she had a tendency to make sure all of the notes she took in his library were neatly arranged in stacks of twelve. But Than seemed to delight in moving a single page off one stack to another, just to drive her nuts. And she knew it was him, because the vampires denied touching her work, but the Horseman… he didn’t deny it. He’d simply watch her rail, one corner of his made-to-make-women-wet mouth twitching in a half-smile.
Peeling her gaze away from him, she returned her eye to their surroundings, because despite the massive security, Regan didn’t feel safe. Not when security was made up of demons, vampires, shapeshifters, and hellhounds. That was like, the opposite of safe for a Guardian. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to find one of Thanatos’s vampires, Atrius, standing there with a bottle of what looked like wine.
“This is very rare mead,” he said. “Made by ex-monks who used their mead-making knowledge and blended it with supernatural magic.”
“And you’re telling me this… why?”
“It’s Thanatos’s favorite.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “And
?”
“It’s a gift,” th a It’s Thae vampire said. “A thank you for improving Thanatos’s mood.”
She was pretty sure her eyes bugged out. “He’s been in a better mood since I arrived?” Jesus, what was he like when she wasn’t around?
“His mood swings have been greater,” the vampire admitted wryly, “but he’s smiled more lately than he has since he lost Reseph.”
“Huh. Okay, I guess.”
The guy grinned like she’d opened a vein for him. “I’ll put the wine in your bedroom. I would suggest, however, that you take no more than a couple of sips. It’s too strong for humans.”
“Thanks for the tip.” She wasn’t planning to drink any. He’d said the stuff was mixed with magic, and that could only be bad. But hey, if Thanatos liked it, he was welcome to it.
The vampire strode away, leaving her alone once again. Alone was something she was used to. Alone she liked.
Across the room, Thanatos turned, and his gaze drilled into her. All around them, people were laughing, hugging, holding hands. But not Thanatos. And not Regan.
In a room full of people, they were alone.
Good thing, she supposed, that she liked it.
The wedding was everything Limos had dreamed of. The funny thing was, as she stood before Arik in a room full of people and food and beautiful decorations, she didn’t notice any of it. Arik was her entire focus, her entire world. She’d repeated the words Idess had prompted her to say, and so had Arik, but the words that filled her with gooey warmth were the ones Arik tacked on to Idess’s mandatory, “I shall keep you as my wife, my mate, my desire.”
Arik had lowered his voice at the end and added, “My only desire.”
Idess reached for the athame and chalice on the altar next to her. With the ceremonial dagger, she sliced her thumb and caught the blood in the chalice.
“Hold out your hands.” Gently, she repeated the ritual with Arik and Limos, then swiped each of their cuts with some sort of herbal leaf. She held up the chalice. “Your blood will bind you, and by the blood of an angel no more, you will be married. Wet your lips, and then speak true.”
“Speak true?” Arik asked.
Idess inclined her head. “You must enter this union on a platform of truth. You will each reveal a secret of importance while your mate’s blood is on your lips. The bigger the secret, the stronger the marriage bond. A lie will burn, but a truth will… you’ll see. You may ask each other to divulge a specific truth, or you may choose to let the other decide for themselves what they want to reveal.”
Oh… God. Anxiety shot through Limos, tendrils of stinging panic that disoriented her and nearly had her armoring up and drawing a sword to comb swt they wanat whatever invisible enemy was attacking her body like this. How could this be part of a wedding ceremony?
Arik took the cup and, without hesitation, put it to his lips, his eyes intense, smoky, like a burning forest. When he brought the chalice away from his mouth, his lips glistened crimson.
“A truth,” he mused. “Is there anything you want to know?”
“The women,” she blurted. “You haven’t told me about them.”
“That’s because there are more than I’m proud of. And some… I don’t even remember.” An ache throbbed through her at Arik’s words, adding another layer of misery to her anxiety. She shouldn’t have asked. “Twenty, for sure, probably more. But I swear to you, there will never be another, and not one of those women could compare to you.” His voice went husky with emotion. “So that answers your question, but there’s something I want to tell you. I would let you take all those women from my memory if you wanted to. And that’s the most honest thing I’ve ever said.”
She nearly stopped breathing. That he would allow her to mess with his memories again, given how important not invading his mind was, was a huge admission of trust and commitment. Not that she would do it even if she could reach back that far and snip those threads. She would never touch his mind again. Her eyes stung, and emotion clogged her throat. How had she gotten so lucky with this man?
And dear God, how could she possibly ever deserve him?
He handed her the chalice, and her hands shook as she held it. He watched her expectantly. Everyone did. When the trembling grew so severe that she nearly dropped the chalice, Arik took her hands in his and gently guided the rim to her mouth.
“You can do this,” he whispered.
Warm wetness touched her lips and tongue, and on her shoulder, both sides of her scales dipped wildly. “Arik,” she rasped. “I… I…”
She should lie. Make something up. The compulsion to tell a whopper had her clenching her teeth. She wanted to lay the foundations for a strong bond, but so many people were around, and it was for them that she needed to spin a tale. She’d once stood before a crowd and fired them up with fantastic stories that had led to rebellion against their lord, every word making her drunk with pleasure. Even now, her breaths came faster, her blood flowed like a raging river, and lies swirled through her mind, fighting to be chosen—
“Hey.” Arik’s deep, soothing voice penetrated her panic, and she realized she’d been looking at everyone but him. “My eyes,” he said. “Look at me. I’m right here.”
As if she’d grabbed onto a lifeline, she clung to his gaze, letting everyone else fall away. I can do this. For him, I can do anything.
Still, nothing came. There were too many secrets to choose from, and all were so horrible and hurtful.
Arik knew… bless him, he knew, and he came to the rescue.
“Since this is our wedding, maybe you can stick it to your ex?” He waggled his brows, dragging a small smile from her. “Do you have a secret about you and him?”
Fear soured her mouth, because yeah, she had a secret she’d never wanted to reveal, but if she was ever going to do it, now was the time, and this was the perfect place.
“I went willingly to my betrothal.” She cleared her throat. Her brothers’ shocked stares burned holes in her, but she ignored them, keeping her focus on Arik and praying he wouldn’t hate her for this admission. “I wanted to be Satan’s bride, and if he’d have had me at the time, I’d have done it.”
There. She’d said it. Her stomach was churning and her antiperspirant failing, but she’d done it. The silence in the room built as Arik stood there, stoic, his expression neutral.
“If you accept each others’ truths,” Idess said, “you may kiss.”
The wait… oh, dear Lord, the wait. Limos thought her heart might explode, and then, unbelievably, Arik stepped into her and slowly, so slowly, touched his lips to hers. Their blood mingled, their tongues met, and a powerful, intense pleasure washed over them both. She knew he felt it too, because in that moment, it was as if they were one being, merged together in an almost orgasmic ecstasy.
Tingles spread through her feather-light body, and what was that saying… the truth shall set you free? Yes. She felt freer than she ever had, and as Arik’s arms came around her, she felt safer too. Safe and wanted and free.
“Congratulations,” Idess murmured. “You are married.”
Arik never in a million years thought he’d be married. Or, more accurately, mated. Which, in the supernatural world, was a stronger bond than marriage, because generally, it was physical. The Sem brothers, for instance, couldn’t get out of their bonds unless their mates died.
According to Idess, the same deal applied here, too. Hopefully, Limos wouldn’t want a divorce anytime soon.
His body was on fire with pleasure as they stepped down from the stage, and he wondered how long the sensation would last. The blood and truth ritual had been powerful on so many levels—uncomfortable, frightening and, in the end, freeing. He hadn’t even known how much he trusted Limos until he’d voiced his truth, and when she’d come clean about her willing role in her betrothal, he’d experienced only pride that she’d trusted him with something that must have been a shameful stain on her soul.
People surrounded them, offe
ring congratulations, hugs, and pats on the back. It seemed like everyone from Underworld General had come, and the marked absence of Arik’s R-XR and Aegis colleagues gave him a moment of surreal clarity; his world truly had changed.
He did wish Ky and Decker had been able to make it, but they were dealing with yet another attack on an Aegis cell as well as a sudden outbreak of demon attacks on human hospitals. Pestilence was clearly trying to cripple humans’ ability nsize="3">Heto repair the damage he was causing. The bastard.
Eventually, everyone moved off to dive into the food and drink, giving Thanatos and Ares a chance to accost them. Sudden tension rolled off Limos.
“Hey.” She squeezed Arik’s hand so hard he thought he heard his joints crack. “What I said during the ceremony—”
“It wasn’t easy to hear,” Than interrupted. “But we all have things in our pasts we aren’t proud of. We can’t hold something you did thousands of years ago against you.”
Ares nodded. “You aren’t the person you were in Sheoul. We love you no matter what, Limos.”
Ares’s words should have comforted Limos, but as her brothers enveloped her in hugs, Arik caught a glimpse of worry in her expression, a falter in her smile. But maybe he imagined it, because by the time they sauntered off, she was back to her playful self, going up on her toes and putting her lips to Arik’s ear.
“We could slip away to one of Than’s empty rooms.”
He groaned, and his cock twitched, and he was so on board with that suggestion. Too bad everyone was watching them. “As much as I’d love to, I think people would notice.”
“So?”
“So… I happen to know how protective brothers are—” he snared two flutes of champagne from a passing vamp with a tray “—and I don’t want yours to kill me for making your first time nothing more than a boff in a closet.”
“Boff?” Her laughter rang out, the beautiful sound suiting her.
He handed her one of the glasses. “Yes, boff. And if this doesn’t work, I don’t want everyone in the damned building to hear me yell when my fingers are chopped off.” The idea settled his errant cock down, right quick.
