by Jen Talty
“You look amazing.” Her mother rested her hands on Cheryl’s bare shoulders and leaned over, kissing her cheek.
“I can’t believe how well your wedding dress fits me.” Cheryl rested her hands over her stomach. It had only been a week since she and Dayton had mated, but she was certain she was pregnant.
“It looks better on you than it did me.”
Cheryl turned and faced her mother, who had taken her new Royal Fairy status with humility, though she had too much fun playing with her fairy dust. “Do you think we’re all safe now?”
“We’re safer.” Her mother took her by the hands and helped her to her feet. “There will always be someone or something who will see Wolfairies or even fairies as a threat. People fear what they don’t understand.” Her mother cupped Cheryl’s cheeks. “The book of drawings has been completely filled in and signed.”
“By me,” Cheryl said with a smile. “How odd that I didn’t notice my own initials.”
“All the legends and prophecies have been filled, and there are plenty of Wolfairies to go around.”
A tap at the door made Cheryl jump.
“Are we ready in here?” her father asked as he peeked his head inside. “Oh, wow. You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I meant your mother.” Her father took her mother into his arms and smacked his lips against hers. They embraced and kissed for what seemed like an eternity.
“Um. Hello. Daughter in the room. And need I remind you, I’m getting married.”
Her father pried his lips from his bride. “Oh, and he’s mighty nervous down there, so we better get this Winter Wedding started before that young man takes off for the woods again.” Her father held out his arm. “He’s a good man.”
“That he is.” She sucked in a deep breath and managed to make it down the stairs without falling. According to all the research she’d done on the Winter Wedding, the key component was the white fairy dust that looked like snowflakes.
Her father pushed open the back door. The stars and the moon lit up the evening sky. They provided enough light so that the fairy dust sparkled as it danced around, landing in piles on the ground, only to stir and rise up to the sky again.
Isadore and Coral stood at the edge of the makeshift aisle wearing red dresses. Daphne and Chaz took their place to the side of the preacher. Finn and Ivy were tucked neatly into a bassinet and, for now, slept like the little angels they were.
Drew and Nico stood proudly next to Dayton, who rocked back and forth on his heels with his hands clasped tightly together.
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She never imagined Dayton would be nervous about anything.
When he caught her gaze, his lower lip dropped open and both brows shot up.
“I think he likes what he sees,” her mother said as she kissed her cheek.
Her father snarled protectively. He patted her hand as the music started, and they made their way down the makeshift aisle.
“Two weddings in two days,” her mother said, shaking her head. “All my babies married and with pups coming of their own.”
“I just hope Drew and Coral don’t think this Winter Wedding ritual took away from their special day.”
Her father laughed. “That Coral. She’s a hoot and a half. I think she preferred the untraditional party we had yesterday over all this tradition. Which is weird, because I’d never heard of a Winter Wedding until you gave me that old book on it.”
“Dad. Can you please stop rambling?” she asked behind a tight jaw and a plastered-on smile. The only people in attendance were her immediate family, the heads of the Twilight Crossing Council as well as the chosen Royal Fairies, but that didn’t make her any less nervous. It still blew her mind that in a matter of minutes, she’d be married.
And a queen.
Her father kissed the back of her hand before placing it in Dayton’s. “Remember, I loved her first.”
“Yes, sir.” Dayton took in a deep breath.
She gazed into her fated’s dark eyes. Sparks flickered about inside just like the snow-like flakes that floated around them, spreading the love and joy the Wolfairies have brought to this world.
She stifled a giggle, remembering she was a Wolfairy.
“I want to show you something,” Dayton whispered in her ear. He raised his finger, swirling the white dust around. He tossed it toward the sky, creating a screen. In the screen, a couple dozen Wolfairy pups played in this very backyard.
Chaz and Drew chased the bigger ones in their wolf form while Daphne and Coral pushed a few Wolfairies in their human form on the swing set.
Isadore and Nico sat at the picnic table. Isadore’s belly swollen once again with babies.
Dayton strolled into the image, scooping up a couple of children in his arms, blowing raspberries at their cheeks. They flapped their arms and giggled, screaming, “Mommy!”
Dayton let them down as they raced off toward the house, where she sat on the front porch with her parents. They looked a few years older, but all in all, aging quite well.
“How many children do we end up having?” she whispered.
“If I told you that, you’d never marry me, much less go on a honeymoon with me.”
She swallowed. “That many, huh?”
“If it makes you feel better, Isadore and Nico have a couple more than us.”
“Well, maybe we need to play some catch up.” She waved her hand in the air, closing the vision into the future.
All that mattered was right now. This moment.
The Winter Wedding.
Her wedding.
Thank you for taking the time to read Winter Wedding. Please feel free to leave an HONEST review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.
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Also by Jen Talty
NY State Trooper Series
IN TWO WEEKS
DARK WATER
DEADLY SECRETS
MURDER IN PARADISE BAY
TO PROTECT HIS OWN
DEADLY SEDUCTION
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
Brand New Novella for the First Responders series
A spin off from the NY State Troopers series
PLAYING WITH FIRE
Other novels
REKINDLED
JANE DOE’S RETURN
THE BUTTERFLY MURDERS
The Aegis Network
THE LIGHTHOUSE
HER LAST Hope
THE LAST FLIGHT
THE RETURN HOME
Coming soon!
THE MATRIARCH
The Collective Order
THE LOST SISTER
THE LOST SOLDIER
THE LOST SOUL
Coming soon!
THE LOST CONNECTION
Special Forces Operation Alpha
BURNING DESIRE
BURNING KISS
BURNING SKIES
BURNING LIES
BURNING HEART
BURNING BED
The Brotherhood Protectors
ROUGH JUSTICE
ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES
ROUGH RIDE
The Twilight Crossing Series
THE BLIND DATE
SPRING FLING
SUMMER’S GONE
Coming soon!
WINTER WEDDING
Witches and Werewolves
LADY SASS
ALL THAT SASS
Coming soon!
NEON SASS
PAINTING SASS
Boxsets
LOVE CHRISTMAS, MOVIES
UNFORGETABLE PASSION
A NIGHT SHE’LL REMEMB
ER
SWEET AND SASSY IN THE SNOW
Novellas
NIGHTSHADE
HIS DEADLY PAST
A CHRISTMAS GETAWAY
About Jen Talty
Welcome to my World! I’m an Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance. DARK WATER, book 2 in the NY STATE TROOPER series hit number 10 in Barnes and Nobel overall. THE BLIND DATE hit number 1 in the Contemporary Romance/Kindle Worlds List on Amazon. JANE DOE’S RETURN won both THE MOLLY and the BEACON before being published by the WILD ROSS PRESS.
I first started writing while carting my kids to one hockey rink after the other, averaging 170 games per year between 3 kids in 2 countries and 5 states. My first book, IN TWO WEEKS was originally published in 2007. In 2010 I helped form a publishing company (Cool Gus Publishing) with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer where I ran the technical side of the business through 2016.
I’m currently enjoying the next phase of my life…the empty NESTER! My husband and I spend our winters in Jupiter, Florida and our summers in Rochester, NY. We have three amazing children who have all gone off to carve out their places in the world, while I continue to craft stories that I hope will make you readers feel good and put a smile on your face.
Visit my website at http://jentalty.com
Sign up for Jen’s Newsletter (https://dl.bookfunnel.com/rg8mx9lchy) where she often gives away free books before publication.
Join Jen’s private Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/191706547909047/) where she posts exclusive excerpts and discuss all things murder and love!
