There was some excitement and confusion, but when everyone realized what was happening, they all came forward to offer their congratulations to the happy couple.
"Wait a minute," Alynna looked at Vivianne. "You knew, didn't you? About them being True Mates? I saw you looking strangely at Nick."
"I knew that Nick had a special bond with my niece." The witch smiled mysteriously at Nick. "We all felt it," she motioned to the other witches.
"But how?" Nick asked.
"Well...most magic is connected in some way," Vivianne explained. "When major events happen in the magical world, it sends a kind of shockwave, sometimes small, sometimes big. I felt this major shift about a month ago. I think it was when your bond as True Mates began to form," she looked at Nick and Cady.
"The wedding," Cady remembered and looked at her mate. "You asked me to dance. It was the first time we ever touched."
Nick nodded. "Yes and after that night, we started sharing dreams."
"What kind of dreams?" Jade asked in a curious voice.
Cady blushed and Nick grinned. "Nothing we can share, unfortunately, Dr. Cross. At least not in polite society." Jade herself turned red when she realized what he meant.
"I felt a magical shockwave once before," Vivianne continued. "Over 21 years ago, when you were born," she looked at Alynna. "The magic of True Mates is quite distinct, I can tell you that. Nick and Cady finding each other though, that's what brought me here. You see, when Victoria began her transformation into a mage, one of the effects is that she severed her connection to the rest of the magical world. Nature magic and blood magic are incompatible after all. I lost all connection to her about 5 years ago," she said with sad eyes. "But the moment the two of you touched, I felt a new connection, to you, Cady. You are the blood of my blood, after all."
Cady paused and closed her eyes. "I can't explain it, and I don't have any powers myself, but I can feel it."
Vivianne embraced her niece. "Yes, it's there. You may not be magical, but the blood in our veins is powerful. That is why Stefan wanted you."
Cady looked at her cousin with concern. "Won't he try to get to you then, Lara?"
The young witch frowned. "He can try, but he probably knows I'm too well-protected."
"Well, he's still out there," Nick turned to Grant. "We have to stop him."
"I agree," Grant nodded at Vivianne. "Stefan is still a threat to us. To all of us. I suggest it's time the witches and Lycans have more than a truce, but rather, forge an alliance."
Vivianne nodded. "A wise move, Alpha. It will be difficult and it will take time. But what choice do we have?"
"Our High Council and your Witch Assembly must be informed. Everyone must be warned. Stefan was able to grow in power because he operated in the shadows. If we force him out into the open, into the light, he'll be vulnerable. But you're right, it won't be easy. Lycans can be stubborn and stuck in their ways."
"Yes, as are witches." Vivianne looked at Nick and Cady. "But our bonds have begun to form. It's a good start."
Chapter Twenty-Six
"I think we should definitely buy out the apartments below and then maybe have some stairs put in," Nick's brow furrowed as he looked at the blueprints spread out on the dining room table. "Or a big loft? We're definitely going to need more room."
"More room? Your penthouse takes up half the floor! What would we need the extra room for?" Cady asked in an exasperated tone.
"Well the nursery, of course, and once the first one outgrows that, he or she will need their own room and then the next one can take the nursery, then that one will need a bedroom as well. Maybe we'll need several bedrooms. And a library for studying. A music room too. My grandmother was an amazing piano player, I'm sure one or two of our children will inherit that."
"Exactly how many babies do you think True Mates can have?"
"I don't know, but we'll have to try for as many as possible," Nick gave her a lascivious smile.
"For the good of the species right?" she smirked.
"Of course. For the good of the species."
"We'll have to try real hard then."
Nick gave a growl and stood up, then took her hand. "C'mon and we need some practice. Let's take a break."
"Oh no, mister!" she swatted his hand away. "You said we'd do some wedding planning after looking at the blueprints!"
Nick groaned. "Let's elope, please? Grant will let us borrow the jet. How about Vegas? Or Paris?"
Cady laughed. "Don't make me sic Callista on you."
Callista Mayfair, Grant's mother, who had, over the years appointed herself as Cady's surrogate mom, was once again livid that she wasn't going to get to plan a grand wedding. Cady and Nick had wanted a small affair at The Enclave, much like Alex and Alynna, but they had to appease the older lady. Grant begged them to go along, as Callista was perhaps the only person that brought fear into the Alpha's heart. Grant offered any bribe of their choice, and Nick was thinking the apartment in Rio would make a nice wedding gift.
So, they agreed to a ceremony and reception at The Plaza Hotel, with under fifty guests and it had to be done in two weeks. Callista took that as a challenge and was a fiend in her planning, needling, cajoling, and prodding wedding vendors to get everything done on time to make everything perfect. The banquet manager at The Plaza was probably going to consider a career change after this wedding. Cady had already planned to gift the poor woman with a very nice spa trip.
Though Nick tried to put her pad aside (Callista had already sent 20 Instant Messages in the last hour), she pointed to the chair. "Sit, Mr. Vrost." With a defeated sigh, he sat back on his chair. The doorbell ringing made both of them look up.
"Saved by the bell!" Nick declared as he stood up again. The Lycan didn't bother checking through the peephole and opened the door, grateful that anyone or anything would save him from wedding planning. He secretly hoped it was a mage, as that would probably cause a really long delay (and he could release some pent-up frustration and anger), but he was more surprised at who he saw on the other side.
Vasili Vrost stood in the hallway. "Hello Nikolai," he greeted softly.
"Grandfather," he crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"
"Nikolai...I...you see..." the old man fumbled with his words, wringing his hands. Nick said nothing, but stared him down. "Will you give me a minute of your time, please? You won't even have to let me in."
"Nick!" Cady called from behind Nick. She peeked around his tall frame. "Who is it...oh, Mr. Vrost! I didn't know we were expecting you."
Nick had given Cady a short version of what happened with Vasili the day she was rescued and how he had broken ties with his grandfather. Though she felt no love for the older man, she could see the apprehension and grief in the Lycan's eyes. She thought of her own remaining family, and the ones she had already lost, and knew how important it was to hang on to what you had. "Nick, sweetie, why are you standing there?" she rubbed his arm in a soothing manner. "Why don't you let your grandfather in? I'll have tea ready. Would you like some, Mr. Vrost?"
The old man looked gratefully at her. "Thank you, Ms. Gray, I would very much like that."
Nick, who would do anything for Cady, shrugged and opened the door wider, leading Vasili to the living room couch as Cady busied herself in the kitchen.
"I'm...I'm glad Ms. Gray is safe, Nikolai," Vasili said, sitting down on the black leather couch.
"Yes, she is safe," Nick sat down across from him in the love seat. "And I'll make sure no other harm comes to her." The two man sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until Cady returned.
"Here we go, good thing I already started a pot," Cady breezed in and put a tray on the table. "Sugar or milk, Mr. Vrost?"
"Yes, both please," he nodded at her. He took the cup she offered and waited for Cady to finish serving, who then sat next to Nick with her own tea cup.
"Now, what do you want?" Nick asked gruffly. "Have your say and then you can leave."
"Nic
k!" Cady admonished. "I'm sorry Mr. Vrost, I don't know why he's in a foul mood."
"I'm afraid it's because of me," Vasili looked down at his tea with doleful eyes. "Alright, let me say this and you can decide." The old man seemed nervous, something Cady guessed he'd never felt before. "Nikolai, you are my family, the last of my line. I...I was wrong to say those things to you and I came here to make amends."
"Even though I've made my choice?" Nick looked at Cady meaningfully. She squeezed his hand.
"Yes. It's your life and it was wrong of me to dictate how you should run it and who you should spend it with." He looked at his grandson straight in the eye. "And everything - the businesses, the estates, the house, it's all yours. No conditions. Even if you still decide that you want me out of your life."
"I don't care about that, I told you," Nick reminded him. "But it's not me who you should be apologizing to."
He immediately turned to Cady. "Of course. Ms. Gray, I'm sorry for the way I treated you and for the things I said. I have nothing to say in my defense, except that the grief of losing a child never really leaves you and makes you say things you don't mean. But, will you forgive this foolish old man, even though he has treated you ill? Or at least let me try to make amends."
Cady thought about what she would do if she had lost her baby and looked into the older Lycan's eyes, so full of sincerity and emotion. "Of course Mr. Vrost. Yes, I accept your apology."
Vasili's face turned from sadness to relief. "Thank you so much, Ms. Gray. I want to start healing this rift between us. All of us." He looked warily at Nick, who seemed satisfied at his apology.
"There is one other thing you can do to to make amends. Not for me, but for Nick," Cady switched over to the couch and sat next to Vasili. She reached out and placed her hands over his. "Will you stand by Nick's side when we get married next week? I'm sure he'd very much like you to be there."
"Next week?" The old man seemed surprised. "I mean...of course I'll be there. I don't mean...next week seems a little soon, eh? But then again," he gave Nick a warm smile. "When I met your grandmother I wanted to marry her the very next day and I told her so. But my dear, did you not want to have time to make arrangements? Have a proper trousseau, order flowers, find the right venue, send out invitations?"
Cady shot Nick a look. "You didn't tell him?"
Nick shrugged. "I haven't spoken to him since last week."
"Tell me what?" the old man asked.
"Mr. Vrost-"
"Vasili," he corrected. "Or grandfather, or you can save that for after the wedding, if you wish."
"Then you must call me Cady. But Vasili," Cady continued. "Nick and I are True Mates. And we're expecting a baby. A Lycan pup." She patted her belly instinctively.
Vaili's mouth dropped open and he looked from Cady to Nick, who nodded at his grandfather with a small smile. Tears started to fall down the old man's eyes, streaking his cheek. He wiped them away with a handkerchief and took both of her hands in his, kissing them. "That is...I'm..." he stood up and embraced his grandson. "I always thought that when this day came I would be relieved and happy, but now that it's here....I can't even begin to describe what it feels like." He took a deep breath and composed himself. " Nikolai, my child, if you would have me, I would happy to be by your side when you marry this amazing woman."
"That would make me happy as well, grandfather," Nick put his arms around Vasili. "Though god knows why she would have me."
Vasili looked at Cady with shining eyes, his face reminiscent. "Yes, only god knows why these women want us, but bless them, they do. You'll make a beautiful bride, just like my Ana," he said. "Now, wedding plans...I must insist you have it at the Hudson mansion...I mean if you want to, that is..."
"We'd be honored," Cady said before Nick could interject. "I'll talk to Callista. She's been fighting the The Plaza coordinators all day. Believe me, she'll be over the moon. And we don't have to pay for therapy for their banquet manager!"
"Good. Now, your pup...do you have a doctor? Are you talking vitamins? When is your next appointment? And what about your nursery! You can't be raising a child in a place like this!" Vasili looked around. "This is good enough for a bachelor, but look at these sharp edges! All this glass! Not good for the baby!"
"Grandfather, the baby's not going to be walking anytime soon!" Nick slapped his hand on his forehead.
"But it's never too early!" Vasili stood up and looked around Nick's apartment, carefully examining anything that could harm a baby.
"Actually, we're making renovation plans," Cady took the blueprints from the table. "Would you like to see them, Vasili? And I suppose we'll have to make another addition. A larger guest room, so great-grandfather can visit anytime?"
Vasili's face lit up even more. "And then maybe in a few years, when more pups have arrived, you'll just have to move into the Hudson mansion. We'll get you both a chopper so you can get to work on time and be back by supper!"
Cady laughed. "Sounds like a plan! Now, Nick thinks that this wall should go down, but I said..."
Nick watched his grandfather and future wife pour over the plans and his heart soared. The two of them talked excitedly about the blueprints (and much to his relief, forgotten about wedding planning) and he joined them as they sat at the table, making notes on the blueprints.
Epilogue
It seemed like it was just yesterday the New York clan was celebrating a wedding, and now they were having another one. The Vrost Hudson mansion and the river provided a beautiful backdrop to Nick and Cady's wedding. Callista Mayfair had taken up residence in the Hudson mansion as soon as possible, making sure every detail was perfect. She also found an unlikely ally and assistant in Garret, the Vrost's faithful butler, who was just as ruthless as the Lycan lady in making sure all the arrangements were suitable and perfect. He also supervised the dinner service, inspecting everything to ensure every piece of silver was perfectly polished and every table napkin was pressed and folded. When the day of the actual wedding came, some people thought Callista and Garret probably controlled the weather too, as even Mother Nature seemed to cooperate with them, providing a crisp and clear day with no sign of rain clouds.
The lawn was bursting with the gorgeous reds, oranges and yellow of fall. Two groups of white chairs in rows of ten were set up on the massive space, and an aisle covered in a rust colored rug ran down the middle. At the end was a beautiful fall-themed trellis made of fir branches, pine cones, and apples, swathed with caramel-colored ribbons.
When the ceremony began, Nick stood in front as he waited for his bride, flanked by his grandfather and best man, Alex Westbrooke. As the music started, the lone bridesmaid, Lara Chatraine, walked down the aisle, followed by the maid of honor, Alynna Chase-Westbrooke, both of them wearing rust-colored gowns. Finally, the music changed and the bride walked out of the main house, looking radiant in a beautiful white gown in lace and tulle with a long train, carrying a fall-themed bouquet. The groom looked in awe at his beautiful bride and as she approached the middle of the aisle, she was joined by Grant Anderson and Vivianne Chatraine, and they walked her down the rest of the way.
Nick shook hands with Grant and kissed Vivianne on the cheek before offering his hand to Cady, then they faced the judge. The ceremony was quick, and the aunt of bride was asked to say a few words of blessing. The kiss lasted much longer than necessary, and all the guests cheered as the happy couple walked down the aisle together, now man and wife.
Although they wanted an outdoor ceremony under the moon, it was much too cold and so they had it inside the grand ballroom, which was decked out in the same fall colors as the ceremony area, with the addition of lanterns and fairy lights. The guest list doubled, seeing as Vasili now had to invite all his extended family, friends and colleagues, and the bride of course had a whole extended family of witches.
Nick and Cady opened the dance floor, impressing everyone with their dance moves (though the bride had to give most of the credit to her groom). They danced tw
o more songs together, and switched to other partners, Cady dancing with Grant, then Vasili, and finally Alex before she was back in her new husband's arms. Nick himself had danced with Alynna, Vivianne, and Nurse Ellen, who was one of their special guests. Although Cady wasn't been able to visit Mercy Hospital since she was discharged, she personally delivered the invitation to her former nurse, who was thrilled that Nick had finally popped the question.
"Aren't you glad we didn't elope?" Cady whispered into her husband's ear.
"If only to see that," Nick motioned to the dance floor off to their right. Alex was dancing to the slow song with Estella, who was not-so-subtly trying to grab his ass. The young Lycan kept trying to push the older witch's hand up higher, but she was not having it and continued to slide her hand down his backside. Off to the side, Alynna was giggling uncontrollably with Lara and Jade as they watched the poor Lycan get groped by the wily old witch.
"Did your ass escape Nurse Ellen's fingers?" Cady snickered.
"Nurse Ellen respects that I'm now a married man," he declared. "Which is why she started ogling Grant's assets."
Cady threw her head back and laughed out loud. Nick thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
"I'm glad everyone's getting along," Cady observed as Nick spun her around. "Look at that!"
Nick turned his head to the left and saw Vasili talking to Vivianne, and he laughed at something she said while placing her hand on his arm. The older Lycan gave the witch a nod, then offered his arm to lead her to the dance floor. "Well, we might have hope yet."
"We'll need it," her brow furrowed. "The mages-"
"We will defeat them," Nick declared. He held her closer. "I won't let anything happen to you, or our child. Not after I almost lost you."
She laid her head on his chest. "I know you will. And we will defeat the mages, together."
Nick swept her up, making her laugh as they spun in circles, the rest of world turning into a swirl of lights around them.
Blood Moon: Book 2 of the True Mates Series: A Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance Page 19
