It did Daniel’s heart good to know the women in his family had rallied around Gen, but the need to pluck Kerry away and force her to rest was stronger. She’d been right about the concussion. The healer, once he was done checking Gen for damage, had confirmed Kerry’s suspicions. He’d also offered to take Kerry on as his apprentice, showing her healing magics that would benefit the court. Kerry had jumped at the offer, more than happy to be a healer once more.
The elevator, finally repaired, whisked them up to their private floor. Daniel could sense Kerry’s weariness. “I’m taking Kerry home.”
“Why?” His mother’s instant concern made him smile.
“I can feel she’s tired.” In fact, it was making him sleepy. He yawned and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I know the consequences of a warlock bonding to a person. I feel pretty much everything she does.”
“That could be good and bad.” Gareth shrugged. “Think of the sex.”
Daniel didn’t have the heart to tell Gareth that the sex had become phenomenal. Through their link he could tell each and every one of Kerry’s hot spots, but more importantly, he could feel her love. It was the biggest blessing of his life, one he would cherish until his dying day.
His brother opened the door to his penthouse apartment and Daniel stepped inside. The instant his eyes landed on Kerry he felt his heart begin to pound. She looked so good, lying on the couch, holding hands with Gen. All his focus was on his mate as he made his way toward her, ignoring everyone else at the gentle smile she sent him. “Hey, sweetheart. Ready to go?”
She nodded and held up her arms. “Yes, please.”
He picked her up and cradled her close. She was in his arms, soft and trusting, fulfilling his greatest fantasy.
Kerry Andrews was finally his.
“You’re mine too, you know. Stubborn man.”
He chuckled as he carried her out the door. “Yes I am.”
“Oh, hey, just wanted to remind you,” Gareth called out. “The ceremony is two weeks from now.”
“Got it.” Daniel carried Kerry out the door, ignoring her curious stare. “Thanks for everything, bro.”
“Becketts stick together.” The door shut quietly behind them.
Daniel carried a silent, sleepy Kerry into their apartment, heading straight for the bedroom. They could both use some sleep, but he had the feeling sleep would be long in coming tonight once she learned of his plans.
“What ceremony?”
And there it was. “Our ceremony.” He placed her on her feet and began taking off her clothes.
“What ceremony?” This time, instead of a soft inquiry, she was glaring at him, her toe tapping impatiently.
“Our wedding ceremony.”
She blinked, her toe stilling, her whole body shaking. “What?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” He pushed her pants down her legs, kneeling before her. “I’m marrying you.”
“No, you didn’t.” He couldn’t tell if she was pissed or happy, even through their bond, but the fact that she hadn’t kicked him was probably a good sign. “You didn’t even ask.”
“I am now.” He held up a velvet box he’d tucked under the bed before the meeting with the council. He opened it up and showed it to her. “Will you marry me in two weeks?”
The jolt of pure joy raced along their bond. “I don’t know. It’s awfully sudden.”
His brows rose as he waited patiently. It wasn’t like he didn’t know her answer, just as she knew how he felt.
“Yes.” She held out her hand. “A thousand times yes.”
“She said yes!” he bellowed, quickly pulling her pants back up as his family raced into the bedroom. “Told you she would.”
“Asshole.” Kerry laughed and hugged him, not even waiting long enough for him to slip the diamond ring on her finger.
“Your asshole.”
Surrounded by family, holding his mate…could it get any better than this? Daniel didn’t think so. He listened to his mate’s laughter as Lana, Jo and Gen took turns hugging the life out of her.
After all, it was hard to top perfection.
Epilogue
Five years later…
“Things look promising, don’t they?” Sawney McDorman, Abraham’s older brother and CEO of Royale Hotels, sipped the high-priced champagne the king had insisted on serving. It was Halloween, and the Samhain rites had already been performed. King Gareth had acted as High Priest, while Queen Genevieve had been High Priestess. Afterwards, the entire Beckett clan had convened in King Gareth’s apartment for a little Halloween fun.
Abraham, known as Mac to the royal family, smiled softly at the scene before him. It had taken quite a while, and not a few bumps, to get where they were, but now the Becketts had full control of the court.
Mac couldn’t be happier. “Indeed. And the addition of Prince Peter has everyone delighted.” The first child of the king and queen had inherited his mother’s blond hair, his father’s golden brown eyes, and the wolf that signified a Beckett. The boy was currently dressed as, of all things, a werewolf. He ran around the living room, howling at everyone and giggling in delight when they cringed.
Padma, Zach and Johra’s child, followed after Prince Peter. Her dark pigtails were askew, and her big blue eyes were shining. Somewhere along the way her little witch hat had disappeared, and if he wasn’t mistaken one of her shoes was missing. He scooped the child up as she ran past. “Where is your shoe, little miss?”
She wiggled in his hold. “Put me down, Uncle Mac. I gotta chase Peter.”
“Why?” Sawyer chucked her under her chin, chuckling when she scowled at him.
“I’m the Own and he’s a bad guy. I gotta zap him good.” Padma pointed toward the floor. “Down, please.”
Mac did as she asked. “Good luck, young Own.”
“Thanks.” She raced off, the other shoe landing somewhere under Gareth’s couch.
Mac shook his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that one does turn out to be an Own.”
“Or a teacher, like her mother.” Sawyer shivered. “If I hear why, Uncle Sawyer? One more time…” Sawyer growled. It was impressive for a non-werewolf.
A tinkle of laughter drew his attention to the buffet, where Lana was currently holding court among the women in the family. Whatever story she was telling seemed to have both Kerry and Johra in stitches, while Queen Genevieve simply smiled and shook her head. Lana was heavily pregnant with her second child. Chris had hold of their son, Thomas. The two-year-old was adorable in his Superman costume, but he appeared to be getting lectured over—
“He ate blue crayons again, didn’t he?” Sawyer started to laugh. “The kid’s addicted to them.”
“What I don’t understand is, why only blue? Why not yellow or red?” Mac shook his head. “Maybe it tastes better?”
“Don’t ask me. I thought boogers were delicious at two.” Sawyer took a sip of his champagne. “I’d say my taste has improved.”
Mac shuddered. “Most definitely.” He straightened his tie, watching curiously as a young pup entered from the powder room. It sniffed the air, crouching low as it aimed for the couch.
“Sophie Beckett, where is your costume?” Daniel chased after the pup, his hands finally grasping the hindquarters of the tiny wolf pup. “Gotcha!”
“Now there’s something I don’t understand,” Sawyer whispered as Daniel took the little girl back into the bathroom. “I thought only males were born to the Becketts, and all of them were wolves?”
“That’s what I thought,” Mac replied quietly. “But somehow, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.”
“The original curse may have mutated again.” Sawyer finished off his champagne, but held onto the glass. No sense in giving little fingers the temptation to play with the expensive flute.
“If you ask me,” Zach’s
voice came from behind them, “Daniel and Kerry are a special case.”
Mac turned, well used to Zach’s unusual ways by now. “How so?”
“Well, Kerry is a wolf too, so Sophie got a double-dose of wolfiness.” Zach pointed to Peter, who was now chin deep in a bowl of ice cream. “Peter is what you’d expect.”
“I don’t understand.” Sawyer looked as confused as Mac felt.
“It’s simple. Gareth is the one we all thought would carry on the family ‘curse’.” Zach made little quotation marks with his fingers. “His kids would be all boys, and all wolves. Ours would be a mixed bag of male and female, but none of them would have wolfy tendencies. But there’s Sophie, howling up a storm. I think it has to do with the way Kerry got her wolf, but I’m not sure if—”
“Zach!”
Johra’s panicked yell had them all running toward the dark-haired witch.
“What’s wrong?” Zach pushed his way past Mac and Sawyer, who quickly followed him.
“Look.” Jo pointed toward a tiny wolf pup in a witch’s costume.
“Is that…Padma?” Zach knelt down and petted the pup, earning a yip of joy. Her ears were just as lop-sided as her ponytails had been, one at full mast, the other bent.
Mac watched as the girl turned back into, well, a girl. He cleared his throat and brought out his tablet PC, making a quick note. “I’ll inform housekeeping to vacuum three times a week instead of two.”
Sawyer grunted. “That’s all you have to say? Padma just did the supposedly impossible, and you’re thinking of Hoovers and Dysons?”
Mac shrugged. “It’s just another day in the Beckett family.”
Sawyer blinked. “Huh. Good point.”
Even Johra, shocked as she was at her daughter’s transformation, laughed at that.
“Okay, so now what?” Chris, little Thomas still in his arms, seemed shocked. He was staring at the boy in his arms as if he would turn furry any second.
“Now we party.” Gareth put his arm around his brother’s shoulder and tickled Thomas’s belly, earning a squeal from the boy. “I say we eat, drink and be merry, because tonight the veil is thin, and our loved ones surround us. Even those we’ve lost.”
Mac gave a silent nod to the parents he and Sawyer had lost to a car accident twelve years before. They’d been young, but they’d survived, fighting their way to their current positions with ruthless efficiency. They’d served the previous royal family out of duty and necessity.
This royal family they served out of love.
So no matter what the future held, be it wolves, warlocks, shifting babies or court intrigue, Mac looked forward to it all.
“I have a question.” Zach stared at his wife, a twinkle in his eye.
“No, Zach.” Johra held up her hand.
“But—”
“No.” She glared at him.
Padma sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She looked up at Gareth with pleading eyes. “Can we order a pizza, Uncle Gareth? That shrimp stuff sucks.”
“Zachary Beckett!” Johra began chasing her husband around the buffet table. “You taught her that.”
“It’s not my fault!” Zach dodged left, barely avoiding a flying shrimp tail. “Besides, it does suck.”
“I want pepperoni!” Sophie began chanting, dancing in her pink tutu, her wand waiving around like a baton.
“Ba-con! Ba-con!” Peter joined in with his own chant, and soon all the children were calling for their favorite toppings. Johra was swarmed by tiny hands and sticky kisses until she was buried in an avalanche of cuteness.
“Yes!” Zach pumped his fist. “Good-bye, shrimp dip, hello double pepperoni!”
“I like the shrimp dip.” Genevieve picked up the bowl, cradling it like a child.
“I’m not touching that one with a ten-foot baguette,” Daniel droned. “But you know, bro, they have these p-e-n-i-s enhancing surgeries. I’d Google it if I were you.”
“Asshole,” Gareth snarled.
“Butt-munch.” Daniel popped a cheddar cube in his mouth.
“PEPPERONI!” screamed the children.
“What’s a penis?” Sophie asked her mother.
“It’s where some men keep their brains,” Kerry answered smoothly.
Mac turned and headed for the powder room. After all, it wouldn’t do for the others to see the supposedly refined steward of the court laughing his dignified ass off.
About the Author
Dana Marie Bell wrote her first short story when she was thirteen years old. She’s now a USA Today bestselling author with Samhain Publishing and Carina Press. Dana has lived primarily in the Northeast with a brief stint on the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix. She lives with her soul mate and husband, Dusty, their two maniacal children, two evil ice-cream-stealing cats and a bull terrier that thinks it’s a Pekingese. She’s been heard to describe herself as “vertically challenged” and “a lapsed brunette.” Dana also suffers from ankylosing spondylitis (a progressive inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the spine), and can be seen walking with a cane or tooling around in her mobility scooter. Her condition was the inspiration for Belle’s hip injury in Steel Beauty.
You can learn more about Dana at:
www.danamariebell.com
danamariebell.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/Dana.Marie.Bell
www.twitter.com/danamariebell
Look for these titles by Dana Marie Bell
Now Available:
Halle Pumas
The Wallflower
Sweet Dreams
Cat of a Different Color
Steel Beauty
Only In My Dreams
Halle Shifters
Bear Necessities
Cynful
Bear Naked
Figure of Speech
The Gray Court
Dare to Believe
Noble Blood
Artistic Vision
The Hob
Siren’s Song
Never More
Heart’s Desire
Shadow of the Wolf
Hecate’s Own
The Wizard King
Warlock Unbound
Poconos Pack
Finding Forgiveness
Mr. Red Riding Hoode
True Destiny
Very Much Alive
Eye of the Beholder
Howl for Me
Morgan’s Fate
Not Broken
Coming Soon:
Halle Shifters
Indirect Lines
Don’t miss these other titles by Dana Marie Bell!
Love takes wing faster than a Raven in flight.
The Gray Court, Book 6
Amanda Pierson’s long-overdue holiday at the Dunne farm unexpectedly turns into a working vacation when she’s roped into throwing together a last-minute dream wedding for Michaela Exton and Robin Goodfellow. No biggie for one of the best party planners at Fantasy Events, Inc., right?
Right.
A monkey wrench lands with a thud when the groom’s son—who’s been watching her every move—declares they were meant to be together. Raven Goodfellow is everything she doesn’t want in a lover. Brash, bold and goth. Yet there’s something almost…magical about their attraction.
The moment Raven saw Amanda’s picture, he had suspicions. Now that he’s seen her in person, he’s certain. She is his truebond, though it will take a delicate, feather-light touch to bring her into his world.
Love takes wing faster than a bird in flight. But when the Dark Queen sends agents to destroy him, Raven finds himself in a desperate fight to protect all he holds dear…or the Dark Queen may succeed where so many others have failed.
Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, a
bachelorette party that ends in jail time, double-dog dares, feathered flirting and wicked intentions.
When two hearts speak as one, no words are needed.
Halle Shifters, Book 4
Chloe Williams has waited four long years for her mate to acknowledge her. Time and again he has turned her away for being too young, even when she was hospitalized, recovering from a beating that left lingering aftereffects. Now that he’s been turned into a Wolf, his mating instincts are kicking in big time. Chloe has to decide if it’s worth risking her heart yet again.
Ten years older than Chloe and dealing with issues she knows nothing about, veterinarian James Woods is about ready to howl in frustration. He’s been drawn to Chloe since she was a radiant nineteen-year-old college student, but the age difference held him back from making a move on her. Now his Wolf wants what’s his, and Jim is finally in a place where he can claim her.
Between meddling mothers, Hunter brothers, and a mystery that threatens to end Chloe’s life, they might find an opportunity to tell each other just how they feel. Or find themselves separated by more than just misunderstood words.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex, graphic language, and two people who finally get their damn act together.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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Warlock Unbound
Warlock Unbound: Heart's Desire, Book 4 Page 21
