Page 194 of Taken By the Fae

“You do.”

“Holy shit,” I breathe.

He chuckles, bending to kiss the side of my head. “You still with me?”

I smile up at him. “Always.”

The doors open, and we step forward, walking into the room with a slow, melodic song playing. The guests stand from their seats around the room, clapping, whistling, and cheering as we enter to the party as a married couple.

The place looks amazing. White material is hung like streamers from the high ceilings, flowing down the walls, and the round tables are set up with dishes and wineglasses and the same calla lilies from the ceremony. Each table is glowing with soft light from candles, and the buffet tables are off to the side, near the bar. There’s a dance floor at the front of the room, complete with a small riser where Nikolai is manning the DJ set up.

Not having had the chance to dedicate much time to music since that night I saw him sing at the pub, Nikolai requested to be in charge of it tonight. It almost surprised me when Tristan agreed without hesitation.

Nikolai taps the mic, turning the music down a bit. “It is my great honor to introduce to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Westbrook!”

The cheering gets louder, all but drowning out the music, so Nikolai turns it up as we get closer to the dance floor to share our first public moment as husband and wife.

We stop in the middle of the dance floor, and Tristan turns to me, resting his hand on my hip. I lift my free hand and rest it on his shoulder as we sway in time to Ruelle’s “I Get to Love You.”

“I know how you feel about making plans,” Tristan murmurs after a few moments of silence. “I didn’t choose anywhere for us to go.”

A smile touches my lips. “Like a honeymoon?”

Tristan nods. “Wherever you want to go, name it, and I’ll get us on the next flight.”

“Are you sure it’s a good time for us to leave?”

“We just got married, Rory. I’m going to take my beautiful wife wherever she wants to go. Any issues will exist when we get back.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Take as much time as you need,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

By the end of the song, other couples have joined us and are dancing. We stay for a couple more songs before Tristan leads me away. He introduces me to some of his distant family, cousins mostly, who are fae, some of whom don’t seem thrilled he isn’t anymore. He seems unaffected by it, which I admire so much.

Tristan introduces me to an endless line of colleagues and other fae and human friends who traveled here from all over the world.

At one point, I have to stifle a yawn, turning my face away from the couple we’ve been talking to for what seems like forever.

“Boring your bride on her wedding night, Westbrook?” an unfamiliar voice chimes in with a musical laugh that makes me turn to look at him. My eyes widen, and I immediately feel embarrassed.

“Do you have any unattractive friends?” I mutter.

The stranger laughs, flashing a perfect set of teeth as his eyes sparkle. “She’s lovelyandcharming. How wonderful.”

Tristan apologizes to the couple, and they smile before walking away. He slips his arm around my waist and sticks his other hand out to the man, who shakes it.

“Jae,” Tristan says, offering a grin. “I’m surprised you made it.”

“I heard rumblings that the legendary Tristan Westbrook was human. I had to see for myself.”

“It’s true,” he says, shifting his gaze to meet mine. “And I’ve never been happier.”

Allison chooses that moment to join us. “Damn, who’s this?” she jerks her thumb in Jae’s direction.

“Jae,” Tristan says, though Allison hasn’t looked at any of us since her eyes landed on him. “He’s a friend from out of town.”

I roll my eyes. “Wipe your drool away, Allison. It’s not very becoming.”

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