Page 39 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn
Was it nice? Possibly?
Romantic as they shared their vows? Again, quite possibly?
Ledger, when he would look back on this day, was sure he would recall only the way Thorn held his gaze. At the love directed at him that made him feel as if it cloaked him with strength and beauty of the mighty wings hidden beneath Thorn’s exterior. Nothing else was important, no matter how much time and energy he’d put into creating their special day, this was what was vital: Love.
Those seated on either side of the small aisle applauded and finally brought Ledger out of his daze. “I love you,” he said with feeling, and the crowd cheered as Thorn gave him a misty-eyed smile.
“Someone has too,” Dacian said loud enough the cheers turned to gales of laughter.
“I love you too, Sweetling,” Thorn returned, feeling every bit of that love, and ignored his brother.
It was perfect.
Chapter Seventeen
Ledger
Three days later, and though Ledger was back at work, he continued to have ‘pinch me’ moments. To add to that, he’d come to the conclusion the girls were giving him the gift ofmovement. They could chat with Papa, so they didn’t move when Thorn touched him. A sense that Thorn believed Ledger was feeling something else, like wind, and not the girls came when Thorn wasn’t shielding. Ledger had given up trying to dissuade him of that notion as the girls grew inside him. It didn’t matter. He had something special, and he didn’t need Thorn—or anyone—telling him differently.
He caught sight of the rings on his finger, and his nose wrinkled in delight at the wedding band that sat snug against his engagement ring. Thorn had etched the band with symbols that were a long forgotten language of his kind but said,forever eternal love.
The vampire really was a romantic fool.
Will you stop saying that?
Never.
Thorn’s happiness at his feelings made him shake his head at the protests he didn’t mean.
I do.
Ledger ignored his insistent mate and hummed to himself, placing the tray of clean goblets onto the counter he’d polished not ten minutes earlier while daydreaming about the wedding. Something he was trying not to do when it made him forget what he was doing.
He cast a glance around the room, satisfaction coming at how organized everything was.
Ledger had words with Calvert, who had been the one to do the wine tasting prior, about changing things up a little. Now the wedding was done, Ledger needed something else to concentrate on.
Calvert had basically told him to do what he wanted, so Ledger had taken him at his word. The horseshoe counter from the middle of the room he had moved closer to the windows, giving a better view of the winery during tastings. Ledger believed itworked to sell more wine by seeing the beautiful vines during the tasting. It was why he swapped things around. Those who came for the tasting got to tour the winery first. He found over the last two days folks were more enthusiastic by the time they got to him and most definitely more interested in purchasing wine. They shipped globally and although they sent their wines to stockists worldwide, Ledger liked the idea of selling directly to the buyers when it gave them more profit.
Not that the brothers would ever become strapped for cash and in need of more income. Far from it, as it turned out. After the wedding, Thorn had explained their businesses to Ledger, making his mind boggle at the enormity of it all. Especially when Thorn had produced paperwork that gave Ledger half of everything Thorn owned. The side venture they had with making blood-wine for the vampires was a billion-dollar business alone.
Ledger’s hands trembled, and he made sure to keep them away from the glassware as the shock continued to resonate at just how rich he now was.
The brothers were minted. So seriously minted that, despite effectively living forever, they’d possibly never be able to spend what they had, even if they stopped investing now. Thorn pointed out that included their children and future generations as he’d gotten Ledger to sign the documents. Ledger and their children were now part of the Vaughn legacy.
“Breathe, goddamn it,” he mumbled when he became a little dizzy. He bent forward, lowering his head. When that didn’t work, he got down on the floor and lay prone, looking up at the decorative ceiling.
These were hormones. Okay, maybe it was how overwhelming it was to be given access to the freedom to have anything he wanted. “Your Daddy—”
“So it’s true!” gasped Rowan from the doorway where he stood looking like he’d somehow gotten poleaxed, staring at Ledgerfrom an upside-down position that gave him a view right up his nose.
Shit.
Ledger sat up slowly, aware that one, he was lying on the floor and two, the roundness of his belly was more obvious when he was laying flat. Feeling more than a little self-conscious and uncomfortable when he wasn’t sure what to say, his hands fluttered at his sides. He and Rowan had become friends and he got the impression, judging by Rowan’s expression, he’d hurt his feelings by not sharing his news. He fiddled with his suit jacket, pulling it a little closer together like it could distract from the obvious, then gave up.
“You didn’t get married because—”
“What…no. We didn’t get married for any other reason than Thorn wanted to show the world we were a couple, as did I.” It sounded lame when he said it, but it put a little worm of doubt in his brain because he’d never considered that Thorn only wanted to marry him due to him being pregnant.
