Page 124 of Fanged Embrace
Seeing everyone gathered in one space, happy and chattering casually, was enough prick tears in my eyes before the ceremony had even started—because we’d made it. We were all here together, everybody ready to celebrate another beautiful union.
Once upon a time it had seemed too good to be true. The prospect of this gathering had once seemed impossible, back when I looked into the future and only saw despair. Back when Laurie’s future was a blank slate, and a terrifying indicator of a life cut short. Now, when I turned my eyes to the skyline and let my vision warp and blur, the images that came to mind were happy ones, snippets of a long life to look forward to.
As I leaned over the balcony, drinking in the view, Laurie sidled up beside me. “Wow,” she murmured, wide eyes reflecting the city lights that glittered like stars in the dark pools of her pupils.
I turned to face her, leaning back against the railing and looking her up and down with exaggerated awe. “Wowindeed. Have I told you how great you look tonight?”
Laurie rolled her eyes but her faint blush was visible in the dim glow of the fairy lights. “Like, five times now. Not counting the compliments you gave me in the car on the way over here.”
“Yeah well, I have a quota to fill.” I snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her closer. The motion sent her midnight blue evening dress swishing around her ankles and her hands rose to curl around the nape of my neck. I shrugged. “And besides, it’s true. I’d write poetry about your beauty if I could, but I can’t—I’ve already tried, it was terrible.”
Laurie snorted out a giggle and the sound of it warmed my chest. I loved hearing her laugh. It was a sound that came often these days, a sound that had once been so rare.
There were times where I sat back and let myself thinkabout everything—all the small coincidences and flighty tricks of fate that brought us here. I always found myself stumped at just how much things had changed for both of us.
Laurie had come so far, and it was incredible to see. She was happier than ever, glowing from within, and I was madly, hopelessly in love with her. My heart swelled whenever I saw her smile freely, unburdened by the shadows that had once haunted her every step. She wasn’t the only one who was different, lighter than ever before.
For the first time in my very long life, I finally felt like I had a purpose. My place in the Leyore coven was fully cemented and my place in our found family completely secured. I'd finally gotten the hang of my powers, learned to fine-tune the mental healing it could offer, and found a deep sense of satisfaction working at the clinic we’d established. The process barely left me fatigued these days and even if it did, I didn’t mind. I was helping people, I could do more than I’d ever let myself believe. It felt good—it felt right.
“You’re spacing out again.” Laurie stood on her tiptoes and caught my lips with a kiss, grinning when my brows shot up in surprise. I shook my head with a smile and kissed her back, savoring the taste of her, holding her close. I knew the shape of her by heart.
When we broke apart she turned her head to stare out over the city. A small, satisfied sigh whispered out of her and she leaned against my chest. “So, how’s the future looking?”
I found myself idly fiddling with the dandelion pendant around my neck, comforted by its gentle weight. Dandelion remained safe in my heart, the memories of her forever cherished. And Laurie was safe in my arms. We had even broached the topic of her eventually becoming a vampire herself, though that occasion was still a long way from now. Laurie had so much living to do. She had her studies tocomplete and the whole world at her fingertips, and she wanted a few more years of being human first.
That was fine by me, I had all the time in the world to wait for her. It would take plenty of careful consideration, tough conversations and a lot of reassurance, but my glimpses into the future told me all I needed to know. In those distant visions I saw Laurie alongside me, smiling brightly with her own set of fangs. She’d demanded to know what kind of powers I’d seen her wielding, but I thought that was best left as a surprise.
I wouldn’t spoil the future for her, and I wouldn’t keep peeking at it myself. I was content to live solely in the current moment. Anchored in the present and eager for what was to come. We had thousands of new memories to forge together—an unrelenting love to experience lifetimes over.
I tightened my arms around her, closed my eyes and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Blindingly bright.”
Laurie
Not long after River and I departed from the balcony I found myself leaning against the open bar, squinting down at the drink in my hands. “So… aren’t we supposed to do the champagneafterHunter and Addison tie the knot?”
River winked at me over her own glass—a deep red concoction in contrast to the bubbly amber of my own. “Nobody in this godforsaken coven has ever been any good at following the rules.”
“I see.” I sipped my champagne and tried to keep my expression thoughtful, fighting to keep my face from giving away just how much I disliked the taste.
It didn’t work, evidently, because River took one look at my expression and huffed out a chuckle. “You know, you don’thaveto drink it.”
“It’s my first wedding!” I retorted, downing another gulp of,admittedly, pretty fucking gross champagne. “I want to do it right. You know—be fancy.”
“Mhmm…” River offered a dubious murmur. She eyed me and my wrinkling nose with raised brows. “I see. Very sophisticated.”
My withering scowl didn’t land, River was too busy planting a kiss on my nose to notice.
“Anyway.” She tucked a stray hair behind my ear before stepping back and smoothing down her suit. “I’m gonna go bother Hunter for a bit. She’s laughably awkward when she’s nervous and I simply must catch this moment of vulnerability on camera.” And then she was off, slipping through the crowd before I could, once again, remind her not to bully her so-called friends.
I leaned back on the bar and watched her go, attempting one final sip of the horrendously bubbly liquid before giving up entirely and setting the glass aside. Then I felt a gentle nudge at my shoulder and turned to see Ursula grinning at me, all dolled up in deep purple satin and black silk.
“Well, if it isn’t the soon-to-be-scholar.” The witch sidled up beside me and nabbed my abandoned champagne glass. She took a small sip, and the solidarity I felt when she wrinkled her nose had me grinning back at her.
“Huh.” I chuckled when she gingerly set the class down again. “Good to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t get the hype around that shit.”
“I don’t care how fancy it is. It tastes like battery acid.” She adjusted her black silk shawl and glanced around the crowded space. “So, are you ready to dive into college life next year? Architecture, right?”
“Yeah.” I cracked a flushed smile. “Thanks to you.”
