Page 131 of Fanged Embrace
Soft hands on my shoulders would have made me jump, had I not been able to sense my wife’s silent, shadow approach. Dylan propped her chin on my shoulder and pecked a kiss to my cheek while Maxine raised a brow at Dylan.
“I still can’t believe you turned Amara without telling any of us.” She signed the words as she said them and then slung an arm around Leah’s waist. “When it’s Leah’s turn, you best believe we’re going to make it everyone’s problem.”
Leah rolled her eyes but her lips turned up at the corners. She cast a shy smile around at the rest of us. “It’s still gonna be a while, don’t worry. We’re holding off for my grandfather’s sake. I’m going to leave the supernatural transformation until he, you know… Just seems better that way. I might give the poor guy a heart attack if I show up to visit with a mouthful of fangs.”
Maxine was nodding along, smiling at her partner like Leah was the best thing since sliced bread. “Fine by me, so long as Iget an eternity with you. It doesn’t matterwhenyou decide to do the transformation.”
“I wonder what powers you’ll get.” River stooped to examine Leah, who flushed bright red at the sudden examination. River tapped a finger to her lips. “My money’s on some kind of aquatic power, considering all the time you spend hanging out with fish.”
“Oh my god.” Leah turned wide, stricken eyes on Maxine. “I’m not gonna grow gills, right? That’s not a thing that can happen, right—right?!”
Maxine, to Leah’s apparent distress, only offered a casual shrug.
Laurie caught my attention with a slight wave of her hand, clumsily signing a question with an awkward, crooked smile:Your power is speed, right?
To answer her question I flashed her a grin and proceeded to zip from one side of our circle to the other, appearing in a flash behind Maxine and startling the shorter vamp half to death. I offered Laurie a wink and dashed back again, right into Dylan’s waiting arms which coiled around me when I ground to a halt.
That was the wonderful thing about my wife. She was always right there when I needed her, always ready and waiting to catch me. She held me like no one else had ever done, like no one else ever could. And no matter the physical distance between us, she was always with me, always present in spirit, nestled in my heart.
Sky
When the celebrations finally began to wind down and the crowds reduced to our usual core group of oddballs, I found myself perched on a swing chair in the corner, swaying gently in the slight breeze. I watched the twins tottering by, chatteringat the top of their lungs and still brimming with energy despite the late hour.
Throughout the night they'd been acting more civil and polite than I’d ever seen from them before, and I wondered just how long it would last until they decided to do something naughty. I could see the mischievous glimmer in their eyes when they passed me, lowering their voices and looking around with secretive smiles.
They were up to something, that much was certain. Trouble was brewing and whatever their plan was, it was no-doubt going to give Sigrid a few gray hairs if nobody stepped in to stop them. Jordan’s mother was reclining at one of the tables, sipping her drink all calm and composed, completely unaware of the two sets of twinkling eyes fixed on her.
I should probably have said something, but a part of me was curious to see what kind of hairbrained scheme they would cook up. So, all I did was chuckle quietly to myself while Sigrid sat oblivious, completely unaware of the twin torments plotting behind her back.
Jordan wandered up to stand beside me, leaning over the swing chair to whisper in my ear. “Those two are up to something, I can feel it. But my mother was rather rude to me today so I’m inclined to leave Sigrid to whatever cruel fate awaits her.”
I snorted out a laugh and covered my mouth, stifling the sound when Sigrid cast an inquisitive glance in my direction. I shook my head, trying to feel sympathetic for the poor woman and her incoming plight, but the giggles bubbled up again before I could swallow them.
“I’m a bad daughter-in-law,” I whispered through my fingers, and Jordan huffed out a laugh along with me.
“Not true.” Jordan nudged me with her hip and settled into the swing chair beside me. “Sigrid should be grateful—you put up with her nagging better than I ever could.”
“And you put up with Claire’s pep talks better than I ever did.” I poked at her stomach with a wry smile.
When Claire, my mother, had first laid eyes on Jordan, those eyes had nearly popped right out of her skull. She’d been ecstatic to finally meet my girlfriend, and when I brought Jordan over to the hospital to introduce the two of them, she’d gone on a long tirade about how much of a hard worker her daughter was and how Jordan should make sure to force me to relax sometimes. Needless to say I’d been mortified and embarrassed, but at least the two hit it off like a house on fire.
Thanks to Jordan’s contributions to paying off the exorbitant medical fees that had once plagued my every waking moment, I’d been able to get my mother the best possible treatment for her cancer. Now, she was cancer free and healthier than ever—and couldn’t make it tonight because she was all the way across the sea, holidaying in Italy with a doctor she’d grown close to during her time in treatment. It was a love story to rival my own, but in my humble opinion, ‘marrying the vampire queen’ definitely takes the cake.
I glanced over at Jordan, still marveling at how different everything was now. We were both different, as people and as partners. I knew Jordan, my fiery lover, like the back of my hand, and she knew me. I’d loved her from the very start, back when she’d first stepped into that alleyway and rescued me from the rogue shifter. Before I knew anything about the supernatural, and before I’d even known her name. Some primal part of me had loved her the moment I set eyes on her, and maybe even long before that.
I leaned my head on her shoulder, breathing in her scent and letting my eyes slide shut as the breeze swung us back and forth on the swing chair. The motion lulled me into a gentle sense of peace, and Jordan's fingers roamed down my forearm—light, gentle touches that had me smiling contentedly.
Time and immortality could never taint our love for eachother, and we were both ready and utterly content to walk the long path of our lives hand-in-hand, together. Always.
Jordan
Technically, we’d already done speeches, but I felt one final sendoff was in order. Maybe I’d had a little too much to drink and sure, maybe there was no real need to air everybody’s dirty laundry at the end of a long, lively celebration, but standing there, looking over all the people of my coven who I had come to love so deeply, it only seemed right to have one final hurrah.
So I lifted my empty champagne class and chimed a call to attention with a spoon, until all sets of eyes turned to me and everybody crowded closer to see what all the fuss was about.
“Well.” I set my glass down, scanning the group of familiar faces with a grin tugging at my lips. “Before we end this lovely little soiree, I’d like to say a few final words.”
“Ohgod.” Hunter, seated alongside Addison at a nearby table, proceeded to slump over in her seat and sling her arms over her head. “Jordan, please, don’t do this to me.”
