idiot.
“What was that?” Maria appeared at Vixen’s side again, but her attention was diverted as the door opened and a tall figure appeared.
In a heartbeat, Vixen was all attention, her body tensed and readied for an attack. She knew how much some people would like to make sure this wedding didn’t go through, and for Marak not to marry. As she recognized the man who stepped into the room, she relaxed marginally, a silent look passing between warrior and knight.
“Are you ready, sweetheart? They’re all waiting for you out there… Marak’s like a cat on a hot tin roof.” Garen Ravensford crossed the room to his daughter, and Vixen could see the pride sparkling in his eyes as he took in her appearance. “You look wonderful, honey. Beautiful. Just like your mother did. She would have been so proud of you.”
Vixen turned away with a lump in her throat, uncomfortable at trespassing on a tender moment between father and daughter. Despite having fallen in love with a human, Garen had stood by her and the two half Kyn daughters she’d borne him. It was an old scandal—one of the most eligible lords in the court had chosen to marry a human for love. It had nearly cost Garen his title. A match between a Kyn and a human? Unheard of.
If she had been converted, then it would have been a different matter. Occasionally though, no one knew why, some humans couldn’t be converted. The scientists thought it might have to do with a strain of paranormal DNA in their genetic makeup, something not quite human in their family tree, that stopped the conversion. Regardless of the pressure on him, Garen stood by his mortal wife until she died, and Vixen admired him for that.
Her own father had been a different matter. He’d taken one look at the warrior’s marks across the face and body of his newborn daughter and had walked out, leaving Vixen and her mother to fend for themselves.
“Yes, I’m ready… is everyone else? Do ya’ll have your bouquets?” Maria asked, twisting and turning to check as Garen lifted her veil to draw it down over her face. Vixen lifted her bouquet and waggled it in with the rest, adding her voice to the chorus of confirmations from the assembled bridesmaids.
The panic left Maria’s face as her father drew her hand onto his arm and led her toward the door. The bridesmaids fell into the order they’d had drilled into them by the wedding coordinator and followed her. Vixen brought up the rear, her hand closing around the handle of her bouquet and the stiletto hidden there. Just in case. Bridesmaid for the day, protector for life.
The moment of truth was upon her. Vixen took a deep breath before stepping through the door. All eyes in the hall swung toward them. Vixen bit the inside of her lip, wishing she was somewhere—anywhere—other than here. In fact, if a rogue burst into the hall right now, she’d kiss it, before kicking its ass.
Feral should’ve worn the dress. She fixed her gaze on Maria’s slender figure, concentrated on putting one step in front of the other, and ignored the crowded room around her as she followed her friend, and soon queen-to-be, up the aisle.
*
“Oh god. She’s here.”
At the strain of the bridal march, the groom leapt to his feet and scanned the back of the hall for a first glimpse of his bride. Kalen bit back a smile, intensely amused by the bundle of nerves his usually implacable friend had turned into. By the way Marak acted, one could have easily mistaken him for a green youth on his first date rather than a centuries-old vampire.
“Of course she is,” he murmured, completely unheard by his enraptured friend. “It’s her wedding day, where else do you think she’d be?”
Despite the sarcastic tone, Kalen was delighted for his friend. If anyone deserved a bond-mate it was Marak. And, as an added bonus, a bonded couple was more likely to have children…maybe even female children.
Despite seeing evidence of it, right in front of him, as Maria
“What was that?” Maria appeared at Vixen’s side again, but her attention was diverted as the door opened and a tall figure appeared.
In a heartbeat, Vixen was all attention, her body tensed and readied for an attack. She knew how much some people would like to make sure this wedding didn’t go through, and for Marak not to marry. As she recognized the man who stepped into the room, she relaxed marginally, a silent look passing between warrior and knight.
“Are you ready, sweetheart? They’re all waiting for you out there… Marak’s like a cat on a hot tin roof.” Garen Ravensford crossed the room to his daughter, and Vixen could see the pride sparkling in his eyes as he took in her appearance. “You look wonderful, honey. Beautiful. Just like your mother did. She would have been so proud of you.”
Vixen turned away with a lump in her throat, uncomfortable at trespassing on a tender moment between father and daughter. Despite having fallen in love with a human, Garen had stood by her and the two half Kyn daughters she’d borne him. It was an old scandal—one of the most eligible lords in the court had chosen to marry a human for love. It had nearly cost Garen his title. A match between a Kyn and a human? Unheard of.
If she had been converted, then it would have been a different matter. Occasionally though, no one knew why, some humans couldn’t be converted. The scientists thought it might have to do with a strain of paranormal DNA in their genetic makeup, something not quite human in their family tree, that stopped the conversion. Regardless of the pressure on him, Garen stood by his mortal wife until she died, and Vixen admired him for that.
Her own father had been a different matter. He’d taken one look at the warrior’s marks across the face and body of his newborn daughter and had walked out, leaving Vixen and her mother to fend for themselves.
“Yes, I’m ready… is everyone else? Do ya’ll have your bouquets?” Maria asked, twisting and turning to check as Garen lifted her veil to draw it down over her face. Vixen lifted her bouquet and waggled it in with the rest, adding her voice to the chorus of confirmations from the assembled bridesmaids.
The panic left Maria’s face as her father drew her hand onto his arm and led her toward the door. The bridesmaids fell into the order they’d had drilled into them by the wedding coordinator and followed her. Vixen brought up the rear, her hand closing around the handle of her bouquet and the stiletto hidden there. Just in case. Bridesmaid for the day, protector for life.
The moment of truth was upon her. Vixen took a deep breath before stepping through the door. All eyes in the hall swung toward them. Vixen bit the inside of her lip, wishing she was somewhere—anywhere—other than here. In fact, if a rogue burst into the hall right now, she’d kiss it, before kicking its ass.
Feral should’ve worn the dress. She fixed her gaze on Maria’s slender figure, concentrated on putting one step in front of the other, and ignored the crowded room around her as she followed her friend, and soon queen-to-be, up the aisle.
*
“Oh god. She’s here.”
At the strain of the bridal march, the groom leapt to his feet and scanned the back of the hall for a first glimpse of his bride. Kalen bit back a smile, intensely amused by the bundle of nerves his usually implacable friend had turned into. By the way Marak acted, one could have easily mistaken him for a green youth on his first date rather than a centuries-old vampire.
“Of course she is,” he murmured, completely unheard by his enraptured friend. “It’s her wedding day, where else do you think she’d be?”
Despite the sarcastic tone, Kalen was delighted for his friend. If anyone deserved a bond-mate it was Marak. And, as an added bonus, a bonded couple was more likely to have children…maybe even female children.
Despite seeing evidence of it, right in front of him, as Maria
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