Emotion flickered in his amber gaze. “There will be many more to come. I’ll make sure of it.”
She had no doubt.
“I’m so glad we finally made it to this place,” she told him. “I love you so much.”
“We were meant to be together,” he assured her.
Traditional vows were exchanged. They each slipped a ring onto the other’s finger, and Jade basked in the excitement and pleasure in Darien’s eyes as she took him as her husband.
When the chaplain pronounced them man and wife, Darien leaned in for a kiss before the words even left the officiant’s mouth. This caused a ripple of laughter through the crowd. He didn’t seem to notice. His civil kiss turned passionate and that led to gasps and hooting—and a lot of clapping and cheering. Darien’s arms encircled her waist and he kissed her deeply before releasing her and grinning down at her.
She fanned her face with a hand, the flush of public embarrassment not quite rivaling the heat of the moment.
“I think you’ve just given everyone a glimpse at our wedding night,” she teased.
One corner of his mouth lifted in a devilish way. “No one knows about the sashes.” He winked at her and the flush of her face turned vibrant.
Swatting playfully at him, she said, “Behave.”
He pulled her into his arms again, and said, “That’s not at all what you want from me.” He was right, of course. Then he turned to the group gathered and announced, “My chefs at the castle have worked with the chefs in the village to prepare tonight’s dinner. And there’s plenty of champagne for everyone to enjoy.”
Linking Jade’s arm with his, they led the way to the riverbank on the Ryleigh side. The feast was outstanding, and the villagers were obviously impressed.
After the dishes had been cleared away, music and dancing ensued. Jade could not remember such a lively occasion taking place in her twenty-six years. And she was pleased to see Walker had recovered enough to dance with Lisette.
Sheena, crafty vampire that she was, had paired up the castle’s seamstresses with those in the village, the butchers from both sides of the border, the candle-makers and hand-blown glass artists, and so on. This broke the tension but also opened discussion for sharing trade secrets that might assist with advancement on both sides.
Jade had no idea what the future held, but Jinx Cromley had once predicted the human world would be restored. What he didn’t realize, she believed, was that the demons were friends of Mother Nature and that modern improvements could be made while paying particular attention to the environment. A win-win, she thought, might truly be in sight.
The wedding night was another affair to remember. The party wound down in the wee hours of the morning and Darien lifted Jade into his arms and carried her across the threshold of the cottage, that being the place she’d wanted to spend their first night as husband and wife. He hadn’t put up a single argument.
Sheena and Lisette had set the decor on the sly, lighting candles and leaving rose petals everywhere, as well as opening the windows to allow a gentle breeze to float through the small house. The sound of the water rushing over the rapids outside added a soothing element to the sensual ambience.
Darien took her straight to bed. She didn’t complain.
As he thrust slowly and deeply into her, she whispered, “Thank you for loving me.”
“I waited nearly nine years for this day to come.” He kissed her, then added, “And now you’re finally mine.”
“For all of eternity,” she vowed.
Epilogue
The next day, following brunch at the castle—to further celebrate the marriage with those who hadn’t come down to the river the night before—Jade took her red rose to the south woods and placed it on Jinx’s grave. She had another bouquet for her parents’ burial place.
Despite having an eternity in front of her, she swore to herself she would not forget her past, her friends or her family. They were, after all, the people who had helped to shape her life and make her the person she’d become. Along with the people still presently involved in her daily activities.
Returning to the village, she stopped into the tavern. Michael bowed and she sneered at him.
“Stop that,” she said.
“But you’re the queen now.”
“I’m still me.” Sitting at the newly sanded and polished bar, she added, “I was glad to see you at the wedding. I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”
He poured her a glass of merlot and set it in front of her. “And I was afraid you were going to badger me until I agreed. So I figured, what the hell? You’re into peacekeeping and I can support that effort.”
With a shake of her head, she said, “I wouldn’t have badgered you. I would’ve understood if you hadn’t wanted to come. I couldn’t guilt you into it. I wanted you to be there of your own accord.”