“Are you asking me to walk away from my family?”
“What? No. Of course not. There’s no walking away from this life. You need to cancel the wedding. You need to find someone else to be with.”
He put his hands around her clasped ones.
Staring into her gray eyes, he smiled at her. “Jenny, I’m not going to cancel the wedding. I’m not going to let you go. I want you more than anything. I’m not going to let you die.”
“Liam, this isn’t something you can control. You don’t even see them. You don’t know where they’re going to be.”
“But I’ve got time to understand everything. I’m not your dad. I’m not going to try to stop you from being who you’re meant to be. I happen to like you the way you are.” He stroked a curl behind her ear. “And I look forward to getting to know every single part of you.”
“How do you know what things to say to make my … worries seem stupid?” she asked.
In answer, he gripped the back of her neck and pulled her down to kiss her hard. As he slid his tongue across her lips, she opened up and he plundered inside. They both moaned.
He didn’t have all the answers, but he knew he was going to make sure he was ready for everything. No one, not human, not spirit, nor wolf, was taking this woman away from him. He would fight everyone to keep her.
All Liam had to do was figure out how to protect her from the dead.
****
Jenny expected Liam to go to her father, or for something to happen. Nothing did, and now, as she looked down at her wedding band, she was married. It was the event of the year. The press loved the story and were there to take pictures while their families came together.
The rumors were running rife with what a union between the Lucas and the Wolfs actually meant. She didn’t care. Their families were getting along.
Jenny watched as Liam returned to their table, carrying two flutes of champagne. They’d already taken care of the dancing. She’d danced with his brothers and his father. All of them congratulating her on making a stunning bride. They’d also been afraid of her, or at least her gift. More often than not, people wanted to get as far away from her as possible, as if she possessed the plague or something.
Spirits were alive today at their wedding. Her grandmother had been with her from the moment she arrived at the church, all the way through the ceremony, and even at the dancing, whispering words of encouragement. Still no sign of her mother.
On the opposite side, old family and friends were everywhere.
As her grandmother said, a joyous occasion always brought people back.
“Here you go,” Liam said.
“He is handsome. I bet tonight you’re going to have a damn good time. You need to learn to loosen up. Learn to have some good sex.”
She snorted and Liam watched her.
“My grandmother is here. She thinks you’re a fine specimen and says today I’m going to get lucky.”
He chuckled. “You tell her it is a pleasure and I look forward to pleasing her granddaughter.” He tipped his glass to her, and they clinked glasses. “Anything else?”
“Yeah, she thinks it’s time I loosened up and learned to have some good sex.”
He winked at her. “I’ll take good care of her, Mrs. Luca, I promise.”
She giggled. “My grandmother has gone. You already made her feel comfortable that she’s leaving me alone with a good man.”
He winked at her. “She is.”
She sipped at her champagne. The rest of the celebrations faded away as she looked at him. “How can you be so calm?”
“With your spirits?”
“Yes. All my life, I’ve been told to keep it all a secret and to not talk about it. You’re always so open, so willing. Why?”
“First, I do believe. I told you, I saw that fork fly without any help from you. I’m not afraid of your talent.”
“It’s not a talent.”
“It certainly is a gift, Jenny. That’s what I see. I see everything you do as a rare gift. There are so many people in this world who have not even been ready to say goodbye. You get that chance. You give them … I don’t know. You give me hope that if I die before you, I’ll get to see you every single day.”
She reached out, tucking a curl behind her ear.
“Knowing you can see those who are not here makes me happy.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You make it sound so beautiful.”
“It is.”
“You forget. Not all are happy to see or hear from me.”
He chuckled. “You send them my way. I’ll be more than happy to deal with them.” He finished his champagne, his gaze sliding down her body.
Heat coiled low in her stomach as she watched him.