A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)(21)

We watched with baited breath as Bastien brought Anjani in front of Jovi. Bastien was beaming with pride, and tears of joy glistened in his eyes as he stepped to the side and allowed the bride and groom to look at each other for the first time. I heard my mom sniffing to my right, echoed by Grace on Caia’s left, and stifled an eye roll. I liked weddings and all, but I just had a hard time truly connecting with the concept myself. Love was something I understood and admired in the relationships in my family; I simply wasn’t sure whether I’d get to experience it like my mom and dad did, or like Jovi and Anjani, for that matter. I hadn’t found anyone to make me feel so intensely, to be so connected to—at least, not yet.

I focused on Jovi and Anjani, who stood facing each other before Derek and Safira. There was a peculiar warmth coursing through me at the sight of them. They were gorgeous, their gazes overflowing with love for one another. Jovi’s expression was particularly adorable, as he was genuinely dumbstruck by the sight of her.

“I must say,” Derek started, “this is the fourth wedding that I’ve had the pleasure to officiate in Eritopia, and it is still an incredible experience for me to be able to join two souls in matrimony like this. I’m sure you all feel the same, in the sense that it is truly a privilege to witness the marriage of Jovi Blackhall and Anjani Gorria. One is a son, a brother, and a friend to many of us in The Shade. The other is a daughter, a sister, and a friend to many of us in Eritopia. They’ve met in the most peculiar of circumstances, as I’m sure you all know by now.”

“Jovi selflessly put himself at risk to save the life of one of our own,” Safira continued, her violet eyes glowing with kindness and gratitude. “He did not think twice. For that, Eritopia is eternally grateful to him, which is why it is my pleasure today to assist in officiating this wedding, in bringing two beautiful souls together down the path of marriage. And what is marriage, if not a higher level of friendship, a timeless and selfless partnership? It is the manifestation of love in its purest form. It is the joy of looking at your partner and knowing that there will never be another who could give you their life like this.”

“Marriage,” Derek added with a warm smile, “is a gift. A promise that in good and in bad, in peace and in war, in sickness and in health, in happiness and in grief, you will be together. You will be there for one another. You will love and cherish one another. You will honor and protect one another. You will be one, for as long as you both shall live, and well beyond the veil of death. Your souls will forever be bound.”

Jovi’s eyes were glazed with tears, as were Anjani’s. They both smiled, resonating with Derek and Safira’s words on so many levels. My heart swelled at the sight of their pure, unadulterated happiness. I’d only known them for three months, but they were family; they were our friends and allies. I couldn’t help but bask in the sunshine of their moment.

“Of course, we could tell you more about what marriage really is,” Derek said. “But we all experience it differently. We make it our own. You’ve both prepared vows for this most auspicious day, so we’d very much like to hear what you will make of your bond and what you mean to one another. Please, proceed.”

Jovi took a deep breath, swallowing back some tears and jagged nerves as he took Anjani’s hands in his, his gaze radiant with love and worship.

“I never thought I would meet someone who could make me feel the way you do, Anjani,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “I was a trivial and zany creature until the moment you fell out of those woods and looked at me for the first time. Your beauty, your resilience, and your wit make me feel humble and most fortunate to have earned your love. I’m an idiot, Anjani. I’m a kid at heart. I don’t take anything too seriously, but every time I look at you, the universe stills. My heart skips a beat and my soul trembles before you. You are everything I need, and more. I am honored to stand before you today, so the whole world can hear me say that I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment we met, despite the difficult circumstances. You’ve given me reason to keep pushing, to not give up, and to grab my fate by the horns and tell it ‘No! Today, I live! Today, I love! Today, I am—because of her!’… For that, Anjani, I thank you. And I promise to love and honor you, to protect and encourage you, to delight and cherish you for as long as I live, and even after that. Thank you for saying yes. It’s now up to me to make it worthwhile for you, my love.”

I held my breath as he produced two wedding bands from his jacket pocket and placed one on her finger. A single tear rolled down Anjani’s cheek. She took the other ring and looked at it for a while before gazing up at him and flashing a bright smile.

“Jovi,” she said. “I didn’t really like you when we first met.”

I stifled a chuckle, as did most of us in the front rows. I heard Heron’s utter failure to hold his in from the back and pressed my lips even tighter, watching Jovi blink several times, clearly surprised by how Anjani had chosen to begin her wedding vow.

“I thought you were reckless, somewhat delusional, and arrogant,” she continued with a smirk. “I thought… Why does he look at me that way? Why do I feel my soul unravel whenever I look into his eyes? What would I ever do with a wolf-boy who dislikes thinking before he speaks? Why would he ever find me as essential to his existence as he is to mine? Because you see, Jovi… I didn’t like you, but not because of your quirks and faults. I have plenty of my own. I didn’t like you because I had a feeling, from the moment you saved my life, that I might end up loving you. I didn’t like you because I was afraid you would never fall in love with me the way I might fall for you.