An End of Night (A Shade of Vampire #16)(55)

From where I was standing, I couldn’t yet see Caleb. We were standing a little aside from the aisle, so I couldn’t see straight down it, and there were too many people still taking their seats.

Once everyone had settled and the chattering had died down, my bridesmaids walked around me and picked up the hem of my dress. I exchanged a final glance with my father before lowering my veil.

“Here we go…” he whispered.

I gripped my father’s arm harder as we walked forward along the forest path and appeared at the end of the aisle. Straight ahead of me was the gazebo, under which stood Ibrahim—who usually took on the role of leading couples through the wedding ceremony—Micah, Caleb’s best man, and right in the center, the man himself. The love of my life. Caleb Achilles.

Wherever Caleb had gone, I could see that Corrine had managed to make sure he looked presentable in her eyes. He wore a gorgeous black tuxedo coupled with a crisp white shirt. His hair wasn’t slicked back—it hung naturally, touching the sides of his handsome face—which was the way I liked it. I could see the warmth in his eyes even through my veil and from this distance. They were positively sparkling as he stared at me.

My face flushed. Heck, my whole body heated up.

My feet felt shaky, and I was glad to have such a strong support as my father.

“Almost there, darling,” he whispered.

My heart racing, I barely noticed the guests. My eyes were fixed on the brown-eyed vampire who would soon own every part of me.

We neared closer and closer until we had arrived within five feet of him. Stretching out his arm and helping me up onto the platform, my father guided me toward Caleb and stepped back.

So close to Caleb now, I could make out every detail of his chiseled face. I felt grateful for the veil, because a stupid grin split my face as we locked eyes. It seemed to be contagious, because soon he was grinning too. Only he didn’t have a veil to hide behind.

I tried to rein myself in. At every wedding I’d attended, the bride always smiled gracefully, not grinned like a fool. I felt like such a dork. Still, I couldn’t help myself. Caleb just had that effect on me. He made me burst to life.

When it came time to exchange vows, my throat felt so dry I was sure that I’d sound like Lilith when I opened my mouth. I was glad that Caleb went first.

“Rose,” Caleb began. His expression was serious now as he looked deep into my eyes. “When you collided with my world, I was afraid that you might break. I put all my efforts into locking you away, trying to shelter and hide you from danger. With time, it became clear that my fears were unfounded. You revel in adversity—it only makes you stronger, braver… more beautiful in my eyes. I want to wake up to your smile every day for the rest of my existence. You, Rose, are the one, the only one, for me. And I’m honored that you’ve chosen me as the one for you.”

My grin had sure vanished by now. It was everything I could do to not let my emotions overwhelm me. The love I felt for this man was all-consuming. How could I even begin to articulate it?

“Caleb,” I said. “If someone had told me exactly one year ago that I’d be walking down the aisle by the age of eighteen, I’d have laughed in their face. No other man could have made this happen but you, Caleb. Anyone who knew me then will agree. From our first encounter, I was drawn to you in a way I didn’t even understand. But I knew that you were different than the company you kept. You didn’t belong in that dark castle. It was during the time I spent between those cold stone walls that you captured my heart. So much so that it didn’t matter when you returned me to The Shade. You still held me captive… Even though we haven’t known each other long, it feels like you know me better than I know myself. You know when to reel me in and when to let me go. When to comfort and when to challenge me. And now, even though we’ve dealt with the black witches… I hope we’ll find another crazy wave to ride together.”

Caleb chuckled, beaming down at me.

We exchanged rings and then Ibrahim gave permission to “kiss the bride”.

Caleb closed in on me, lifting my veil and reaching both hands behind my neck. Bending down to me, he pushed his lips against mine. He kissed me softly, slowly, allowing me to relish every second our lips touched. When he drew away, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Rose Achilles. That’s who I am now.

“Rose, you’re supposed to throw the bouquet,” Micah whispered behind me.

I was too entranced with my new husband to think about what I should be doing. Husband… I can hardly believe—

“Throw the bouquet,” Becky bugged.

Okay, okay.

Closing my eyes, I raised the bouquet over my shoulder and threw it blindly into the crowd. It looked like it was heading straight for Mona, but Helina leapt into the air and caught it just in time.

“I think it’s time for a dance,” Caleb said, placing his hands either side of my waist and leading me down the steps to the ground.

Everyone who had been seated on the chairs within the clearing stood up, and the witches moved them further into the trees, in order to create space for a dance floor.

A group of witches set up with instruments in one corner. I noticed Shayla among them, beginning to play the piano.

As Caleb began leading me in a dance, I thought back to our first encounter. Dancing. That was where everything had started for Caleb and me. If he hadn’t arrived at that beach, and if Ben and I hadn’t gone partying with Kristal and Jake, I likely never would’ve met this man. I never could have dreamed that night that this man would end up becoming my life partner. How strange it is, how people come together.