Page 48 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

When Teddy reached me, where I stood with George and Everly at my side and Grandma Richter behind me, she passed her violet-and-white flowers to Ryenne.

Donnie whispered something in her ear, and she smiled at him as he kissed her forehead.

She took her time hugging Ryenne, Everly, Brenton, Nate, and George while I did my best to be patient.

Somehow, her smile grew when I pushed the thin veil from her face and cupped her cheek. I heard Grandma Richter say something, but I couldn’t focus on her words. Teddy’s hands went to my shoulders when I inched lower to kiss her.

Grandma Richter coughed loud enough to catch my attention, and with the look she gave me, I was pretty sure she’d tried to get our attention several times.

“I can’t kiss her?” I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion.

Teddy covered her mouth, but I saw the way her lips tilted up before she could hide it.

“Not until you exchange your vows, and I tell you, you can,” Grandma Richter said. Although it came out as a scold, I saw the way her features lit with amusement.

“I’m sorry,” I said, tucking a lock of Teddy’s hair behind her ear. My finger trailed down the thick tendril. “I’ll try not to kiss her until you give us permission.”

Teddy pursed her lips, but when Grandma Richter began speaking again, my mate mouthed the word menace. For some reason, my dick took that as an invitation to the conversation. Teddy noticed when I shifted and placed my hands over my crotch to hide my growing problem.

I reached for our mental connection, and when she opened her mind to me, I said, “Behave.”

Her answering smile let me know how little she planned on behaving.

Although she refrained from groping me in front of everyone, the desire was there in her darkened eyes.

By some miracle, we made it through our vows, and when Grandma Richter declared us husband and wife, I turned to her and waited.

“May I kiss her now?” I asked when she remained quiet.

“You may kiss me now.” Teddy reached for the collar of my button-down shirt and pulled me toward her.

I went willingly, capturing her lips as soon as she was close enough. She met my kiss with the same languid passion, and it was as if our lips molded together. When she inched away, I cupped her cheek, with my thumb tracing the outline of her mouth.

Teddy lifted her head with a bright gleam in her pretty eyes. I wanted to memorize that look and keep it tucked in the warm embrace of my heart.

She twined her hand with mine when we faced our family and friends. Victoria was the first to run toward us, with the other two girls quickly at her heels. I scooped Victoria into my arms.

“Are we a family now?” Victoria asked. She touched my cheek as she waited for my answer.

“Yes,” I said around the thickness in my throat.

“Does that mean we get to keep you?” she asked.

The beat of my heart thundered in my ears so loud I couldn’t hear anything else. Victoria wanted to keep me. She wanted me to be hers.

When I tore through the veil to save Teddy, I never thought I’d find a daughter— daughters —in the human realm. I never thought I’d one day return to Niev with an entire family to call my own.

“You get to keep me,” I agreed. “And I get to keep you.”

Javier walked up to us and joined his sisters while Juanita pulled me down for a hug. I wasn’t sure if fate had brought us all together, but I knew nothing could tear me from the younglings I called my own.

With Teddy and Javier hugging, I heard the way he whispered, “ Thank you, ” to Teddy.

“Thank you for not letting me tackle life on my own,” he said, his gaze meeting mine, “and for bringing me and the girls into your home and creating this family with us.”

When Juanita lifted her hands up, I scooped down to carry her as well while Victoria rested her head on my shoulder.

“I-I think I know now the kind of man I want to be,” Javier said, his attention still on me as he swallowed hard. “I think I know the kind of boyfriend—and one day, husband—I want to be.”

“You were a terrific young man before you came into our lives,” Teddy told him. “But seeing the way you’ve grown, being a part of that growth and your life—being part of each of your lives has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”

I cleared my throat, hoping to break up the emotion that clambered its way up.

“Everything Teddy said is true, but I also want to add that I know we aren’t your parents.

Your parents are irreplaceable, and that’s not why we’re here.

But I hope you know you always have a home and family with us.

It doesn’t matter the age. If you need us, you can come home.

Teddy and I will always be there for each of you. ”

Teddy nodded. “Always.”

Javier nodded, his eyes filled with emotion. I clapped the back of his neck while our friends surrounded us. As we finished hugging everyone, George and Brenton started to play their instruments while George’s unearthly voice carried the music.

I took Teddy in my arms and swayed us back and forth. I leaned down to kiss her bare shoulder and couldn’t imagine a moment I’d ever been this happy.

“I hope today was everything you’ve ever dreamed of for your wedding,” I said, whispering the words across her skin.

She shivered. “It was better than my wildest imagination.”

Song after song, I kept Teddy in my arms, with the girls sometimes joining.

We only broke apart so she could dance with Brenton, Alastor, and Javier.

It wasn’t until the fifth song that she realized Donnie was no longer there.

I hated that the rift between them still existed.

While I continued to try to make amends, he only spoke to me when he needed to update me on the rehabilitative program he was trying to put in place for future prisoners.

Not that I hoped we’d ever have to use his program.

Teddy’s sadness called to me. I wanted to rip Donnie apart for hurting her, but it had been my violence that caused a crack between them. I only hoped that this program would keep him in our realm so they could eventually restore their friendship.

Still, my mate smiled. She danced and laughed. And I couldn’t picture a more blissful moment.

It was perfect until it wasn’t.

An explosion sounded somewhere in Reignom, causing a current of hot air and smoke to push through our intimate party.

The smoke didn’t simply filter through the air, but it lingered like the unnatural fire I’d witnessed at the first compound. It was as if it was cognizant, with a life of its own, as it flooded toward us. No, hunted toward us.

I braced Teddy against me, tucking the girls into my side while the gray smoke clung to us, swimming around us as if it was searching us for . . . something.

“Inside,” George called, ushering everyone into our cottage.

Alastor built a protective shield around us and our home, while the lirio ran from the trees in the forest, also trying to make their way into our home.

Teddy wheezed out a series of coughs I felt in my chest. I ran my magic through her, pulling out the smoke she inhaled until her lungs cleared .

Once inside, George and I joined our magic with Alastor’s, thickening and lifting the protective barrier so the smoke couldn’t get inside. It stilled at the front door, slamming against a barrier I didn’t see.

“Our protection spell,” Teddy said, looking at Alastor.

“It’ll keep everyone in here safe.” Alastor paced, his shoes clapping loudly against the hardwood floor.

“I have to go,” I said, turning toward our closed door.

“We’ll all go,” George said, “but first, let’s figure out what’s happening so we don’t run into a trap or ambush.”

I couldn’t stay here, though. Not with the smell of the multiple fires blazing infiltrating my nostrils. Worse than that, though, was the scent of burning flesh and the sound of the wails coming from the fae being burned alive.

I couldn’t wait until it was safe when my people were in immediate danger now. I needed to get to them and help those I could. Every beat wasted planning and thinking was another life we forfeited.

Vith. How was this happening again . . . on today, of all days?