Page 144 of Taming the Beasts

I gripped one of his lapels like I was holding on. “I didn’t know I wasn’t living until that night. And then you were gone and...”

“I promise I’ll never leave you again,” he said. “Emma, I’m so so sorry...”

“It’s okay. I understand why you did what you did. I forgive you, Callum.”

It seemed like he needed to hear that. Something in his eyes softened. Like he’d never been forgiven for anything before.

“I only mentioned it because I wanted you to know how all in I am. With every version of you. The version from ten years ago. The version standing in front of me now.” I stared up at him, hoping he could read the unspoken words in my head.The version of you from 200 years ago. And 100 years ago. And 50.“And whatever version of you our future holds. I want it all. Every second. No matter what.”

He nodded. He understood what I was saying.

“I fall more and more in love with you every day. And I need you to hear me say this. You are not a monster, Callum. Not in a million years. You are good and honest and kind. And I’m going to spend my whole life proving to you just how true that is. You think of yourself as the villain. But you couldn’t be further from the truth. You are Prince Charming. A very debonair one.”

Callum’s smile had faded.

I watched as a single tear fell down his cheek. I reached up and wiped it away. “Happy tears?”

He nodded. “Happy tears, baby. But we’re not in a fairy tale.”

“I think we are. And villains never win in those. The good guys do.”

He leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “And here I thought you liked the villain. Well, at least in the bedroom.” He lightly bit down on my earlobe.

I laughed. Maybe our story hadn’t felt like a fairy tale at first. But it sure felt like it now. I was staring my happily ever after in the face.

The pastor cleared his throat. “Now for the exchanging of rings.” Theo, do you take Emma to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold until death do you part?”

Callum smiled down at me. A smile so perfectly pure. One not haunted by his past or his fears of the future. “I do.”

Callum loved me. Just as much as I loved him.

The girl I was back in college had been so lost. Until I’d stumbled upon him that night in his haunting house. One night with him and it felt like I’d finally woken up from a daze. Something about me had made him stop giving in to his demons. I’d never understand why. Or how. But I was so grateful. Because there was no me without him. I smiled up at him, ready to say yes to our future too.

“Emma,” Zoey hissed and poked me hard in the back.

Chapter 28

Saturday

Zoey

What. The. Fuck. Is. Happening?!

I’d been doing my best to pay attention to Callum and Emma’s sweet vows. They were ridiculously romantic and cute. But it was a little hard to focus on the wedding when the people in the crowd were behaving so strangely.

First Ray and Patrick, Bennett’s two now un-missing friends, had gotten up from their row. Ray went left and Patrick went right. Now they were both just standing at the edge of the chairs of the ceremony, looking around. I didn’t know much about them at all. But...this seemed like strange behavior. They were last minute guests at a wedding. Shouldn’t they be sitting down like normal people would? They weren’t exactly creating a scene or anything. They were just standing there. But it just seemed so bizarre to me.

I stared at them. Otto had shown me pictures of him with his friends in college. And they looked...different. They were both pale now. Which maybe made sense, given the fact that the picture I’d seen was of them from some trip to the beach. But still. Patrick was an archeologist on a dig site. You’d think he would have kept his tan. At least a little.

Maybe they had gotten up because they were feeling ill? They may have both picked up a bug on the plane or something. But if that was the case, why hadn’t they kept on going toward the bathroom? They were both just standing there, surveying all the wedding guests.

And I swear both Ray and Patrick had light eyes. Yeah. Ray’s had been blue. And Patrick’s had been green. I was sure of it. And yet...their eyes looked dark right now. So dark that they almost looked black.

They both stood there with their arms folded as they scanned the crowd.

I turned to my boyfriends. I tried to nod toward their friends so that they’d see what I was looking at. But my men were too busy listening to the perfect vows Emma and Callum were dishing out.

Shit.I turned to Grudge to see if maybe I could get his attention. But he was busy looking at Kebe. They weren’t talking. Well, she was. Kind of. She was hunched over in her seat whispering something.