Mackenzie took her friend’s hand in hers, noticed Lily’s signature red French manicure had a few uncharacteristic chips. “He just needs some time, Lil. He’s lived a century masquerading as someone he wasn’t, trying to make amends for some poor decisions he made as a young man. Dom said Darkbloods used to lace Sweet with opiates. It’s no wonder Alfonso got so addicted and didn’t realize what was going on back then. It’s bound to take a while for him to find out who he really is. It can take a long time to forgive yourself for something like that.”
“I know, but it still doesn’t make it any easier.”
“Would you be interested in going up there to visit him at his new place? Alfonso commissioned me to do some paintings of their childhood estate in Madrid and I should have them finished pretty soon. It’d give you a chance to see him again. Maybe the two of you could talk.”
“He hasn’t returned any of my calls or emails. You should probably just take Dom.”
“Well, I’m not sure he’s ready for a social call with his brother, either, although I’m hopeful that day will come. Stubbornness seems to be a Serrano family trait. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, you need to love your family while you have them.”
Lily walked around Mackenzie again, straightening the tiered lace layers of her wedding gown. “Speaking of families, your mother cracks me up. She was convinced Jackson was trying to look up her skirt earlier.”
They looked at each other and laughed. “He probably was.”
Corey burst through the doors, his skater shoes a stark contrast to his slightly wrinkled tuxedo. “Kenzie, Shirl wanted me to tell you that it’s almost midnight. Everyone’s waiting. It’s time to— Wow, you look fantastic.”
“She cleans up well, eh?” Lily said. “Okay, let’s get a move on.”
WITH HIS CHIN held high, knowing all eyes were on him, Dom waited at one end of the red velvet carpet that stretched down the center of the expansive lawn. The other end covered the stairs of the lodge’s veranda, disappearing into the ornate doorway, and a small gathering of people lined up along the side near the center. They watched him now, but he knew that at any moment their heads would crane around to see her. The steady but slightly elevated sound of her heartbeat caressed his mind, reassuring him she was very near. For probably the millionth time, he reached up to smooth down his ponytail. He wasn’t accustomed to wearing the stiff-collared cloak of his ancestors.
“Would you stand still?” Chuck laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s almost time.”
As if on cue, the sound of a single chime broke the silence, and Dom felt his heart pound even harder against his ribs. When he rubbed his forefingers along his thumbs, he had to force himself to stop. For the past year his father’s ring had sat on his own wedding ring finger and the other, his mother’s, after some adjustments, had sat on Mackenzie’s. Tonight, in the tradition of his people, would be the ceremony that celebrated their now-eternal bond. Squaring his shoulders as the chiming continued its midnight countdown, Dom peeled his gaze from the doors and glanced over at Chuck, standing to his right.
“You’ve made a wise choice, son. Your father would be very proud of you.”
As the twelfth gong sounded, the double doors at the far end of the red carpet opened and there, in the doorway, she stood. With her dark curls fanned out over her shoulders, she wore a flowing ivory dress and matching hip-length coat with velvet collar and cuffs and sheer sleeves. She had told him it was covered in gold French embroidery, but he hadn’t seen it until now.
His breath caught in his throat as a hush descended over the guests. Her form was almost ethereal, shimmering in the light of hundreds of candles. Although he would never have thought it possible, she was even more beautiful to him after going through the change seven nights ago. That she went through the agonizing blood ritual for him, to become like him, when he was perfectly happy with her as a human, still amazed him. This woman had sacrificed everything for him, and he vowed to cherish her every day for the rest of his life. At the top of the stairs, she paused and his soul reached out for hers.