Sorcha’s eyes began to water.
She knew she was making the right decision, but she would miss her friends, her coven sisters, dearly.
“Doona ye dare cry,” Blaire admonished. “He’ll throw us out.”
Sorcha tried her hardest to smile, but then her eyes landed on Blaire’s wedding ring. Once upon a time it had belonged to Lord Kettering and had allowed the man to walk amongst the living in the daylight. The ring was an exact duplicate of Alec’s, well almost. Lord Kettering had had his resized to fit Blaire after their wedding.
Blaire followed Sorcha’s line of sight and squeezed her hand. “Ye are like bottled sunshine, Sorch. We willna allow ye ta spend the rest of yer days hidin’ from the light. It wouldna be right.”
Rhiannon reached into her reticule, retrieved something, and then opened her hand, revealing Lord Blodswell’s identical ring. “Matthew doesna have need of it anymore. We want ye ta have it.”
Sorcha couldn’t stop the tears from trailing down her face at that, and her heart threatened to burst. “I was so afraid ye wouldna understand.”
Elspeth dabbed at Sorcha’s cheek with a handkerchief.
“Did ye think we would abandon ye, sweetheart?”
She hadn’t been sure what their reaction would be and Sorcha shrugged.
Elspeth swiped at a tear of her own. “Ye were the most loyal and true ta all of us. We will always be here for ye, for as long as our family lasts.”
Up until now Cait had been very quiet, which was most certainly a rarity for their seer. Sorcha looked straight at the blonde witch. “Ye willna try ta stop me?”
Cait shook her head. “I had the most interestin’ conversation with yer father today. He has an unusual theory on prophesies and the future rightin’ itself. I’m no’ my mother, and I willna stand in the way of yer future or yer happiness. Just follow yer heart, Sorch. That’s all I ask.”
Sorcha nodded. “I am.”
“I ken,” Cait replied. “And I ken ye are goin’ ta be very happy with Alec. Love him with all yer heart.”
Almost exactly the same thing Lord Blodswell had said earlier that day.
Across the room, the men laughed at something, and Sorcha turned her attention to the vampyre she would spend forever with.
Chapter Thirty-One
After several hours of entertaining the Còig and their husbands, Alec had endured all he intended to. Why wouldn’t they leave? It seemed like he had waited for Sorcha forever, and he didn’t plan to wait one more second. He had warned Elspeth that he wasn’t above whisking his wife away, and that was exactly what he planned to do.
“I know that look.” Ben chuckled.
“Aye, you should,” Alec agreed. “I’ve seen you wear it often enough.”
“Doesn’t he, though,” Eynsford put in.
“You’re one to talk.” Alec snorted. Then he looked at the quartet of men surrounding him. “The lot of you can stay or go. I really don’t care any longer. But I’m done entertaining you.”
He paid no attention to the twin expressions of amusement that adorned Blodswell’s and Kettering’s faces as he left their circle and strode across the floor to retrieve his wife. Alec nodded at Sorcha’s coven sisters as he placed his hand on his witch’s shoulder. “Do excuse us, ladies.”
Then he bent at the knee and scooped Sorcha up in his arms. She gasped but didn’t look unhappy.
“Feel free to visit any time,” Alec tossed over his shoulder as he strode from the parlor and started up the main steps.
“Alec!” Sorcha giggled.
He carried his bride across the threshold to his chambers, with her clutching him as closely as she could. “I know. I’m a terrible host in my own home,” he groused.
She playfully smacked at his chest and scolded, “I canna believe ye left them all belowstairs and whisked me away.”
“The interlopers stayed too long.”
Her warm brown eyes twinkled. “They’re our friends and they’re perfectly delightful. Ye could have been a little more gentlemanly.”
“What will be delightful is when I have you naked in my bed,” Alec growled, giving her a good look at his distended teeth. He wanted to disrobe her slowly. But after suffering through the ceremony, then the after-wedding assembly, and then the well wishes from her coven, he was too damn anxious to be inside her to even care about taking his time with her clothing.
He dropped her to her feet, allowing her to slide slowly down his body until her feet hit the floor. He cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. “Welcome home,” he whispered, just