Betrayal (Blood Haze: Book Three) A Paranormal Romance (19 page)

“Yes!” I cried. “Yes, Alexi!”

“Yes, what? Darling, what is wrong?” Alexi
asked, stroking my hair.

“Yes, I will marry you! I love you!” I
exclaimed, choking back a flood of tears.

For a moment, the room was eerily silent. No
one spoke. No one even moved.

“Are you certain?” Alexi asked, his voice
threatening to break.

“I’m sure, Alexi! I’ve never been so sure of
anything in my life! I love you, and I can’t bear to live without
you!” I cried, and I reached up and took his face into my
hands.

His cheeks were wet. He was crying.

“Please do not tell me this if you have any
doubt in your heart,” Alexi begged. “I could not bear it.”

“I’m sure, Alexi. I swear to you, I’m sure.
It’s only you!”

I used my thumbs to wipe the tears away from
his cheeks, and I felt his breath warm on my face. His lips closed
over mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew him
closer. In his kiss, I found everything I’d always been missing. I
had kissed other guys before, and I had even kissed him, but in
that moment, I realized he was all I needed – all I wanted.

I forgot there were others in the room. I
forgot how they must be feeling after hearing my revelation, and as
they watched me kissing him that way. Even if I had remembered, I
wouldn’t have cared. Alexi was the one. I had never been so certain
of anything. Kissing him, I could feel it. His kiss was
everything.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m sorry it took
me so long to realize. I’m sorry I’ve been hurting you for so long.
I’m sorry I…”

He placed his fingers against my lips, and
murmured, “It was all worth the wait, my love. I would do it all
again a thousand times if it meant living to see this moment.”

“I love you, Alexi. More than you could
possibly know. More than I ever imagined possible. I want to marry
you, and I want to be yours forever.”

“I have waited so long to hear you say those
words; I can hardly believe this moment is real. I keep waiting to
wake up – for something to take this away.”

“It’s real, Alexi. I’m real, and you’re real
– we’re real.
This is real
!”

“I always hoped… dreamed… prayed… but it is
so hard to believe it is finally really happening.”

“I want to get married right now. Where is
Father Jacobs? Can he perform the ceremony?”

“Are you sure, darling? Are you absolutely
certain?”

“I am, Alexi. I swear to you, I am
certain.”

“Then let us not wait another moment. I will
find Father Jacobs and ask him if he will perform a ceremony right
now.”

Alexi was gone in a flash, and I realized I
was standing at the bottom of the stairs in an empty room. I hadn’t
even noticed the others leaving. Kai and Liam must have seen the
whole scene, or at least most of it, but now they were gone.

I felt a twinge of sadness, of guilt. But I
knew it wasn’t because I had any desire to be with them. My heart
ached for the pain I knew they must be feeling, but it did little
to mask my joy.

I couldn’t understand what had taken me so
long to wake up and realize how deeply I felt for Alexi. As I
looked back, I realized there were times when I’d felt it. It had
just been somehow clouded by the confusion, perhaps the immaturity
in my heart. So many times I’d felt electrified when I was near
him, yet the feelings I had for Kai and Max had somehow shrouded
what I felt for Alexi.

Now that Max was gone, and now that I’d had
some time away from Kai, perhaps that shroud had been lifted. Maybe
it was because I was maturing. Maybe it was because my feelings for
him had become so overwhelming, I could no longer deny them.

At that moment, I didn’t care about anything
but marrying Alexi. I couldn’t even think of finding Kai or Liam to
explain or to apologize for things happening so abruptly. All I
wanted was Alexi, and I would find a way to deal with the emotional
aftermath later.

“Alice!” Alexi called from upstairs.

“Yes, Alexi,” I returned, already rushing up
the stairs toward him.

“Father Jacobs said he would be happy to
officiate,” he told me, taking my hand. “Are you certain you wish
to do this?”

“Overwhelmingly certain,” I said confidently,
smiling at him in pure joy.

“Do you want to do it now?” he asked.

“Yes!” I gasped, but then I paused. “Wait. My
mother and my brother… how can I get married without them
here?”

“I have already taken care of that, darling,”
Alexi told me. “I believe the danger to them has passed, and I have
already made arrangements for them to come here. They will be here
in about an hour.”

“Oh, thank you!” I shrieked, throwing my arms
around his neck. “Wait! I need a dress!”

“Your mother wanted it to be a surprise,”
Alexi said. “But she is bringing her dress – the one she wore when
she married your father. I hope you do not mind.”

“Mind? It’s perfect,” I breathed. “That dress
was beautiful, and it’s been in my family for centuries.”

“I am glad it pleases you,” Alexi said. “I
must go get ready. If you need anything at all, just ask one of the
acolytes to help you.”

He turned to leave, but I grabbed his hand.
He turned back to face me, and I looked up at him, trying
desperately to see his eyes in the shadow of his cloak.

“Alexi…”

“Yes, darling? What is it?”

“I love you more than you know,” I vowed. “I
don’t know why it took me so long to see it, but I need you to
know. I feel it so strongly I can’t describe it. It’s always been
you. I just didn’t see it.”

“I told you,” he said. “I knew you would feel
it, someday. I knew you would feel the same way I feel about
you.”

His lips once again found mine, and the
shocking jolt of electrifying passion swept through me. It left me
breathless.

“I will see you soon, my love,” he promised
me, and then he left to prepare for our wedding.

It wasn’t long before my mother and my
brother arrived. Jamie was with them, and I embraced her fondly. It
had been so long since I saw any of them, I could hardly believe
they were real.

“Mother!” I gasped, squeezing her tightly.
“I’ve missed you so much!”

“I know, dear,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re
safe.”

“Will!” I shrieked, nearly choking the life
out of him. “God, it’s so good to see you!”

“You, too. You look good,” Will said. “Your
hair is longer.”

Then I turned to Jamie, and I ogled her with
real surprise.

“Jamie!” I boggled. “You look
incredible!”

She blushed. She’d not only lost a tremendous
amount of weight, but her skin had cleared up, and her face was
radiant.

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s all because of
Will.”

“Don’t give me the credit,” Will flushed.
“It’s all you, honey.”

The way they looked at each other, I could
see nothing but true, undying love for one another. It was the way
I looked at Alexi.

“So you finally made your choice, eh?” my
mother asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure this time?” Will asked.

“More sure than I’ve ever been about
anything,” I gushed.

“You know what?” my mother asked. “I can see
it in your eyes. You love him.”

“Yes, Mother,” I agreed. “I love him more
than anything.”

“Aww,” my mother cooed. “My baby has finally
grown up!”

“And it’s about damned time!” Will joked.

I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, and
he ruffled my hair.

“So where is the dress?” I asked.

“I’ll go get it,” my mother told me. “It’s
hanging up in the car.”

She disappeared outside, and reappeared
quickly with a black zippered coat bag in her hands.

“Come on,” Jamie squealed. “Let me help you
get ready!”

Jamie grabbed my hand and pulled me up the
stairs. Her excitement was plain to see. My mother followed closely
behind us, carefully carrying the precious wedding dress.

The next hour was a flurry of activity. Jamie
and my mother fussed over my hair and makeup. My mother brought
several different pairs of shoes, and they had me try on each pair
at least twice. At last, I was ready. I’d given them free rein over
how I looked. I couldn’t have cared less what I looked like. I just
wanted to marry Alexi as quickly as possible.

I didn’t even think to look in the mirror. I
sat on the edge of the bed, my stomach twisted in knots, while I
waited for my mother and Jamie to get ready in one of the other
bedrooms. I gnawed at my fingernails.

I heard a cautious tap on my door, and I went
to open it. Kai stood in the hallway, his eyes cast downward. My
heart leaped, but not out of love. It was purely out of pity for a
friend I cared about deeply.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked him.

“No,” he said quietly. “I… I just wanted to
say that I understand. I’ve never been there for you the way I
should have been, so I can understand why you’d choose him over
me.”

“That has nothing to do with it, Kai,” I told
him. “I don’t know how to explain this. You were always there for
me. I just… I…”

I didn’t know what to say. Nothing I could
possibly say would take the pain away for him, so I decided I
wouldn’t even try.

“Well, congratulations,” he said, his voice
trembling. “I will always be here for you, no matter what you
decide.”

“Kai, look at me, please,” I begged him.

Slowly, his stunning blue eyes turned up, and
I could see them glistening, but he did not cry.

“Wow,” he whispered. “You look… so
beautiful.”

My heart melted a little, but it wasn’t the
same. Once, his beautiful eyes could have turned me into putty in
his hands. Now, there was nothing but a friendly fondness. It was
deep, but it wasn’t love.

“I’m sorry, Kai. I really am. I never meant
to hurt you. I care about you so much. I do. But this is the right
decision for me. I know this hurts you, and believe me, I am so
sorry. But it’s right for me.”

He clenched his jaw and nodded.

“All I want is for you to be happy, and if
this is what it takes, I accept that,” Kai said, though his jaw was
still clenched tightly.

“Thank you,” I told him sincerely. “Thank you
for being here, and for being my friend. I hope you will come to
understand in time. I hope you will be okay.”

“I will be as long as you’re happy,” he said,
and he sounded sincere. “I’m going to go get ready, now.”

“You’re coming to the wedding?” I asked.

“Of course,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t miss
this moment, no matter how much it hurts me.”

I smiled weakly. Kai really was growing up,
just as I was. A few months ago, he’d have run away in a huff. Now,
he was going to my wedding, because he didn’t want to miss such an
important event in my life.

“Oh,” Kai said, turning to face me once more.
“Liam left.”

“Left?”

“Yeah, he left. He said to tell you he was
sorry, but he couldn’t handle it, and he just left.”

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

“I guess he didn’t say when he’s coming
back?”

“Nope. I got the feeling it wouldn’t be
really soon.”

“Oh,” I said, my stomach feeling a little
anxious.

“Anyway, I’ll see you later,” Kai said, and
he turned to leave.

It was then that I realized I needed to tell
Max. I got the feeling it wouldn’t be an easy phone call, but I
needed to do it. I closed my bedroom door for privacy, and with
shaking hands, I dialed his number.

“Hello?” he answered, after a few rings.

“Max? It’s Alice,” I said.

“Oh, hey,” Max replied. “How’s it going?”

“Fine, fine,” I answered. “Look… there’s
something I need to tell you.”

I heard the sound of a female giggling in the
background, and Max said, “Shh! Just a minute!”

“Who’s that?” I asked curiously.

“What did you need?” he asked, ignoring my
question.

“I… I’m getting married,” I blurted out.

“Stop!” he whispered, and the girl giggled
again. “Married? To Kai?”

“No… to Alexi…” I told him. “Who is
that?”

“Alexi, huh? Cool. He’s the right choice,”
Max said. “Will you stop it a minute, Denise? I’m talking,
here!”

“Max! Who is Denise?” I shouted into the
phone, tired of him dodging the question.

“Oh, it’s Denise. She’s… kind of my
girlfriend,” he admitted. “Ow! Quit it! Fine, fine! Not kind of!
She’s my girlfriend.”

“You met a girl? When?” I asked.

“A few weeks ago,” he said. “It just kind of
happened.”

“Well, I’m really happy for you,” I told
him.

It was the truth, but a part of me still felt
a small twinge of disappointment – perhaps even jealousy.

“I’m happy for you, too, Alice,” he said.
“When is the wedding?”

“Tonight.”

“Tonight? And you’re just now telling
me?”

“Sorry, it just happened.”

“Like… you
just
agreed to marry him
tonight?”

“Yeah. It’s a long story.”

“Well, damn. I would have come to the wedding
if I’d had any notice.”

“It’s okay. I wish you could be here, but I
understand.”

“Well, I’d better go. Denise and I were
headed out to dinner.”

“Alright,” I said. “Max?”

“Yeah?”

“I miss you,” I admitted.

“I miss you, too, Alice,” he said. “I hope I
can see you, soon. Bye.”

I hung up the phone. The call was awkward,
but it hadn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be. At the
moment I closed my phone, someone knocked on my door. I opened it,
and Jamie stood there beaming proudly.

“It’s time!” she squealed.

My heart fluttered, and I couldn’t resist
squealing a little, myself. A few hours ago, I couldn’t imagine
making this decision. Now, it consumed me.