Authors: Charlotte Swanpol
ROMANCE: Paranormal Romance: The Valley (Book One) (Fun, Sexy, Mature Young Adult Vampire Shape Shifter Romance) (21 page)
Chapter 4
There were lots of people who said that it was too fast; that they didn't know what they were doing. But Christie really didn't care about all those people. She and John had been living together for two years now. They knew each other’s quirks, each other’s bad habits and good. They knew how to deal with being in close quarters, with other people giving them the side eye. They could handle just about anything that came their way. She hoped that one day, he would be able to expose his true identity to the world. But if he didn't, and he was comfortable just being her normal husband forever, she was fine with that too. He had changed her whole world; made her feel like a princess, and she never wanted to be apart from him. This fairy tale wedding that they had planned was perfect; everything she had ever dreamed of.
Looking in the mirror, she couldn't believe that her dress was real. It was so light, so perfect, and so lavishly expensive. It hugged her curves at all the right places, and was pure white against her dark skin. She looked like a Goddess, a version of herself that she didn't recognize.
“Are you ready?” her father appeared at the door. She was so glad that her parents had helped her plan the wedding, and been so supportive throughout it. They had a difficult love story as well, once upon a time, and they saw true love in their daughter's eyes. They knew what John was, and it didn't bother them one bit. So long as she was happy and taken care of, which she clearly was on both counts, than they were happy for her.
“Yes,” she reached out to take his arm. “Yes, I'm ready.”
“Then let's go,” he held out his arm and she followed him out of the waiting room and into the large church. It was a beautiful Gothic cathedral with thousands of dollars of decorations put into it. In the pews were her friends and family from all over. She should have been smiling, should been looking at them.
But the truth is, she only had eyes for John. She couldn't look away if she tried.
He was standing at the end of the aisle, a smile on his face in front of a large line of groomsmen. She knew they were all shifters as well, standing guard, keeping the peace, and seeing their kinsmen into a great union.
She barely heard the music as she walked towards him, in time to the beat only by instinct. On her father's arm, she beamed as he lifted her veil.
“Hi,” John mouthed to her, and she smiled.
“Hi,” she mouthed back, taking his hands. Hers were always warm and his was always cold. This was just another reason that they were a match made in heaven.
“Dearly beloved, “ the local priest began. “We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by His presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people. The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.”
She would have been happy to married at the local justice of the peace. But John was determined to do things right. He promised her they would be married with fanfare, pomp and circumstance. And she would never have to go back to work again if she didn't want to. Christie was floating high, and glowing with more than the usual bridal glow. She was convinced that she was possibly the happiest woman to have ever existed.
“Into this union Christie and John now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace.”
She knew that there were many reasons why they shouldn't be married. They hadn't known each other very long, they were different races, different sizes, he was a shifter. The list went on and on. But all of those things were reasons why she loved him more. She loved their differences, the way that they completed each other. She knew that they were soul mates and saw no reason to wait when they were certain. They were like missing pieces of the puzzle of life; he completed her.
“I charge you both, here in the presence of God and the witness of this company, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be married lawfully and in accordance with God's Word, do now confess it?”
“No,” Christie spoke loud and clear, wanting the whole congregation to hear her. “There is no reason why we should not be married.”
“No,” John echoed, squeezing her hands. “There is no reason why we should not be married.”
“Christie, will you have this man to be your husband to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?” the priest asked, looking right into her very soul. She nodded, with absolute certainty. She had already done all of those things the first night they were together, giving him her whole heart and soul to love. She hadn't expected any of these things when she moved here; but life was unpredictable. Meeting John in the restaurant that night was fate; and she would stand by him for the rest of her life.
“I do,” she replied, even louder. She wanted the whole world to know her vows to this amazing man.
“John, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”
“I will,” John replied, and there was no doubt in his voice. He hadn't thought that his life would turn out this way either. He had thought that he would be forever alone, an outsider in this human dominated world. Money hadn't meant a thing to him, so long as he was alone. But Christie had shown him a whole new world of compassion; of care. She had changed his whole outlook on the world of humans and their hearts. He went from preferring to be alone to never wanting to leave her side. He had truly thought that there would be no happy ending for him; but here it was, in the form of this ebony Romanesque Goddess.
“Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?”
“We do,” chanted the entire congregation, watching them. It was clear that they were very much in love, and that nothing would separate them. Those of them who knew the truth about this couple were amazed at the way they had found love so quickly. They made love look easy and gave everyone hope for the future. But John and Christie knew that the road ahead would not be easy; and it would not be smooth. There would be bumps; obstacles, that they would have to face when they felt broken. However, as long as they were together, they felt like they could face anything.
“Bless, O Lord, these rings as a symbol of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord,” the priest indicated that the maid of honor and the best man should come forward, shining rings in their hands. Christie had chosen a diamond band that cost more than she made in two years, and John hadn't even blinked. She couldn't wait now to have it on her finger; have it catching the light. However, it wasn't because of the way it looked. She wanted to tell the whole world that she was a married woman; she was happy and she was ready for whatever the world brought her way, her husband at her back. She wanted the ring to be linked to his, to symbolize to the world that they would be happy together forever.
“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” John whispered, as he slipped the ring over her hand. The white diamonds sparkled against her ebony skin and she couldn't help but hold it up to the light for a moment, smiling. Soon, in just a few moments, they would be linked together for life.
“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” she said, as she took the ring from her maid of honor and slipped it over his knuckle His was twisted gold, just like hers, to match, and it looked right on his finger. It was as if his hands were made to be married; to show off such a beautiful thing.
“Now that Christie and John have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that thee are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder,” the priest was quite firm on this, and it made Christie glow. There was no one who could tear them apart now, no one who could say that they didn't belong together. No one on this earth, shifter or human, had any rights to their relationship anymore.
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
“Amen,” said the entire congregation. The nearly wed couple bowed their heads as well, their eyes closed. It was an Amen to the universe for bringing them together, bringing them such peace and happiness.
“God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always.”
“And also with you,” they turned to the priest, wide grins on their faces.
“Christie and John, having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife. John, you may kiss the bride.”
He swept her down, planting a kiss right on her lips as the congregation cheered. They were married; their worlds were joined. And they were going to live happily ever after.
THE END
Chapter 1
“Johnson,” Agent Cruz barked. “Can't you have a little discretion? That's disgusting.”
Victoria Johnson was sitting in the conference room of the FBI building in downtown Los Angeles with a cup of coffee and a red velvet donut in her hand. “My caloric intake is none of your business. How's that for discretion?” She took a bite of the luscious red chocolate, and savored the rich flavor. “Let's get on with it.”
Cruz was the kind of woman who never ate anything more than a carrot. She walked around with her nose curled up, thinking about how everything disgusted her. Victoria Johnson considered her the embodiment of everything that was wrong with the world, and she loved being big, black and beautiful.
“Just keep it to a minimum.” Victoria took another bite. “Today we're talking about cattle mutilation.”
“You're gonna send me out to investigate crop circles and aliens?”
“I'm gonna send you someplace that fits your talents.”
“Fine. Send the briefing to my email.” Johnson stormed out of the conference room leaving a distraught Andrea Cruz to sort out her actions. She didn't care what the woman thought. She'd taken down drug rings, and hackers. Victoria was suited for a lot more than conspiracy theories. Cruz never took her seriously.
Chapter 2
Agent Johnson's flight would leave from LAX to Orlin, Montana at 4 that afternoon. It wouldn't arrive there until 6 pm. the next day. The flight should've taken less than three hours, but the city was so remote she had to have four layovers, and switch to a single engine. By the time she got there, she was so tired she could barely move.
She watched the mountainous countryside pass her by as she worked her way down the highway. She was furious. There was nothing there except rocks, plants and animals. Everyone knew the only thing killing those cows was wolves, but for some reason people seemed to think there was something to it. She'd seen the creepy documentaries and the weird tabloid rumors. People had been talking about this for decades. There were even strange crop circle markings that had been found under the bodies.
She pulled into the lot of her run down motel, noticing the sign advertising their shiny new color TVs. This was an insult.
Victoria grabbed her keys and walked over to the room. It was basic—exactly what she expected. The furnace was right under the curtains at the front of the room, and it took more than a half an hour to get it to work. She had to turn the gas on and press the ignition to light the pilot, but it just wasn't working. In the end, she had to find a pack of matches in her bag and throw it into the thing.
She wanted to sleep, and that was the only thing she could think about, but she had to get something to eat and look over the case file, so she let the room warm ups so that she could find something to eat.
There was a diner in the parking lot across the street, which from what she could tell was the home of the only businesses in town. She was going to kill Cruz for this.
She walked into the little restaurant and a big inbred blond woman came up to her. “How many?” Her voice had the nasal drawl of somebody with sinus congestion.
“Just me.”
“Booth or table?”
“Something in the back.” This was going to be terrible. Victoria could already tell.
“Booth or table?” she repeated.
“If you have a booth, I'll take it.”
“No booths. Just tables.”
“What? The place is empty. Take me to my table, and be quick. I'm starving.” The woman looked at her with glazed over cattle eyes then just turned around and led her to a booth near the front of the restaurant. Victoria just shook her head and went with the flow.
“Don't mind her,” a man said from the booth behind her. “That's just Josie.”
Victoria turned around to see a blond man in his late 20s. He looked like something out of a John Wayne movie that had been filmed on a runway in Milan.
“She's something else,” Victoria replied.
“It's a birth defect. Her mother drank a lot when she was pregnant.”
“Ah.” Victoria went back to her menu even though she knew she was getting the chicken fried steak.
“I'm Jimmy Hawk.” He offered her his hand and she reluctantly shook it. “You must be the FBI agent.”
“Agent Johnson. Everyone knows?”
He laughed. “There's only a few of us.”
“In the whole town?”
“Think of it as a rest stop.”
Victoria laughed. “You have a grocery store, a restaurant and a motel. How do you live?”
“We order stuff online and drive to Billings. It's only four hours away.”
Victoria shook her head. “It's animals, you know. This is a waste of my time.”
“Oh, I know.” Finally a pragmatist. “But at least you could have some fun before you do.”
“Mr. Hawk, what do you mean fun?”
“Here's my number.” He passed her a piece of paper, and she watched his perfect butt fit right into his tight jeans.
