Zaureth: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 4) (14 page)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“I have a surprise for you,” Zaureth whispered against the top of Amy’s head.

She softly kissed his neck. “What kind of surprise?”

Zaureth gently lifted her, easing her down next to him on the bed. “It would not be a surprise if I told you.”

Amy smiled and sat up as Zaureth rolled to his feet. “Stay here. I will return for you when it is ready.”

“I can’t come with you?” Amy playfully pouted. “I won’t ruin your surprise. It’s not as if I can see.”

Zaureth loved her so much his chest ached from it. “You are a trying to be snaky, but it will not work.”

Amy’s tinkering laughter echoed throughout the room, surrounding Zaureth in a haze of love and wonder. “It’s sneaky,” she giggled, falling to her back. “Not snaky.”

Zaureth fought his own laugh. “Whatever the word, you are to stay here until I send for you. Now, get dressed. You cannot see the surprise without your clothes.”

Amy sighed and made a shooing motion with her hands. “Fine. I’ll wait here. But hurry back. I don’t have a lot of patience where surprises are concerned.”

Zaureth leaned down, cupped her face, and softly kissed her lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Amy whispered, licking the seam of his mouth.

Zaureth pulled back before he gave in to his body’s demands and sank into her welcoming heat.

Stepping into the hall, Zaureth tugged the door shut and strode toward Vaulcron’s room.

He tapped softly on the half-open door.

Vaulcron appeared, holding a half-eaten donut in his hand. “You raaaang?”

Zaureth glanced at the donut and back at his lifelong friend. “I do not understand.”

Mallory’s grinning face popped up beneath Vaulcron’s arm. “He’s mimicking Lurch. We were watching
The Addams Family
.”

Zaureth had no idea what an Addams family was, but the donut looked all too tempting. He’d had them nearly every morning for breakfast back at the hotel.

“Oz is going to perform a wedding ceremony for Amy and me.”

Mallory’s hand flew to her mouth, all traces of humor gone. Tears welled up in her pretty blue eyes. “You’re marrying my sister?”

Zaureth wasn’t sure how to react. He’d expected a smile or even a dozen questions. But tears? He hadn’t been prepared for tears. “You are upset.”

Mallory shook her head, the tears swimming in her eyes now sliding down her cheeks. She removed her hand from her mouth, stepped through the opening of the door, and threw her arms around Zaureth’s neck. “This is the happiest news I’ve heard in a long time.”

Relief was instant. Zaureth stared at Vaulcron’s humorous face while Mallory continued to cling to his neck.

“I think you are scaring him,” Vaulcron teased, touching his mate on the back.

She instantly released her hold on Zaureth’s neck and returned to her place beneath Vaulcron’s arm. “I’m sorry. I blame the pregnancy hormones for the waterworks. It happens a lot more frequently than you know.”

Zaureth cleared his throat before glancing down at her slightly swollen belly. “Apologies are not needed. How are you and the babe faring?”

“We’re fine,” Mallory assured him. “When is the wedding?”

Zaureth lifted his gaze. “Now.”

“Now?” Mallory blurted. “How can it be now?”

Vaulcron took a step back, taking his mate with him. He waved a hand toward Zaureth. “Would you care to come inside?”

Zaureth moved over the threshold and took a seat in a nearby chair while Vaulcron sat on the side of the bed.

Mallory stood between her mate’s knees. “Tell me the plan.”

Zaureth explained that Oz would unite him in marriage with Amy in less than an hour on the deck of the yacht. “She does not know yet. Oz explained some of the ritual to me. I came to ask you if you would give her to me.”

More tears sprang to Mallory’s eyes. “I would be honored. But she has nothing to wear.”

What Amy wore to take her vows mattered not to Zaureth, as long as she married him.

“I can see that you aren’t familiar with our customs. She needs a nice dress. And a ring. Do you have a ring?”

When Zaureth stared back at Mallory with a blank look, she continued. “The circle of the wedding band is a symbol of eternity. The circle has no beginning or end and is therefore, a symbol of infinity. Traditionally, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This is because the vein in this finger leads directly to the wearer's heart.”

A lump formed in Zaureth’s throat. “The human custom of unity is beautiful. I have something that I would give to Amy.”

Vaulcron wrapped his arms around Mallory’s waist. “Is a human wedding something that you would like for us as well?”

“I would love that,” Mallory breathed, turning in his embrace. “Would you be okay with that?”

Vaulcron gently kissed her lips. “I would be okay with anything that makes you smile. We can make arrangements as soon as we are settled in Aukrabah.”

Mallory stepped out of her mate’s arms and hugged Zaureth once more. “You better go. You have less than an hour to get things ready. I’ll see what I can do about a dress.”

Zaureth stood. “Thank you, Mallory. And do not tell her of the ceremony.”

“My lips are sealed. Now, hurry.”

Zaureth left the room with one thing on the brain. Wedding Amy.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Amy climbed from bed in search of her clothes, relieved to find that Zaureth had left them on the nightstand.

“Can I come in?” Mallory’s muffled voice called from the hall.

Grabbing the sheet from the bed, Amy covered herself and felt her way to the door.

“Hi, Mal,” she greeted, pulling the door wide to allow her sister entrance. “What are you doing here?”

“We are having a little party on the deck. I thought you might want to join us.”

Amy chewed on her lower lip. “I would, but Zaureth has something planned for us.”

“Really? What are you guys going to do?”

Amy tugged the sheet up higher. “I don’t know. He said it was a surprise.”

“That’s sweet,” Mallory quipped, brushing past Amy. “In the meantime, you can have drinks with us. I even brought you something to wear.”

Amy stood completely still as Mallory commenced to tug the sheet away from the death grip she had on it. “I’m naked under here.”

Mallory chuckled. “I’ve seen you naked a thousand times. Now off with the bed covering.”

Amy allowed her sister to free her of the sheet, blushing over the fact that she’d recently had mouth sex with Zaureth. She wondered if Mallory could tell.

“Hold out your arms,” Mallory demanded, wrapping something around Amy’s body before securing it over her shoulder.

The material felt cool against Amy’s skin. “What is it?”

“A sarong,” Mallory answered, adjusting the shoulder knot. “Sort of.”

The sound of a chair sliding across the floor could be heard over the humming of the engine.

“Sit,” Mallory demanded in a no-nonsense tone.

The back of Amy’s knees bumped against the chair, forcing her to take the seat. “Is all this really necessary, Mal?”

Mallory’s answer was to remove Amy’s ponytail and run a brush through her hair.

Amy endured the brushing, wincing a couple of times as her sister relieved her of a tangle or two before piling her hair atop her head.

“All done,” Mallory announced, pulling Amy to her feet. “Now let me have a look at you.”

Amy could hear the soft intake of breath as her sister skirted the chair to stand in front of her.

“Oh, honey,” Mallory breathed. “You look beautiful.”

Amy felt uncomfortable with the praise. She’d spent her entire life in the dark, insecure and unconfident.

“You’re the pretty one, Mal.” And she meant it. Seeing her sister for the first time had stolen Amy’s breath.

Mallory hugged her tight. “You have no idea how truly beautiful you really are.”

“If you say so,” Amy murmured, hugging her back.

Amy released her sister and slipped on her shoes. She accepted Mallory’s hand and followed her from the room toward the deck.

The sound of voices reached her ears, telling Amy the party had already begun. “Do you see Zaureth out here anywhere?”

“I sure do,” Mallory softly whispered, letting go of her hand.

The feel of Zaureth’s warm palm sliding against her own created butterflies in Amy’s stomach. “Is this your surprise?”

He stepped in close. “Part of it.”

Amy’s breathing accelerated as Zaureth opened his mind to her, along with his sight.

The sarong Mallory had fashioned for her had been created from a white sheet. Amy inwardly smiled. Mallory had always been crafty.

Zaureth lowered to one knee in front of her. “Will you, Amy Brighton, take my hand as your mate, before our family and friends?”

Tears gathered in Amy’s eyes. It took a minute to get past the lump in her throat before she could speak. “You are marrying me today?”

Zaureth rose to his full height and guided her toward the crowd gathered nearby. “If you have no objections.” He placed her hand in Mallory’s.

In a daze, Amy shook her head. “None.”

Mallory leaned in close, tears evident in her voice. “You look beautiful. I wish Mother were alive to see this.”

The tears Amy tried to hold back abruptly spilled over. “Somehow, I think she is here with us.”

“Me too,” Mallory choked out, kissing Amy on the cheek.

Soft music began to play, pulling Amy out of her daze. Her heart felt as if it would explode from joy. She was about to marry Zaureth…the other half of her soul.

Mallory looped her arm through Amy’s and slowly began moving forward.

Amy could see herself through Zaureth’s eyes as he watched her approach. She could feel the emotion welling up inside him, an emotion shadowed only by her own.

She loved him so much it physically hurt to imagine being apart from him for even an hour.

Mallory tugged Amy to a stop and placed her hand in Zaureth’s before taking a few steps back.

The small crowd hovering nearby closed in to stand behind Zaureth and Amy. Including Glenn.

Oz stood on the other side, holding a sheet of paper in his hand. “Are we ready?”

“We are,” Zaureth confirmed, giving Amy’s fingers a gentle squeeze.

Oz began to read from the paper he held. Though the words he spoke were generic in form, they meant the world to Amy. She would be Zaureth’s wife in the eyes of God, if not of man.

“I’ll be foregoing the traditional vows,” Oz announced. “As Zaureth has requested to use his own.”

Zaureth turned to face Amy, taking both of her hands in his.
“
I take you, Amy Brighton, to be my mate. I vow above all else to always be true to you.
I give you my hand and my heart
to hold until the end of time. I pledge to you my honor and my protection as I join my life to yours. May my soul one day follow yours from this existence into the next, for one lifetime with you could never be enough.”

Tears of
j
oy freely spilled from Amy’s eyes. She’d never heard anything as beautiful as Zaureth’s words.

“Amy?” Oz prompted in a soft voice. “Would you like to say your own vows, or do you prefer I use the ones I have?”

“I…” Amy had to clear her throat and try again. Her hands trembled, and her voice came out thick with tears. “I want to say my own.”

Zaureth tightened his hold on her fingers, and the trembling subsided.

Amy softly wept, allowing her vows to flow freely from her heart. “Love isn’t a strong enough word to describe my feelings for you, Zaureth. I never imagined that I would be fortunate enough to be chosen by someone like you. I promise to love you, honor and cherish you, all the days of my life.”

She stepped in closer, her voice becoming strong and clear. “In sickness and in health. In war and famine. In chaos and in peace. Even if the world falls around us…I am eternally yours.”

“The ring.” Oz’s voice penetrated Amy’s lovestruck haze.

She watched with bated breath as Zaureth’s gaze slowly lowered to her hand, and he slipped a pale-colored ring onto her finger.

“It belonged to my mother,” Zaureth rasped.

Amy could barely speak. Zaureth had never talked about his mother. Amy would ask him about it later. “It’s beautiful, Zaureth. What do you call this color?”

“It was fashioned from a rare pearl. The humans refer to it as pink and iridescent white. When combined together, it is believed to be the symbol of innocence.”

Amy could barely breathe. “I love it,” she stated quietly, fighting the tears once more.

Oz cleared his throat, pausing for several heartbeats. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Without warning, Zaureth lifted Amy into his arms and crushed his lips to hers, telling her without words what awaited her for the rest of her life.

Amy kissed him back with all the love she possessed inside, consumed by the breathtaking anomaly that was Zaureth.