Wanda came over. “Are we carrying on with the ceremony? Or waiting for a new dress?”

  Victoria stood closer to me. “Toby and I aren’t leaving here until we’re married.”

  I put my arm around her and kissed her. “That’s right.”

  She beamed at me.

  Wanda pulled out a pad of paper. “Do you want me to see what I can do about finding a new dress?”

  “I doubt you could find much on such short notice.”

  “You clearly don’t realize who you’re talking to.”

  “No disrespect meant.” Victoria’s mouth quivered like she was holding back a laugh.

  Wanda didn’t seem to notice. She marched toward the downstairs, flipping through her pad of paper.

  People started trickling in, asking about Fen.

  “He’s trapped.”

  Jet and Ziamara came over, Jet carrying Sebastian.

  “Victoria, you’re alive!” Zia cried. The two threw their arms around each other. “You had everyone so worried.”

  “Hopefully, that’ll be the last anyone sees of Fen for a long, long time.”

  “No, you’ll see him every day now,” came Gessilyn’s voice from behind.

  We all spun around.

  “What do you mean?” I exclaimed.

  “He’s now a statue, and he’s going to be placed outside of Moonhaven for safe keeping. Johan and Killian are transporting him as we speak.”

  Jet and I exchanged a worried glance.

  “There’s no chance he can break out of the stone, is there?” Jet asked, his face paling.

  Gessilyn shook her head. “Not unless the spell is broken by a high witch—and I’m not releasing that crazy psycho without a really good reason.”

  “Does he have to stay at Moonhaven?” Jet moved Sebastian to his other arm. “I don’t want my kid playing near Fen as he grows up.”

  “You have nothing to worry about.” Gessilyn put a hand on his arm. “Fen is frozen in a sleep state. Also, it’s not like he’s encapsulated in stone—he is stone.”

  “I suppose it’ll be a good reminder,” I said. “Every time we see the statue, we can remember everything we’ve been through.”

  Gessilyn nodded and stepped toward Victoria. “Is that the wolf essence stone?”

  “It is.”

  “Do you mind if I take a look?”

  Victoria held it out and Gessilyn studied it.

  I froze in place, stunned that she was letting Gessilyn near it.

  “Can it really break the curse of the moon?” Jet asked.

  “It wouldn’t surprise me.” She glanced up at Victoria. “How has it affected you since you’ve been wearing it?”

  “I’ve had total control over shifting. No matter my emotional state, I didn’t shift.”

  “Good.” Gessilyn closed her eyes and ran a finger along its surface.

  “Can you fix the curse now?” Jet stepped closer.

  “I’m going to have to do some reading first.”

  Jet and Victoria’s faces both fell. I was a little disappointed, but hadn’t expected the cure to come easily. I kissed the top of Victoria’s head. “Maybe by the time we come back from our honeymoon, Gessilyn will have some answers.”

  Victoria’s eyes lit up.

  “Did someone say the wedding must go on?” came Soleil’s voice. She entered the room, grinning. Her face fell when she saw Victoria. “Oh, sweetie.”

  Victoria stood taller. “What?”

  Gessilyn stepped closer. “I can fix your dress if you want.”

  “You can?”

  People crowded around us. The Faeble was practically full—nearly all the guests had returned.

  “I can whip something up.” Gessilyn’s eyes glowed with excitement.

  Victoria turned to me. “We’re really going to get married!”

  “We sure are.” Excitement zinged through me. It was really happening. “Now the only question is, do you want your dress like that so you can have the story, or do you want the dress restored?”

  “We have the story no matter what.” She stepped next to me. “Someone take our picture before we have our faerie tale wedding.”

  A couple dozen phones and cameras came out. Flashes nearly blinded us. I smiled giddily and then turned to Victoria and kissed her with all my passion and excitement.

  “Not yet.” Soleil pulled me away from Victoria and looked me in the eyes. “You, go back to the platform. No more seeing her until she walks down the aisle.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I blew Victoria a kiss and headed for the platform.

  Jet followed me and put his arm around me once we stood at our places. “Think this’ll actually happen?”

  “I sure hope so.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of the pack while you’re gone. How long are you taking for a honeymoon? Two weeks? Four?”

  I laughed. “Are you that eager to get rid of me?”

  He gave me a playful shove. “You know it’s not like that.”

  A loud pop sounded in the next room, followed by the sounds of glass shattering.

  I jumped from the platform and ran to the next room.

  Chapter 133

  Victoria

  Three mirrors shattered simultaneously.

  “Sorry.” Gessilyn’s cheeks pinkened. “Let me try again.”

  Soleil stepped into the doorway, putting her hand out. “Everything’s fine in here. Go back to your place.”

  “What happened?” came Toby’s voice.

  “I mixed the spell up.” Gessilyn stepped next to Soleil and looked toward Toby. “The rate that I’m learning so many new ones is getting to me. Apparently, each high witch goes through this for a couple years. I know what I did wrong. I’ll get it right this time.”

  “No rush.”

  Quinn came over and swept up the glass shards. He kept his gaze away from us.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” He kept sweeping.

  “You’re acting weird.”

  He glanced up at me. “I’m trying to make sure nobody gets cut.”

  I shook my head. “No, you’ve been avoiding me since we got back.”

  “Forget it.”

  “No.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the bar. “What’s going on?”

  He hesitated.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “I never should’ve told you anything about the stone. All this is my fault—the deaths, the botched wedding, everything.”

  “You don’t think I would’ve kept looking? I found plenty online.”

  “And what I told you, that didn’t help at all?” Sarcasm dripped from his tone.

  “It helped, sure, but the stone wanted me. Do you understand that?”

  He tilted his head, frowning.

  “Nobody else came close. Every other werewolf who tried got killed. I found it with half the map, which by the way, was supposed to be impossible.”

  Quinn didn’t look convinced.

  “It’s the truth. If you wouldn’t have told me something helpful, I’d have found out from someone else. No doubt in my mind.”

  “Where’s Victoria?” came Soleil’s voice.

  I stared at Quinn. “Do you believe me?”

  “I guess.”

  “It’s not your fault. Those deaths aren’t on you.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m serious.”

  He nodded. “You’d better get back to your wedding.”

  Soleil appeared on the other side of the bar. “There you are. Come on.”

  I gave Quinn a knowing look. He gave me another nod. I hurried over to Gessilyn. Now the rest of her family stood with her.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Let’s do this.”

  “Stand here.” Gessilyn pointed in front of her. I stood there and the witches all circled around me. “Close your eyes.”

  I closed my eyes and she spoke softly in a foreign language. The room warmed by at least ten degrees. A breeze picked up, blowing my hair into my face. One by one, the others joined Gessilyn. Rustling noises sounded outside the circle and seemed to move outward through the rest of the Faeble. A sweet floral smell overcame me.

  All of a sudden, everything went quiet, the breeze died down, and the room’s temperature returned to normal. I opened my eyes.

  Everyone stared at me.

  I looked down. My beautiful dress had been restored. Not only that, but everything else looked like it had prior to Fen’s arrival.

  Soleil clapped. “It’s perfect! Let’s get this show on the road.” She trotted away.

  Gessilyn threw her arms around me. “Are you ready?”

  My heart skipped a beat as I thought about rejoining Toby for our wedding. “Never been more excited for anything.”

  Soft, beautiful melodies from harps filled the air. My mother ran into the room and skidded to a stop. “Look at you.”

  Gessilyn turned to her. “My family and I will round everyone up and get them seated. Why don’t you have a mother-daughter moment?”

  My mother wrapped her arms around me. “You look just like you did before. If I didn’t know better, I’d never guess you’d been through such an ordeal.”

  I kissed her cheek. “That’s why we had people take pictures—we needed the proof.”

  “Follow me.” She led me to the bar and grabbed Quinn’s attention. “Can you whip up a little something for the bride?”

  “Sure.” He grabbed a glass and poured in drinks from several bottles.

  I watched, curious. He brought over a lavender-colored concoction. “What’s this?”

  “Just try it.”

  It was a strange mixture of sweet and bitter, but I liked it. The bubbles tickled going down and a warm energy buzzed around, relaxing me—as strange as that sounded. I turned to Quinn. “What is it?”

  “A little something I save for special occasions.”

  I felt light-headed for a moment, and then everything came into sharp focus. The music came to life and the aromas of the many flowers all clung to me. My love for Toby exploded within my chest.

  “Are you okay?” asked my mother.

  A butterfly danced behind her. I craned my neck for a better view.

  “It’s something of a love potion,” Quinn said. “It has interesting side effects for a few moments when someone drinks it on any other day besides Valentine’s Day.”

  “You think she needs a love potion?”

  I reached for the butterfly.

  “It merely intensifies feelings that already exist and provides some relaxation—which I thought she could use after the day she’s had.”

  The butterfly disappeared, the music grew softer, and the floral scents faded.

  I shook my head to clear it. “What just happened?”

  The music’s tempo picked up.

  “That would be your cue.” Quinn smiled. “Knock ’em dead.”

  “Don’t say that!” I glared at him.

  He and my mom both laughed.

  Tap came over and held out his hand. “Are you ready?”

  “You have no idea.” I kissed my mom on the cheek and then looped my arm through Tap’s for the second time that day.

  “Grab your seat,” Tap whispered to my mom.

  She hurried into the other room. Tap and I waited a minute before heading back to the aisle. The room looked exactly the same as it had before. Guests filled the room beyond the capacity of the chairs. Not a trace of evidence remained from the werewolf who’d arrived, wanting to kill everyone in sight.

  We walked down the aisle again. My gaze landed on Toby, as gorgeous as ever. His face lit up and I grinned. It was a good thing Tap held onto my arm because I was ready to run down the aisle and skip all formalities. We finally made it to the platform. Soleil asked who gave me away, and Tap once again answered.

  I joined Toby, unable to focus on anything else. In the background, Soleil spoke of love, trials, and tribulations.

  “These two have a love that will last—just look at what they’ve overcome tonight alone. That doesn’t even take into account the last few months or centuries. But we know that, and these two lovebirds are eager for me to declare them husband and wife. Everyone’s already heard my speech, so what’s say we skip ahead to the good stuff?” She turned to Toby and me.

  Toby arched a brow. I nodded. He squeezed my hands and turned back to Soleil. “Sounds great.”

  Waves of chuckles ran through the audience.

  “Who has the rings?” Soleil asked.

  Jet stepped forward and handed Toby mine. Ziamara held out Toby’s for me.

  Soleil smiled at me and then Toby. “You two wrote your own vows, right?”

  The corners of my mouth twitched as I held in a laugh. “We did.”

  “Phew.” Soleil wiped her brows. “I was worried for a moment.”

  The guests chuckled again.

  Soleil turned to Toby. “You first.”

  Toby kissed my right hand. “I’m thrilled to take you as my wife, my partner in this grand adventure called life. I give you my full love, my deepest devotion, and my most tender care. We’ve already been through so much, and our future is uncertain. The one thing I can guarantee you is that I will forever be at your side. I promise to love you, honor, respect and cherish you as long as we both breathe. From this day forward, you will never walk alone as my heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home.”

  I swallowed and blinked back tears. How was I supposed to remember what I wrote after that? I cleared my throat and squeezed his hands. “You are my everything—the answer to all my hopes and wishes. I couldn’t be more excited about starting our lives together. I’ve always admired everything about you, from your fierce loyalty to your unyielding bravery. I promise to always appreciate you, to encourage you, and to stand at your side every day. I’ll take care of you when you’re sick and be your biggest fan, always making you feel as stunningly wonderful as I know you are.”

  Tears shone in his eyes. I blinked back more of my own. Toby held out my ring and slid it carefully onto my finger. I stared at it, tears blurring my vision.

  We were almost married.

  I took his hand, and shaking, I slid on his wedding band. Our two ringed fingers took my breath away. I blinked the tears, spilling them onto my face, and met Toby’s gaze. His eyes held every emotion I felt.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife!” Soleil’s voice reminded me that Toby and I weren’t alone.

  He rested his palms on my face and pressed his soft, minty mouth on mine, transporting me to a place where only we existed. Clapping and whistles brought me back to the wedding. Toby pulled away, and I stared at him, breathless.

  Soleil took each of our hands. “I get to introduce to you, for the first time ever, Tobias and Victoria Foley!” She raised our hands high into the air. The guests burst into applause and rose to their feet. I scanned the crowd, finding so many faces of loved ones. My heart felt as though it might explode with joy.

  “Time to party! I mean, celebrate these two lovebirds.” Soleil laughed and let go of our hands. She nudged us toward the aisle. “You guys head down to Tap’s quarters for some kissy-kissy time while the rest of us set up this place for feasting and dancing. Take all the time you need—this party’s going to last for days!”

  Heat filled my cheeks, but before I had a chance to respond, Toby took my hand and led me off the platform. We walked down the aisle as our friends and family cheered, waved, and grinned. A few gave us high-fives.

  Toby led me down the stairs. My ears rang as they adjusted to the sudden silence. We went down a hallway I’d never ventured to before.

  “Where are we going?” My voice echoed around us.

  “You’ll see.”

  “To a special kissy-kissy place?” I teased.

  He smiled at me devilishly but said nothing. My heart raced. He stopped in front of a door with an old-fashioned knocker. It looked like the carved head of a Muppet. Toby turned the knob and stepped in before me. He pulled me in and held me close.

  The first thing I noticed was a fountain taller than Toby. Water cascaded down three levels, over carved images of fish and mermaids. Behind that loomed three flowered trees. The room smelled of an array of exotic florals. The rest of the room was filled with various artwork of couples in love—a painting of two people kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower, a sculpture of lovers embraced, and more. Off to the side sat a couch big enough to be a bed that had an ancient Roman look.

  “What is this place?” I whispered.

  Toby turned to me, placed his hands at the small of my back, and pressed me against himself. “This is the room Tap shared with his wife. He’s only ever told two others about it. He wants us to enjoy it.”

  My pulse raced through my body and drummed in my ears. Toby stared at me with desire like I’d never seen before. He reached over and locked the door before running his fingertip along the side of my face. He kissed my neck, trailing up to my ear, and over to my mouth, taking full possession of it. I opened my mouth and our tongues danced together.

  He pressed me against the nearest wall and lightly ran hands down my side, exploring in ways he never had before. I gasped and reached for his tie, loosening it. I threw it to the side and unbuttoned his top button, then the next and the next, with all the excitement of unwrapping a highly-anticipated birthday present.

  Toby cupped my chin and pulled away from the kiss. “Do you want to take this to the bed?”

  “More than you know.”

  Chapter 134

  Toby

  I zipped up Victoria’s dress from behind. She spun around and gazed at me adoringly, her face flushed. I brushed some hair behind her ear and kissed the corner of her eye. There was so much I wanted to say, but words failed me.

  She rubbed the skin just below my mouth. “You’ve got lipstick everywhere.”

  “Doesn’t bother me.”

  “Me, neither. We should fix it before joining the celebration, though.”

  I pulled her close. “I don’t care who sees it. We’re married now, and I have the world’s most beautiful wife.”

  “Still, I don’t want people imagining us together.”