We had to get a marriage license.
She frowned. “I don’t want to do it under our fake names.”
“Neither do I.” I pulled up in front of the courthouse, letting the engine run. “But it’s too risky to use our real names. Besides, we’ll need the marriage license under our useable ID. You and I will always know the difference.”
She nodded and grabbed the door handle, but her fingers slipped off. “You’re right. Well, let’s do this.”
“Hey.” I stopped her. “You’re sure, right? You want this?”
She faced me. “I’m positive. I want this. I’m just nervous.” Leaning in, she tipped her head to the side and kissed me. The edge of her hat brushed my cheek. “I love you. This…this feels right.”
Air punched from my lungs. “It does.”
Sixty dollars later, we had a marriage license in hand, and we were en route to the chapel on the Boulevard. Since our fake IDs were under the images of our real selves, I’d have to change back over once we pulled into the parking lot.
The whole drive, I kept an eye out for anyone suspicious. The problem with that was that everyone looked suspicious to me at the moment. Even as early as it was, the streets were teeming with tourists and people heading to work. I knew there could be implants anywhere, but I doubted there’d be one dressed as Elvis or hidden in a chapel.
Kat squeezed my arm when the sign for the chapel came into view. The heart on the side was a nice, gaudy touch. “The Little White Wedding Chapel isn’t so little,” she said as I turned into the parking lot.
I parked the car, and as I pulled the keys out of the ignition, I slid back into the form Kat was accustomed to.
An amused smile lit her face. “Better.”
“I thought the other guy was hot?”
“Not as hot as you.” She patted my knee, then pulled back. “I’ve got the license.”
Turning to the window, I almost couldn’t believe that we were here. Not that I was having second thoughts or anything, but I couldn’t believe we were actually doing this, that in an hour or so, we’d be man and wife.
Or Luxen and hybrid.
We hurried inside and met with the “wedding planner.” Handing over our license, IDs, and the fee, we got the ball rolling. The bleach-blonde behind the counter tried selling us every package they had, including the ones where we could rent a tux and gown.
Kat shook her head. She’d taken off the hat and sunglasses. “We just need someone to marry us. That’s all.”
The blonde flashed an ultra-white smile as she leaned against the counter. “You two lovebirds in a hurry?”
I dropped an arm over Kat’s shoulders. “You could say that.”
“If you just want something quick, no bells and whistles or a witness, then we have Minister Lincoln. He’s not included in the fee, so we do ask for a donation.”
“Sounds good.” I bent down, brushing my lips along Kat’s temple. “You want anything else? If so, we’ll do it. Whatever it is.”
Kat shook her head. “I just want you. That’s all we need.”
I smiled and glanced at the blonde. “Well, there you go.”
The woman stood. “You two are adorable. Follow me.”
Kat bumped me with her hip as we trailed behind the blonde entering the “Tunnel of Love”—and boy did I have a ton of nasty comments building up in me about the name of that. I’d save them for later.
Minister Lincoln was an older man who looked more like a grandfather than some guy who married people on a whim in Vegas. We chatted with him for a few minutes, and then we had to wait for another twenty while he finished up a few things. The delays were starting to make me paranoid, and I expected an army to storm the chapel any second. I needed a distraction.
I pulled Kat onto my lap and circled my arms around her waist. While we waited, I told her about the ceremonies my kind did, which were very much like a human wedding with the exception of rings.
“Is there anything you do in its place?” she asked.
Tucking her hair back behind her ear, I smiled a little. “You’ll think it’s gross.”
“I want to know.”
My hand lingered along the curve of her neck. “It’s kind of like a blood oath. We’re in our true form.” I kept my voice low, just in case anyone was listening, though I was sure stranger things were heard in the Tunnel of Love. “Our fingers are pricked and pressed together. That’s about it.”
She lightly stroked my hand. “That’s not too gross. I was expecting you to say something like you have to run around naked or consummate the relationship in front of everyone.”
I dropped my head to her shoulder and laughed. “You have such a dirty mind, Kitten. That’s why I love you.”
“That’s all?” She wiggled down so that her cheek was beside mine.
My grip tightened. “You know better than that.”
“Can we do it—what your kind does—later?” she asked, tapping her finger on my chest. “When things die down?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“It is. I think that would make it more real, you know?”
“Miss Whitt? Mr. Rowe?” The blonde appeared at the opened doors. I was sure the tan chick had a name but couldn’t recall it for the life of me. “We’re ready when you are.”
Hoisting Kat to her feet, I took her hand. The chapel portion was actually pretty nice. Enough room if you wanted people to be there. White roses were everywhere—on the ends of the pews, bouquets of them in the corners and hanging from the ceiling and placed upon the pedestals at the front. Minister Lincoln stood between the pedestals, holding a bible in his hand. He smiled when he saw us.
Our steps made no sound on the red carpet. Actually, we could’ve been stomping our feet and I wouldn’t have heard it over the pounding of my heart. We stopped in front of the minister. He said something. I nodded. God only knew what it was. We were told to face each other, and we did, our hands joined.
Minister Lincoln kept talking, but it was like Charlie Brown’s teacher, because I didn’t understand a single word of it. My gaze was locked on Kat’s face, my attention focused on the feel of her hands in mine and the warmth of her body next to me. At some point I heard the important words.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
I think my heart exploded. Kat was staring up at me, her gray eyes wide and misty. For a moment, I couldn’t move. Like I was frozen for a precious few seconds, and then I was moving, cupping her cheeks and tilting her head back. I kissed her. I’d kissed her at least a thousand times before this, but this one—oh, yeah—this one was different. The touch and taste of her reached down into me and branded my soul.
“I love you,” I said, kissing her. “I love you so very much.”
She gripped my sides. “And I love you.”
Before I knew it, I was smiling, and then I was laughing like an idiot, but I didn’t care. I pulled her into my arms, cradling her head against my chest. Our hearts were racing, beating in tandem—we were in tandem. And in that moment, it seemed like everything we’d been through, everything we’d lost and had to give up, was worth it. This was what mattered—would always matter the most.
Chapter 26
Katy
Feeling like one of those cartoon characters that daintily raised a leg when she was kissed by Prince Charming, I was dizzy with happiness and absolutely swept off my feet in a way I never believed possible. It was just a piece of paper I clenched in my hand. A certificate of marriage between two names that weren’t even real.
But it meant the world.
It meant everything.
I couldn’t stop smiling, nor could I get the emotional lump out of my throat. Since we’d exchanged vows, I’d been in a constant state of almost crying. Daemon probably thought I was insane.