United Eden (10 page)

My cheeks flushed to ful red as I tried to force composure. I was going to face whatever future the Council had set before me with strength and courage. My eyes flitted back to Wil iam and he was already side-stepping around the table in anticipation, he was that confident it was him. At the same time I noticed a shifting in a seat a table over. It was kind of hard to miss it with the blaring white tux he was exhibiting. His hands braced over the table, preparing to rise . . . he was that confident it was him.

No matter what the outcome was, one person was going to leave heart-broken. I would have given anything to keep both Patrick and Wil iam from heartache, but there was only one who would crush my soul to see in such a state.

Charles continued, choosing to play ignorant of his sons assured movements, Have I inserted enough of a dramatic pause? He grinned into the folds of the paper in his hand as another shot of laughter rol ed through the crowd of Immortals on the edge of their seats.

Mr. . . . I heard the col ective holding of breath throughout the entire tent as I took my own. Charles eyes lifted, right into mine, and he smiled. One that was warm and welcoming, one Id never seen turned in my direction. I knew who the name was a heartbeat before it fel from Charles mouth.

Wil iam Hayward.

My knees gave out beneath me along with the rest of me. Thankful y, my chair caught me before the ground did. There was an explosion of clapping and a few hol ers of congratulations thrown out, but the only thing I real y took notice of was Wil iams victorious figure coming for me. And he wasnt walking towards our eternity together, he was running.

He was lifting me off the chair and carrying me out to the dance floor before I had a chance to replay the name that had been cal ed out in my head. Wil iam.
William . . .
and me. Betrothed.

Wil iam lowered me to the floor, slowly and intimately and, before I could do a stupification clearing of my head with a few shakes, his lips were on mine, unyielding and unrestrained. That was a more effective means of clearing my mind and, despite my state of shock, I did what any self-respecting Immortal girl would have . . . I gripped my fingers in his shirt, pul ed him closer, and kissed him harder.

The room exploded with hoots and hol ers, cheering us on. A few more seconds of mind-numbing kissing ensued before Wil iam released me.

His eyes were sparkling as I saw the reflection of my own doing the same. Dance with me? he whispered, running his hand down my back until it fitted over my hip. Forever? he added while I ran my hand down his arm until it folded into his.

And then some, was my only answer as he pul ed me tightly to him, leading me across the dance floor as only he could.

The room ratcheted up a few levels in noise; it had to be nearing the crystal shattering point. As I scanned the room, not a single body wasnt cheering or jumping up and down, the Hayward table the wildest of them al .

Except for one.

Patricks eyes found me, gripping mine to him, wanting me to see the genuineness on his face. He nodded once as a smile broke slowly over his face. Folding his hands into his pockets, he turned to walk away and was swal owed whole by the crowd.

CHAPTER SEVEN

BETROTHED . . . AGAIN

I hadnt been out of Wil iams arms since I first went into them several hours back at the announcement of our Betrothal. It stil hadnt settled in yet, so whenever hed planted a lingering kiss on me, I found myself throwing a nervous glance around us because earlier this same night, wed technical y no more belonged to each other than I did to the freckle-faced boy twirling like a top beside us on the dance floor. Yet here we were, my head resting against his chest as we swayed to the music and no one cared, not even the Council. Wel , no one cared in that
you two are in so
much trouble
way.

After the first few dozen discovered Wil iam wasnt going to release me to step into their congratulatory embraces, the remainder of the crowd settled for patting him on the shoulder and a lucky few received high fives. And thered been no shortage of wel wishers since we were the only couple that had been Betrothed. Smack in the center of the limelight, the place I tried to avoid at al costs, but something about knowing this entire event had been orchestrated for nothing other than extending Wil iam and me a promise of forever made al the attention we were getting easier to be gracious about.

May I cut in? Joseph sauntered up to Wil iam and me, stil lost in our own little world. I knew separating was inevitable, but it didnt make it easier to execute. At least a dance with my future brother-in-law was one of the better reasons to leave the arms of Wil iam Hayward.

I tried pressing through Wil iams embrace and I might as wel have been banded to him by a six inch thick layer of steel. His expression was appal ed, eyeing Joseph as if hed just asked if he could drive a dagger through my heart. I thought you understood the way it was, Wil iam said to Joseph, attempting to sound severe. I wil never wil ingly surrender her into another mans arms.

Joseph was failing to hide the same smile I was holding at bay. What if she
willingly
decides to leave your arms? he asked, looking to me for some help.

Hed have to keep looking. Sorry, Joseph, I said, replacing my head against Wil iams chest. I was just promised an eternity together with this man and I take that in a strictly literal sense. Besides, I wouldnt want to go against what the Council has ordered. Id found my admiration for the Council had increased in vast quantities since their Chancel ors little announcement.

Yeah, Joseph threw his hands up in the air, turning to retrieve his wife from Hectors best attempts at waltzing. Its not like youve done nothing but approve of the Councils orders.

Hey, Wil iam cal ed over to Joseph who was in the middle of dipping Cora. No need to get al mouthy with my girl. Looking down at me, his eyes went soft. Thats my job.

When his mouth touched mine, time didnt only stand stil , it unraveled in an endless spool before us. There would be no more fleeting kisses, no more stolen moments, no more sneaking away to be alone”unless we wanted it”no more wondering if Id have to watch the man I loved spend his life with another. I sighed between our combined lips, bliss in every thought and touch.

Easy there, kil er, Nathanial said, leaning into us as he and Abigail danced their way towards us. Theres a time and place for that and the time is after your Union and the place is in your bedroom.

Abigail covered her husbands mouth. Dont listen to him. The two of you together like this . . .”she searched over us with her eyes”wel , its beautiful. Dont waste a second of it.

Not planning on it, Wil iam answered, a hand grazing up to the nape of my neck as he pul ed me back to him, his lips and hips moving with skil to the music.

So fantastic, you guys are Betrothed, Cora interjected, steering Joseph in our direction. Lets move on to important things here, like dress selection.

I sighed my exasperation against Wil iams mouth before looking over at her. Whatever grudge shed held against me for coming to the social event of the decade dressed like an outfit-impaired imbecile had melted. Wil iam opened his mouth, likely to come to my rescue, before Cora barreled ahead. We need to book our tickets, like yesterday, for New York or Milan or Paris”
Not
Paris, I warned, trying to hold back the memories of a skuzzy apartment, a skuzzier bar, and a team of Immortals sent to destroy.

Fine, fine, Cora said unaffected. Paris is overrated anyways. My point is we need to be on a plane tomorrow, select a dress tomorrow night, have it tailored and ready to go in a week tops”

Cora, I would have shaken her if it hadnt required removing my hands from where they were hitched into the back of Wil iams boardshorts. We were Betrothed like two minutes ago. Whats the rush?

The coming together of four sets of brows were the only answer I was offered.

What? I asked, growing impatient. What are you guys not tel ing me? I, of course, was already jumping to the worst conclusions.

The Betrothal period is short, Abigail began, getting high marks for bravery. Lasting only a couple weeks, if not days, before a Unity ceremony is conducted.

Id perfected the face of shock tonight, wearing it again at Abigails announcement.

With someone as notorious as Wil iam is, the Council wont want to wait long, Abigail continued more careful y. Likely due to the Immortal blood draining from my face. I give it a week, maybe ten days tops.

Cora leaned in, looking me in the eyes. Youre Betrothed to Wil iam tonight, only to be United with him in a matter of days. She was practical y squealing in her excitement. Can you believe it?

United
united, Joseph implied, his ful beam of a smile on display as he raised his arms to the roof. Woot, woot!

Ive told you a mil ion times, Joseph, Cora scolded in her usual fashion”with a smile. You are not a rapper with nothing more than a first name.

Wait, I said, unwrapping one arm from Wil iam to glom onto Coras outstretched arm. Youre tel ing me I wil be Mrs. Wil iam Hayward sometime in the next couple weeks?

Yes. Cora drew out her reply into a few syl ables, casting a concerned look at Abigail.

Whatever happened to a long engagement . . . or Betrothal?

It took a backseat when you were Betrothed to the man of your dreams, Cora answered instantly, looking me over like Id gotten a bad case of crazy fever. Its the traditional way of doing things. You recent Mortals used to do precisely the same thing before you decided to make an engagement a drawn out affair. When you know who you want to be with, why would you wait to actual y be with them?

Theres a reason for that, you know, I fired back. These kinds of events take a lot of time to plan, not to mention if you want to book a venue that doesnt include the local Dennys parking lot, you need a years lead time since anything thats worth renting is booked at least that far in advance.

I was hardly going to be one of those brides that had to have just the right everything or else . . . I didnt care just so long as Wil iam, me, and some sort of officient was there to bind us together, but I was having a tough time wrapping my mind around it being only days away”for a lot of reasons.

Since when did you turn into a walking Brides magazine? Cora snickered, glancing over at Abigail with a
can you believe this?
expression.

Come on, quit acting so conventional already. We al know you would have sawed yourself in half to be Betrothed to Wil iam and we also know youd light the mutilated leftovers on fire to be United with him. Cora leaned to the side of Josephs hold, looking expectantly at me.
United
with him! she hol ered, stomping a stilettoed heel into the dance floor.

I could feel an emotion that felt like concern growing in Wil iam. Id felt the tenseness of his body like this so many times before, except this time I was the one bringing it on. I knew he, and everyone else for that matter, had anticipated me being ready to sprint down the aisle at the first chance.

Id expected to feel the same way, but Id been so wrapped up in hoping wed end up together I hadnt spent time preparing myself for the reality of it.

Was I having second thoughts about Wil iam or wanting forever with him? Absolutely, positively not. Some days those two things felt like al the good that was left in the world.

I was doubting myself. My ability to make the man clutching me to him happy. Happy for an eternity. I didnt have prior relationship experience to navigate through the ups and downs of what wed surely face. I wasnt a skil ed cook like Cora, I wasnt experienced with every other aspect of homemaking”I did an internal cringe at the word”that Abigail executed like it was second nature.

And then, of course, there was that physical encounter I was so excited for and so terrified of. Prior to Wil iam, I hadnt even experienced a kiss with a man. How could I count on my lack of experience to fulfil al his expectations, everything I wanted to give him?

I swal owed, partly from the heat rising at the thought of it, but more from the terror of accepting how inadequate Id be. How would Wil iam wake up feeling the day after our Union when he discovered I was as satisfying as a yard tool? I nearly shuddered at the thought.

You should see your face right now, Cora said. What I wouldnt give to know what is going on up in that odd duck mind of yours. She ceased swaying back and forth in Josephs arms to take a detailed look at me. But from the dilation of your eyes and that lovely crimson color spil ing al the way down your neck, I think Ive got a good idea what youre thinking about. A grin curled up one side of his mouth. Or fantasizing about.

Cora, Wil iam warned, sounding more severe than hed likely intended.

You dont need to protect her from me, Wil iam. Im on you guys side, remember? She attached a hand to her hip. Im just trying to get to the bottom of why Bryns not dancing on the tables right now.

Wil iams body tensed up another notch, a spasm running down the val ey of his back. That was my snapping point. Cut me some slack, Cora. I scowled. A few hours ago I thought I was going to be Betrothed to . . .”I caught myself just in time”wel . . . given the Councils aptitude for upending my world, anyone else but Wil iam, I said, thankful for the recovery, until I felt Wil iams gaze heavy on me.

You did? he asked, his voice quiet.

I flinched at the joy Id just sucked out of him. I wasnt saying anything right, so maybe it was time I just sealed my mouth shut for the rest of the night until I had a few hours to calm myself down, get a four-year degree in Suzy Homemaker, and become the apprentice of a sex goddess. From my ability to pick up on these kinds of things, I should be ready to become Wil iams wife in a few decades.

Cora laughed a couple notes when I went silent again, throwing me a
you owe me
look. Turning to Wil iams, she said, You real y expected someone like Bryn, who makes worrying an Olympic event, to suddenly believe everything was going to come up roses because the Council made you guys a roundabout promise?