They’re all here. Vivian. Her right-hand son, Blake, the Viking. Aaron looks like he wants to throw up and run, but he’s here, seated beside his oldest brother. Griff is looking all around for food. Chantel and Scarlett are talking rapidly, going off about each other’s dresses and the men who are in attendance tonight.
All five of Jaxon’s siblings are here tonight to celebrate with us. Except for AJ. My heart hurts for the sixteen-year-old who was thrown out into the shark-infested waters before he was ready.
At least they avenged his death.
I don’t condone the majority of what the Gray family does, but I don’t condemn them for this one thing.
I sit beside my fake husband, and the room is suddenly flooded with a dozen servers.
I can only imagine how much money Vivian must have spent on this party. The food is divine. The service is over the top. I drop my fork once, and two seconds later, another one is being handed to me by a server in white clothes. There are probably one hundred people being served dinner, and no expense was spared on their meals.
Just how much money does the Gray family run? Just how much of a financial hit is Jaxon going to take by stepping back from his mother’s business?
It doesn’t matter. I’ll do whatever it takes to provide for the two of us. I’ll go back to the casino floors every other night if I have to. I’ve made plenty of money gambling before. I’ll go make a fortune when needed.
I’m totally satisfied by the time I finish my glorious meal. I could happily go home, wherever that is, crawl into bed, curl up into Jaxon, and drift off to sleep.
But the night is young, and there are a lot of people to talk to.
This party isn’t really about us.
So, Jaxon takes my hand when we’re finished, and leads me back out into the crowd.
I put on a pretty smile. I laugh. I banter with the best of them. I tell my lies when people ask details about myself.
I work in personal security.
I’m from North Dakota.
Sadly, my parents couldn’t make it tonight.
Yes, we only met a month ago. Yes, we know we’re a little crazy.
But we are very much in love and excited for our future.
Okay, they definitely aren’t all lies.
I lean into Jaxon. It looks like I’m just being a doe-eyed new bride, but I truly am leaning on his strength. This is his world. These are his people.
As I work the crowd, as I watch my soulmate, I realize something. He has no friends. These are acquaintances. Business partners. Dealers and horse owners. But none of them appear to have a meaningful relationship with Jaxon. They are people he knows. They are friends or associates of his mother.
I’ve felt alone for such a long time. Being marooned here for a century and a half was isolating. I’ve even felt disconnected from my team that was stationed here in the desert with me.
And I realize that this is just one more reason why Jaxon and I work together.
We’ve both been alone for so long.
But now we have each other. Both of us can stand on our own. We’ve been doing it for a long time.
But here, now, we’ve got each other, and we’re stronger together.
“Don’t think either of us is going to have to worry about money for a while,” Jaxon says as he leans down to breathe into my ear. When I look up, confused, he nods toward a table just inside the main doors. It’s covered in wrapped gifts. There is a basket for cards, and it’s overflowing.
These people might not be close to Jaxon personally, but perhaps they know what Mama Vivian will think of them if they skimp out on their wedding gifts to her son.
“Great,” I joke. “Think of all those thank you cards we’re going to have to write.”
Jaxon just laughs and pulls me in closer, pressing a kiss to my temple.
A photographer steps in front of us and snaps a picture.
She’s been taking pictures all night long.
Surprisingly, I really want to see the pictures later. I want a beautifully cheesy one to hang above my mantel, and I absolutely don’t have a mantel. But I kind of want one.
“I’ll have all the gifts brought to your room tonight,” Vivian says as she walks over, taking a break from the crowd she has accumulated. “Since you seem intent not to tell me where the two of you will be living.”
“You’re making this more of a thing than it needs to be, mother,” Jaxon says.
Every time she walks within a five-foot vicinity of him, his skin goes raging hot.
“I’m just going to miss you,” she says, drawing innocence on her face. “You’re my son. And I just want to make sure I get the opportunity to get to know you, Serena.” She arranges her face into a pleasant smile. “I was thinking. What if we took a girl’s weekend next month? That would give us the chance to really talk and get to know one another.”
The possible outcomes of this go flipping through my brain in an instant. I must be careful with every move I make around this woman.
It would really help if Jaxon knew what he was going to do about his mother, considering she’s possessed and has embraced the dusk.
“I would love to, Vivian,” I answer. Because if it comes down to it, this might grant me an opportunity to get her alone and take care of the problem myself if I have to. “Let’s plan on it.”
She smiles coldly and turns to greet more guests.
I turn to Jaxon. “Any idea how you’re going to proceed yet?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. It’s not that simple considering the reach she has. And, you know, the fact that she has six living children.”
I let out a breath.
That’s what I thought.
So, for now, I need to somehow enjoy the moment.
“Come on,” I say as I take both of Jaxon’s hands. “How about we have our first dance?”
That makes him smile. Because this certainly isn’t our first dance.
But I love to dance. Jaxon knows this. And it’s how this all began.
I pull him to the empty open space in front of the band. The crowd isn’t paying us much attention, but thankfully the orchestra is.
They shift seamlessly, and I smile as I wrap my arms behind Jaxon’s neck. He stares at me with those green eyes as he places his hands low on my back. Finally, right now, he is a normal temperature.
It comes easily. We are no longer darkling and ultralight. We’re just Serena and Jaxon. Just two people who are in love who are celebrating that love tonight.
I lean forward and rest my forehead against Jaxon’s.
The crowd has caught on. I can hear the others gathering around and talking quietly. My hearing is exceptional, so I catch little conversations talking about how they’ve never seen Jaxon so happy, how I’m obviously good for him.
I hope so. I hope I’m good for him. He’s good for me.
I’m happy. And it’s been forever since I was happy.
I focus on the sound of Jaxon’s heart beating. It’s slow, steady. He’s relaxed. And I vow to myself that I’ll do whatever it takes to make him happy.
As the song crescendos toward the end, I look up and Jaxon dips his head, pressing his lips to mine. I smile against his lips and hold onto this last moment before we have to put on a front again.
“If I may interrupt.”
I pull away from Jaxon and find Vivian standing right next to us. She’s carefully composed her face into a smile. She almost pulls off the expression of hope.