Kerry sighed. "Yes, Dennis is here. He even looks vaguely humanoid."
Lana rolled her eyes and discreetly stepped on Kerry's foot.
Kerry moved her foot with a strained smile. "Your flowers look great."
The organ music started up behind the closed church doors. Kelly jumped, the panic back on her face. "Oh God. I'm going to throw up, I just know it."
Lana grabbed Kelly's face. This last minute hysteria was typical Kelly. "Look at me. He loves you.
You love him. You've dreamed about this day, and that man, your whole life. You've had a crush on him since grade school! So get your ass in there and get married."
Kelly nodded, the fear fading from her face. "Right." She took a deep breath and blew it out. "I can do this."
The doors swung open, and Lana took her place in line. "Yes you can." She threw Kelly a kiss and a wink. "Here we go!"
She started down the aisle, smiling at the man standing at the altar. Dennis looked ready to puke himself, his handsome face slightly green, his eyes glued to the doors of the vestry. Beside him his best man was fidgeting, totally ignoring Dennis and the bridal procession.
Lana looked to the left, seeking out Kelly's mom, but before she could find her, she saw Chris. He was seated at the edge of the aisle, close enough to touch her. She walked past with a smile just for him. His expression was full of pride and a wistful longing that damn near brought tears to her eyes.
She bit her lip, desperately holding them back. She took her place next to the altar, behind Kerry, and looked towards the doors.
The organ music changed to the wedding march, and Kelly stepped into the doorway on the arm of her father. Lana smiled at her friend. The traditional princess-style wedding dress was stunning on her. Lana looked out of the corner of her eye to see Dennis's reaction.
Dennis, old stick in the mud Dennis, was smiling, tears in his eyes. He watched his bride walk down the aisle, so obviously in love the tears Lana had been trying to hold back slipped from her grasp. Visibly trembling, he took Kelly's hand in his, mouthing the words I love you. They turned back to the priest, Kelly relaxing, her body leaning towards her future husband's. Dennis bent his head towards his future wife protectively. Lana hoped Kerry finally understood what it was that drew Kelly and Dennis, two such opposites, together. The love between the couple was so strong she doubted anything could dim it.
Blinking the tears away, she looked over at Chris, only to find him watching her instead of the wedding. His expression held the same look she'd seen so often on Dennis's face when he looked at Kelly. Protective, possessive, it was full of some indescribable sense of awe that left her feeling bubbly and vaguely lightheaded. The butterflies were back in force, but this time they were practically rioting in the pit of her stomach.
Lana reached up and fingered the small golden wolf's head he'd slipped around her neck that morning. The delicate tingle of magic danced under her fingertips. She'd known it for a protection amulet the moment it had touched her skin. She'd been stunned to find out it was his own personal amulet, leaving him without some of his protections against Cole.
But she hadn't argued with him. The look in his eyes had been stark. "You wear this. We don't think he has anything personal of yours, but he managed to get to you anyway. If he tries again, I need to know you're protected to the best of my ability, especially while we're out in the open." He'd stroked the wolf's head, his expression fierce. "We'll both keep you safe."
She'd known he'd been talking about his wolf. The intensity he'd shown would have scared her if it had come from anyone other than Chris. She stroked his cheek, smiling when he nuzzled her. "We don't have to go. I could call Kelly, tell her I'm at death's door or something. Maybe it is too dangerous, even with all the precautions." She'd been up late the night before, working with Grammy and a curiously helpful Zach to create some protection spells they'd be able to pepper around the wedding party, church and reception. She'd already dropped some of Annabelle's sachets in the limo. The reception area was being seeded with some of the sachets and Lana's "protection water"
by Zach. Chris, Daniel and Gareth had also done their part, creating amulets for everyone to either wear or carry on them. Grammy had also done something for Gareth and Chris, but by the time she'd started it, Lana had been so tired she'd been sent to bed, exhausted from all the spellcasting.
Chris had shaken his head. "No. Besides, the boys will pout if they don't get to use the toys we came up with last night. We've done everything we can think of to make this outing safe. Enjoy it.
It might be the last one for a while."
She'd followed him out to his car, waving goodbye to the Beckett brothers already driving away.
"You really think Cole will try something?"
The look he'd shot her as they got into the car said that Chris wouldn't put it past the other man.
Frankly, neither would she. Daniel and Zachary had agreed to watch the church from the outside, one seated in his car, the other "reading" on a bench across from the steps. Gareth was driving around the neighborhood, a crystal dangling from his windshield that Grammy had spelled. Used for divining over maps, she'd fixed it so the crystal would point to the greatest personal threat towards Chris. Gareth was supposedly following whichever way that crystal swayed, keeping watch for Cole. Grammy was in the back of the church on the groom's side, both she and Christopher ready to act if Cole should try anything within the church itself. They'd agreed to repeat the pattern once they were at the reception. The only time they'd be truly vulnerable would be in transit to the reception. Chris would be driving Lana, the protections wrapped around the car the strongest they could manage, but Kelly and the rest of the wedding party would be vulnerable despite the sachets.
She hadn't had time to do a thorough protection spell on the limo itself. They just had to hope that they'd be able to keep up with it and stop anything that might try to harm the innocent mundanes riding inside.
It was all they could do in the short amount of time they had, and their best hope of catching Cole out in the open. He'd proven elusive to all of their other methods so far. All enquiries over the last two days had turned up zilch. Until they could either neutralize the threat he represented or the king officially declared someone his heir, their lives would continue to be in danger.
Chris frowned, possibly picking up on her mood, possibly for some obscure wolf reason. She watched him for a moment longer, making sure it wasn't Cole related. Relieved when he shook his head slightly, she tuned back in time to hear Dennis reciting his vows. The bride and groom kissed, to the laughter and applause of their families. She took the arm of her escort and followed the newly married couple out of the church.
* * * *
They made it to the reception without incident. It was a lavish affair, everything done in the colors of spring. Pale, multi-hued roses filled the tall vases to near overflowing, greenery draping down the sides to barely kiss the tops of the tables. Votive candles on each setting took the place of cande-labra, lending a more casual feel to the otherwise sophisticated décor. White tablecloths, white plates and silver cane back chairs were set up around the head table. Lavender-tinted lighting added another small touch of color. It was feminine without being girly, cultured without being cold, and Chris found himself enchanted. He almost pulled out his PDA to make notes but worried that he'd get too caught up in planning his own reception to guard the current one. Of course, he hoped Lana would pick a different dress than the one the current bride wore. While the poufy skirt and beaded top suited the pale blonde to a T, Lana's dark looks and lush figure called for a more simple dress. He wondered if she'd let him go shopping with her to pick it out.
Of course, that would depend on whether or not she agreed to get married. He couldn't plan a wedding with a reluctant bride, no matter how much he might wish to do so. He just hoped he'd be able to talk her into it. Marrying the woman he loved, putting that symbol on her finger that even a human could see and know that she was taken, was a dream he found himself indulging now in ways he'd never thought possible.
He wanted that final bond with her, wanted her name changed to his. Wanted the joint checking account, the mortgage, the two car garage. The children, the laughter, the fights, everything that would declare to the world that this was his mate, his wife, his family.