To Live and To Love (Black Wolf Agency Book 1) (12 page)

The Beginning of a New Life

* A Month Later *

It was the day before the wedding. They had all the plans in order; the minister, the location, the decorations, everything. Kate asked Yvonne if she wanted to be her maid of honor. She gladly accepted, and was a big help with the preparations for the wedding. In addition to helping with everything, Yvonne insisted that Kate and James take a week off from work before the wedding, and another two weeks off afterward for their honeymoon.

Shortly after they announced their engagement to Yvonne and Charlie, Yvonne offered Kate a job with
Black Wolf Agency
as the head of vampire management, which was ironic, but she gladly accepted it. Kate told James that the job sounded appealing, but it didn’t matter what she did in life, as long as she got to spend her time with him. That gave him such a wonderful feeling.

When James woke up, Kate wasn’t in the bed. He went to look for her and discovered that she was in the bathroom.

“Kate? Are you alright?” he asked loudly so she could hear him through the closed door. The door opened only a second later, and she walked out slowly.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered, a little distracted.

“Are you sure? What’s on your mind?” Something was wrong he could feel it. ‘
God, I hope she hasn’t changed her mind,
’
he said to himself.

“Nothing, I’m fine. What about you? How are you doing this fine morning, sweetheart?” she asked, a smile suddenly appearing on her face, as she seemed to snap back to reality.

“I’m doing great. I’m so excited that we’re getting married tomorrow. How about you? Are you looking forward to married life?”

“Yes, more than ever. I’ve waited my whole life for you,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.

“So, are you planning to have a bachelorette party tonight?”

“No, how about you? Are you having a bachelor party?”

“No, if it’s alright with you, we could have our own party here instead,” he suggested. “You could even do a strip tease. I wouldn’t mind in the least.”

“That sounds wonderful, under one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re not allowed to see my wedding dress. Not even any pictures of it. It’s bad luck. Wait, make that two things. The second, I will do a strip tease, if you do one for me.”

Laughing, James said, “We’re going to have such a wonderful life together, Kate.”

“Yes, we will, and we’ll enjoy every moment of it,” she said with a smug look on her face.

That day went by like a breeze. They spent most of their time outside, enjoying the sunny, clear day. People looked at them strangely because they were dressed in light, comfortable clothing, rather than bundled up with coats and scarves on such a chilly day. They didn’t care what anyone thought; they barely noticed the attention they were receiving from anyone. They were in their own little world, enjoying every moment of each other’s company.

When the sun went down, the happy couple ventured home and prepared two large, delicious steak dinners, their new favorite food. After they finished their meal, they brushed their teeth, took a shower together, and were ready to head to bed.

“It’s only 8 o’clock, and we’re already in bed. If anyone hears about this, they’ll compare us to a senior couple,” James laughed. Kate laughed in response. He loved to hear her laugh.

“The only difference is they’d actually be going to sleep,” she said, kissing him. This kiss wasn’t as passionate as usual. It was a softer, sweeter kiss. James knew something was on her mind.

“Is everything alright, honey?” he asked her, concerned. “Is there anything you need to talk about?”

“Actually, yes, I have something to tell you, James.”

She sat up to look at him, and he could see the worry in her eyes.

Concerned, he sat up, so he was face-to-face with her and asked, “What is it? What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Promise you won’t freak out?”

“Yes, I promise. I don’t know for how long if you don’t start talking. What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

She took a deep breath and sighed.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispered. She was afraid of what his reaction would be.

“What? Really?! I didn’t know that was possible!” he was freaking out. Thank God not in the way she feared he would. “Holy shit!!! We’re really going to parents? We. Are. Really. Going to be parents?! I’m actually going to be a daddy?”

“I didn’t think it was possible either, to be honest. Vampires are infertile, so I got used to the idea of never having children. I had no idea that werewolves could reproduce. I never even considered the possibility, until I started feeling the symptoms a couple of days ago. So, yes, we are going to be parents and yes, you are going to be a daddy.”

He sat there for a moment, dazed and in shock. Kate spoke again, bringing his mind back to reality.

“You’re not angry are you?” she asked in a sweet and innocent tone of voice.

He smiled at her, his gaze meeting her gorgeous, gentle eyes. “No, not at all, honey. I know I freaked out there for a minute. It’s just, out of all the things for you to say, that one never entered my mind. But how could I be mad at you, especially for something like this? To tell you the truth, this is a big surprise. Honestly, I think this is wonderful news. I always dreamed of having kids one day, and having them with you is definitely a dream come true.”

“Aww, really?” she said. James could tell she was excited and truly happy. She lay down and stared up at the ceiling with a bright smile on her face, her cheeks a rosy pink.

“Yes, and that’s the honest truth.” He took her hand in his, caressing it softly. She looked over at him, her face still lit with happiness. She noticed his smile matched hers.

“I’m so glad you feel that way. I was afraid this would change things between us.”

“Well, it will certainly change things, but definitely in a good way.” He lay down next to her, pulling her close, so they could cuddle. He gently laid his hand on her abdomen, where their baby was growing inside of her, directly under her beating heart. He let their future play out in his mind… and what a beautiful future it would be.

The feeling of her placing her soft hand upon his brought his mind back to the present time. When she looked at him, he knew that she was also imagining the same thing.

“You know, just the thought of being a mother gives me goose bumps,” she said and then added, “in a good way. I thought about having kids when I was still human, but once I became a vampire, well, I gave up on the idea.”

“Well, now that you’re a werewolf, we can have as many wolf babies as you want,” he said, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes, looking at him like he was crazy. “I know the feeling you’re talking about; it makes you ask yourself a whole lot of questions. How am I going to care for something so small? Will I be a good parent? What happens to him or her if we’re not?”

“One baby at a time, honey. And please stop fretting. We’ll be great parents. You’ll be an excellent dad. We will just have to take this a day at a time and try not to let it overwhelm us.” She was not going to be able to take it if he started to freak out again.

“Hmm, I wonder what werewolf babies look like,” he thought out loud.

“Me, too,” she replied casually. Suddenly, a very frightened look appeared on her face. “What if we have a wolf pup instead of an actual baby?”

“If that happens, I know we will have seen it all,” he laughed. She wasn’t laughing, however. In fact, she looked terrified and on the verge of crying, and he completely understood why. “It’s alright, sweetie. Whatever happens, happens. No matter if our baby looks like a human or a wolf, we’ll still love him or her. They’ll still be our son or daughter.”

Kate sighed, smiled, and said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t worry. As long as he or she is healthy.” However, then again, he wouldn’t be the one to be giving birth to a puppy. She had to try to erase that thought from her mind before she was the one freaking out.

“Those are exactly my thoughts.”

They lay there for a few moments in silence, except for an occasional happy sigh from one of them, mostly Kate. It was obvious that she was as overwhelmed with excitement as he was, probably even more.

“Just curious,” she said, rolling onto her side to face him, grinning at him mischievously. “Has all this baby talk ruined your mood?”

“Not in the least.” He grinned and leaned in for a kiss, a kiss that quickly turned into playful love making.

Now that Kate was a werewolf, they both enjoyed being intimate with each other more than ever. Kate couldn’t get enough of James’s kisses and caresses on her warm skin, her heart racing in response to every way he pleased her.

James loved the way she smelled, her sweet fragrance no longer laced with the tangy scent of blood. He couldn’t get enough of her. He loved the way her warm lips and skin felt against his mouth, and the way her lips left a trail of kisses along his skin. The way he felt when he was inside her was incredible, her warmth enveloping him.

No, expecting a baby did not change this particular aspect of their life. The news about her pregnancy, and the fact that it was the night before their wedding, filled them with even more happiness and excitement. This was only the beginning of their long, happy life together, and they planned on making the most out of every kiss, every touch, and every moment of their existence together.

They didn’t go to sleep that night until a couple of hours later, when Kate told him she was exhausted. After making love, they cuddled for a little while; something they both enjoyed a lot. Then Kate fell asleep, and James simply lay there with her in his arms, thankful in every way for the life they had ended up with and happy with the choices he made along the way. He stared at his beautiful fiancée until he drifted off to sleep as well.

From Now Until Eternity

Kate and James were so excited that their wedding day had finally arrived. It had been only a month since they got engaged, but the anticipation made it seem a lot longer. Though, the time they spent together seemed to have flown by so fast.

They decided to wait until the wedding reception to tell everyone about the baby. It seemed like the perfect time, and everyone they knew and cared about would be there to hear the good news, including James’s mother, who they were glad was able to make the trip from Florida. Kate had been looking forward to meeting her.

Amazingly enough, Kate managed to keep her wedding dress, and even pictures of it, out of James’s sight. Yvonne had helped her pick out the dress one afternoon about three weeks ago and offered to hold onto it at her apartment, until the day of the wedding. She seemed even more excited than Kate to go shopping for a dress. She offered her honest opinion about each one Kate picked out. The sixth and last one she tried on was perfect. Yvonne told her she looked dazzling in it. It was a very beautiful dress, but nothing like the old French style dress Kate would’ve tried to pick out. This was indeed much better, and far simpler. It looked like a normal, white, formal dress with thin shoulder straps and a beautiful, sparkling bodice. Kate knew this dress would be practical for walking and dancing in, compared to a more traditional wedding dress.

Finally, it came time to put on the dress. Once she put it on, Yvonne helped by zipping the back for her. Kate turned around with a smile on her face. With her smile and beautiful dress combined, she simply glowed and sparkled with beauty.

“You look amazing! You make such a beautiful bride,” Yvonne said excitedly, just like Kate’s own mother would have.

“Thank you, so do you,” Kate sighed happily. She thought Yvonne looked gorgeous in her long, lavender dress.

“You know, every day I think to myself how lucky James is to be with such a wonderful woman like you. You know how special he is to me. I always treated him like he was my own son, especially since his father died when he was so young and even more after his mother moved to Florida a few years ago. And now I am getting a daughter, too.” Her eyes were overflowing with tears; by the time she finished talking.

“Aww, you’re so sweet, Yvonne. I know James is special to you. I can see it in your eyes every time you talk about him. I would be honored to be considered you daughter.” She leaned in and gave Yvonne a huge hug. It took all of Kate’s strength to fight back her own tears before she messed up her makeup. She wanted to look her best for James.

“Are you ready to leave?” Yvonne said, pulling back out of Kate’s embrace.

“Yes, more than ever.” Kate couldn’t wait to get to the park and finally become James’s wife.

They left Yvonne’s apartment and rode in her car over to Central Park. They parked as close as they could, while staying out of view.

The walk there was secluded until they were a very short distance away from the crowd. Yvonne walked ahead of Kate slowly, and the beautiful music from the violins and harp started to play, almost bringing tears to her eyes once again.

Everyone stared at Kate with smiles on their faces as she slowly walked up the aisle. She barely noticed them. She only saw the one person that was truly meant for her; James.

He looked more handsome than ever in his tuxedo, smiling at her as he and the minister stood under the massive oak tree that she and James loved to visit.

‘
Yes, I agree with him. This is the best place in the entire world to get married,
’ she thought. It was a very special place to them, not to mention the beautiful scenery. It was chilly that day, but there was no snow on the ground. The sun shined down on them and the lake next to them sparkled like diamonds, as the faintest breeze rippled on the water’s sunlit surface.

As Kate stepped up in front of James and faced him, he gently took both of her hands in his. They smiled, unable to take their eyes off of each other, even when the minister started to speak.

“We are gathered here today to witness this holy union between James Gray and Katherine Rousseau. If anyone objects to this couple being wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Kate glanced at the crowd and saw James’s mother, Evelyn seated next to Damian, Devon, Lin, and Lucius; who she and James were glad to see had made the journey all the way from France to come to their wedding. Evelyn was indeed crying as James expected she would be.

“Very well,” said the minister with a smile. “James, you may recite your vows.”

James’s eyes locked onto Kate’s, and he smiled.

“Kate, ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew that you were the woman of my dreams. And when I started to fall in love with you, I knew you were my soul mate. You are the most beautiful woman in existence, both inside and out. Being with you brings me more happiness than anything else in the world. I promise to be by your side, in sickness and in health, and I will do anything for you, even give my own life to save you. I am forever yours, Katherine Rousseau.”

Kate barely noticed the tears escaping from her eyes as he slipped the shiny, white-gold, diamond wedding band on her finger, right beside her brilliant engagement ring. They matched perfectly.

Kate heard the three female guests, Evelyn, Lin, and Yvonne crying. Then Evelyn whispered to Damian in her Brooklyn accent, “I can’t believe my son is finally getting married!”

“Kate, you may recite your vows,” said the minister.

“James, I knew we belonged together from the moment I met you. I have never in my life met someone as kind, and gentle as you. I will never be more thankful than when you saved my life, and I will never be as happy as I am now by your side. My soul is yours, from now until eternity. Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi. Je t’aime. I can’t live without you. I love you, James Gray.”

She slipped his white gold, diamond accented wedding band on his finger, and as she took both of his hands in hers, he gazed up at her, his own eyes glazing over with tears as a brilliant smile spread across his face. He whispered, “I love you.”

She whispered back to him, “I love you, too.”

“By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

James held Kate’s face and kissed her with such passion that it sent shivers down her spine. When she was young, she never dreamed her wedding kiss would be this spectacular, and her first wedding kiss hadn’t been. This one was so amazing; she suddenly became completely unaware of the people around them, and all of their surroundings. At that very moment, there was only one person in the entire world for both of them. It didn’t matter what they had, where they were, or what they were, as long as they had each other, which was all that mattered. They could have lived forever in that perfect moment.

When the kiss ended, so did their special moment, but they smiled at each other, knowing there would be plenty more moments like that to come. Everyone in the small crowd stood up and clapped and cheered loudly. Kate and James saw that Evelyn, Lin, and Yvonne were still crying.

James grinned at Kate and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her past all of their guests to the limo that was parked nearby, waiting for them. Once he set her down carefully in the back seat, he sat down beside her and closed the door. Grinning at her, he closed the privacy glass between them and the limo driver, so they could continue their kiss where they had left off.

Far too soon, the limo came to a stop outside the small restaurant where they were having their wedding reception. Kate didn’t want to see anyone else but James for the rest of the night. James was feeling the same way, but they had to thank their guests for coming and for the wedding gifts. Besides, they would have plenty of quality alone time later.

Before they got out of the limo, Kate checked her makeup and hair in the mirror and James straightened his clothes. He opened the door and helped her out of the car like a gentleman, holding her hand all the way into the building.

It wasn’t a fancy reception. Neither of them wanted that. They wanted something simple, especially since they had only invited a few guests.

“That was so beautiful!” said Yvonne, coming up to them immediately as they entered the building. She wore a big smile on her face and still looked like she was on the verge of tears, as she hugged them both. “You make such a perfect couple.”

“Thank you, Yvonne,” said Kate, kissing her on the cheek.

“So how does it feel to be married?”

“Wonderful,” they said in unison. Everyone laughed.

“You are by far the cutest couple I’ve ever seen! The way your eyes sparkle when you look at each other is just amazing, not to mention the rest of the things that make you so compatible.”

“Thank you, Yvonne,” said Kate. “You’re such a sweetheart.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” said James, smiling as he held Yvonne in a tight embrace. “Thank you for everything.”

As James and Yvonne separated from their hug, Kate saw another guest approaching them out of the corner of her eye. She looked his way and saw it was Lucius. She had noticed during the wedding how handsome he looked. He looked like a completely different man from when they had seen him in France. He was now clean-shaven, his slightly grayed hair was combed back neatly, and he wore a tuxedo and shiny black shoes.

“Looking good, Lucius!” said James, impressed by his change in appearance as well.

“Thank you, James. You both look stunning, especially your wife,” he said, smiling at Kate. “You look like you walked out of a dream.”

“Thank you, Lucius,” she said, blushing. “And thank you for coming. I know it was a long journey for you from France.”

“Wait, is this one of the people you went to visit in France?” asked Yvonne. When she glanced in another direction for a second, Lucius looked her over briefly. He then smiled and looked away before she caught him. Because Lucius was converted to a werewolf when he was in his early forties, they appeared to be about the same age as Yvonne. Kate learned that and a few other things about him, through word-of-mouth from other vampires in past years.

“Yes, he is,” answered James.

“I’m sort of related to him, in a way,” Kate added.

“Really?” Yvonne replied, looking him over. “I guess good looks run in the family then.”

“Why, thank you, madam. You’re quite gorgeous yourself,” said Lucius, taking Yvonne’s hand and placing a soft kiss upon it.

Yvonne blushed, giggled, and said, “Thank you.”

“May I buy you a drink?” he asked her.

“Sure, that would be wonderful,” she replied with a smile as they walked away, hand in hand.

“Wow!” Kate said in almost a whisper, shocked.

“I know!” said James, as shocked as she was. “Lucius and Yvonne?! Who would’ve guessed that would happen?”

“Well, you’ve got to admit; they’d be a very cute couple.”

“Yes, they are. This further proves that the universe works in very mysterious ways.”

“You’re right. It sure does.”

The reception was going well. It was great for Kate to finally meet James’s mother.

“Wow, my son sure found a winner!” said Evelyn as she walked up to Kate and James. “You’re gorgeous! And if you’re half as nice as you are beautiful, James is the luckiest man in the world.”

“Thanks, mom,” said James, smiling. Yes, he definitely considered himself to be the luckiest man in the world.

“Thank you,” said Kate, blushing. Yes, she could finally blush again. Being a vampire, she never had any sort of red pigment to her skin. “It’s nice finally getting to meet you, Mrs. Gray.”

“Aww, call me mom,” she said, hugging her.

Apparently, Evelyn seemed to approve of Kate as James’s choice for a wife. She was glad his mom was so welcoming, even though they had just met. Evelyn was full of excitement, gave many hugs and kisses, and even a few more tears of joy. Now that James and Kate were expecting a child of their own, she understood how Evelyn would be so happy for her son.

‘
Speaking of which, that reminds me.
’ Kate thought, as her face lit up with a bright smile.

“Excuse us, everyone!” she said to the crowd. Everyone quieted down immediately to pay attention to the bride. “First of all, we would like to thank you all for coming to our wedding. James and I have something we’d like to share with you.” She paused briefly, taking a deep breath. They all waited with looks of curiosity and anticipation on their faces. “We’re having a baby!”