Playing with a Vampire
ASHER
Raya is inside the bungalow we rented on the Columbia River Gorge getting ready, while I’m outside pacing.
The view is stunning, with the river down below us and mountains in the distance, the property itself is surrounded by trees.
We wanted the most private space we could find so Reverie could come, and this place is perfect.
I stop to take in the view, trying to appreciate it. All I can think about is her though. I’d rather be staring into Raya’s eyes, letting her blinding light radiate through me, feast my senses on her beauty, rather than the beauty of the nature around me.
She’s a balm to my battered soul, and even though there are mere feet and walls between us, I feel antsy without her in my sight.
I’ve felt broken for most of my life; a secret disappointment to Claude and Estelle for the first half of it, and then the clear black sheep with a heavy shadow when I estranged myself from them as soon as I could.
Those first few years on my own were tough, especially since I refused to touch my inheritance, but looking at where it led makes me realize it’s all been worth it. Everything in my life has led me here.
I’ve been helping Raya with her shifting still.
Not so much in learning how to control it anymore, she’s mostly got that down, but more along the lines of being comfortable with who she is and figuring out the ins and outs of what she can do.
Turns out, many of her shifts into various animals have corresponded to whatever she’s feeling in the moment, a pattern I noticed early on, but took her a while to catch on to herself.
Despite that inclination, if she focuses her attention, she can choose what she wants to shift into no matter her mood.
We haven’t yet found a limit on what animals she’s able to shift into, but she has hit her limits on frequency and duration.
Shifting takes its toll, and she’s always sweaty and tired after the mental and physical toll our practices take.
Lucky for me, I quite enjoy a sweaty and loopy-with-fatigue Raya.
She’s even more silly in those moments, and she lets me take care of her more than she otherwise would.
I love her independent streak, but I also love when she accepts my help.
I’m becoming more addicted to her every moment we spend together.
Soft footsteps pad across through the grass behind me, and I recognize the tread of Raya’s father. He probably saw me pacing by myself and came out to keep me company.
He’s a good man.
I slow my feet and settle to a stop at the top of the ridge overlooking the river below.
Terry wanders up next to me and clasps his hands in a comfortable, relaxed pose.
Neither of us speaks for long moments, and I start to wonder if he doesn’t approve.
I’ve never been good enough for Claude and Estelle; what makes me think I’d be good enough in Raya’s parents’ eyes either?
Terry clasps a hand on my shoulder, but his eyes remain fixed on the horizon.
“Our Raya chose a good one,” he says, and I blink, then glance at him from the corner of my eye.
He’s nodding slowly, then turns toward me.
“I know you’re still coming around to the idea, but we’re thankful for you.
I know you’d do anything for my daughter, that she means more to you than you imagined possible. ”
My throat bobs with a hard swallow as I fight to maintain eye contact with this short, intimidating man.
“Yes, sir,” I say, and he chuckles.
“Ah, son. None of that nonsense,” Terry says, turning back to the gorge. “We’re glad to have you in the family.”
With that bomb, he squeezes my shoulder once more before turning away and wandering into the trees.
I clear my throat in an attempt to clear the emotion from my chest, but it barely dissipates, so I focus on the sky as the sun starts to lean toward the horizon in the distance, knowing the best moments of my life are coming.
Before I know it, I’m standing in a copse of trees that are strung with lights and flowers, a path of petals through the forest leading to my feet and seeming to glow in the golden light of the setting sun.
Raya’s parents and brother are sitting on blankets on either side of the aisle, and Reverie whizzes between the trees to her spot on a cushion in front of Raya’s mom.
Jo comes out next, striding toward a blanket next to Wesley, but taking a few extra steps in my direction instead of sitting down.
She walks up to me, stares into my eyes for an intimidating eternity, then clasps my biceps, giving a hard clap and a squeeze before flipping around and settling next to her brother.
Zuri is at the start of the path, right next to a massive tree that I know is hiding my bride from me.
Zuri walks down the aisle, being careful not to disturb the petals, then stops and looks at the open blankets on both sides.
She looks up at me, gives me a wink, and chooses the blanket on my side of the aisle.
My eyes burn and I blink to clear them, not wanting to miss a moment of what comes next.
I can’t handle the emotion of today, and the important part hasn’t even begun yet.
Someone starts up the music, and it drifts softly through the speakers we propped up in the trees earlier.
My gaze fixes on the tree that shields Raya from my desperate eyes, and finally, finally she steps out from behind it.
If I thought she was a radiant sunbeam before, it has nothing on the ethereal moonbeam she is now.
Her hair is pulled back with a few loose tendrils dangling around her ears, and her dress is a shimmering silver with sleeves that fall off her shoulders, tempting me with the stretch of open skin around her neck.
She glows in the waning light of the sun, the crisp shine of the waxing moon above, and the twinkling lights surrounding us.
Her lips are the exact color of her blood.
I forget to breathe. My chest tightens, my entire body turns rigid, and I fight my vampiric instincts with everything I have.
My vampire is screaming at me to chase, to hunt, to hide her from the world and keep her as my own.
My blood thrums through my veins, pounds in my temples.
My fangs snap down and a low rumble builds in my chest. It is everything I can do to remain still and present in this moment.
Raya’s smirk breaks me out of it. The little shifter knew exactly what she was doing with that dress, that lip stain, that hairdo. I narrow my eyes as she floats over the petals toward me, and she winks at me.
Winks.
I let out the growl that I’ve been fighting to keep contained, and a laugh rings out of her, echoing through the trees and setting my bones on fire as she steps up next to me.
“Just wait until we don’t have an audience, little shifter. You’re playing with fire,” I whisper in her ear.
She whispers back, “No, love, I’m playing with a vampire.”
Her lips twitch with a grin, then settle into a soft smile as we take our places.
Zuri stands from her blanket and steps up next to us, acting as the marriage officiant for the parts we can’t do ourselves.
I don’t hear what she says, my focus is entirely on Raya, wondering if my eyes are deceiving me or if she her skin is somehow shimmering.
When Zuri steps back a few paces, it’s time for our parts. I take Raya’s hands in mine, her delicate fingers and soft palms are encompassed in my larger ones, but I can feel her power, even in that.
“Raya, my ray of sunshine, my moonbeam, my little shifter, my mate.”
My voice is hoarse with emotion, and she squeezes my fingers as her eyes turn glassy in response. I swallow my fear, my worry, my defensive instincts that warn against such vulnerability, and my gaze never leaves her enchanting eyes as they give me the strength to continue.
“You brought light into my darkness, and life into what was a bleak and meaningless existence. I was barely surviving without you, and it was not a happy one. I didn’t know what it meant to be happy until you barreled your way into my life.
Your chaos broke me from the choking binds I had placed around myself, your hardships gave me new purpose and determination to do better, your joy gave me hope. ”
Raya blinks watery eyes and her smiling lips tremble, but I don’t let any of it deter me. I can’t stop now, she deserves this and so much more.
“I vow to bring all that and more to our marriage. I will endeavor to provide strength when you seek it, to brighten your glow and bring a smile to your face—and to match it with my own—at every possibility. I vow to challenge you, and to meet your challenges in return. I vow to be there for you night and day, no matter what the world may throw at us, I will always be by your side. I love you more than the earth loves the sun, or the moon loves the earth, or the stars love the sky. You are my guiding light, Raya, and I pledge my life to yours.”
Raya bursts into tears, and I widen my eyes, horrified at having made her cry in such a way. Zuri pulls a tissue from somewhere and thrusts it at me, and I lean into Raya, attempting to pry her hands from her face.
“Raya, my light,” I whisper. “Please.”
She shakes her head and her entire body shudders with a sob. I clutch her to me, whispering my love and support for her, placing my body between hers and everyone else.
“Please, Raya, what is it? What can I do?”
“My makeup,” she sniffles behind her hands, and my chest stutters with a short, quiet laugh.
She’s worried about her makeup?
I bend down and pull her hands away, then swipe her tears with the tissue from Zuri and clear the black streaks running down her face.
“There,” I say, dropping a kiss to her forehead. “Perfect.”
Raya sniffs and turns still watery eyes up to me, pats me on the chest, and leans up on her tip-toes to kiss me.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to do this yet,” I say, but her mouth covers mine already, and my words are muffled against her lips.
“Don’t care,” she murmurs into my mouth.
Zuri—very pointedly—clears her throat, and Raya breaks away with a grin.
I can’t help but smile back at her, and it’s then I notice that pretty much everyone is crying.
Zuri, both of Raya’s parents, and Josephine all have tissues held to their eyes.
Reverie has tears streaking down her face, but is also sporting the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on the tiny creature.
Even Wesley seems to be affected; he has his head tilted back and is looking at the dark tree limbs above, blinking.
Raya nudges me back to my spot, takes my hands in hers, and gives me her vow.
“Ash.”
My nickname on her blood-red lips, the one that is perfectly fitting for her and that she alone calls me, nearly sends me to my knees.
“Asher,” she says quieter, squeezing my hands again. I squeeze hers in return, offering her the support she gave me only moments ago.
“I love you so freaking much,” she says, and I smile at her reclaiming of the word freak. “You are stubborn, broody, and single-minded.”
I start to frown, but her grin gives me pause.
“I love all of those things about you. Without your stubbornness, you would have given up on me after the first time I failed in our shifting practice. Without your broody attitude, I wouldn’t have felt compelled to bring a smile to your face.
Without your diligence and focus, we may not have made it through the hardships we faced over the last year. ”
Now I’m the one blinking watery eyes. Never have I thought those to be positive qualities, but seeing myself through Raya’s eyes is… earth-shattering.
“You are the love of my life. My perfect other half,” she continues.
Her warmth burrows into me, seeps into my skin, through muscle and flesh, winding through my bones and filling my heart.
“You complete me and complement me, and I vow to do all I can to return to you everything you’ve given to me. I will be with you always, like a barnacle you can’t scrape off.”
I choke out a raspy, bewildered laugh, and she beams.
“I love you, Asher. Thank you for being my mate.”
Zuri jumps into action, speaking as fast as she can since I’m already reaching my hands forward to cup Raya’s face in my palms.
“I now pronounce you, Mrs. and Mr. Merritt!” Zuri throws her hands up, raining flower petals down around us and everyone cheers. “KISS!”
I clasp her cheeks, holding her reverently, in awe that I get to call this incredible woman mine. My lips find hers, and she smiles against me as our mouths meet.
One of the small ones, one of her most genuine smiles, the secret ones she reserves for those she most loves.
And my soul is finally home.
The End.