Chapter 17

Dressed in a black, custom fitted tuxedo, I stood next to Trent, who was directly behind Isach at the altar. Isach glowed with anticipation as he impatiently waited for Abby to walk down the aisle. Sadly, he still had a few minutes left to wait. Guests were chatting among themselves, and the wedding officiant was preparing for the ceremony.

With Whitney’s stellar party-planning skills, she’d secured the Keene Valley Country Club for both the ceremony and reception, and she’d transformed the normally bland, male-centric space into something beautiful. She really was damn good at what she did. I was surprised her business hadn’t taken off more than it had. Then again, I was pretty sure she wasn’t really pushing it all that much.

Wyatt stood on my other side, and he nudged me, inclining his head toward the back of the venue. Sophie, Sabella, and Peyton walked in. Their presence naturally commanded attention, and this time was no different. Several people stopped to stare as they walked, heads held high, toward empty seats in the middle of the room. I scanned the room for Piper, but she was nowhere to be found.

Why wasn’t she with her sisters? Where was she? Unease slowly unfurled in my stomach, and I shifted on my feet. Movement near the doors snagged my attention, but the person hesitantly walking in wasn’t Piper. I narrowed my eyes, leaned around Trent, and tugged on Isach’s arm.

“What the hell is she doing here?” I whispered and nodded at Heaven Leigh.

“She’s not our enemy any longer.” Isach’s calm tone only served to ratchet my anger. “Abby wanted to invite her, and I thought it was a good idea.”

“Easy, Jax.” Trent laid his hand on my chest and firmly guided me back to my original spot. “Don’t cause a scene.”

“And look.” Isach jutted his chin toward Heaven Leigh. “She came alone. Not a single other member of her coven is here.”

That didn’t do much to settle me, but today was about Abby and Isach, so I let it go and resumed my search for Piper. A second later, the organist began to play soft music, and another second later, Piper rushed into the room.

I let out a heavy sigh of relief at the sight of her. And then I sucked all that air right back into my lungs. I stood in a trance, drinking in every detail of her. She wore a dark green dress that, even from clear across the room, made her green eyes pop. The fabric tied around her neck, hugged her chest and torso, and flared out at her waist before stopping a few inches above her knees. Matching colored heels accentuated her already long, slender legs. Her hair hung in loose curls, one side pinned back with a sparkling green and gold barrette.

When she turned to claim her seat, I was rewarded with an eyeful of smooth, creamy flesh courtesy of the dress being wide open in the back. My palm itched with the need to rest against the indention of the small of her back, to feel her warm skin beneath my hand.

I flexed my fingers and held my breath until the urges subsided, but I couldn’t get rid of them completely. But now I was imagining how she’d feel in my arms as I danced with her at the reception, how I’d be able to flatten my palm against her skin as I held her close, how sweet she’d smell as I rested my cheek against her temple.

Once settled in her chair, her gaze landed squarely on me, and a flash of heat erupted on my neck. Among other places, too. She waved her fingers in my direction, flashing a coy smile. I couldn’t stop the surprised laugh that escaped.

Trent leaned over. “Dude, you are so screwed.” His voice was low enough that anyone without enhanced senses couldn’t hear him.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I shot back in an equally low tone.

Piper continued to watch me, her expression curious. I winked, and she blushed. I shifted to ease the sudden ache in the most inopportune location for my current situation. Sporting an erection while standing in front of a room full of people at a wedding wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time.

“Hey.” Isach snapped me from my thoughts. “Think you can keep it in your pants long enough to get through the ceremony?”

“Fuck you,” I mumbled under my breath.

Isach laughed and bumped his fist with Trent’s.

“I hate both of you.” I gave them a scathing look, but I couldn’t stop from smiling.

Before either of them could say anything else, the room quieted save for the organ music. Slowly, Whitney began her walk down the aisle, followed closely by Ellie and then Chloe. Trent’s body relaxed beside me, and his face lit up as he watched Chloe take her place on the other side of the altar. For a fleeting moment, I was transported back to their wedding day, to the exact second when I finally realized I’d never been the right choice for Chloe. She and Trent were perfect for one another, and I was glad I hadn’t ruined things for them.

I focused on the scene before me. The bridesmaids were dressed in floor length red dresses with pink and white accents—today was Valentine’s Day after all, so naturally the colors had to match the holiday—and all of them looked stunning.

The Wedding March began to play, and everyone stood as Abby made her grand entrance. She clung to her father’s arm like she was afraid of falling, but the yellow glow of joy surrounding her only enhanced her beauty. Her face was flushed with utter delight, and her eyes sparkled in a way I’d never seen before—and I’d seen her express a wide range of emotions.

When Abby reached Isach, everyone sat, and my gaze zeroed in on Piper. She was focused on the bride and groom, a warm smile firmly in place. Every so often, she’d sigh and swipe a finger beneath her eyes. Standing here watching her cry, even if they were happy tears, was the worst form of torture. I wanted nothing more than to gather her in my arms and hold her.

I only half-listened as Abby and Isach spoke their vows, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room when they finished. As far as weddings went, it was a simple but heartfelt affair. Upon sealing their union with a kiss, everyone clapped.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Isach Zoya,” the officiant declared.

Another round of applause erupted as Abby and Isach walked down the aisle. Chloe and Trent followed. I stepped down and held my arm out to Ellie. She looped her arm through mine and smiled up at me through tear-stained eyes.

“Ellie.” I grinned. “I hadn’t realized you were back in town.” Ellie was a sweet girl—friendly, loyal, honest—and I knew she’d been a good friend to both Chloe and Abby. I was glad she was here for this.

“Are you kidding? No way would I miss this.” She rested her head on my shoulder and squeezed my arm. “It’s been so long. How are you?”

“Never better.” I sliced a look at Piper as we walked by, and the amount of green in her aura damn near tripped me up. She was jealous! Interesting.

***

More than an hour later, I sat in the banquet hall with the rest of the wedding party and watched as Isach and Abby shared their first dance. Restlessness spread through my limbs, and I fidgeted in my chair. Despite how sweet and heartfelt this moment was, especially considering all they’d gone through to get here, I was growing impatient.

All I wanted was to get Piper onto the dance floor and into my arms. I drummed my fingers on the table, and Trent slapped his hand over mine. He gave me a “knock it off” look for good measure.

The song ended, and the DJ invited the wedding party to join the bride and groom, which meant it was time for my obligatory dance with Ellie. I stood and held my hand out to her, and we joined the others in a slow dance. I kept a respectable distance between us as I led her around.

“How’s college?” I asked.

“Stressful.” She laughed. “But I’m loving every second of it.”

“Good. And how’s Nick? Are you two still a thing?” I twirled her around, so I had a perfect view of Piper.

She sat at a table with her sisters, Heaven Leigh, and a few people I didn’t recognize. Piper’s expression screamed boredom, but the spark in her eyes told a different story. She shot me a look packed with so much heat she could set me ablaze faster than the very depths of hell, quickly followed by a look that could freeze those same depths of hell.

“Yeah, we broke up for a while, but we’re back together now,” Ellie said, interrupting my stare off with Piper.

I returned my attention to Ellie. “That’s a good thing, right? Being back together?”

She nodded. “He’s right over there.” She motioned toward a table near the back of the room, and I glanced over my shoulder to follow her gaze.

Nick sat at a table, surrounded by our old high school gang—Luke, Tonya, Gina, and a few others who were around the same age, but I couldn’t recall any of their names. The group laughed and chatted, and I let my gaze roam around the room. Everyone was in high spirits, and there wasn’t an ounce of sadness or ill-will to be found. Thank goodness for that. We’d all earned a day free of stress and full of joy.

“I’ll be sure to say hello.” I abruptly spun her around, and she laughed with surprise. That earned me one of the “when hell freezes over” glares from Piper. A slow, wicked grin curved my lips, and I made certain she saw it.

Her answering smile was devastating to my senses, and I almost stepped on Ellie’s foot. More than once.

Thankfully, the song ended, and I escorted Ellie back to her seat before taking mine. After suffering through what had to be the longest meal known to mankind, I was finally free to get up and move. I set my sights on Piper and strode toward her, not letting anything get in my way—until Chloe appeared in front of me. I stopped short.

She rested her hand on my chest as if trying to hold me back. “Dance with me?”

“Don’t you have a husband to dance with you?”

“Don’t be grumpy.” She took my hand and dragged me onto the dance floor.

Not that I was really resisting all that much. I’d do anything for Chloe, and we both knew it. So, if she wanted a dance, I’d give her a dance.

“Trent told me about Piper.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course he did.” I adjusted my hold on Chloe and pulled her a little closer.

Despite everything, she still held a piece of my heart, and she always would. And I couldn’t deny that holding her like this transported me back to a time when I thought I’d had a chance with her. I’d been an idiot.

“I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t trust her when I first met her,” Chloe said.

“Welcome to the club.”

Chloe shot me a knowing grin. “I spent a lot of time talking to her last night, before I knew she was your soulmate.”

I raised a brow, waiting for her to go on.

“She’s perfect for you, Jax.”

I laughed. “How can you possibly know that? You’ve only had one serious conversation with her.” We moved around the dance floor in perfect sync.

“Because I see the way you look at her. It’s the same way Trent looks at me.”

My steps faltered. Was I really that transparent? That could be problematic. Of course, Chloe knew me well, almost as well as my own brothers, so she had an advantage most people didn’t. I regained my composure and cleared my throat.

“I used to look at you that way once, too, remember?” I smirked. “Clearly, you can’t gauge anything by how I look at people. My expressions are totally unreliable.”

She rolled her eyes with fake exasperation. “I’ve been watching her today. She can’t take her eyes off you, either, Jax.” Chloe’s tone softened with compassion, and she tilted her head. “Even from clear across the room, I can feel the spark between you two.”

“Yeah, well, that doesn’t really matter much when she can’t tell me with any certainty what I am to her.” I glanced over Chloe’s head to find Piper once again watching me.

Chloe stopped dancing and stared up at me like I’d just sprouted horns from my forehead. “Are you kidding me right now?” She narrowed her eyes. “What the hell happened to the cocky, arrogant Jax who wouldn’t rest until I admitted my feelings? Who was so determined to show me that he was just as right for me as Trent?”

I huffed. “And look how that worked out for me.”

“That girl”—she nodded in Piper’s direction—“is completely different and you know it. She’s not me. She’s your soulmate, Jaxon. You can’t let her go without a fight.”

I’d already decided I was going to do everything in my power to make Piper mine, but hearing Chloe’s insistence, to know she had faith in me, was exactly the kick in the ass I needed. I took her face in my hands and dropped a kiss to her forehead.

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “Now, if you’re done holding me hostage, I have a girl to go see about a thing.”

Chloe playfully shoved me toward Piper. “Go get her, tiger.”