Chapter 103

Chapter 103
Lucy
After making love with Josh… and what felt like Amerald, she laid on Josh’s chest while he held her tighter than he had in a long time. She finally sighed before sitting up to look down at him. He rolled toward her and raised up on his elbow as he reached out to take her hand.
“Lucy, talk to me. What’s on your mind?”
“Why did you say that? About trusting you? Loving you?” She closed her eyes as she pulled her hand away from his to wrap her arms around her legs. “Are you sure we should be getting married, Josh?”
“Do you not want to? We don’t have to, baby.”
“It’s just that I’m worried. Maybe we should wait until we figure this thing out with Amerald. What we just did to him… it was wrong.” She opened her eyes as she turned her head to look at him. “Wasn’t it?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, Lucy. He enjoyed it as much as we did. I want to marry you. I want you to want to marry me, too.”
She sighed. “I do but it doesn’t feel right without him being there, too.”
He sat up to wrap his arms around her as a knock on the door came. “That’s because it’s not. I meant it when I said to trust me. I’ll be waiting for you at the altar, Lucy. I hope you will meet me there.” He kissed her softly before standing up. “I’ll see you later. One way or another.”
He pulled his boxers on before tugging sweats over them. He crossed the room as he called out for them to enter. In walked her entire family, the gang and a few royal servants. The men immediately walked over to the bassinets to roll them out as the women all surrounded the bed, chattering excitedly. As soon as the door was shut, they pulled her out of the bed. They quickly stopped talking when they realized Lucy wasn’t participating. They shifted her body around where they needed it when they needed as she kept going over what he said.
What was he planning? What was Josh planning? Why was he so worried about her trust and her love for him? He spoke so much about her trusting him, but did he really trust her? What had she done wrong to make him doubt her? Oh, that’s right. Everything. She did everything wrong. Warmth spread through her, and her mind cleared. She relaxed a little, smiling at Kalani.
“Thanks, Auntie.”
She touched Lucy’s cheek. “What are you thinking about?”
“If I should marry Josh or not. It doesn’t feel right with the situation with Amerald. He asked me to trust him and now I’m scared. Why would he ask me that?”
Lucy missed them all exchanging looks. Amaris took her hand.
“Do you trust him?”
“I do. I just… I’m worried. Is he going to do something that might affect us? I can’t lose him, too.”
Lima put her hands on Lucy’s shoulder.
“You won’t. We promise. You just have to show up.”
She sighed. “Alright.”
“Come on. I gotta say getting you ready was easy. You just sat there.”
She was led to a mirror and stared hard at herself, trying to see the dress she had spent so many hours perfecting but she couldn’t. All she could see were Amerald’s and Josh’s faces. She knew the way the satin body-hugging gown fit her. She knew the diamonds and pearls that littered the gown added an air of sophistication that she longed to have.
The gold lining on the hem of the train and the bow tied around her waist added much-needed color but she couldn’t care less at that moment about how she looked. She wasn’t even sure if she was going to go through with the wedding. She heard her mother order everybody out as she turned Lucy toward her. As the door opened for the others to leave, her father walked in. He broke out into a huge smile when he saw her.
“Oh, Lucy, you look so stunning.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
He took her in his arms. “Your mom said you needed your daddy. What’s wrong, Princess?”
She looked up at him sniffling. “Am I doing the right thing?”
“Do you think you’re doing the right thing?”
“I don’t know. After everything we’ve been through, can we survive for the rest of time?”
He turned her back to the mirror. “You and Josh have loved each other since you guys even remember meeting. You two are perfect for each other. You are going to be happy, baby girl. I promise. You just have to trust Josh.”
She spun on him angrily. “Why does everybody keep saying that? What do you know that I don’t? Please, just tell me. I can’t do this. The not knowing is killing me.”
She dropped to her knees with her head down, sobbing with her face in her hands. Lukas knelt in front of her to pull her hands away and lift her chin up.
“Sad and then morning.”
Her eyes widened. “Both of them?”
He nodded. “I think you need both of them.”
She took a shaky deep breath. “My name is Lucianna Lincoln. My mommy is Lilianna and my daddy is Lukas. My name is both of them. I have her brain and his fierceness. I am the best parts of the world and nothing can stop me.” She closed her eyes. “I am kind. I am smart. I am funny. I am not perfect and that is okay. I love myself and that is all that matters.” She exhaled shakily. “I am just me and I am good enough.”
He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “You are just you and you are good enough, Lucy. You’re good enough to be his mate, the kids’ mother, Queen of Vampires, and everything and anything else you want to be.”
She looked up into his eyes. “But what if I’m not?”
He cupped her face, his thumb moving over her cheek. “You were made for more than this, sweetheart. If you want to do this, do it. If you don’t, don’t. We’ll support any choice you make. Say the word and I will go down, make the apology and feed everyone booze until they don’t remember that they came for a wedding.”
She giggled and threw herself into his arms. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He squeezed her. “What are we doing, baby?”
She leaned back, smiling at him. “Marrying my mate.”
He kissed her forehead. “Let’s do it then.”
He helped her to her feet and put her hand through the crook of his arm. Her mother fell into step beside them as they walked down to the foyer where the rest of the bridal party was gathered. He stopped at the back of the line and placed his hand over hers. Lily took her place at the front of the line next to Sasha and Kalani. They smiled at everyone before sending the cue to start the music to the DJ. Sasha excused herself to rush out of the area, making Lucy’s anxiety rise again.
‘You are good enough, Lucy. It’s not too late,’ Lukas linked her. ‘All you have to do is say the word.’
She tightened her hold on his arm. ‘Do you want me to marry him?’
‘I want you to be happy. I want you to do what’s best for you.’ He raised her hand to kiss the back of it. ‘You’re what matters to me.’
She leaned her head on his shoulders. ‘I love you, Dad.’
‘I love you more, Princess.’
In what felt like mere seconds, he was leading her down the aisle toward Josh. As she neared the front rows, movement drew her attention to the front row, where Sasha sat next to a squirming Amerald. Lucy’s steps faltered. Lukas slid his arm around her waist to keep her upright and moving forward. She tried to stop and pull back as panic erupted inside of her. She looked up at him.
‘I don’t want to do this, Daddy. Please, take me back.’
His jaw clenched as his arm tightened around her. ‘Sorry, Princess. This is happening. You will be fine.’
‘What about just say the word?’
‘I lied,’ he linked as he placed her in front of Josh.
He kissed her cheek and walked to stand at Josh’s side behind his father. Lucy turned her head to look at Amerald before sending her father a pleading look. He shook his head firmly.
“Lucy? Are you ready?”
“What? Ummm…” She glanced at Amerald again, his refusal to look at her crushing her heart. “Yes.”
Aiden turned to her. “I am not going to bother wasting time on introductions, okay?” he murmured softly to her. She nodded. “Lucy and Josh have prepared their own vows. Lucy?”
She numbly said her vows to him, reaching for his hand on the last part. He moved his hand away from her and her gaze jumped to his as anxiety rose yet again. When she was finished stumbling through her vows, Aiden turned to Josh.
“Josh, please, recite your vows now.”
He took her hand and placed it on his chest over his heart.
“I have known my entire life that there would be a girl that would become my everything. I would love her with everything I am. She would be my everything and I would be hers. She would be my mate, my wife and the mother of my children.” His face hardened and he dropped her hand, making her heart pound painfully in her chest. “But you were never her, were you, Lucy?”
Her eyes widened and tears instantly filled her eyes. “What? I love you.”
He rolled his shoulders back as he turned to the guests, his eyes moving over them slowly until they landed on Marybell.
“It was never you, Lucy.”
Marybell jumped to her feet, her eyes moving around rapidly as her fear rose. “No! What are you doing?”
Lukas growled from behind Josh. “Yes, Josh. What are you saying?”
Josh turned back to Lucy, meeting her eyes. “Lucianna Lincoln, I reject you as my mate and my wife.”