Darkness Chapter 45: Wedding Bells

**Nelly**

The days have flown by, and now it's the morning of our wedding. Vincent lies next to me, softly snoring. I gently run my fingers over his chest, tracing the outline of his tattoo. His eyes flutter open and meet mine as I gaze down at him. "Mmmm...so when did you become the stalker type?" he groggily asks.

"Good morning, my soon-to-be husband who thinks he's a comedian," I reply with a smile.

He chuckles lightly. "Good morning, soon-to-be wife." He pulls me close for a hug. My hormones have been all over the place lately, but can you blame me? I mean, just look at this handsome hunk of beefcake in front of me. How could I not want to lose myself in him? "Stop drooling," he teases.

"Never!" I giggle as he pulls me in for a cuddle. "I love you."

"Nelly, I love you too. Are you ready to get married?" he asks eagerly.

With excitement bubbling inside me, I reply, "Yes, let"s do this!" I huff and roll my eyes. “I mean. I guess we can get married today.”

“You guess?” He starts to tickle me. I squirm from under him.

“Stop... I'm gonna pee myself!” I'm laughing so hard at this point.

He gazes down at me, chuckling. "Go before I"m tempted to repeat my mischief or do something even worse," he teases. I playfully peck him on the lips and try to get up, but he pulls me back into bed. His fingers lightly brush against my growing bump. I"ve just started showing, and lately, he can"t seem to keep his hands off me. Not that I mind, of course. And I know he doesn"t either. Although there was that one awkward moment when we were caught in the act by a horde leader. Not exactly the impression I wanted to make, but I'm sure he enjoyed the unexpected show.

"Have you thought about what you want our future to look like?" I ask.

"I have, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I mean, I can't believe we're going to have a little vampire," he replies.

"Oh, just wait until I'm big and fat," I joke.

He shakes his head and says, "Nope, not answering that."

I smile and reply, "Smart man."

He leans in and kisses the tip of my nose, saying, "I know Carrie should be here soon, so I'll leave you to get ready. I'll be the hunk at the altar."

I playfully retort, "I"ll be the one in the white dress. Just in case you forgot."

He gently strokes my cheek and says, "I highly doubt I could ever forget you." Just then, there's a knock at the door.

Alec calls out, "Boss, we need to get a move on to get to Quinn's."

Vincent replies, "I'll be out in a few." Alec chuckles and adds, "K...see ya soon, Nelly. I will keep him from terrorizing the locals."

I laugh and hug Vincent tighter, saying, "See you soon, too, Alec." Once they leave, I jump up and shower. As I come out, Carrie is there setting up to put my makeup on and do my hair. I am so thankful for her expertise.

After a couple of hours of trying to tame my hair into submission and finding the perfect shade of eye shadow, we are finally ready to put on my dress. "You look...wow...just wow," Carrie beams.

I glance at myself in the mirror and can hardly believe it. I hardly recognize myself. "Wow, Carrie, you are a miracle worker!"

She blushes and replies, "Awww, thank you, but you didn"t need much. Shall we get you married?" I nod eagerly. We meet Brandon, who is not only acting as my bridesmaid but also giving me away. We chat excitedly along the way, ready for the big moment."

As we step onto Quinn's territory, a wave of nerves washes over me. Why, I cannot say. After all, in less than three months, Vincent and I will be welcoming a child together. I cannot imagine loving another man as deeply as I love him. But still, a sense of unease lingers in the air. Could something unexpected be on the horizon?

"Ready, Nel?" Brandon's voice breaks through my thoughts.

"Yes," I reply, my voice steady but my heart racing.

Brandon pulls me into a hug before offering me his arm. "I am truly happy for you. Initially, I had my doubts, but seeing the two of you together, it is clear that you are meant for each other."

"Thank you, Brandon. Your words mean more to me than you know." As we make our way towards the waterfall, the sound of music fills the air. Carrie descends the path, petals falling from her hands as Sally follows behind her, doing the same. And then, Vincent comes into view, dressed impeccably in a suit that takes my breath away. I can hardly wait to be alone with him, to tear that suit from his body and lose myself in his embrace.

As I made my way towards Vincent, my mind was consumed with thoughts of what I would do to him later. Thank goodness for Brandon. I struggled to walk, feeling weak in the presence of the man I was about to marry. Our eyes met, and in that moment, I knew that my life was about to change forever. If we didn’t have a damn audience I would fuck him right now. Fuck my damn hormones!

**Vincent**

I couldn't believe that this day had finally arrived. I was getting ready at Quinn's place, feeling a pang of sadness at leaving her side. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, I hadn't left her alone unless Alec was with her. He was the only one I trusted with my Nelly. Alec chuckled as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and asked, "Boss, are you ready to do this?"

I grinned like a fool and replied, "Yes, more than you can imagine."

Quinn approached us and said, "Are you ready? Because you better be. If not, I will gladly take your place."

I laughed and playfully punched Alec in the shoulder, saying, "Not a chance. Nelly is mine. Let's do this."

As we walked out and stood at the altar, Quinn began officiating the ceremony. I glanced around at the diverse crowd gathered - vampires, wolves, humans, even the rebel leader and some of his commanders. The music started, and my heart raced with anticipation. When I locked eyes with her, I couldn't help but release a breath as she walked towards me, looking absolutely stunning in her dress.

As she stood before me, I couldn't resist pulling her in for a hug and a kiss. Quinn's throat clearing snapped me back to reality, prompting chuckles from the crowd. I held her hand tightly as we turned to face Quinn, whom I was seriously considering smacking that stupid grin off his face.

Quinn began his speech, "I never thought I'd see the day Vincent here would decide to marry the only woman who could kick his ass in human or vampire form. I mean, come on, you must be a glutton for punishment, right? You are a sadomasochistic, aren't you?"

Laughter erupted, but I just grinned. Yeah, she can kick my ass for the rest of our lives. Quinn's laughter faded as he continued, "On a serious note, they truly are a great couple. They're so in love, it's like fate brought them together. Or maybe it's just bloodlust. Take your pick." The ceremony dragged on, but finally, I reached the moment I had been eagerly waiting for since I blurted out my proposal.

We made a solemn vow to always prioritize each other for eternity. As we stood before our loved ones, Quinn's mischievous grin hinted at something more. "I now pronounce you bloodsuckers for life," he began, but then hesitated. "Wait, no... never mind. Just kiss her."

I shot Quinn a sharp look as he smirked back at me. Nelly gasped, "Husband..."

"Wife..." I whispered, my hand sliding to the nape of her neck and the other at her hip, pulling her close. As our lips met, a sudden sharp pain pierced my stomach. Confusion and fear washed over me. What the hell was happening?