A Vampire's Life Book 3

Chapter Thirty-five - Scarlett

"I love you." he murmurs against my body.

I think that if my heart was still beating the way that it used to, it would have jumped several beats, he loves me. Go on...my mind whispers You know it's the truth...

"I love you too."

It seemed like ages that we sat there, wrapped up in each other's arms. The breeze floated past us, warm on my skin, it smelt like roses. Which was odd seeing as I had voided the garden of all of the roses.

"Ok." he says all of a sudden, rising from the edge of the garden bed.

I slide down, my feet barely getting under me in time to stop me from going arse over.

"Thanks for the warning." I groan.

He chuckles, taking me back inside. Three flights of stairs later and he takes me to a set of wooden double doors at the end of the hallway.

"This is just an idea but I would like you to keep an open mind, this is important to my family."

He opens the door and turns on the light, a large study with bookshelves that line all of the walls. There must be thousands of books on these walls, some look very, very old. On one side of the room is a large table, big sheets of paper sit at one end.

"My parents have offered this to us, to keep us safe. You have to understand where they come from, losing so many of their own siblings, their parents it's hard, but to lose two of your children its heartbreaking."

I look at the sheet of paper that sits on the top, it looks like a plan of the estate, the castle sits in its corner, the forest wraps around the entire edge of the plan.

"So..." he gestures rather cheekily at it. "They suggested down here, build a house, still on the estate, still protected."

"Lucas, I understand where your parents are coming from and don't get me wrong I am more than happy to live wherever but they can't protect you forever. What happens when you go out to feed?"

He flops into a chair, knowing I am right. I sit on his lap and make him look at me.

"I think it is a good idea, I never said I wouldn't do it, I just want to make sure you do this for the right reasons, because you want to be near your family, not because you think that it's going to be your protection."

He nods at me.

"Where is this?"

"The side of the hill overlooking the valley."

"Near the tree?"

"On the tree."

"The only tree on the side of that hill and you plan on plonking the house on it? Really?"

"Yeah, it's just a tree."

I get up from his lap.

"I will agree to it only if you do not remove the tree."

"Scarlett, don't be ridiculous."

"Uh, no. You don't be ridiculous. The only tree for miles around doesn't need to be butchered for a house."

"Says the person that butchered dozens of roses." he said dryly.

"Don't be a smart arse Lucas. Move the house to accommodate the tree."

He frowns at me and his eyes start to darken.

"Don't bother. Foot is down and firmly planted."

I begin to stalk out of the room, the door slams shut.

"Really? We're back to this are we?"

"It's a tree."

"That's right, it is a tree and it's more important than the house. If you remove that tree, I won't live in that house, end of subject."

"My god, you are so stubborn."

"Yep. Get used to it." I wiggle my finger with the ring on it. "You are signing on for a lifetime of it."

He rolls his eyes in a very dramatic fashion.

"Fine. One house moved to what, the left or the right? What would you like? Not that it matters." he mutters. "The view will be completely obscured anyway."

"You know, I might be stubborn, but you are a total drama queen."

I walk back over to the table.

"Move the house forward, put the tree in the centre of a big circle driveway or a courtyard."

He frowns as he looks at the plan, squinting his eyes as he pressed his lips together.

"Bloody hell."

Grabbing my hand, he pulls me onto his lap so that I am straddling him. He grins as he tucks the stray bits of hair behind my ear.

"Such a smart cookie."

**********************************************

My mother, Candy and Lilly took great delight in helping me with my arduous task of shopping for wedding things. Once word had gotten out that I wasn't dead, that the car was stolen, I was followed everywhere. They were at the shop window when I picked my dress, they followed us to the lingerie shop, the shoe shop but once they saw the ring, they knew. A barrage of questions was fired at me and it was rather daunting. I had dealt with fame rather well up until this point but they were like vultures once they figured out I was getting married. Lucas and I had to attend the priest's office to complete paperwork, his first official outing with me and they had a field day. He seemed rather spooked by it all, not really sure what to do.

We sat outside the priest's office whilst he spoke with another couple. I could see through the windows; the paparazzi were trying to get a shot.

"You realise they will try and get through the forest."

Lucas purses his lips as he squints thinking about it.

Going to be a lot of dead paparazzi. Yep. There is nowhere else safer, I am rather reluctant to have it elsewhere. Me too, but what to do about them? Roaming guards on the exterior of the forest? Yeah, that might be enough and if they get past that then it's their own fault. There are enough signs on the fences to stop them. You mean the electric fences? Yes, you would think that would be enough of a deterrent but sadly we have had a few slayers jump the fence.

We spoke with the priest who was hesitant to do the service outside of the church, but once I explained to him about the paparazzi, he understood. He could see out his window how bad it was. I had never thought that it was possible that a priest could be a vampire, but there he was, sitting behind the desk filling out the paperwork. I hadn't realised it but the photographer was one too, which Mae had suggested him as an excellent choice and now I understand why. My family, Asher and Eddie were to be flown in by helicopter to avoid going through the forest. Lucky them I thought.

The details were all set, everything was ready. The invites had gone out in record time and everyone responded just as fast. I think Terrance had something to do with it. I had never known anyone to organise over a hundred people in the span of two days. But it had happened, everyone that was invited was coming. The priest, the photographer, extra security roaming the exterior fence, all ready to go. Mae and Gabby were organising the decorations and the food, it seemed to be their thing that they liked to do, so I let them have their fun. Our parents got on well, once my parents got over the fact that they were surrounded by vampires. Even Asher and Eddie came in early, I thought it was to hang out with me, missing me so much but of course I was wrong. They liked hanging around Zach, they thought the creatures in the forest were cool and oh, hey Scarlett, were you gone? Nah we didn't notice. Jerks.