“I fucked up,” I said to the ghost of Julianna’s sister.
There was a sudden cold breeze and a shudder rolled down my spine. It was almost like she – Gracelynn – was here. Listening to me. Probably judging me. Most likely angry at me. For hurting her sister. For breaking Julianna.
“You left this world, probably thinking that I would be here for Julianna. You loved her and were fiercely protective of your sister, that I know. You thought I would protect her but I left Julianna to the wolves,” I confessed, my voice cracking. “They destroyed her and I hurt her. I hurt her in ways I can’t take back. It’s my deepest regret and I’m not sure I'll ever forgive myself for that.”
Another cold breeze whizzed past me and this time, I was sure Gracelynn’s ghost was here. Probably passing her judgement on me and finding me lacking to be her sister’s husband. But I was here to remedy that.
“Julianna and I took our vows again; this time – it was a real wedding with a proper vow. I lifted her veil, kissed her and carried her away from the altar,” I explained to the grave, as if I was speaking to a real person. “I tried to fix what I messed up. And I’m trying to be the husband that Julianna deserves. I’m not perfect but I can vow one thing. Your sister – my wife – will always be my first choice. My only choice,” I promised with utter conviction. “She spent three years being scared that if I knew the truth of her deception, I wouldn’t choose her. So, I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure that she knows I will always choose her.”
Running my fingers over Gracelynn’s name, engraved over the tombstone, I allowed myself to finally smile. “Thank you. I like to think that you were protecting her all along while I couldn’t. But it’s okay. You can let go; I’m here to protect her now.”
With those as my final words to Gracelynn – I hoped that her soul could rest in peace now – I walked away from her grave and toward my wife.
The moment I got in the car, I wrapped my arm around Julianna and she curled into me. I let out a staggering breath, in relief. That it was over. She was safe in my arms. We were going back home.
She buried her face into my neck, her cold lips against my skin. “What did you talk about with Grace?”
“That’s between me and her, Princess.”
Her blunt teeth sank into my flesh and I hissed in response. Julianna pulled away and scowled at me, her stormy grey eyes meeting mine. “Why can’t you tell me? I’m just curious.”
I flicked her nose. “I made amends; that’s all.”
My wife pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. “Whatever.”
I rolled my eyes at the petulance in her voice and cupped her round pregnant belly. Our son kicked in response, strong and he got quite an aim. “Your mommy is pouting. How shall I fix that, huh?”
I leaned forward and licked her cheek. She gasped, lurching away from me. “Ew! Killian!”
I licked her again, just because. And this time, when Julianna tried to escape, I tugged her back into my embrace and kissed her pout. “Stop pouting, wife.”
“Stop licking me, husband.”
I chuckled and then licked her lips. She pushed against my chest with her tiny fists, though she wasn’t even trying too hard. “You’re so weird.”
“Weird because I licked your cheek? But it’s okay when I lick your cunt?”
“Killian!” she squeaked, her wide eyes going to the driver before coming back to me. Surprise played across her face, her jaw slack. “I can’t believe you just said that out loud!”
“What? That you like it when–”
She slapped a hand over my mouth, muffling the rest of my sentence. “Stop, just shut up and go back to licking my cheek.”
“Sure,” I said into her palm. Her nose twitched and then her lips curled with a barely contained smile.
And that was when I really kissed her.
Time stopped in a collision of senses when my lips met hers.
The kiss wasn’t just any kiss.
It was the cure.
The beginning and the end.
The epiphany – that while our fairy tale was severely flawed, it was perfect in the most imperfect way.
CHAPTER FOUR
Julianna
Four and a half years later.
Ragna let out a wet huff as I brushed her white coat. She was a little grumpy today and I was sure it had something to do with Cerberus. It appeared he wasn’t giving my sassy mare enough attention. I couldn’t believe that I was witnessing a lover’s quarrel between horses.
Except, it wasn’t all that surprising.
I thought horses were monogamous animals, but Ragna and Cerberus had been inseparable over the last few years. There was long courtship and of course, my mare played hard to get before finally giving in.
While Cerberus was arrogant and a bit wild, I got to see his emotional side a few months ago when Ragna was sick. She was taken away from Cerberus while her health was monitored closely. That was the first time I had seen a depressed stallion.
“She’s beautiful,” a deep voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked over my shoulders to see Gabriel striding toward me, a full smirk on his face. He came to stand beside and laid a hand over Ragna’s forehead, giving my girl a little pat.
“Her mane is so long,” he admired, his gaze flicking between Ragna and me. “And her white coat is shiny. You keep her well groomed.”
“Thank you,” I said, delightfully pleased with his praises. “How many new horses did you bring this time?”
“Two stallions. They are wild and too stubborn,” he responded with his thick British accent. Gabriel had been Killian’s business partner and a close friend for almost a decade. They were close, and that basically made Gabriel family. He had a habit of rescuing horses and bringing them to Killian for training.
I dropped the brush over a stack of hay and gave Ragna a pat. “Aren’t they always?”
“Nah, these two are really difficult. I think Killian’s going to have a hard time with them.”
“He’s a horse whisperer, Gabriel,” I defended my husband haughtily. “There’s never been a horse that he can’t handle. And you’re lucky he even found the time to train them.”
But then again, Killian would never say no to horses.
“He’s that busy, huh?”
Killian being busy was an understatement. Now that he was officially running for President, my husband had more important things to take care of. His country.
From attending debates, to rallies and fundraisers where he gathered his supporters, Killian was dedicated through and through. I loved that about his. Loved how strong and stubborn he was. Loved how passionate he was about his job and his love for this country.
But I missed him.
Except, that didn’t matter at the moment. I was his wife and right now, our country came before my needs. Some days, I was selfish and tried to keep his bed but I blamed that on my pregnancy.