I felt my feet swaying automatically against Rick. My arms around his neck, but not pushing myself truly against him, it felt like my eighth grade dance all over again. Should it really be this awkward dancing with your fiancé? I bed... I mean I bet William dances like a dream. I sighed a lovely hopeful sound.

"Oh, Darling," Rick stated. "This is who I was telling you about."

I broke away to see the woman he was sitting next to during the wedding, now dressed in a slinky red number that made her boobs look really good. "Whoa," I said before I could stop myself. Wish my boobs could look that good.

"This is Katrina. She's one of Catherine's aunts. She owns a small pet shop in Olympia. She said she'd love to get us a good discount on pet beds and food for the clinic."

I could see the red hair and full lips resemblance to Catherine now. "Oh that's great. Thanks. We're always needing extras of those for sick animals. That's wonderful of you."

"Darling, I'm going to go get drinks. Would you like one?" He said with a laugh, probably imagining me with the cups from earlier.

"No thanks," I looked back up to the twinkling lights. "I'll just dance."

"I'll go with you. I'd love a drink," Katrina squeaked to Rick.

Weirdo. "Okay, bye."

I just started back up swaying to the music and then smelled such a beautiful aroma, like herbs. Earthy and robust, like thyme or rosemary. Oh Rosemary! Yum! My head moaned. My favorite herb. I took a deep draw of breath. I turned around to find the scent and William was only inches away now decked out in that marvelous suit again. Holy heaven. My eyes zig zagged up his chest and to his glance. I still need that nap. "Mr. William, hello."

"Miss Caroline. Would I be able to have this dance?" He stepped back and held a hand out.

Uh, obviously yes to anything you had in mind Sir. "That would be lovely." I put my hand in his and bit back the butterfly's assault on my insides.

He then lifted my other hand to his shoulder and rounded his hand at the small of my back. I bit my lip and tried to remember pure thoughts, not the burning that just completely torched through any butterfly left.

"You are a lovely singer."

I smiled bashful. "Thank you. I took lessons as a child."

"You look very beautiful too."

"Oh, thank you." I looked down to the modest blue evening gown covered in glittering stones I'd gotten especially for the night. Now I wish I had something sexier, or even something that made my boobs looks as good as that Katrina lady's. I looked back up and his face was a touch into a scowl. "Something bothering you, Mr. William?"

His face relaxed and he shook his head. "No, I'm fine. My apologies. Just thought of something from earlier."

"What was that?"

"Don't worry about it Kar-Caroline."

He started stepping us around and I didn't worry about it. He's such a good dancer. I giggled when he dipped me and then smiled as he brought us back up closer together.

It made my body sigh in relief to be touching against him. What the eff is wrong with me? I have a fiancé!

"Tell me about your family," he prompted.

"My family?" I looked up with questioning eyes.

"Yes," his glance sparkled to me. It sent my heartbeat racing.

"Um..." I tried to gain control of myself. "My dad's name is Ben. He lives in Seattle. He works in road construction. He has these two giant yellow labs named Luna and Lupin. They're so funny. They follow his every command."

"Luna and Lupin?" He asked startled.

"Yeah. I think he's a closet Harry Potter fan." I snickered.

He grinned and pressed me tighter. "I love your laugh."

I bent bashful, not sure what to say to that. He's making me blush like a sixteen year old!

"What about mother? Brothers? Grandfather?" He asked carefully.

"My mother and two brothers died in a car wreck when I was really little. My grandparents died in an animal attack. It was just me and my dad."

"I'm sorry." He looked intrigued. "But what kind of animal? What happened?"

"I'm not sure. My dad said it was a cougar. It's the reason he's pretty touchy about me going out into the woods." I smiled mischievously. "He'd probably go into a rage to even know I was out this near to a forest, even being in the lodge. He forgets I'm not a kid anymore."

He thought carefully as he turned us around a few more times. "How old were you when your mother got in the crash?"

"Oh um, I think I was seven? Eight, maybe? It was just before I went to second grade. Then me and my dad moved to a new house."

He took a deep breath and studied me thoroughly. "What do you remember before your move?"

I tried to think hard, but I couldn't come up with anything. I shook my head. "I don't remember anything. That's too young to have memories."

"I have memories that young."

Sexy smug face.

"Alright, what is your earliest memory, Mr. William?" I challenged.

He laughed. "Watching Sesame Street with an ice pack on my face. My brother had roundhoused me."

A crystal clear picture filled my mind of him as a young child, maybe three, watching tv on a dark blue sofa. A curly haired mother handing over an ice pack, face set in a scowl at a slightly older boy faced away huddled into a living room corner. 

 I giggled at the thought. "I can picture it."

He nodded; a slight smile emerging. "I bet you can."

We danced a few movements later, but then a hand of his glided upwards and I wondered if he was going to touch my face like all those romantic movies do. My heart stopped its beating in anticipation. ...But no. He was just brushing my hair from over my shoulder to my back. Then I realized I meant to keep it there and went to pull it back, but his hand stopped around mine. "No. I want to see the mark. You can cover it back after our dance."

I nodded, willing to do anything for him it seemed. Take me on the dance floor, you got it. Also, I'm stupid.

He placed my other hand against his shoulder and slightly drew over the crescent marks tracing them as I had last night, and an intimate shiver raced up my back. Shoot. Don't think about last night.

He smiled and leaned to my ear, talking deep and breathy. "Do you know what these mean in my culture?"

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

"It means you're my wife."

A shockwave ran through my system and I stepped back to look at him. "No, no it doesn't." I stammered.

"It does."

Stupid sexy liar.

"Not a lie. In this community, we'd be married. Look around. Every once in a while, on females especially you'll see marks, but mostly like this one," he touched at the crook of my neck and I almost melted against him. "This one is more special though," he rolled his thumb over the higher one on my mid neck and I closed my eyes relishing the feel.

Heck yeah, I'll be your wife. Done and done. I bit my lip trying to push out the luxurious feel. "Well, I'm sorry but I'm engaged already. You'll have to find another person to play vampire with." But I tried to look around at the women dancing in the area. It was far too dark for me to see any neck marks though.

He chuckled a rich deep sound that I could copy and make my new ringtone. He pressed us back close. Voice again at my ear, making my breath ragged. "I won't find another. Not ever. You're it for me."

Please be it for me. "We'll I'm sure no government agency will accept a bite mark as a binding contractual agreement."

"You'd be surprised what the government lets us do."

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and parted my lips to try to breathe. Gah I wish I could be his wife. "Sorry William. You'll just have to have it annulled. We don't even know each other."

He pressed his scruffy cheek against my temple and I could tell he was smiling. My eyes closed on their own stupid accord. "Well yes. There are ways to reverse a marking, but that only counts if it was made without consent."

"Well it was without consent, because I never said you could, nor even knew what it meant."

Lie.

He gave a laughy breath. "I don't think a reversal will work for us. You might not have known what it meant, but you gave more consent than most females that get marked with how you submitted."

"Submitted?" I turned my head, checking his face from the corner of my eye.

"Yes. Remember you even pulled your shirt to the side?" He demonstrated, pulling the dress top slightly away from the lower mark. It caused my heart to speed. "That was consent enough for any judges around here."

I believed him. Shoot. Now what do I do? I can't really be already married? Can I?

"Now you stay here with me."

I stepped back from the embrace, but not clear from his arms. "I can't William. I already told you, I'm engaged."

His teeth clenched with a frown. "Then where is he now?"

"Huh?" I looked around and towards the drink bar, but he was gone. "I don't know. He must have went outside for some air."

He sighed and looked back lovingly in my eyes. His blues were slicingly clear.

How does he look at me like that? I could be the only one in the world. Was I really it for him? He looked at me like that.

A grin then fluttered to his face.

And I stinkin love his smile.

He laughed. "You're so trusting."

"What does that mean?" I asked confused.

"Nothing," he muttered and looked away.

"No what?"

He took a strong breath. "Kar-oline, I don't ever want you to hurt."

"And being too trusting will hurt me?"

"Yes." He paused and turned me around a few more times, then looked back into my eyes. "You were caught on our security cameras correct?"

I stepped back, worried about getting caught. Oh gosh. He knows I was in his room.

"No, no," he shook his head and pulled me back against him, "well yes. I mean that. Well he was caught on camera. With that woman." He paused... "Going into the family restroom..." He looked worried, studying me. "This afternoon. After the ceremony."

"What?" I asked with disbelieving wide eyes. No. "No. It's not like that. There's an explanation. Maybe she needed help with her dress..." but the thought caught in my mouth. Did she need help taking her dress off in the family bathroom? Couldn't be. "No matter," I said with mock confidence.

He gritted his teeth and looked over my shoulder. "See? Trusting."

Another song started and minute past as he stepped us around the floor. He then stopped and pulled the hair back over my shoulder. "He's back. I'll let you go now." He stepped away from me.

I cocked an eyebrow. Not even going to finish the song? What a great husband you are.

I began to form the word 'okay,' but a large grin snaked across his face. "On second thought. I should at least finish the whole dance."

He then pushed me straight up against his body and held me tight with his arm capturing my lower back. I couldn't help but giggle and shoot a smile to my own face. My head bent back as he spun us in dizzying circles. My eyes to the spiraling mass of twinkling lights above.

His lips pressed to my ear, shooting electricity clear down to my toes. "I love when you show your neck. Like you're happy to wear my mark."

I couldn't be bothered to be worried about his words. I just felt giddy. Then I'll wear ponytails the rest of my life. Maybe I'd go bald. Anything to keep him happy.

His voice was then in my mind. Would I be able to talk to you tonight?

Oh gosh. I stood up tight and straight. Now I was imagining hearing him in my daytime thoughts too. I'm going crazy! ....The champagne? But I smiled and answered myself anyway, my glance going over his shoulder. As long as there isn't much talking going on. Pictures of us huddled together and kissing in the tiny closet scanned my thoughts.

We can do that too.

I tried biting a grin away, so real William wouldn't see it.

"You're so beautiful."

"Thank you," I said simply.

The music slowed and he dipped me again. "I'll see you later."

"Sure. Whatever." I laughed and he brought me back up. Oh gosh. What will happen when I leave tomorrow?

Maybe I won't let you leave.

"Bye William. Thanks for the dance."

"Bye Caroline."

I started walking back to Rick, but he hadn't noticed as he was still in a deep conversation with Katrina. I came upon them and smiled. "Hey."

Remember I'm visiting you tonight. His voice said and I stubbed my foot and fell clear into Rick's arms.

"Sorry!" I stood up straight against him.

"Darling," he chastised. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Uh, one?" I was embarrassed because I usually didn't drink anything.

He laughed. "One of what? Everything?"

"No," I pouted. I told him the other glass wasn't mine! But he grinned as if I was being childish. But then my eyes zeroed in on his collar with a smudge of red. "Is that lipstick?" I brought my hands up to touch the spot.

He caught my hand and twisted to see his shirt. "Oh, of course not, Darling. Just a smear of icing from the wedding cake."

"Right..." I said slowly, trying to believe him.

"I better get her back to our room Katrina. She's so drunk, she's starting to see things. I will see you later." He looked down to me and started holding my back like helping me walk. "Come along Darling. You need sleep."

I wanted to be mad he called me drunk, but my body flashed hot with the thought of more dreams like last night. Oh heck yeah I do! I want to sleep until noon. William is coming.

I'll be there Love.

My eyes glanced once more to where real William was and he winked.

Oooh my gosh. He's so sexy.