Love is Complicated Stuff... [8]

[Chapter 8]

For a week, I had been ignored by my fiance.
My mother thought that it was pre-wedding jitters.
I just went along with it.

I had seen Alan's fangs and red eyes.
I knew what he was, even before he had drinken from me.

— — — — —

I shook in fear, sitting in my bed, my hand covering the wound on my neck.
He'd drinken from me!

He sneered at me now.
"He isn't the only monster in this world, Jean.
There are worse things than me out there.
He is one of them.
He will leave you again,
I'm only protecting you."

I only stared at him, afraid of what else he would do to me.

"Don't be afraid of me," he'd murmured gently.
He reached out and gently stroked my hair.
I flinched away from him, and he backed away with a pained look on his face.

— — — — —

He knew I was afraid of him.
Not of him, I corrected myself.
Of what he was.
It explained all of his moodswings when I was on my period.
His bloodlust must have an effect his mood.
It would make sense.

I stared at myself in the mirror as Mom pulled the veil down over my face.
"You look beautiful," she whispered, looking proud of me.
"Alan will be proud to call you his wife."

"Thanks, Mom," I smiled and stood up to hug her.
She dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"Go on now, sweetheart.
It's time."

I nodded and took one last look in the mirror, making sure my bouquet looked perfect before I stepped out and walked to the door I would enter to walk down the aisle.
The doors opened and I began walking with my mother at my side.
My family and friends were standing, smiling proudly at me as I walked closer to the pew.
Alan's family and friends bowed their heads.

I wondered if all of them were vampires.
I saw some of their eyes had a reddish hint to them, so I assumed they were.

I finally reached the alter and handed Mom my bouquet, then took Alan's hand.

"You look amazing," he whispered.
The first words since he'd bitten me.

"Thank you," I whispered back, not meeting his eyes.

The preacher smiled at us both.
"Are we ready to begin," he asked us.

"Yes," Alan answered, and I nodded quietly.

He began.
"We are gathered here today, on this happy and joyous occasion, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.
Marriage is a solemn institution to be held in honor by all, it is the
cornerstone of the family and of the community. It requires of those
who undertake it a complete and unreserved giving of one's self. It is
not to be entered into lightly, as marriage is a sincere and mutual
commitment to love one another. This commitment symbolizes the intimate
sharing of two lives and still enhances the individuality of each of
you.
Alan, do you take Jean to be your wedded wife? Do you promise to
love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health,
remaining faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

Alan looked at me, deeply into my eyes.
"I do," he said gently.

Our preacher continued.
"Jean, do you take Alan to be your wedded husband? Do you promise
to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health,
remaining faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

Before I could even open my mouth to answer, the glass of one of the church windows was shattered by several large wolves that had jumped in.
Each one of them snarling furiously.

Obviously, my side of the ceremony was screaming and hugging each other, trying to get as far away from the large animals as they could.
Alan's side, on the other hand, snarled back at them, though the women and children were behind the men.

Alan stood in front of my protectively as a larger brown wolf aproached us, growling a warning at my vampire almost-husband.
"Get back," Alan ordered him.

The brown wolf defied him, not surprisingly, and kept stalking forward.

"She isn't yours anymore, mutt," Alan spat.
"She's my wife."

"Not yet," the wolf spoke,
though his voice was made of growls.
He sounded just like...

"Nick," I whispered, and Alan looked back at me, his eyes red again.
I couldn't help but flinch back from him.

"She is afraid of you, leech,"
my brown wolf spoke again.

Alan attacked Nick and both went rolling around on the ground in their brawl.
I screamed, not knowing who to help.
I did love Alan, though what he was scared me to bits.
But I had always loved Nick.

All the other werewolves and vampires stopped to watch them fight. They surrounded them in a circle, vampries on one side, werewolves on the other, both growling at the opposing side.

I was in the middle of a war zone.