A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (38 page)

Mothers clutched their young to their breasts with pleas to save them from their deaths. Never had he felt so helpless when they left their town near
Inverness
during those dark times that still continued long after the end of the outbreak. His parents were of noble blood and could afford to leave their home for another that was a few cities away in the
Highlands
. He still thought about those people cities away when he buried his own mother.

“Jace,” her voice still haunted him from that day. She looked up at him with once bright brown eyes that were then dimming with impending death. She had coughed up violent bouts of
blood earlier and even then her body still shook involuntarily.

“Don’t let your life slip away,” she said softly. “Not without love and the life you wanted to lead. I love you, my son.”

Her cold hand caressed his warm cheek. Slowly he wrapped his warm hand around hers and held it tightly. Her once strong grip slowly loosened as her life and spirit slipped away.

Jace shuddered under the cool water in the shower. He blinked a few times to bring him back to his present reality.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the image, he reached down to flip off the shower and grab a towel to put around his waist.

Perhaps Ariya was meant to come into their lives. Perhaps she was meant to turn his life and his heart upside down. He had to wonder if they could really have a life like Rich and Joanna. He loved his life as it was and now, although his emotions were topsy-turvy, he knew it wouldn’t be whole without Ariya by his side.

Slowly he stepped out of the shower and allowed the cold evaporating droplets to cool his skin. He was hungry again but the night didn’t call him like the other times. Instead, he entered his bedroom and watched Ariya sleep. Her beautiful softness was peaceful under the warm glow of the candles that lit up the room. He took a seat in his comfy chair across the bed and watched her take gentle breaths in her sleep. Eventually he would be able to fully let his guard down. For now, he would make this moment last as long as he could.

Chapter 13

J
ace walked along the thin aisles between his student’s desks. He started off every class with a piece of art history before launching into the actual art creation. He did his best to get the kids interested in traditional artwork like the techniques he learned from his mentor, Signore Da Vinci.

Unfortunately he couldn’t paint landscapes from life in warm, Earthy hues but he still retained the techniques creating smoking glazes and dimmed edges heightened by chiaroscuro.

Either way, he was pretty proud of his class and how far they’ve progressed since the start. Soon it would be coming to an end in two weeks as the quarter drew on. He couldn’t say he wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Time.”

The sparse classroom echoed with a chorus of drawing paper ripped from the stacks of pads.

“Now is it time for you to model for us, Mr. Harkin?” One of the young female students in the front of the class asked him.

Jace chuckled to himself. The young girl was about nineteen with a face caked full of makeup. Her slender frame was draped in a low cut blouse and a short skirt accompanied with high heels. There had to be something said for the shift of power in sexual politics throughout the ages. Particularly dating. It took him a while to get used to the modern aggression of female sexuality. He wasn’t used to being pursued and taken. That was his job.

Jace imagined it was a leftover from the days when men did the wooing to win the hearts of their love. It was a habit he was very reluctant to shake and he liked being in the driver’s seat.

Jace smiled as he did an about face and returned to the front of the class.

“Not yet, Jessica, but maybe I’ll have a special surprise for you guys with the final.”

The young girl’s gaze dipped below his belt for a moment as a wide smile crossed her face. If he was a young mortal teacher of the times he knew his pale face would have turned beet red. Instead he choked back a chuckle and cleared his throat. Boy, he would be in heaven if he was a nineteen year old boy.

“In the meantime, we’ll go for one three minute gesture study and you’re out of here.”

He checked his watch; nearly time. The ceremony would be starting in an hour and as a part of the wedding party, he and Ariya needed to be there early.

“And go.”

The students started their gesture studies watching the dim lit still life stature in the middle of the room while darting back to their notepads in front of them. Jace took a seat at his desk and packed up to leave for the night. He still couldn’t believe his best friend was settling down after all this time. With Ariya not too far in his mind, he hoped they would make it in time.

* * * *

Jace hurried home to find Ariya already dressed and ready to go, much to his satisfaction. She was wearing a strapless satin dress lined with black lace that fell around her ankles. Her usual knee high boots were replaced with Grecian sandals that wrapping around her shapely calves. If he didn’t have any prior engagements, he was half tempted to indulge in her body right then and there. Unfortunately, that situation probably wouldn’t end well. Instead he thought of something else to ease the desire hardening between his legs. The fact that he was hungry didn’t help matters much.

He quickly disappeared into the bedroom and changed into a suit and tie, which he always found more constricting than a loose poet’s shirt and trousers. Definitely much more constricting than the folded Archane family plaids he wore growing up. Earlier he dismissed the limo driver and opted to take Ariya in his Volga Roadster. Once they piled into the car, Ariya turned on the radio and rested on his shoulder as they entered the freeway and headed for the park a few blocks down the road. He couldn’t help smiling as he imagined Joanna convincing Rich to have their wedding in the nearest park. Rich hadn’t been too happy with desert living since the house moved here. He found the city life in the desert a sort of contradiction of big city prohibition with old western undertones and complained that one day he would high tail it to the forest areas when it was safe to shift freely under the pale moon. After all, his blood ran with English Lycan blood and Jace figured he couldn’t help wanting to claim the forest. Ariya chuckled as she heard his words in her head and gently punched him in the shoulder.

“What?” he said smiling. “Take it up with King Richard over his princess disposition.”

She shook her head to wave him off and pointed to the turnoff up ahead.

“Right around that corner.”

It was near pitch black except for the streetlights overhead. A school was nearby and both of them were thankful there was no game going on in the stadium behind the park. Dark shadowy figures stood under the tall trees and right away Jace recognized the line of cars and Rich’s bike in the corner. He parked nearby and escorted Ariya on his arm toward the wedding party.

“Don’t you think this area is just a wee bit conspicuous being so close to a school and a mall at the same time?” Jace asked as he approached the small party.

Joanna, draped in a long white satin dress with long sleeves and a thin lace neckline, shrugged. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a curly ponytail with tendrils framing her heart shaped face. Instead of a veil she wore a wreath and held a bouquet of dark red roses touched with baby breath. “I wanted a forest wedding but hey, this is the next best thing.”

Rich fidgeted with his tie as he moved uncomfortably in his suit. “First rule of making it last is compromise, I guess.”

Jace raised an eyebrow. “I thought first rule was to take the throne like you own it.”

“Ah-ah,” Rich held up his finger and smiled widely. “That’s pack rule. I’m talking lifelong commitment here, pal.”

“And if he wants to live a long life, he has to compromise.” Joanna leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek. “Or suffer my wrath in my true form.”

Jace chuckled and shared a wide eyed expression of surprise with Rich.

“If the quips will come to an end, we’d like to start.” Michael Hammond was dressed in a black Lycan ceremonial robe and stood a few feet away holding a Bible in his hand. Jace smiled as he fell into step behind the couple with Ariya at his side.

* * * *

Ariya had to choke back the question that was floating around her head. She was well versed in the various mortal mythology surrounding Elves, Vampires and Werewolves and none of it fit with that of the biblical stories she found so fascinating. If anything, they were seen as an abomination of creation. Still, she kept the question in her mind despite Jace’s promise that he would explain it to her later if she dropped it for now. She flashed a mental image of her tongue sticking out toward him and pursed her lips together to keep from laughing. Jace cleared his throat, trying not to laugh in return.

The ceremony was beautiful and Ariya couldn’t help wishing for a similar commitment for herself and Jace. She wondered if the Nightwalker ceremony would be the same. If so, would Jace ever think about—

Ariya shook her head slightly to clear the thought before she finished. She focused on the ceremony ahead as a certain sadness clouded her heart. She tried to ignore Jace turning to face her as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.

Joanna and Rich kissed after they were pronounced lifemates under the House of Lycan and Joanna became the front runner as the new Matriarch. For now she would serve as regent together with Rich as they both shared one soul.

“Congratulations buddy,” Jace said giving Rich a hug. “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d settle down before me.”

“Please, the pope will settle down before you do,” Rich snorted.

“Yeah, well I need some time before all that happens. Don’t even get Julian started on that line of thinking.”

Rich chuckled as he turned to Joanna who was sharing a conversation with Ariya. He smiled widely and Jace couldn’t remember a time before this one when his friend seemed so happy. “I feel energize around her. Like everything’s going to be better for us, you know? Sealing the deal just makes the future seem better to handle. I know I’m rambling—”

Jace held up his hand. “This is your day. Ramble all you want.”

“I’ll be sure to return the favor when it’s your time.”

Jace nodded as he followed Rich’s gaze to Ariya and Joanna.
When it’s your time.
The words echoed in the air long after Rich spoke them. Jace had to wonder if he would ever be ready for such a time.

* * * *

Joanna gently kissed Michael’s cheek before bidding him goodbye and giving him thanks for overseeing the ceremony. Ariya waved to the older Lycan and watched as he joined Jace and Rich.

“I don’t know if Rich told you both, but we will be having a Lycan union ceremony in the coming days. My family and tribe wanted to make it official with everyone attending.”

Ariya nodded and smiled warmly. “We’d love to come.” She stopped short at the sound of “we.” She and Jace weren’t an item. Well, technically things had been so up in the air for the past few days, she wasn’t sure what to make of them. One thing she did know was that she couldn’t be dangled like a piece of yarn anymore. She needed to know where they stood, even if Jace wanted to move on. As the Queen of the Aziza, she needed to move on as well and her people looked up to her to lead. She would also have to take a mate to rule alongside her. In a strange twist of fate, she hoped or at least imagined it would be Jace.