Epilogue

Three weeks later, Jacqueline and Dane were at their wedding, attended by hunters, hunters turned, vampires, and even humans. Jacqueline was wearing the beautiful wedding gown she had bought when she was supposed to marry Van. Dane loved Jacqueline in her ice-white mermaid wedding dress, the form-fitting satin and lace fitting her beautiful curves. Dane was wearing his black tux that he had purchased for his wedding that had never happened between him and Wendy.

Even Van was at the wedding, wishing them well.

Jacqueline’s father gave her away and her mother and father were thrilled she had married Dane. Robert was too, knowing Dane would always be there for her. And of course his brothers were there enjoying the celebration.

During the wedding reception, everyone enjoyed steak and lobster dinners—a combination of the meals they had planned for their earlier wedding plans with Van and Wendy.

Matt came up to the wedding couple’s table that Jacqueline and Dane were sitting at and smiled. “Hell, brother, who would ever have thought you would have so many different kinds of people at your wedding. The Van Helsing hunters who saved Jacqueline’s life, Green, the human/blood bond informant, vampires like Reese and Eleanor, and others you’ve both befriended, hunters turned, hunters—all of whom admire you both.”

Jacqueline and Dane smiled at him. “Who would have ever thought it?” Dane asked.

“None of us.” Mathew chuckled. “I’m glad to see your family is supporting you, Jacqueline.”

“Yeah, they’ve turned around completely.”

Robert then joined them. He was taking care of Princess while they went on their honeymoon. “What I can’t believe is that you’re staying at vampire Reese’s lakeside cottage in Minnesota for your honeymoon.”

“That was so nice because they have a blood bank close by when we need extra supplies,” Jacqueline said. “Otherwise, that was something we had to look for—vacation places that had sources we would need during our week there.”

Anne and Shelby come over so speak to them then.

Anne said, “We’re so proud of you for doing so much good for our kind. Even though Tobias had spearheaded the case of allowing our kind to take down hunter rogues, your situation where the hunters tried to eliminate hunters turned brought it to a head.”

“Yeah, not that we wanted that to happen to you or any of us, but you were definitely the reason the rules were changed,” Shelby said.

Then it was time for the newly married couple to have their first dance. Dane loved dancing with his wife and in their wedding duds, even nicer. She felt wonderful in his arms, all silky, sexy, and his. He couldn’t wait to be with her at the cabin at the lake tonight, making love to her.

* * *

After dancingwith her real-life hero and though enjoying the camaraderie with everyone at their wedding—it seemed anyone who was anyone was here, except for Wendy and her family—Jacqueline was so ready to be alone with Dane.

But now it was time for her to dance with her father. Dane actually danced with her mother since his own was deceased. Her mother had really embraced him as her son, just like Robert treated Dane like a brother.

“I know I’ve said a million times how sorry I am that I wasn’t the one to take down Heskel for turning you,” her father said.

“Dad, I understand. You and Mom were just in shock over the whole business. You were feeling guilty you had let me do so much hunting on my own, but really, I had been fine with that.”

“Me not going after Heskel was unforgiveable.” Her father was adamant that he had been in the wrong. So had her brother, but he had already apologized so many times that she believed they were both sorry for their actions.

“Well, it’s over and I ended up with my dream mate.”

“I agree. Dane is perfect for you and great with our family. His brothers too. We couldn’t have asked for more.”

Then she finished the dance with her father and danced with her brother. She was ready to dance with her mate after that, but this time Dane’s brothers wanted their dances with her, and she laughed as Dane smiled at her and them and shook his head. He ended up dancing with Anne and then Shelby. Once they had all danced, Reese danced with Jacqueline, while Dane danced with his girlfriend.

“Enjoy your stay at the cabin,” Reese said.

“Thanks so much for allowing us to stay there,” Jacqueline said. “We can’t thank you enough.”

Then she was dancing with Dane again, loving him dearly. “I didn’t think I would ever have you in my arms again.”

He chuckled. “My brothers figured they were safe dancing with you at our wedding.”

She laughed. And then it was time for them to leave for their vacation.

Everyone wished them well, blowing bubbles as they made their way to the limousine that would take them to the airport.

They cuddled with each other in the back seat, their bags in the vehicle. After the flight, they rented the car and drove to the cabin in the woods. They realized as soon as they parked their rental car there, someone was already at the cabin. Dane called Reese and said, putting the call on the speakerphone, “Hey, you did say the cabin was at this location, right?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong?”

“Someone’s living there.”

“That’s when you use your vampiric abilities to do what you need to do. If they’re human trespassers, I hope they get charged with breaking and entering.”

“Will do.” Dane glanced at Jacqueline.

“Vampiric persuasion?”

“You bet.”

And so that’s how they started their honeymoon.

Dane knocked on the door while Jacqueline waited at the side of the cabin. The back of the log cabin was up against the woods. The covered patio on the other side was enclosed with screening. The windows were small around the cabin, except for the ones on the covered patio that had a view of the lake.

No one answered the knock at the door. He looked at Jacqueline. She nodded, and the two of them entered the house in the vampire way.

Three men had been in the living room, talking about what they were going to do about the couple outside their cabin who were now inside the cabin, without opening the front door.

Dane instantly said, “Call the police and tell them you’re wanted for breaking and entering the cabin and give the address.”

All three men pulled out their cell phones and called the police. They gave their information about having been escaped convicts from Minnesota Correctional Facility in Togo.

That’s when Jacqueline began looking through the two bedrooms and said, “There are guns and drugs in both the rooms.”

Then several police cars rolled up, sirens going, lights flashing.

“You will tell the officers about all the crimes you’ve committed, how you broke out of jail, who helped you get here, the whole story,” Dane said. “Open the door slowly, call out that you’re unarmed and give yourself up.”

Dane and Jacqueline appeared next to their car and told one of the officers that they were staying at the cabin but had called the police when they had discovered these men had broken into the place.

The ex-fugitives came out with their hands up and immediately began spilling their guts to the police about all their crimes. The officers looked astounded as they took them into custody.

“Reese owns that cabin,” one of the officers said, looking worried that no one on the force had realized the criminals had been staying in the vampire’s own place.

“Right,” Dane said.

The officer looked a little concerned that Dane and Jacqueline must be friends of Reese and staying there then.

“We’ll get this cleaned up as quickly as possible,” the officer said.

Once the police took all the guns, drugs, convicts, and anything else that didn’t belong in the cabin out of it, Dane and Jacqueline were finally ready to start their honeymoon as two hunters turned vampires in love. Staying at a beautiful, lakeside vampire’s cabin for their honeymoon? Who would have thought it would come to this after their rocky beginning!