25. The Secrets We Keep

Ashort time after this, we made our way back down to the party. In all honesty, I could have stayed up on that rooftop just the two of us for the rest of the night. In fact, I was already asking myself how much longer we would have to stay. All I wanted to do now was run a claw down the back of her closeted top, cut clean through the ribbons and peel this beautiful dress off her.

I wanted to make love to my wife to be.

But I knew that we would never get away with simply leaving, nor would we get away with being up there much longer. Not when everybody close to us knew what I had planned for tonight and were no doubt on tenterhooks waiting to hear the outcome. Which was why all the way back to the main club, I couldn"t get the sappy grin off my face. It felt as if she had made me the happiest man alive and as much as I wanted Ella all to myself, I found myself also looking forward to sharing it with our world.

But mainly, sharing it with my brother.

This last week, he"d been the only one keeping me sane, and well, he was pleased as fucking punch when I first told him my plans to ask Ella to marry me. I think his exact words had been,

"About fucking time!" But then this wasn"t surprising considering he had been fighting in Ella"s corner since the very beginning and, of course, he had been right. If there was one thing that bastard loved the most, it was being able to say, I told you so.

However, what I didn"t expect was to reach the VIP area and find everyone below at the ready. For as soon as we approached the VIP balcony overlooking the club below, everyone all turned and looked up. An anticipated hush flowed over the room and before Ella could utter a word, I took her hand in mine and raised up her arm. Then because I was unable to contain myself any longer, I shouted at the top of my lungs,

"SHE SAID YES!" Then I spun her around at the sound of her gasp of shock and kissed her to the sound of everyone cheering. A chorus of people clapped and champagne bottles popped just as the band played Here Comes the Bride. You could even hear Pip making a whooping sound, and my brother added to this by shouting,

"Fuck yeah, that"s my brother!" Even Zagan started wolf whistling, while my own council were celebrating with collective howls coming from their HellBeast sides. And to the few mortals in the room, they ended up just sounding like a rowdy biker gang.

It seemed as if everyone had forgotten the reason they were here was for the new year. That was literally a thing of the past as this had now become an engagement celebration. And I couldn"t have been any fucking happier at this turn of events.

"Subtle, Beastman," Ella commented on a giggle when I finished kissing her.

"Never promised you subtle, babe, but a lifetime of vowing to make you happy, now that I can do."

In true Ella form, she relaxed into me. Then she hooked her hand at the back of my neck and pulled me down for another kiss, telling me,

"Then let me start you off."

Well, you won"t hear me fucking complaining! But then, kissing Ella always made me hard as a rock, something I was glad that the cheering crowd could not see from down below. Especially with her parents down there, thankfully unable to play witness to the fact their daughter was currently feeling up my arse and grinding herself against me.

Fucking made for me.

Of course, I would have been quite happy to continue kissing her audience, or not, but I also understood when she pulled back from me and said,

"I think it"s time we go get hugged."

"Probably a good idea, as there"s a few people down there that look like they"re about to self-combust, and I"m not just talking about your mother, but mainly my brother," I whispered this last part, making her laugh, and this was just another thing I adored about her.

Having the ability to make her laugh made me feel like a fucking hero every time. But then, she had a beautifully, infectious smile and a cute, weird as fuck laugh that couldn't help but make a person smile back.

"Let"s go, beautiful," I said, taking her hand and tucking it in the crook of my arm, knowing she would need me to steady her as she used her other hand to lift up the skirt of her dress. This, naturally, so as she wouldn"t trip down the stairs.

I would never let her fall.

As soon as we made it to the bottom step, all who cared about us descended in a crowd around us, taking it in turns to congratulate us. The first of which, being her parents, and I had to say the tears I saw in her mother"s eyes was a warming sight. The knowledge that they approved of me made this moment all the sweeter.

Of course, I had already spoken with her father and, thankfully, gained his approval. So the both of them knew that this was coming as I had told him of my plans this morning, before leaving Ella at her parents' house for a few hours. I had first asked her father's approval and once I received it in the form of a handshake and some kind words in reference to my character, I had told him my plans. How I intended to ask her to marry me before midnight.

But even now, as he shook my hand again, the sentiment meant a lot to me. Although, I didn"t know how he would have felt knowing their daughter was about to marry a HellBeast king. At the same time, I was grateful they hadn't just viewed me as just a tattooed biker that was rough around the edges, and they hadn"t prejudged me.

"Oh, my beautiful girl, going to be married… I'm just… I'm so happy!" Ella's mum said after hugging her again, and then I heard her whisper in her ear,

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."

This confirmed to me that Ella had obviously confided in her mother about her worries over this past week when believing that I was planning on leaving her. Something I vowed never to do ever again.

After this touching moment, Amelia came running through and with a squeal of excitement, was the next one to hug her, telling her,

"Congratulations! I am so happy for you… for you both! And I get to be a bridesmaid, of course."

"Try maid of honor!" Ella corrected, causing another squeal of delight to come from Amelia. The exchange continued, with Lucius also stepping up behind his wife and offering his congratulations. This just as my brother stepped up to me and offered me his own. However, instead of the slap on the back I was expecting, he followed suit and pulled me in for a man hug, one that still included a hard slap on the back, while telling me,

"Congrats, big brother, you did good!"

"Well, I had help," I reminded him with a grin that didn't feel as if it would ever go away.

"Yeah, you did!" he agreed, beaming at me when he finally let me go.

"Damn, think you cracked my back with that one," I teased, before Smidge came running over and threw herself at me, near tripping up over her peach-colored ruffled dress.

"Boss man! You did it! I am so proud." I couldn't help but laugh before she turned to Ella and, again, the hugs kept coming.

Then the girls all fawned over the ring, wanting to see it and making Ella light up as she proudly showed it off. I swear, the sight near had me choking up again. It was fucking beautiful.

I had taken the opportunity to tell Ella about the ring on our way back to the party, explaining its design and the significance of the stone. Again, once I was finished, she practically threw herself at me, pushing me against the wall and kissing me. Shit, but I think had her dress allowed her the freedom of movement, then she would have tried to climb me like a damn tree.

Not that I was fucking complaining.

My insatiable girl what hot as fuck!

Dom and Keira were next in line, with Keira getting in on the action, joining the girls and hugging her niece. I received another slap on the back from Dom, who had already given me not just a handshake but also voiced his own approval when I had told him of my plans to ask Ella to marry me.

"I am pleased to see how happy you make my niece, congratulations, Jared, she is and always has been, a rare jewel," he said, making me look back at her, surrounded by such love and seeing her at the center of it all just warmed my heart. She was practically glowing in her happiness, and it was one of the most beautiful sights to behold.

"Well, what do you say us guys go and get a real drink, Dom? I am sure you have the best stuff upstairs, perhaps in your office… What do say, Orth, you game?" Frank said, slapping Dom on his shoulder and giving the three of us a look, as if relaying something unspoken to us.

"I am sure I have a bottle or two," Dom agreed, obviously taking the hint. I was intrigued to see what he had to say and whether I was about to receive some ‘fatherly' advice from a man who would essentially become my father-in-law.

I nodded the once and walked over to Ella, who had just received a bouncing hug from a ‘whooping' Pip as she was like an excitable puppy that couldn't be contained. Adam, her husband, as usual tried his best to contain her as she jumped up and down while clapping, already making plans about the stag and hen party she was convinced she was going to be allowed to throw us.

"I won't be long, we are just going to take your father and celebrate with a few drinks," I told her, after placing my hand on her lower back and unable to help my fingers from plucking at the ribbon. I wanted her to know where my mind was really at and it was, of course, on getting her naked… soon.

"Man style celebrating," she teased, making me tease her right back, repeating over her lips,

"Man style celebrating." At this she gave me a beaming grin, and whispered a sweet endearment back.

"Okay, baby." I kissed her, making everyone around us all make sappy noises of ‘awws' and ‘ooo's' but I ignored it all, for there was only Ella. Only her and her smile. Hence why she made it fucking hard to leave but then, she always had. Even back when I was denying myself the truth, I had found it difficult being without her. Of course, I had made the excuse that my HellBeast was just getting used to her being around. But at my core, I knew that it was just a bullshit excuse.

So, like all those times before, I forced myself to walk away and join the others as they started up the stairs. Dom walked over to the bar area and placed a few bottle of the good stuff on the bar, along with four glasses.

"Have to admit, never thought I would see you as a bar man," I said with a smirk, making Dom laugh.

"What can I say? Keira might have taught me a thing or two."

"Yes, well as long as it's knowing how to pour a good drink, then count me in." We all turned to see Lucius joining us, as clearly, he hadn't missed the opportunity to get away from the squealing ladies.

"Or drink tequila like a fish… damn, I don't know how my sister does it," Frank said with a shake of his head, making Dom smirk. But then I also saw a subtle look pass between Dom and Frank, and when he nodded, I knew it had been a silent question about Lucius joining us. Because seconds later and he was adding another glass to the bar top. Then after dropping a ball of ice in each, Dom poured the amber liquid in each and, soon, we were each drinking back thousands of dollars. Because Dom's version of the best bottle came with the highest price tag you could find.

But then, this was a celebration. after all.

One that clearly had to take place inside Dom's office as he held out his arm and suggested,

"Should we?"

We each took our cut crystal whiskey glasses, while Dom carried a fresh bottle toward the back of the club. Which meant we were soon all taking a seat in his office.

"You really need to get rid of this fucking ugly couch, Dom."

"I've been saying the same for years," Lucius added, referring to the gaudy, teal velvet couch we had sat in.

"Unfortunately, it now has too much sentimental value to Keira to do so. Trust me, it hasn't been through lack of trying."

We laughed at this, but my eyes shifted to Orth to see him now watching Frank. A man that clearly had something on his mind. And well, the moment I said his name, the very last fucking thing every man here thought he would say was what came out of his mouth!

"Frank?"

He released a deep sigh and told us,

"Alright, does someone want to tell me what's really going on with Ella and why she is now a Summoner?"

At this the whole room seemed to freeze over. It was like no one knew what to do or what to say. My first thought, which was most likely everyone else's, was why the fuck had Ella told him?

"I don't know what you talking about, Frank, or what a Sum…" Frank quickly stopped him and said,

"Let me stop you right there and we can move on for the bullshit. You're a Vampire, you're a HellBeast, you're a HellBeast, and you're a Demon/Angel half breed who married my sister-in-law… so, how am I doing so far?"

Okay, so if I thought the room had frozen before, then now it was the fucking Arctic!

"How did you…?" Dom stammered for words, and it was an usual sight for sure, as it wasn't often anything shocked him enough to do so. But this… well, this had shocked fucking all of us!

But nothing was more shocking than when he then told us…

"Because I'm not fuckingmortal, that's why."