Beauty's Beast (26 page)

Kristine hurried forward, her eyes damp with tears as she placed her hand on Erik's arm. At last, they were all together, as they were meant to be.

“She's beautiful,” he said, “just like her mother.”

Edith gestured at her son, then nudged her husband. “Do something.”

“What? Oh, of course.” With a wave of his hand, Caddaric clothed Erik in a shirt of white lawn, buff-colored breeches, and a pair of kidskin boots.

Erik glanced over his shoulder, a wry grin curving his lips. “Thank you.”

Caddaric nodded, his eyes twinkling.

Erik handed his daughter to her grandmother, then drew Kristine into his arms. “And you,” he murmured, his voice thick with unshed tears. “How can I ever thank you for your trust, your unfailing devotion?”

“Oh, Erik.” She clung to him, her hands running over his back and shoulders, moving over his face. He was beautiful, so beautiful. And whole again, at last.

“Tell me,” Caddaric said, “do you remember what it was like to be a wolf?”

Erik nodded. “But I would rather forget.”

Edith poked her husband in the ribs. “No more questions!” she exclaimed. “Can you not see they wish to be alone?”

“What? Oh, of course,” Caddaric said. Ushering his wife and the stunned priest out of the room, he quietly closed the door behind them.

“Kristine.” Ah, the joy of speaking her name.

“Erik.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, Erik, I was so afraid I had lost you forever.”

“I missed you,” he said. “More than you will ever know.”

“No more than I missed you.”

Blinking back his tears, he hugged her to him. “Thank you, Dominique,” he murmured.

A warm breeze that felt oddly like a kiss brushed his cheek and was gone.

“It's over,” Kristine said. “At last.”

“Ah, Kristine, do you know how much I love you?”

“As much as I love you?”

“More,” he said.

“No,” she said, smiling at him through her tears. “I love you more.”

Laughter welled up from deep inside him as he twirled her around the room.

“Come, my sweet Kristine,” he said, setting her on her feet. “We can argue about it at home.”

Home! She sighed as she cupped his face in her hands. “Ah, my lord Erik, don't you know that you are my home?”

“And you, my love, are my life,” he said fervently, and he kissed her there, in the middle of the chapel, with the golden rays of the sun shining down on them through the window like a benediction.

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Copyright © 2014 by Madeline Baker

 

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ISBN: 978-1-4201-3562-6

First Electronic Edition: September 2014
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3563-3
eISBN-10: 1-4201-3563-5