Hello, Thank you so much for your interest in Beckoned. I am excited for the next chapters. I hope you are too! -Amanda
“Andre! Aurora! Wake up!” I heard someone yell, pulling me from sleep. My eyes still closed, I moaned, too warm and too comfortable to move. Then loud, insistent banging began. My eyes opened to the bright sunshine. I groaned, still exhausted from the events of the day before.Andre chuckled in my ear as he moved his arms from around me. No wonder I had been so warm. Andre had given me his body heat. “Don’t worry, Aurora,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll get it. You just lie here and pretend I tired you out too much to move.”“Andre,” I hissed, turning an even deeper shade of red when I saw he wore only pajama pants that hung too low on his hips. I blinked, trying not to look at his bare chest. He raised his brows and grinned, walking to the door. I shook my head, mortified, and buried my face in the pillow.A few moments later, I heard the door open. “Mother?” Andre asked, sounding puzzled. “Is something wrong?”I heard a sob. I pulled the pillow from my face with a f
Exhaustion was the only reason I slept at all. My body sensed Andre’s presence the moment he lay down next to me. His scent surrounded me, embedding into everything, as his heat touched my skin. My whole body tingled, expecting to be touched. I closed my eyes, conscious of every breath he took. It took hours, but the darkness of sleep finally came, pulling me down into its reluctant .**********When my senses came back to me, I no longer heard Andre’s steady breaths. Instead, the hoots of owls and the rustling of animals moving through the bushes reached me. Fear shot through me. Did I sleepwalk again? I shook my head. It wasn’t possible. Andre would have stopped me.I forced my eyes open, finding that I was in a large grassy meadow in the middle of a dense forest. Seeing wolves sitting in a circle around me, my heart trembled. When they didn’t move, I looked at each one. They were each different and seemed as docile as pets. Their eyes were large and submissive, staring at me…kind of
The reception seemed to last forever. There were too many people to hug, too many gifts and good wishes, and too much dancing. Finally, after the last dance, Andre and I were able to leave. Exhaustion took over and I fell asleep with my cheek resting against Andre’s shoulder in the limousine. I did not wake until I sensed I was being lifted. My eyes flew open and I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep from falling. “What are you doing?” I asked. I gripped his neck tighter, pulling myself closer to him. His woodsy scent wrapped around me. He grinned. “I’m carrying my wife across the threshold.” I laughed nervously. “Andre, you don’t have to do that,” I whispered into his shoulder. “We both know that our marriage was arranged.” He grinned, glancing down at me, his eyes sparkling. “Let me have a little fun, okay?” “Okay,” I said. My face heated to a bright red. I laughed as he tried to find his keys
I sat in the limousine beside Andre, my hands clasped on my lap as we drove toward the hotel where the reception would be held. I shifted in my seat as I bit my bottom lip and glanced out the window, afraid to speak first.I didn’t know why I was so shy with him now. Perhaps it was because I had just received my first kiss…or maybe it was because I was still not used to his presence. Either way, it left us in total silence.I glanced down at my hands, squeezing them while trying to think of something to say, finding nothing. Finally, Andre’s rich, beautiful laughter echoed through the limo, causing me to jump.I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you laughing about?” I asked, tilting my head. There was fear he was laughing at me.It took a moment before he answered. When he did, he was almost breathless. “You scared me when you didn’t say ‘I do’ right away,” he said, still chuckling. I sighed, relieved. “I thought you were going to run.”I chewed on my lip for a moment, wondering how h
Everything was surreal as I stood in the lobby of the church. The arched double doors opened, my flower girls and bridesmaids making their way down the aisle. Mirella glanced back at me and grinned just before walking down with Marco. I trembled as I grasped Gavriel’s arm, waiting just out of sight. “It’s okay,” Gavriel whispered, smiling as his grip on my hand tightened. “It isn’t as bad as it seems. It gets better.”I frowned, then smiled. “Was it horrible with Sophia at first?”He laughed. “Yes. I thought she hated me. Eventually, we became friends and fell in love.”“You really do love each other, don’t you?” I asked, gazing up into his face.His eyes softened, his love for her undeniable. “With everything in me.” He glanced down at me, smiling. “She makes me a better man.”I studied him as he led me to stand in front of the double doors, which someone had closed again. The preacher’s booming voice came to me, causing me to jump.“Everyone, please stand for the arrival of the bri
As Mirella promised, I didn’t have to do anything. She curled my hair, piling it high on my head, then did my make-up. I was relaxed. Because of her constant chatter, I felt excited. I could almost pretend I was getting married because of love, not because of an agreement made shortly after I learned to walk.Mirella finished with my make-up and hair but wouldn’t let me look in the mirror yet. Then she took my hand and helped me step into the dress, which lay puddled on the floor. She pulled it up and I slipped my arms through the small white straps attached to the bodice. It seemed to take forever for her to fasten the buttons along the back.Once done, she turned me to face her, then clapped. “You will not believe how beautiful you are!”I shook my head. “I’m sure you’re just being kind.”She rolled her eyes. “Fine. See for yourself. However, I want you to know your lack of faith in me is hurtful and mean. I’ll expect a full apology.”I laughed. “It’s not a lack of faith in you, Mire