[Sybil]Though I wasn’t happy about Dennis’ ex showing up at the Solstice party, I was happy about his reaction. He didn’t love her, he didn’t want her, and he made sure she understood that. I didn’t mind leaving the party early so we could finish up the stuff for our bonding ceremony. It wouldn’t be as long and as grand as a wedding, but it would be slightly wedding-like. There would be a ceremony, then food, and a little time to chat. Since it was a weeknight, none of the humans could stay terribly late. That gave Dennis and me practically the whole night together. What I was most excited about was seeing my human friends and my brother. I hadn’t seen them since I died and they all accepted the invitation to the ceremony. The only person from my old life that I had seen since I died was Officer Martinez. I wasn’t nervous, though. I was excited. They were my friends for most of my life. I knew that from memories inside of my memories. We were thick as thieves as kids and they were a huge part of my life, even in the times that I didn’t live anywhere near them. After waking up the night after the solstice, Dennis rushed me through my feeding and cleaning up. I dressed comfortably. Tyler had already taken all my jewelry and clothing items to the venue. I didn’t want to ruin the dress. It wasn’t a wedding dress, because blood could easily be seen on a white dress. It was silver and black, tight at the top, and came off my shoulders, leaving my neck and shoulders bare. The skirt flared elegantly from the hip. Though I had bracelets, earrings, and rings, there was no necklace because my neck had to be bare. Dennis wouldn’t have a tie and his shirt didn’t have a normal collar. It was a collar that could easily be pinned down to show off his neck as well. After we were ready, we got Franny’s leash and led her out to the car. We weren’t doing this without our whole family there, and that meant Franny. Tyler took her to the groomer while we slept and she was looking beautiful with nicely trimmed fur and strategically placed puffs. A red bow was in the puff on top of her head. We loaded up in the car and headed to the place Dennis had picked. It was one of the smaller clubs that had a full kitchen. He closed it for the night and only supernatural staff was working. Dennis held my hand as we drove. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect night already. I would get Dennis all to myself. There would be no work and nothing to interrupt us. When we arrived at the venue, it was as if I were floating. I was so happy we were really doing this. Someone came and took the car from us after we’d unloaded. The bouncer at the door bowed briefly before letting us in. Dennis quickly reminded him that no one without an invitation was permitted in the building. Dennis took me to the office where I’d be changing. Before he left me, he took me in his arms and kissed me. When he pulled away, I saw so much love in his eyes. “When we meet again, we’ll be walking to our union. I can’t wait for the moment when I mark you as mine forever,” he murmured. “If you don’t let me go it will be that much longer,” I replied. “I never want to let you go, but I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone or anything before. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” He let me go and caressed my cheek. “I love you, Sybil.” “I love you, too. Go get dressed.” He turned and walked down the hall with Franny. I went into the office and found my dress hanging next to a large mirror. I was thankful to whoever gave up their office for me. Closing the door, I hurried to put on my gown and jewelry. It didn’t take me long to get ready, but I found myself unhappy with my hair. I wanted it pulled up, but I couldn’t get it to sit the way I wanted. As I continued to fuss with my hair, someone knocked on the door. I looked at the time. It couldn’t be Dennis. I opened the door to find Paula, my best friend, standing there. She smiled at me, but her eyes were sad. I hadn’t seen her since I was turned into a vampire. My emotions overwhelmed me. “Bill... I mean, Sybil... you look amazing,” she said. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I know you probably don’t remember me. They told us at the support groups that you would lose your memories for thirty years, but I had to take the chance that you wouldn’t try to eat me.” Paula chuckled nervously. “I brought the hair pins you loved when I got married. I thought it could be your something borrowed. Though, I guess it’s not entirely like that for you, is it?” I smiled at Paula, feeling grateful for her thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Paula. That’s really sweet of you.”She hugged me tightly, and I felt a pang of sadness in my chest. I couldn’t remember most of our friendship, and it made me feel guilty. What was worse, was that she thought I didn’t remember her at all. “You knew my name...” she whispered. “I can’t remember all of my life, but I remember all the way to late June of this year. I remember who you are. I don’t remember your wedding but these are lovely and I could see myself admiring them. Will you help me?” I asked. Paula smiled and nodded. We went into the office and I sat in a chair. Paula picked up the brush and some pins. She started working on my hair. It was as if she could read my mind about how I wanted my hair to look. The pins she had brought with her were perfect for the style I wanted. She twisted my hair up and secured it with the pins, leaving some loose strands to frame my face.“Wow, Paula. It’s perfect. Thank you so much,” I said, looking at myself in the mirror.“You’re welcome. You look gorgeous,” she replied.There was a knock on the door, and Dennis walked in. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Paula.“Paula?” he asked, surprised.“Dennis,” she replied. “I know I wasn’t supposed to come back here, but I wanted to see her before the ceremony.” “Sybil, how are you feeling?” “I ate enough before leaving the house. I didn’t feel the urge to bite her. Plus, Master Nightshade said not to feed on anyone without their permission,” I answered. He crossed the room to me and took my hand, kissing the back of it while gazing into my eyes. I smiled at him. He was worried about my friend and her health. I would have been mad at myself in the future if I did feed on Paula without her permission. “I was just helping Sybil with her hair. I brought some pins for her. I can head back to my seat.... I’ll see you later, Sybil,” Paula said. “Thank you for your help,” I replied. She smiled at me and waved before leaving the room. Dennis turned back to me, his eyes filled with adoration. He brushed a loose strand of hair from my face and leaned in closer to me.“Are you ready for this?”I took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ve never been more ready. I want to spend forever with you.”He caressed my cheek and leaned in for a kiss. Our lips met, and I melted into his embrace. It was as if the world faded away, and it was just the two of us, lost in our love for each other.Eventually, we broke the kiss, and Dennis reached for my hand. “It’s time,” he whispered.Dennis wrapped my arm around his and we went to the area where they’d set up for our ceremony. On the other side of the room were tables set for the meal afterward. Tonight, I would be trying blood foods for the first time. I was excited about it. Not nearly as excited as I was about soul bonding with Dennis. We walked up the aisle together. No one gave away a vampire, but I was a little sad that my father wasn’t there to do that. My parents had refused the invitation to the ceremony. The response was a terse ‘our daughter is dead’. It made me even happier to see my brother there. He still accepted me. When we arrived at the front of the crowd, we turned to them. I could see my friends and their husbands, my brother and his wife, Echo, Gray, and Master Nightshade, Rock and Carmen, Tyler and Franny, Silence and Drew, and Talon and his servant, Penelope. Just as we were about to start, the High Council walked in and took seats at the back. Master Marius and Mistress Talia were on my side and the other two were on Dennis’ side. I hadn’t met them yet, but I could tell who they were just from the power coming off of them. “We thank all of our guests for joining us on this special evening. Most of you knew Sybil before she became a vampire. We are grateful to have all of you with us on this night. For those of you unfamiliar with this ceremony, there is no officiant. We will recite our vows to each other and seal our union with a bite. No one may object. The decision has already been made,” Dennis announced. He turned to me and took my hands, making me turn and look at him. I was consumed by his aquamarine eyes. I could almost feel how much he loved me. “Sybil, ever since you came into my life, you changed me. I thought that I would be alone forever, but then I found you. You showed me what it felt like to have someone to live for. You have made me a better man, and I promise to spend the rest of eternity loving you unconditionally. “I vow to protect you, to cherish you, and to always stand by your side through thick and thin. I vow to be your partner in life, and to walk with you through every challenge that comes our way. I love you more than words can express, and I promise to show you that every day for the rest of our lives.”I smiled at him. His words were so sweet and sincere. I knew he had worked on what he wanted to say ever since the day we found out we would be soul bonded. “Dennis, for a lot of my life, I was ‘wild Bill’. Running through the world searching for something. I didn’t realize what I was looking for was right here, though. You saved me in more ways than one. “I promise to always stand by your side, to be your partner in every sense of the word. I vow to love you, cherish you, and protect you with everything I have. I will always support you and help you in any way I can. I am so grateful to have you in my life, and I promise to love you for all eternity.”He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. The kiss was electrifying. It was as if our souls were merging together, creating a bond that would last for all eternity. I felt his fangs brush against my lips, sending shivers down my spine. I knew what was coming next.Dennis pulled away from the kiss and looked deep into my eyes. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.I nodded, my heart racing with excitement. I had been waiting for this moment for so long. I was finally going to be soul bonded with the love of my life.Dennis leaned in and sank his fangs into my neck. I felt as if something was sealing inside of me. When he pulled back, I could still feel the incomplete nature of the bond. I knew it was my turn to complete the bond. I took a deep breath and sank my fangs into his neck, feeling his blood fill my mouth. As I drank his blood, I could feel the bond between us become stronger and stronger. It was as if our souls were intertwining, becoming one.The thing inside me was locked down. That was our bond falling into place. I was his and he was mine for all eternity, just like we promised each other. As I pulled away from his neck, I could feel the power coursing through my veins. I had never felt so alive, so connected to another being. It was as if we were two halves of the same whole, finally reunited after a lifetime of searching.Dennis took my hand and we turned to face our guests. The High Council was watching us with interest, their expressions giving away nothing. But our friends and family were beaming with pride and joy.We were soul bonded, and nothing could ever tear us apart. Our love was eternal, unbreakable, and stronger than any force in the world.