Free Fateful 2-Fractured by Cheri Schmidt Page A

ruins. It sounded like a
strange mix of the fairy’s music and the vampire musicians from the
ball. As her previous suspicions resurfaced, she asked, “What do
you have planned?”
    “You’ll see soon enough.” Ethan grinned as
he cleared the last of the trees and Danielle could finally see
what he’d done.
    She gasped. The stone structures of his
childhood home were decorated with white rose garlands, and
situated in the center of everything was a table for two, covered
with a white tablecloth and sprinkled with white rose petals, then
in the center of that stood an empty white vase. The table was
flanked by a pair of wingback chairs. She’d never seen living room
seating used in an outdoor setting like that, but it was beautiful
and ultra romantic.
    She tried to find the source of the music,
but could see no one else in the area.
    “When did you do all of this?” Danielle
marveled.
    “I didn’t, the others helped me.” Her gaze
moved back to the surrounding trees and she noticed shadows of
people moving within the shade of the trees.
    “What’s this all for?” she asked, although
she had a hunch.
    “It’s all for you, princess.” He tickled her
with a kiss on her neck as he advanced toward the table.
    She squirmed and giggled just as she always
did when his lips touched that sensitive flesh. “Well, you’ve
topped the ball this time.”
    Ethan bent down to set Danielle in one of
the chairs, she was then startled to see Beon standing there
holding the chair out for her. He hadn’t been there before and had
seemingly materialized from out of nowhere.
    Beon was dressed in a black suit with a
black necktie, and a white tuxedo shirt, his dark hair was slicked
back, and he stood by the table like a stodgy butler. He even had a
white towel draped over his arm. And the sight of Beon like this
made Danielle want to laugh, but she pressed her lips together in
an attempt to keep it in.
    “For you, Danielle.” The words came from
behind her, and she knew Nadia’s voice instantly. She turned to see
the folkloric immortal holding a single white rose out to her.
    Danielle took it. “Thank you,” she said as
Nadia left, and then looked at Ethan curiously.
    The smile he returned bewildered her. His
lips were twisted with a grin, but something she didn’t recognize
danced in his eyes.
    “I’ll take that, dear.” Beon snatched the
rose from her and stuck it into the empty vase.
    “For you, my lady.” Danielle shifted her
gaze again to find Cedric holding another white rose out to
her.
    “Thanks.” She took the rose, only to have it
taken by Beon again.
    Cedric chortled and ruffled Ethan’s
perfectly placed hair as he left.
    Ethan scowled and combed through his
dark-blond locks with his fingers to fix it.
    “Hello, my darling.” Sophia addressed her
next, with yet another rose, and her famous hors d’oeuvres arranged
on a tiered cake platter, which she set on the left side of the
table.
    “Hello. Thank you, Sophia,” Danielle said as
she took the rose and just handed it to Beon this time. She was
catching on to the pattern here.
    Danielle looked over her shoulder to see
Seth approaching next. Sometimes he still made her a little
nervous. Perhaps it was because even as he strode toward her with a
single rose in his hand, he did it with such an air of purpose and
importance that he appeared almost regal. “For you, my dear,” he
said holding the rose out to her.
    Danielle took it. “Thank you, sir.”
    Seth was followed by Max, who said, “Lovely
roses for a lovely lady.”
    She laughed. “Thanks, Max.”
    Max handed four roses to her rather than
just one. He then slid his hand flirtatiously along hers as he
released the flowers. She knew Max only did it to taunt Ethan,
mainly because it always worked so well.
    And she checked Ethan’s expression to see if
he’d fallen for it. He did. “I saw that, Max. Watch it,” Ethan
growled, his eyes narrowed.
    Never daunted by Ethan’s warnings, even