“I’m not gone, you asshole! It was you who fell off the planet. Not me.”
“I realize that now. It took me time to figure things out. I was angry with Shannon for a while there as well.”
I growl at him. I can’t help it. I feel my scales pop out beneath my shirt. My teeth even sharpen up. I can feel them against my tongue.
“Relax,” he says. “It was irrational and unwarranted. Again, I had to work through my idiot emotions. I’ve been seeing a therapist. It’s been helping me.”
“You?” I raise my brows. “A therapist?”
He nods. “I’m also stubborn and hard-headed. It took an emergency to really shake me out of my funk. I’m so fucking sorry…” He chokes up, then pulls in a breath, looking at his feet. Bolt sniffs. He’s looking at the wall to my right. I can see him pulling himself together. His eyes are blazing. They’re also glinting. “I fucked up big time,” he finally pushes out. “I would understand if you can’t move past this, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a second chance. I want to be there for you…for your family too. I want to get to know Shannon. If the invitation’s still open, I want to be best man at your wedding and godfather to this baby. I want to be your friend again.”
“You had me at ‘therapist’,” I joke, choking out a laugh. There is a knot of emotion in my throat.
We give each other a brusque ‘man hug’. It lasts less than two seconds.
“How are you?” he asks.
“I’m fucking scared,” I say. “I’m not too proud or manly to admit it. She’s everything to me.”
“I know. I’m here for you guys,” he reassures me.
“I’m regretting not marrying my girl. I mean, what if…” My voice breaks, and I clench my jaw for a moment or two.
“Nothing is going to go wrong. You said Lyre is confident he has it under control.”
“Hi,” a voice intrudes, and I smell ozone.
Without thinking, I turn and grab my brother by the throat. I slam him up against the wall. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I snarl.
Death’s eyes widen. He makes a choking sound, and I realize he can’t talk. His face is going red.
“Let him go,” Bolt says, using a commanding tone.
I finally manage to get my hand to obey me and release him. Death sucks in lungfuls of air. He rubs his throat.
“Why are you here?” I growl under my breath.
Death stands upright. He is still breathing hard, but his color is returning to normal. There is a very red handprint on his neck. He grimaces. “I came to see if you were okay.” His voice is a rasp. “I heard Shannon was in labor.”
“You weren’t summoned?” I have to work hard not to snarl the words.
He shakes his head. Then he attempts a smile. “You thought I was here to take Shannon?”
“Or…” I don’t say it. I grit my teeth and clench my fists.
“Firstly, your unborn child is an innocent. And secondly, Shannon isn’t on the list of souls destined for the Underworld. I have no jurisdiction. I am as clueless as you are in this.”
I sigh, feeling some of the tension drain. “Thank god!” I mutter. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m feeling a little tense.”
“Understandable. How is she?”
I relay the information I just gave Bolt. Death nods. “It sounds positive.”
“I’m still shitting myself. I need to get back in there.” I point at the door. “If this medication doesn’t work—”
“Don’t talk like that,” Bolt stops me. “The drugs are going to work…and if they don’t…your baby is going to be just fine.” Then he gets this strange expression. “There’s something I really need to do. It’s very important. I’ll be back soon.”
What the fuck does he have to do that’s more important than this? Probably some big deal. I don’t say anything. Shannon is right. We have years of friendship behind us. I nod.
“I’ll see you in a little bit,” he says.
“Are you going to hang around?” I ask Death.
“For as long as I can.” He squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll check in often. Give Shannon my best.”
“I will.” I turn and head back into the maternity ward. Bolt starts to say something to Death, but I am focused on getting back to Shannon. I’ve been gone too long.
Night
Three hours later…
The meds seem to be working. Shannon has been asleep for almost two hours. The pains have stopped…for now. I hear the sound of our baby’s heartbeat on the monitor. It gives me comfort.
There is plenty of activity outside our room. It sounds like it might be dinner time. My stomach clenches, but I couldn’t eat right now even if I wanted to. Besides, I’m not leaving Shannon.
She moves, and her lashes flutter. Then she stretches and opens her eyes. “Hey, beautiful.” I tuck some hair behind her ear. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” she answers. “Really good.” She smiles. “The pain is gone. I think the meds are working.”
“I think so too.” I push some hair behind her ear and stroke her cheek.
“I’m so glad.” She pulls in a deep breath and stretches again. “Guess what?” she prompts me.
“What?”
“I’m hungry. No, make that starving.” She smiles. “That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
“That’s great!” I push the call button. “I’ll get something for you. That turkey sandwich I bought earlier won’t be edible anymore.”
The same nurse from earlier walks in. “Look who’s up!” She beams. “You’re looking good.” She glances at the monitor. “Fantastic.” She nods.
“Shannon’s hungry,” I say, I’m grinning.
“Perfect. I’ll organize you both some dinner.” She winks at Shannon as she heads back to the door.
I turn to Shannon. “I hope you don’t mind, but I asked that a folding bed be brought in here. I don’t want to leave you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“No,” I shake my head. “I’ll head home in the morning to pack some bags.”
“What about the dogs?”
“Trident is staying at the house tonight.” For some strange reason, Fleur has decided she likes him. In fact, I’m pretty sure she likes him more than she likes me, which is a little bit of a sore point.
I see Shannon relax. “Okay, then. Fleur loves him.”
I grumble…internally but smile at my girl. “Don’t worry, everything has been—” Before I can finish, there is a knock at the door, and Bolt walks in, carrying a bunch of flowers. He’s followed by Death, also carrying flowers. His are in a vase.
What the…?
Then Forge wheels Ava in, seated in a wheelchair. Her son is nestled in her arms.
“What’s all this?” Shannon asks, smiling broadly. Then she pushes out a breath. “He’s gorgeous, Ava. Congratulations again…to the both of you.” She’s said it to them before, but the sight of the baby seems to overwhelm her; she sniffs and wipes a tear away.
Lyre arrives next, accompanied by an unknown man. “I can give you five minutes, Bolt.” He looks stern, glancing at his watch. Then he smiles broadly.
“Um…I…” Bolt stutters. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this tongue-tied. “I know that to some degree, I’m to blame for you guys not being married yet. No! I am to blame. I will apologize to you properly, Shannon, for being a dick…” He turns to the stranger, murmuring, “Excuse me, Father,” then goes on, “But right now, we don’t have time.” He awkwardly hands Shannon a bunch of flowers.
Death puts his vase down on the table next to Shannon and winks at her.
“You mentioned earlier how you regretted not tying the knot with Shannon yet. I thought it might be nice to have a ceremony now, to fix that, so I organized this little gathering.”
I’m not sure how Shannon will feel about this. I turn to look at her, and she’s crying. I’ve come to recognize what happy tears look like. Thank fuck. She’s happy. “We can have a proper wedding
once the two of you get out of here,” I promise her. “My Mom will insist on it. I haven’t been able to reach her. Anyway, I would love to marry you right now, Shannon. If you’ll have me?”
“I get to marry you twice?” she says.
“Yes, you do.”
“I hate to rush this along,” Lyre cautions. “I need you resting, Shannon.”
“Please hold hands,” the priest says. I notice his clerical collar now that he has moved to the bed.
We do as he asks, and he takes a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket. “Normally, I memorize the names. I didn’t have time today!”
We all laugh in response.
“Without further ado,” he begins, “I can see that the two of you love one another immensely. I’m going to assume that no one objects?” He waits a few seconds, and my heart goes mad. “Do you, Night, take Shannon to be your wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death you shall part?”
I can hardly breathe. It took so long to get to this moment. It’s finally here. “I do.”
“Do you, Shannon, take Night to be your husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death you shall part?”
“I do.” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. She’s in a hospital gown. Her hair is a mess. She doesn’t have a stitch of make-up on, and yet my girl is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Hands down.
“You may kiss your bride,” the priest says.
I kiss my Shannon. My wife. My lover. My friend. I hold her close and breathe her in, savoring her. When I pull away, the room is empty.
“We have great friends,” she whispers.
“We do.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “And I have the best wife.”
She giggles. “I love the sound of that. Pity we can’t…you know.” She bobs her brows.
“There’ll be plenty of time for that,” I say, meaning it. I’m feeling better about everything. I don’t know why, but I do. “As to the first order of business as your husband, I’m going to find you some food.”
She rubs her belly and nods. “Sounds good.”
16
Shannon
Six days later…
My daughter is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. I look up at Night, and we share a smile.
She was born yesterday, after almost twenty hours of labor. I cringe when I think back on it, but it was worth every moment, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
“Harley,” Bolt says, looking down at her; she’s cradled in his arms, and he’s rocking her gently. “I love it…but what made you decide on such an unusual name?”
“Ask my wife. It was her idea.” Night grins at me.
“I loved the name as a little girl. Don’t ask me where I got it from. I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I decided to name my doll Harley. It was one of those newborns. I loved that doll.”
“You named your child after a doll?” Bolt chuckles.
“There’s more,” I say. “One day, my mom heard me playing. She was appalled at my choice of name for my doll. She told me that it was unladylike. She made me rename my doll.”
“No way!” Bolt keeps rocking. “She made you change the name of your toy? You can’t be serious.”
“She did. I can’t remember the new name I picked out, only that my dolly was still Harley inside my head. The funny thing is, I had totally forgotten about it until I saw this little sweetheart.” My eyes traveled over my precious daughter’s face.
“Our cherub.” Night’s voice is husky.
“Our Blobby,” I say.
He glowers at me. “She’s too beautiful for that nickname anymore.”
I laugh. “I asked Night what he thought of Harley, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
“I think it works.” Bolt keeps rocking our daughter. “You are such a beautiful girl,” he burbles, speaking in a baby-worthy tone.
“That suits you, bro,” Night laughs.
“What does?’ Bolt frowns.
“The baby,” Night smirks. “It’s a good look on you.”
“No, no, no!” He hands Harley back to Night. “The only father I plan on being is godfather to this little girl, and that’s where it ends.”
Lyre walks in. He smiles. “What did I miss?” He pushes his hands into his coat pockets.
“We were just telling Bolt here how much a baby suits him,” Night replies, still smirking.
Bolt scowls, and we laugh. Lyre smiles, but he looks tense. Night must pick up on it too because he asks, “What’s up?”
“Sorry to interrupt, but we need to call a meeting. There’s been a development. I might have a lead on our mystery woman.”
“You found Gabby?” Bolt asks.
“Not exactly found, but I did meet someone who can help us find her.”
“Who?” Night asks. “Can you trust this person?”
He shrugs. “I’m not sure…probably not…I’m not sure I have much of a choice in the matter.”
Lyre’s story, Lord of Life is on pre-order now
About the Author
Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets including horses and a gecko named Pickle.
She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.
If you want to be kept updated on new releases please sign up to my Latest Release Newsletter to ensure that you don’t miss out http://mad.ly/signups/96708/join. I promise not to spam you or divulge your email address to a third party. I send my mailing list an exclusive sneak peek prior to every release, as well as info on sales and freebies. You can unsubscribe at any time.
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Also by Charlene Hartnady
The Chosen Series:
1# Chosen by the Vampire Kings
2# Stolen by the Alpha Wolf
3# Unlikely Mates
4# Awakened by the Vampire Prince
5#Mated to the Vampire Kings (Short Novel)
6#Wolf Whisperer (Novella)
7# Wanted by the Elven King
The Chosen Box Set Books 1-3
The Program Series (Vampire Novels):
Book 1: A Mate for York
Book 2: A Mate for Gideon
Book 3: A Mate for Lazarus
Book 4: A Mate for Griffin
Book 5: A Mate for Lance
Book 6: A Mate for Kai
Book 7: A Mate for Titan
The Bride Hunt Series (Dragon Shifter Novels):
Book 1: Royal Dragon
Book 2: Water Dragon
Book 3: Dragon King
Book 4: Lightning Dragon
Book 5: Forbidden Dragon
Book 6: Dragon Prince
The Bride Hunt Box Set Books 1-3
Water Dragons (Spin-off to The Bride Hunt):
Book 1: Dragon Hunt
Book 2: Captured Dragon
Book 3: Blood Dragon
Book 4: Dragon Betrayal
Earth Dragons :
Book 1: Dragon Guard
Book 2: Savage Dragon
Book 3: Dragon Whelps
Book 4: Slave Dragon
Book 5: Feral Dragon
Book 6: Doctor Dragon
The Shifter Night Series:
1#
Untethered
2# Unbound
3# Unchained
Complete Box Set Books 1 - 3
The Feral Series:
Book 1: Hunger Awakened
Book 2: Power Awakened
Book 3: Hate Awakened
The Dragon Demigods:
Book 1: Lord of Fire
Book 2: Lord of Hell
Book 3: Little Lords
Book 4: Lord of Life
Demon Chaser Series (No cliffhangers):
Book 1 Omega
Book 2 Alpha
Book 3 Hybrid
Book 4 Skin
Demon Chaser Boxed Set Book 1-3
Excerpt
Chapter 1
She should be happy.
What was she thinking? She was happy.
Happy, excited and nervous all rolled into one. Nervous? Hah! She was quaking in her heels. This was a huge risk. Especially now. Her stomach clenched and for a second she wanted to turn around and head back into her boss’s office. Tell him she’d changed her mind.
No.
She would regret it if she didn’t take this opportunity. Why now though? Why had this fallen into her lap now? What if it didn’t work out? She squeezed her eyes closed as her stomach lurched again.
“You okay?” Rob’s PA asked, eyebrows raised.
Jolene realized she was standing outside her boss’s office, practically mid-step. Hovering.
“Fine.” She pushed out the word together with a pent-up breath. She was fine, she realized. More than fine, and she had this. The decision was already made. Her leave approved. She was doing this, dammit. Jolene smiled. “I’m great.”
“Good.” Amy smiled back. “Just so you know,” she said under her breath, looking around them to check that no-one was in hearing distance, “I’m rooting for you.” She winked.
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Jolene said as she headed back to her office, trying not to think about it. Not right now. It would make her doubt her decision all over again. She’d made the right one. The only thing holding her back was fear of failure. It was justifiable and yet stupid. She wasn’t going to live with regrets because fear held her back. She was going to embrace this. Give it her all and then some. Her step suddenly felt lighter as she walked into her office. Do not look left. Whoever designed this building had been a fruitcake. This floor was large and open-plan. Fifty-three cubicles. There were only two offices. One was hers, and one was— Not looking or thinking about her right now. Both offices had glass instead of walls. Why bother? Why even give her an office in the first place if everyone could see into it?
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