We had discussed the possibility in the past, but he had always remained indifferent, since it was such an unknown for us, but I think he really wanted to start a family with me. Whether he claimed it was because he knew it was something I used to think about when I pictured a normal life, or if it was his own desires, I felt his elation through our bond, and his enthusiasm was starting to rub off on me. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but it might have been too late for that. A part of me still craved a little normalcy, but he was everything I ever needed in the happiness category of my life. If a baby entered the picture, I’d be happy, but if not, I wouldn’t be disappointed.
“So anyway, biotch,” Holly started.
“Ugh, Hol, that never came back. You have to let it go.”
“You’re right. Biotch is a little tired, isn’t it? I need to come up with something new and fresh. Let’s table this for later.”
“How about bloodsucker?” Allison asked.
She had spent most of dinner looking bored with us, except for when Nick would throw his arm over her shoulder and pull her in for kisses. She’d giggle and push him away, and I practiced control over my gag reflexes. They were still nauseatingly cute together, but I was grateful they had one another, and that we all had each other.
We were mostly paired up, but I knew Sophie had something developing with a member of the German faction, because she always perked up when we made routine visits there. And she was extra happy now, because Germany was our next stop.
We had to collect the Sword of Michael and transfer it to the next faction. After what we all now lovingly (disdainfully) refer to as ‘that night’, I didn’t think something with that much power should remain in one place, where it practically had a come get me sign above it. The temptation was too much, so we all agreed to divide it between the Keepers, passing it from one house to the next in no particular order.
“I don’t drink blood. Anymore.” I turned to Allison and stared in challenge.
“If it has fangs like a bloodsucker and bites like a bloodsucker…” Allison mumbled under her breath.
“If it talks like a bitch and acts/walks like a bitch…” Holly and I both spoke at the same time, but as she said ‘walks’, I said ‘acts.’
We looked at each other across the table and smiled. Max choked on his soda, and Gavin tried to muffle his low chuckle. Allison grew red in the face and pushed back her chair in her haste to leave.
Nick grabbed the back of her shirt and reeled her back in before she got far. “You know they’re kidding,” he soothed. She huffed and sat back in her seat.
“Mostly kidding,” I amended.
She shot daggers out of her eyes at me, and I smiled at her. As per our usual interactions, I kept my eyes on her until her glare softened into a secretive look. We had slipped into an unusual friendship over the past couple years, where we tested each other’s limits but never disrespected the other. Our cutting insults held no weight but they kept things balanced between us since neither of us needed comfort from the other.
She needed to keep some of her walls in place after what happened to her when she was young, and I was happy to be the one to do that, since I didn’t get offended easily. I let her take out her aggressions on me to keep her tough, and she kept me humble, reminding me that not everyone will want my help. Some will be resistant, hateful even, because of their experiences, but I had to earn their trust. Allison Kramer was my reminder to never give up on people, no matter what they threw at me. Everyone had demons, and I didn’t scare easily, so I was the perfect person to fight them.
“Shit.” Gavin cursed.
“What is it?” I tensed for a fight at the sound of concern.
His eyes were glued to his phone when I looked at him. “I just got word from Jakob. There’s been a break in there. A group of vampires are terrorizing the house, but the members are on lockdown in their panic room, with the Sword.”
Another necessity was the addition of panic rooms in each house after ‘that night.’
“How soon can we get a flight out there?” Max asked.
“You, Mr. and Mrs. Mori, are staying here and enjoying your honeymoon. In fact, Gav and I can take care of this, and you all can finish your vacation. You deserve it.”
“Not going to argue that. I’m still working on my Caribbean tan.” Allison. Of course.
“No. We’re family. We agreed to stick together through everything.” Holly crossed her arms over her chest.
“Hol, you should really stay. It’ll be fine.”
“No, I know you’re just trying to protect me, and I love you, but that’s bullshit. I signed up for this. I’m going.”
It only took a month after ‘that night’ for Holly to join the Keepers. All it took was a brief explanation of what they did, and by brief, I mean I had said, “Keepers track vampire activity and—”
She had cut me off immediately saying, “Sign me up.”
And that was that. So, of course, she had to be part of the actual fight training. I think she enjoyed pissing me off.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Someone slurped the almost empty bottom of their glass, and I looked up to find Max watching the show. “Oh, please continue. We all know this could go on the whole night.”
He shared a knowing smile with the man standing beside my chair, and I shot a glare up at Gavin. He was trying to hide his grin.
“What? You’re both equally stubborn. Don’t act affronted. I know you all too well, gorgeous.”
“Do they give out medals for marrying stubborn women?” Max asked him.
Holly cut him with a sharp look, and he went back to his obnoxious sucking. Around the straw I heard him mumble. “They should.”
Gavin nodded in agreement, and this time, I added many forms of punishment to my threatening stare down. He smirked and his eyes heated with anticipation of implied torture. He knew I meant a fist to that pretty face, and not the fun kind of punishment, which made him a very disturbed man.
He put a hand on my knee and slid it up my inner thigh, raking up the delicate material and sending tingly sensations in its wake. He squeezed it none too gently in a claiming and promising gesture. My body heated, and I bit my lip to keep from any more embarrassing sounds. But his focus was on his phone, and a few seconds later he spoke to the whole group.
“I just booked seven flights. We have three hours before we leave.”
My mouth dropped open, and I wanted to murder something. His ice blue eyes met mine in challenge. “We all know you two could argue all night, so I made the decision for you.”
“I like your future husband,” Holly exclaimed. Yeah, now she was happy as a clam.
“Hmmm, I’m starting to rethink the husb—”
His lips closed over my words in a hard, commanding kiss before pulling away and meeting my glare with a steely one of his own.
“Don’t you dare finish that thought. You’re not getting out of this.” He pulled my left hand into his possessive grip, indicating the skating rink on my finger, and I fought against the smile forming at his bossy tone. “You’re mine, woman. You can handle me however you want later, and I’m really hoping you don’t hold back.”
I wouldn’t.
“But for now, let’s go kill something before it hurts you.”
His voice lost it’s hardened steel, softening into one million thread count bed sheets. Not unlike the ones on our bed back at the penthouse. He cupped my cheek in his large hand like it was made of thin glass and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on my pouting lips. I softened for him, like I always did.
The man completely disarmed me, and confused me. I had gone from hot with anger, to cold with defiance, to warm and glowy with love for him in under a minute. He made me feel so… alive.
“Alright, let’s go kill some vampires.”
A round of cheers went around the table, and chairs scrape
d against the wood deck. The sun dropped underneath the horizon and the café lights strung around the deck lit up to create a soft ambiance, along with the gentle beating of waves against the shore. A warm breeze caught my loose dark waves, and Gavin reached up to tuck them behind my ear. This was my life, and it was perfect.
“Hol, you’re staying in the back of the action.”
“Oh, hell no, Luce. I need the practice.”
“You’ll get your dress dirty.”
She looked torn for two seconds, but hardened her eyes on mine. “I won’t bleed on it then. My husband trained me well.”
“You still don’t have vampire speed or strength.”
Gavin sighed, but it sounded more relaxed than frustrated.
“Here we go again,” Max said around a wide grin.
“Whatever,” Allison groaned. Nick busted up laughing.
“Soph, we’ll take you back to the hotel to start packing.”
“Lucy, I’m a big girl. It’s just down the beach. I have my flashlight and holy water. I’ll be fine.”
I knew she would be. We all would. We’d handle the problem in Germany as a team.
Sophie took off down the beach toward our hotel, and the rest of us grabbed a cab to the busy, touristy part of town to lure out our prey, each of us sporting gleeful smiles. We seriously had issues. No normal person got excited over the prospect of killing. I almost felt sorry for any vampire that went up against us.
Almost.
Until the next big bad evil revealed itself, my interminable future was looking pretty good. I was forever grateful for having Gavin in my life. He was the best gift anyone could be given, someone to love unendingly and share my existence with. When the time came, I’d mourn the deaths of my friends, but I’d always carry them with me into one life after another and make the most of every moment of my beautiful eternity.
Acknowledgements
I want to start by saying I never really understood when authors describe the ending of a series as being bittersweet or even sad. I thought it would be more along the lines of, “Hallelujah! It’s finally finished.” But now, I can actually say I get where they’re coming from. After having this story and these characters in my head for about ten years now, I thought I’d be relieved to move on from them. And a part of me is excited to explore new stories and new characters, but as I was writing the last scene, I began to notice that I couldn’t stop writing, to the point where I had to force myself to stop, or you guys would hate me for giving you a thirty page Epilogue.
So a quick thanks to all the authors out there who teach me something new on a regular basis and who inspire my writing.
I also want to thank my mother. Thanks, Mom, for showing your continued support and interest, and for literally asking if I ‘got my book finished yet’ every time we talk. The same thanks should go to my husband as well for asking me why I’m not writing when I could be.
It’s difficult for me when the stresses of life get in my head. I think I have this idea that they might tarnish my creativity, and I don’t want them getting in the way and poisoning my writing. But with continued motivation from those around me, I remind myself that those are just excuses for not writing, and it’s actually the opposite. Writing is not this delicate flower that’s easily ruined by the crap in my head. It’s the broom that sweeps all that crap aside and tosses it out, making room for my creativity to grow. (Sorry for the terrible metaphor. I can’t turn them off sometimes.)
Huge thanks again to all my friends and family who continue to support me. Kyle, you’re still my most enthusiastic reader, and I appreciate you.
I don’t usually like naming people individually because I don’t want to single anyone out. But Jenny, Melissa, Megan, Amy, you’re my girls. Thank you for all the nice things you’ve said about my books, even if there were parts you didn’t like. It’s okay if you didn’t, but I appreciate the compliments. I am grateful to have such strong, beautiful women in my life that inspire my kickass female characters. I love you ladies.
For everyone who finished the series, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you to all the readers out there. You’re my people. My nerdy, book-loving kindred spirits.
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