Evan


    I open my eyes, but this isn''t reality. I''m inside my father''s study room, and the old vampire stands with his arms crossed behind his back. He is peering out through the window. It''s raining, but I get the sense this is another illusion he created.


    "So here is a vampire that doesn''t want wealth or power. Neither does he want to live forever or drink blood," he turns around, smiling at me. "So, what do you want, Evan?" I stare at him with a deafening silence.


    It goes on for a good minute before I answer him. "Is that a trick question?"


    Heughs. "Son, I''m about to go, but I need to hear your answer before I do. I''ve been waiting for this."


    I hold my breath, blinking at him. "Waiting for this?" I shake my head at him in confusion. "I have no clue what you''re talking about, but it was really shitty of you not to help fight Arachne." "That was your battle."


    "She was going to destroy the world!"


    "No, you stopped her at thest minute."


    I narrow my eyes to hiss. "But it was real close that Arachne won!"


    "No, I would have prevented that..."


    My father suddenly looks down at his hand, and I notice his skin slowly turning into fragments of glitter. It''s happening slowly, but it''s still weird, and I have an unsettling feeling in my stomach.


    I furrow my eyebrows. "What is going on?"


    "I''m dying, Evan," my father studies me with eyes kinder than I''m used to, and his lips are gentle. "You''re going to take over for me and be the new vampire king. I think you''re ready for that kind of destiny. You''ve found your new family and your path in life." "My path?" I question.


    My father looks at the firece, and I see Ste''s smiling face appear in the mes before my father looks at me again.


    "You love her, don''t you?"


    He means Ste.


    "I do," I answer him earnestly, not afraid of admitting it. "But it saddens me that I won''t be able to age with the love of my life... I''ve turned into a monster and don''t like it."


    My father sighs heavily. "I''m afraid what you''ve be is a burden thates with being the vampire king, but... There is a way for you to die when Ste leaves this world. You won''t age, but... You will get to go to the afterlife with her." My lips part.


    Did I hear him correctly?


    Hope spirals in my chest. I''m unsure if my father is lying, but he never lies, which means he must speak the truth.


    "How do I do that?" I ask, praying he isn''t ying tricks on me.


    I would do anything not to live forever. Staying on earth without Ste and Raphael for decades... It wouldn''t make me happy.


    "Yes, there is a way for you to die with her. You must let her mark your neck and ept her as your mate. It will forever bind your souls in this life and the next."


    I stare at him. "It''s that easy?"


    "Easy?!" my father scoffs and shows me his teeth in a smile. "Son, picking love over living forever and ruling the vampires, being their king... Not everyone makes that choice. The Lord knows I didn''t, but I regret it, and now I have chosen to go. I will selfishly leave the rest to you."


    A soft smile curls my lips. "You''re going to be with mom?"


    "Yes," my father smiles. "I think it''s time."


    "Say hello to her for me."


    "I will," my father lifts his arm and looks at a clock that isn''t even there before beaming at me. "Look at how the time passes. It''s time for you to return to earth and be with your lover." Wait.


    I get it now.


    Yes, I finally understand what is happening.


    "I didn''t think you had it in you to do anything for me, but I was wrong about you... Dad... Giving your life for me to be with Ste is the greatest gift you could ever have given."


    He tries not to smile. "I''m doing it to be with your mother."


    "Yeah, yeah,e here," I walk over to my father and wrap my arms around him. "I love you."


    The old man is tense at first, but then he hugs me back. "She has changed you, you know that, right? You would never have hugged and forgiven me in the past."


    Iugh. "Ste? Yeah, she is quite a woman."


    "I hope you will be happy with her."


    A tear rolls down my cheek, and then I open my eyes, not in the dream world anymore but in the real world.


    The sun is dancing in through a crack in a curtain, and it seems to be daytime outside with a bunch of singing birds.


    I blink around.


    Ste is curled up to my side in a giant bed, and I roll my eyes when I catch Raphael snoring in a chair in the same room. He opens his eyes as if able to feel my presence, and I re meaningly at him. Go away, I tell him with a look. It''s my turn to be with our mate. Get the hell out and let me f**k her.


    His eyes turn huge, and he hurries for the door as if I set him on fire or something. Damn, the alpha can run.


    "Evan?"


    I hook my arm around Ste, and immediately my mood changes from irritated to soft. My mate is so adorable when she stretches her tiny arms to smile at me, still half-asleep. "Yes?" I ask, touching her because I can''t help myself. "Are you even awake yet, or are you speaking in your pajamas?"


    Ste jerks awake and sits up with shock visible over her pretty features. Her eyes stare into mine, and her lips quiver. Tears form in the corner of her eyes, and then she lunges for me.


    "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! I KEPT YOU IN THIS BED BECAUSE I''M WEIRD, BUT YOU WERE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS!" Two weeks?


    Damn, that''s a long time to keep a corpse around.


    Did she sleep with me every night? No. That would be creepy. She must have sensed something was up with me.


    Regardless, I hug Ste, happy not to be dead. Arachne pierced me with her w foot, but I held on. I couldn''t die and let Ste and Raphael battle her alone. I needed to fight.


    "I''m not defeated that easily," I speak into Ste''s neck and inhale her fresh scent of pine. She must have been running in the forest, my cute little mutt. "We vampires are hard to kill." "So I''ve noticed," Ste is crying, shaking in my arms. "And I''m happy about that... I''m not sure what I would have done if you died. I can''t have you leave me... Especially not right now." Immediately, I sense that something is up. I push Ste slightly off me to hold her in front of my searching gaze. I peer into her beautiful grey eyes and tilt my head. "Baby, what is wrong?"


    I''ve never used to word baby, but it fits here. My heart ms against my ribcage, and my concern is topping the roof. Her eyes are filled with tears; something is up. Ste sniffs. "Remember when we had a threesome?"


    "Yeah?"


    "You came inside of me without a condom."


    Oh.


    Oh-my-god.


    I freeze, unsure if this is reality or a cruel dream. I don''t know if I can have children in my current state. This is a shock, but a happy one if it''s true-I''m so overwhelmed. "Are you... Are you really pregnant?"


    Ste nods with more tears running down her cheeks. "Yeah... Yes... I''m pregnant-I had Raphael check for me with a spell... It''s early, but... I''ve been craving for blood."


    Iugh out loud. "I never thought I would hear you say those words-this is great news!"


    Happiness is bubbling up within me.


    I hug Ste tightly and keepughing even when Ste is sobbing. I find her reaction to all of this hrious.


    "You''re such a douchebag, Evan. I''m happy about the pregnancy too, but how can you say it''s great I''ve been craving blood?! Poor Raphael has turned into a walking blood bank!" "A blood bank?!" I''m smiling so hard it hurts. "Suits the bastard right-s**k him dry, little wolf! I knew a third person in this rtionship woulde in handy one day." Ste ps my shoulder. "Evan!"


    I snort. "I''m sorry!"


    "You better be for cracking that joke!"


    I beam Ste''s way and silence her irritation with a kiss. It goes on and on, and suddenly Ste is taking off my clothes. I let her because it''s time for us to finally mark each other. There is so much love in my body, and it needs somewhere to go.


    My rough hands stroke her soft skin, and she squeezes my muscles. I shove my tongue, controlling the pace until she mewls into my mouth and crawls further up my chest.


    She is straddling me, and the air smells of her arousal. I''m excited too. My c**k is trying to escape from my pants, and I might juste from tasting her tongue and knowing Ste loves me. I''m so f*****g happy.


    Finally, I have what I''ve been searching for-true love.


    Ste is the light to my darkness and the person I want to wake up next to every morning. I will never grow tired of her smile, no matter how time might change her.


    This is my future, the person I''m destined to be with.


    It only took a hundred lifetimes to find her...


    Damn, this is heaven on earth.


    Ste and I will be fine. More than fine. I can''t wait for our child to be born and to spend every minute of my life with Ste. She is my everything, and I''m so d we found each other.


    Yet, when I ce my hand on her stomach, I can''t help but feel anxious. I''ve never met a hybrid before, but if our baby survives, it might mean the strongest creature is about to be born. Will it be enough to defeat the demons?


    And are we having a son or a daughter?


    Will it be safe for Ste to give birth to a creature that drinks blood?