The night began with violence, but the morning brought a new sense of hope. Soon after I buried Knox’s body, fresh snow started to fall, hiding the blood-soaked snow. It was as if none of it ever happened. Amelie passed out the second we got to my house, but there was still a lot of work to do.
“Happy New Year, Dad.”
I look over at Laila and smile. Little Sera is wrapped against her chest, and Laila holds her arms protectively over her. It was a long night, but we all got through it. “Happy New Year to you too. I know you’re exhausted.”
Now that everyone’s gone, Laila and I decided to go for a walk in the field behind my house. For the first time in my entire life, I feel whole. I’ve lived a long time and thought I knew what true happiness was, but I was wrong. Right here and now is what I’ve been searching for.
Laila snorts. “That’s an understatement. I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Does the magic wear you down?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not at all. If anything, it gives me more. I think I’m mentally drained after the night we had.”
I feel the same way. “Tell me about Kara. What did you do to her this morning?”
Amelie told me about the attack and how she could’ve killed Kara, but she didn’t think it was the right thing to do. I respect her decision, but it’s still dangerous to keep her alive, especially once she realizes I defeated her brother. However, her opinion might change if she finds out he was going to kill her if she hurt Amelie.
“Well,” she says, rubbing her hands over Sera’s back, “Kara was still knocked out when Kami arrived at Amelie’s house. Then, this morning when she started to awaken, Kami hit her over the head. I was able to put a magical bracelet on her while she was still out. Now, she’s on her way to California with Chase, where he’ll keep her locked away until the sleeping spell wears off.”
“How long will that be?”
She shrugs. “Hard to say, but it’ll at least be three weeks or more. That way, you and Amelie will have time to complete the bond on the next full moon without worrying about her. Of course, the spell would last longer if she was closer, but I know we want her far away from here.”
We still have three weeks until the full moon. Once Amelie and I are mated, we’ll be stronger. “What will that bracelet do to Kara?” I question, looking over at Laila.
We walk back to my house, and she sighs. “She’ll be no stronger than a human. She won’t be able to shift or use her strength.”
“So, basically, she’ll be helpless,” I say.
Laila nods, and I don’t see any remorse in her bright blue eyes. “She deserves it after what she did. But I think she needs to be brought down a notch or two. Maybe it’ll give her a dose of reality. She should be thankful none of us ripped her apart.”
Chase is going to have his hands full when the sleeping spell wears off. “I hope Maheegan knows what he’s getting into.”
Laila giggles. “They’re vineyard rivals. I think it’ll be pretty interesting to see how that plays out.”
I walk Laila over to her car, and she gently puts Sera in her car seat. “How does it feel to know you’re going to be a father again?” she asks, beaming at me.
Again. The thought saddens me. I never got to experience true fatherhood with Laila. “It feels amazing. I wish I would’ve gotten the chance with you,” I murmur.
She throws her arms around my neck. “We’ve been over this a million times. You didn’t know. We have hundreds of more years to make up for the lost time. And now I’m going to have two little brothers to have fun with.” I hug her tight, and she lets me go. “You’re going to be an amazing father to those boys. And Amelie will be a terrific mate. I love her so much.”
“I do too. I never thought I’d love anyone besides your mother.” Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the green stone from Alina. “I wish I could tell her thank you for this. It saved me.”
Tears fill Laila’s eyes. “Don’t worry. She knows.” She kisses my cheek and opens her car door. “Go and get some rest. I’ll call and check on you and Amelie later.”
Nodding, I stand back and watch her disappear down the driveway. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on Amelie, and I can hear her deep breathing as she sleeps. I quietly walk up the porch stairs and into the house; I don’t want to wake her. When I get into the bedroom, I take off my boots and gently crawl into bed with her. Amelie’s caramel-colored hair fans out over the pillow, and my sheets smell just like her, apples and strawberries. I slide my arm around her and rest a hand on her stomach. Amelie snuggles into me, and a sexy snicker escapes her lips. “It’s about time you joined me.”
I kiss the back of her neck. “You needed your rest.”
She turns in my arms and faces me. “So do you.”
“I have plenty of time to sleep. Now that everything’s taken care of, we can finally relax.”
Her brows furrow. “Kara?”
I nod. “She’s under the sleeping spell and on her way to California. So she won’t be bothering us again. All we have to do now is wait for the full moon.”
Amelie moves closer and places a hand on my cheek. “If only we’d bonded on the last one.”
“Things happen for a reason, Amelie.”
Her lips pull back seductively, and it makes my need for her rise. “All of this would’ve been easier if we’d taken each other’s blood. I could’ve heard your thoughts.”
“Nothing’s stopping us,” I say, staring down at her lips. “All you have to do is tell me when you’re ready.”
She touches her lips to mine. “I’m ready now.”
Closing my eyes, I hold her tighter and deepen the kiss. My fangs sink into her bottom lip, and the taste of her blood is sweet on my tongue. She does the same with me, and the prick of her teeth makes me ravenous to be inside of her, both body and mind.
The link opens between us, and I can see into her mind and hear her thoughts, but then we’re both thrust into a vision of our future. I’ve listened to stories from Sebastian and Colin on what it’s like, and I never thought my day would come when I’d get to experience it.
I can feel Amelie’s hand in mine, and when I look over, she smiles at me, and I can see the excitement on her face. “What do you think we’re going to see?”
I kiss her hand. “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.”
The world is hazy at first, but then it clears. We’re in the field behind my house, and the ground is warm beneath our feet. Laughter echoes in the distance, and Amelie’s hand tightens.
“It’s our boys. I know it.”
We follow the sound to the edge of the field, and that’s when we see ourselves. Our twins look to be around seven, and both have the whitish-blond hair of a royal. However, their eyes are the same gray as their mother’s.
“They have your eyes,” I whisper to Amelie.
She cups a hand over her mouth. “They’re so beautiful.”
In the vision, I’m training them how to fight just like my father taught me. I can feel so much love inside of me for those boys. It’s the same way I love Laila. Amelie turns her head, and she gasps at something behind us. When I turn, that’s when I see her coming toward us, holding a strapping young baby boy.
“Three boys,” Amelie whispers. “It’s just like you and your brothers.”
A chuckle escapes my lips. “We’re in trouble now.”
We watch the other Amelie stand by me and encourage our sons to keep up the hard work. Amelie stands in front of me with tears in her eyes. “This is our life, Zayne. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
I pull her into my arms. “Neither could I. This is where I belong.”
She lifts on her toes and kisses me. “Where we belong.”