Chapter 30
Addison
“It’s just a little place,” Penelope said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “But the owner is so sweet, and she said I have a knack for putting arrangements together. Can you believe that? Me? A knack for something other than getting into trouble?”
Early afternoon sun streamed through the window of my sister’s apartment, lighting up labeled boxes and scattered floral arrangements.
I sat cross-legged on Penelope’s couch, while my sister prattled on about her new job at a flower shop near the hospital where I worked. “Of course I can believe it. You’ve always been good with details. I still remember those scrapbooks you used to make.”
Penelope flushed, rearranging a stack of books on the drooping shelf she’d swiped from God knows where. “That was years ago. And anyway, this is different. It feels… I don’t know, meaningful. Like I’m finally doing something I love.”
“I’m glad.” When she sat down across from me I reached out to flick her nose, taking in just how much she’d changed in a few short months.
The dark rings under her eyes had finally dissipated and her hair had reclaimed that healthy, glistening sheen. She’d been through hell, but she was standing on her own two feet now, and I couldn’t have been prouder.
As Penelope went on about the flower shop I let my mind drift, gaze flitting over colorful petals and packing peanuts strewn about the floor. So much had changed in the past six months and Penelope had come so far – from rehab to this tiny apartment, to finding a job she cared about. She still had a long way to go, and there were nights when that deep-rooted trauma resurfaced and cast shadows over her progress. But she had support now. She had Ethan, who checked in on her almost obsessively, and she had me.
And I had Hunter.
Thinking about that seductive vampiress brought an involuntary smile to my lips. We’d been dating for six months now, and things were… surprisingly breezy. Better than I could have imagined. She was still Hunter – snarky, impulsive, occasionally brooding, but also loyal, protective and patient. And she was learning to let me in, little by little.
Ethan, on the other hand, was adjusting to becoming a vampire. It wasn’t a decision he made lightly; it had come after long conversations with Hunter, Jordan, and the rest of the Leyore women who had grown to adore him. He’d said he wanted to be strong enough to protect the people he cared about. Hunter vouched that the preening blond just wanted to stay young and hot forever. Whatever his reasons, he was now in the awkward “newborn” phase, wide-eyed and flustered as he learned the ropes of vampirism. And Hunter teased him mercilessly for it.
Penelope didn’t remember any of the supernatural elements of her experience. Her memories had been altered, replaced with the idea of human captors. It wasn’t ideal, but it kept her safe, and for now, she thought of Hunter and Ethan as regular humans. I knew the truth would have to come out eventually, especially if things between Hunter and me continued to progress.
I toyed with the idea of becoming a vampire myself sometimes. It wasn’t something I felt pressured into – Hunter had made it clear that the decision was entirely mine, and that she didn’t expect it. But the thought of a forever with her… it wasn’t unappealing. If anything, it was tempting. And it wouldn’t be too difficult a transition either. I’d learned more than enough about vampires, thanks to my slightly obsessive curiosity and Hunter as my willing test subject.
Stacks of X-rays and detailed medical notes filled a corner of my own apartment. Hunter found my fascination amusing, though I’d caught her looking over my notes a few times with beaming pride – and a hint of embarrassment. She didn’t always see herself the way I did; a miracle of biology, strength, and beauty.
“Addy? Earth to Addison.” Penelope’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I blinked.
“Sorry, I zoned out. What were you saying?”
“I asked how things were going at the hospital. And with, you know… your new lady friend.” Penelope waggled her eyebrows, her grin mischievous.
“Things are going well.” Heat rose to my cheeks and I scratched the back of my neck. “The hospital’s been busy, but I’m glad to be back. And Hunter… Hunter’s good too.”
Penelope leaned forward, nearly crumpling the box she was precariously perched on. “You’re blushing. Is she that good?”
“That is none of your business.” I laughed, though she didn’t know the half of it.
“Hey, I have to live vicariously through you now.” Penelope webbed her fingers and propped up her chin. “My love life is nonexistent.”
“You’ve got time.” I reached out to ruffle her hair. “Focus on your flowers first.”
Penelope rolled her eyes but her smile was sincere. “Thanks, Addy. For having my back.”
“Always.”
Sitting in the sunshine with my sister by my side, the chaos of the past few months felt distant. I was happier than I had been in years, all thanks to one dazzling vampire who walked into that nightclub and turned my world upside down.
The sun had long set by the time my shift at the hospital ended. I stepped through the glass doors and into the dark, and squinted at the familiar shadow leaning against the lamppost near the curb. She looked unfairly good, as always, her hands shoved casually into the pockets of a red leather jacket. Her face lit up when she saw me, signature smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
“What are you doing here?” I strode over to Hunter with a raised brow. “I have a bubble bath waiting back home with my name on it.”
“Not tonight you don’t.” She pushed off the lamppost, sauntering over and snaking her hands around my waist. “I’m kidnapping you.”
“Are you going to whisk me off to your evil lair?”
Hunter grinned, her dark eyes twinkling. “Something like that.”
We hopped into her car and I peppered her with questions the entire ride, trying to pry details on what exactly she had planned for us. True to form, Hunter gave away nothing. It wasn’t until we parked outside the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens that I started piecing things together.
“The gardens are closed,” I pointed out as we got out of the car.
Hunter shrugged, looking annoyingly pleased with herself. “Not for us.”
I stared her down, suspicion creeping into my tone. “What did you do?”
She held up her hands, mock innocent. “I may have charmed the guard into lending me the key.”
“You may have charmed the guard?”
“And I will return the key,” she promised, looping an arm around my waist and tugging me toward the entrance. “After we’re done.”
“Unbelievable,” I muttered, but there was no helping the smile tugging at my lips.
The gardens were quiet, the paths lit by small solar lights like will-o’-the-wisps beckoning us further in. When we reached the butterfly pavilion Hunter nudged the glass doors open, drawing me into the dark. I drew in a breath at the sight. The enclosed space was alive with delicate, fluttering wings, flickering in the faint light.
Hunter produced a picnic blanket and a bottle of wine from her bag, grinning at my look of disbelief. “I know, right? I can be romantic when I want to be.”
“I’m impressed,” I admitted, taking in the setup as she spread the blanket out on the ground.
We settled down, and the butterflies seemed to take an immediate liking to me. One landed on my shoulder, another on my cheek, and Hunter laughed, leaning over to shoo them away – only to be swarmed herself.
“Traitors,” she muttered as a particularly bold butterfly landed on her nose. I stifled a chuckle at her look of utter betrayal.
Eventually, the butterflies left us in peace and we sat together on the blanket, the fluttering creatures flitting about overhead. Hunter poured me a glass of wine and handed it to me, pointed fangs glinting as she shot me a smug, satisfied smile.
“Thank you.” I side-eyed her, sipping the wine. “And what exactly are you going to drink?”
She smirked, her gaze flicking to my neck. “You tell me.”
I was pinned, starstruck and breathless under her scrutiny. I felt my cheeks warm, my heart skipping in my chest as I took a sip of wine. Rich and red.
Hunter reached out, her fingers brushing my hair back, exposing the curve of my neck. Her touch was featherlight, reverent, and the anticipation thrummed between us like a live wire.
"May I?" Her voice was low, husky, her lips so close to my ear that her breath sent a shiver racing down my spine.
I tilted my head back, baring my neck to her without hesitation. The answer was right there, burning behind my eyes. Hunter’s eyes darkened and she shifted closer, melding her body against mine – and every nerve in my body came alive. Her lips brushed against my skin and I exhaled shakily, my fingers tightening around the stem of my glass.
When her fangs pierced my throat the sharpness was a brief shock, but it quickly dissolved into a warm, tingling pleasure that radiated through my entire body. I let out a soft gasp, my head tilting further, offering all of me, the sensation intoxicating.
Hunter groaned softly against my neck, her hands resting on my waist as she drew from me in slow, sensual pulls. It was intimate, familiar, and all-consuming, the connection between us raw and electric. I sipped my wine, the velvety richness of the drink sliding down my throat, as my blood did down hers, sinking into complete euphoria.
She pulled back slightly, her lips brushing against my neck as her tongue swept over the bite, soothing the tender skin. My eyes fluttered open to find hers locked onto mine, her gaze smoldering with desire.
"You taste…" Her voice was a rasp, her words trailing off as if she couldn’t find the right way to describe it though she had tasted me a hundred times before. Her hands stayed on my waist, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt.
I felt heady, my blood thrumming fast in my veins as I leaned closer. "Like what?"
Hunter’s eyes flickered to my lips. "Like you were made for me."
The words sent a shiver through me and I leaned in, closing the small distance between us to press my lips against hers. Her mouth was warm and inviting, her kiss tender but brimming with restrained hunger. Her hands slid up my back, pulling me closer, and I sighed into the kiss, my wine glass forgotten as it tipped over in the grass beside us.
As she lay me down her kisses deepened, turned ravenous – urgent and feverish. Her tongue grazed mine with dominating strokes and I felt a new kind of heat pool low in my belly. My hands started working at her buttons, splaying her shirt open like the wings of a butterfly.
I felt her grind into me with her hips as my fingers climbed her back, my moans stifled by her probing tongue. I tilted my head – to catch a breath, and to kiss down her jawline as we unraveled, chaos unleashed into the calm of the garden.
She groaned as my nails raked down her back and tugged at the seam of her jeans. My mouth traveled down her neck, peppered kisses along her exposed throat, teeth grazing her skin like I too might be tempted to take a bite. She unleashed a breathy gasp as I kissed down her chest, thumbs looping through her bra straps and yanking the garment down.
“What are you–” But before she could finish, her hard nipple was in my mouth. I lathered it with my tongue, sucking on it, making it mine. A fire awoke in me and I sat up, surged into her, fingers lacing through her hair as I sucked on her breasts. Her moans electrified the air and I pushed on, using my knees to flip her over and pivot myself on top of her.
Hunter’s back hit the grass and she looked up at me, flustered, aroused, and slightly impressed. I bit down on my lip, hesitant where I hovered above her, though my hands were already moving to unbutton her jeans.
We stripped each other bare, and my body shuddered in enthrallment as Hunter’s mouth explored me, tasting and delighting in the effect it was having on me.
I clutched fistfuls of grass, and ripped them out entirely when she dipped a warm hand between my legs. The sheen of sweat on my skin grew hot enough to boil me alive as her stroking fingers got to work. My body was on fire, and before long I was desperate for release.
When I returned her lustrous exploration in kind, Hunter was quick to follow. Rather than her usual method of prolonging my detonation – drawing it out for as long as she could bear before I was on my knees begging for it – Hunter herself was coming undone. She threw her head back when my fingers drew circles over her sensitive cluster of nerves, picking up the pace where her own fingers pumped into me.
Our breathless moans echoed around the pavilion and sent butterflies scattering in the air. I gave one final cry as she drove her fingers into me again, deep and intense, and I forced my hips against her hand.
My pushing became a slow grinding, riding out the release, even as Hunter’s hips bucked wildly against my palm. She found her release alongside me, and we both collapsed, breathless and sweat-slicked, tangled up in one another and unwilling to let go.
We lay there for a long while, breathing heavily, eventually talking quietly – reflecting on everything that had brought us to this precise, perfect moment.
“Are you ever going to tell the others about us?” I asked eventually, lifting my head from her chest.
“Yeah…” Hunter breathed, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “I think it’s time they knew you were my mate.”
The word ricocheted around my rib cage, sending my heart thumping wildly all over again. I would never get tired of hearing her say it.
“You know, I think I knew some part of me was tied to you all along.” I lifted myself to look into her eyes, fingers trailing lovingly down her glistening chest. “I think I’ve been falling for you from the moment we met.”
Hunter’s lips curved into a small, vulnerable smile and she pressed her damp forehead to mine.
“I love you, Addison.” She whispered the words, a steadfast promise under a canopy of fluttering wings.
I stared into her eyes, and the words flowed freely. Sweet and tender and true. “And I love you.”
I knew then that no matter what the future had in store for me – human or vampire, doctor or something else entirely – so long as Hunter was by my side, I would be content.