Epilogue
Frankie
“And he’s okay? Like, seriously fine?” Seth asks, enthralled by the story his friend Oliver had just told us.
It’s been two months since I rescued Seth from his ex.
Wildlife conservation found Jake’s car abandoned, but no investigation was ever mounted, thanks to Vincent having the chief of police by the short and curly.
I, however, wanted to know how he got the woman bespelled enough to help him, as Naga's aren't known to have such abilities.
But she had no memory of the incident, and with the bastard dead and eaten, I couldn't exactly ask him.
Something about that situation just doesn't sit right with me, but I've left it alone. For now.
Seth spent four days in the hospital recovering from the attack.
While Zeke and I did take him to the closest human hospital, I snuck in a number of healing potions to help speed up the process.
Doctors were stunned at his quick recovery, especially since he needed nearly two hundred stitches and had three broken fingers.
Jake hadn’t been lying about not drugging Seth. Nurses found a bite on the back of Seth’s arm and traces of Naga venom in his system. Naga venom acts like a tranquilizer, so while it did knock Seth out, the medical community considers it envenomation rather than drugging.
Besides some tearing, there was no damage to his internal organs, but between me and the hospital social worker, he started seeing a therapist this week.
The assault left Seth shaken, and he started taking a lower dose of sleep medications so that he can sleep.
Without them, even with me curled beside him at night, he wakes in a panic from nightmares.
That first week was difficult. He flinched at every touch, and I was certain he’d ask me to leave. That request never came. After that first week, he wanted to be in constant contact with me. I’m not complaining, I just hate that this is on the back of what he went through.
Seth began asking more questions about my family and job, and while I haven’t exactly gotten a blessing from my father, I don’t hide what I do from him.
Seth knows exactly what my job is for the Family, and he doesn’t judge me for it. Having someone who cares for me, despite what I do for a living, is a kind of peace I never thought I’d find. The Black Wolf of the Vicellia Family has indeed found a home and someone to love.
Because I do love him.
He not only accepts me as I am, but even dragged me into his life. Letting me meet his friends and co-workers, taking me to his favorite shops and eateries. While I know this city like the back of my hand, I’m seeing it differently through his eyes.
I smile at Seth, and he returns it before focusing back on Oliver.
His light brown eyes are almost amber in the morning sunlight.
As much as I loved his brunette hair, the black that it is now really makes his pale skin stand out.
He claims it’s because he’s embracing his inner goth, and who am I to argue?
I think he did it to help draw attention away from my face.
Jake’s venom burned me badly, eating away the skin on one side of my head and neck.
Even with my shifter abilities, it’s taking forever to heal.
I ended up having to shave my head and beard, much to Seth’s displeasure. Apparently, he really loved my beard.
“Yeah, apparently his rescuers have decided he’s theirs.” I tune back into the conversation just as Seth chokes on his mouthful of coffee.
“I’m sorry, repeat that again?”
Oliver laughs, taking a bite out of his chocolate pastry. “From the way he tells it, he was kicked out of his house, went on an adventure, and ended up in the beds of two insanely hot guys. And they are now a throuple.”
Seth nods, eyes wide. “Well, I mean, I’m glad he’s not dead and all. But wow, that’s just… I have no words except good for him.”
I snort as he stumbles over his words. He sticks his tongue out at me, but doesn’t turn into a full-fledged brat as I grab the back of his neck and drag him into a quick kiss.
It was supposed to be quick, anyway. But the moment I sweep my tongue into the warm heat of his mouth, tasting the bitter sweetness of the coffee he’s been drinking, all I want is to keep kissing him.
Seth is the one who pulls away, but the flush on his cheeks and his blown pupils tell me I’m not the only one affected by it.
My phone pings with an incoming message. A quick glance lets me know it’s the one we’ve been waiting for. Vincent wasn’t thrilled when he learned that I had taken things into my own hands to rescue Seth. We’ve been on tenterhooks for over a week, waiting to find out what he will do.
We’ve also been waiting to hear if any of Seth’s uncle’s letters had been decoded, but it’s been silent on that front, too.
Seth’s gaze drops to my phone before bouncing back up to me. “That’s it?”
“Yeah. You ready?” He gives me a small half shrug, which isn’t a surprise. I turn to Oliver, who’s already piling up the trash. “Thanks for meeting with us. And glad you found your cousin.”
Oliver barks out a laugh. “Yeah, you and me both. See you later.” Tossing his trash, Oliver heads outside, his phone already to his ear.
Seth narrows his eyes at Oliver’s retreating form, though I think it’s the phone he’s giving a cross look at.
He mentioned in passing that something was going on with Alexis, the bespelled woman that I had found at Meryl’s, but he didn’t go into detail about it.
After tossing our trash, Seth takes my hand and we head outside, walking down the street to the car. I can feel his nervous energy, feel the fear he’s trying to hide from me. We have no idea what will happen, or if we will even have a future in this city.
I don’t know what Vincent is planning, but the fact that it’s happening at his house is comforting. While he has killed people in his home office before, it’s not his preferred location to do it. The cleaning bill is too high for his liking.
Once in the car, Seth lets out a shaky breath, one knee bouncing incessantly. I know him well enough by now that simply telling him everything will be ok won’t actually make him feel better. Facing this head-on and getting through it will be the only way for him to no longer feel nervous.
I take his hand in mine as I turn onto the street. The drive isn’t long, and we are pulling into Vincent’s driveway in less than twenty minutes.
“Wow, not what I was expecting,” Seth says, the first words he’s spoken since we started heading this way.
I chuckle as I pull the car through the gates and put it into park. “Yeah, when he’s not being the head of the Family, he just wants to relax and not draw any attention to himself. You’ll never hear me say it to his face, but I think he’s wants to get out of the life.”
We get out, and I watch him as he takes in the mini-mansion before us. It has a couple of sturdy columns by the front door and enough landscaping to require a full-time gardener. The man really did love his old lady if he’s bothering to keep her love of flowers going after all these years.
“Let’s get this over with,” I suggest, placing my hand on Seth’s lower back. He looks up at me, brown eyes full of trust and other sweet emotions that I can’t help but lean down and give him the briefest of kisses.
I’ll kiss him more if we make it out of this.
“Okay, let’s do this.” He straightens his shoulders, and I can’t help but be proud of him as he walks tall next to me.
The butler opens the door for us before I even have to knock, and we are directed towards Vincent’s office.
The office is large, taking the space that was originally the front room of the home, and it looks like what you’d expect an upscale man’s cave would look like—leather furniture, wood paneling, the hint of cigar smoke, and a bar on one side.
Vincent is sitting behind his desk, hands steepled together in front of him. I don’t even know that there’s anyone else in the room until the door is slammed behind us and someone is ripping Seth away from me.
Seth lets out a scream, eyes going wide at the sudden rough hands yanking him away. But he doesn’t react like some frightened little rabbit. Not after what he went through with Jake.
My boy fights back.
I see his eyes go flinty right before he lashes back with an elbow.
He catches his assailant in the stomach hard enough that he’s able to wiggle free.
That pride swells even more when he doesn’t run.
With a growl, he pulls out the small knife he started hiding in his belt and goes after the man.
A man I finally recognize as Lash, one of Antonio’s goons.
Before I can take a step to defend Seth, I feel the cold metal of a gun barrel against my spine. Whoever is behind me, probably another of Antonio’s men, doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t need to. The threat is clear. If I move to help Seth, I get a bullet in the back.
I was stupid. I should have known this wouldn’t be easy or simple. That we wouldn’t be able to just walk in here and not have to face consequences. That I wouldn’t have to face consequences for potentially throwing away everything I’ve lived for.
And while a bullet through the spine won’t actually kill me, it will put me out of commission long enough for Seth to be taken from me.
Seth lets out a scream of fury, the knife gripped in his fist like I showed him. But he’s not even using it yet. I learned early on that Seth has skill and training when it comes to kickboxing and he’s using all of that knowledge to pummel the shit out of Lash.
Until Lash lands a punch to Seth’s stomach. I let out a roar, but the man behind me wraps his arm around my throat and squeezes. I refuse to stand here and watch while Seth fights for his life. Rules be damned.