Chapter Nineteen
Talia
Two Weeks Later
That’s it, I’m fucking done for. I am so madly in love with Soren; life without him would be bleak.
We are undoubtedly two toxic peas in a pod, but I’ll choose us anyway.
I never knew what I needed in life until Soren.
Still, we are waiting for me to be turned.
It’s not that I don’t want to, because I do, but we agree that we need to be way further grounded in our relationship before a decision like that is made.
Once we go there, we are literally together forever, and let’s be honest…
He intentionally cheated on me, and I repeatedly shot him for it.
We have a lot to learn about each other before we are stuck together for eternity.
It’s not that Soren has suddenly turned mushy, because he hasn’t. He is still absolutely a monster, but he’s my monster. Everything he does, he considers me as a partner, not an obstacle. That’s considerably better than where we were before.
Soren has planned a date for us. Like a real date. I don’t know where we are going, but I know Micah helped him plan it while the others are handling a contract. I’m so excited because it’s our first normal couple thing. We have the mundane things down great, but this? This is new.
I have on a white skirt and a light blue top with simple flats.
I have my hair down, and light makeup on.
As I walk downstairs, I see Soren by the door talking to the guys.
He has jeans on that hug him perfectly, and a simple white button-up short-sleeved shirt.
A grin spreads across his face when he sees me, and meets me at the bottom step.
“You look incredible, Talia,” he says as he gently cups my chin.
“So do you,” I say with a shy smile. He chuckles and gently kisses me, and fuck, I melt immediately.
Soren and I, we know how to fuck. We know how to fight.
We know how to handle the serious shit. But this?
This is new for us both, because neither of us is a soft person, but we are learning to be for each other.
“Don’t stay out too late, kids,” Vaughn says.
“Okay, Dad,” I laugh.
“Hey now. I’d sell you for at least double,” Vaughn says.
“Oh, that’s low,” Soren laughs.
“At least he knows my worth,” I say with a grin.
“We won’t be too late, guys,” Soren says, taking my hand.
When we walk outside, Soren opens my door and sits me in the passenger seat before walking around to get into the driver’s seat. We are taking his convertible tonight, and I am happy just to be here. Soren holds my hand as we drive, and I can’t stop smiling.
“What’s on your mind, Talia?” Soren asks, squeezing my hand.
“I’m just happy,” I say. “This is the happiest I’ve ever been.”
“I feel the same way,” he says with a charming smile.
“So what do we have planned tonight?” I ask.
“Just a little picnic,” he says, kissing the back of my hand as we drive. We ride in perfect silence until we get to an overlook, and we park. Getting out, Soren gets a cooler from the truck that he takes over to the table. We sit side-by-side, facing the insanely beautiful view.
“God, this is gorgeous,” I say. The mountains give off a blue hue, and the blue sky blends perfectly with the orange bands shooting out from behind the mountains where the sun is setting.
“It is,” Soren says. I glance over at him, but he’s looking at me.
“You aren’t even looking,” I laugh.
“I’ve lived hundreds of years, Talia, but nothing compares to your beauty,” he says. “I’ve never been able to see any of the beauty the world has to offer until I met you.”
“Goddamnit,” I sniff as tears roll down my cheeks. He chuckles and gently kisses me. “How can you be the same man who fucked Shelby to spite me?”
“I don’t know. It feels like a lifetime ago,” he says. “I don’t know if I’ve properly apologized for that. There is no excuse for how cruel I was to you.”
“What were you like before?” I ask.
“Before I became a hybrid? Jeez… I was a blacksmith for my father. He was a mean son of a bitch, but damn good at what he did.”
“How did you change?” I ask. “I’m sorry if that’s intrusive.”
“I don’t mind,” he says with a sweet smile. “No one has ever really asked.”
“It’s hard to wrap my head around,” I admit.
“Well, this woman was obsessed with me. She was older and unmarried because people suspected she was a witch. I never could get her to leave me alone,” he says. “Well, she figured if she made me a hybrid, I’d be instinctively bonded to her.”
“Clearly, she was wrong. Right?”
“Yeah, I fed off her,” he laughs. “I didn’t understand what was going on, so I didn’t know to stop.”
“Sucks to be her,” I shrug.
“Yeah,” he says. “I told my dad, and he shot me.”
“Jesus. Why?”
“He said I was an abomination,” he shrugs. “I woke up buried. So, I dug myself out and moved somewhere to start over. Anytime things got a little too crazy, or I had been there too long, I moved. I’ve lived all over the place, but here is my favorite.”
“Where will we move next?” I ask, and he grins.
“Anywhere you want,” he says, gently kissing me again.
“So, what are we eating?”
“Well, I brought stuff for a charcuterie board,” he says, opening the cooler. “I know how much you like those mini pickles, so I brought extra of those.”
“Oh, I love you,” I say as I start helping to pull things out of the cooler. I don’t even realize that I’ve said it until he lifts my chin. “I don’t know why…”
“I love you, too,” he says. “I will always love you, even if you choose not to turn. Even if you walk away tomorrow.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say softly, and he kisses me again.
“Alright. Let’s eat before I fuck you instead,” he says, patting my cheek and turning back to the cooler. I can’t help but grin at him. He’s still the same ruthless man I met in that hotel, but for me? Soren is everything for me.
We eat while Soren tells me all about the places he’s been and the things he has seen. When it gets dark, he turns the headlights on so we can continue to talk. We stay close, and his hands stay on me almost the whole time.
As we are talking, Soren suddenly stops talking. He just stares at me. “What?” I ask, but he covers my mouth before I can get the word out.
“Someone is here,” he says, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Get in the woods and hide. Now.”
“But what about you?” I ask quietly as my pulse quickens.
“I’ll be fine, baby. I love you. Please go,” he urges, pushing me toward the woodline. I get up, and he stands with me. When I am about to turn back and beg him to come with me, he pushes me again, not giving me a choice.
I take a few steps in and bring myself down to take cover behind a stump.
I can see Soren with his back to me, and he’s talking to someone.
I can’t make out what he says, but when I hear the gun fire off, I slap my hand over my mouth when his head practically explodes, and his body collapses to the ground.
I sob into my hand when the pain stabs through my head, and sink to the ground to try and hide myself more. I can hear movement above, undoubtedly taking Soren with them, so I wait. A few minutes pass, so I sit up a bit and look up at the hill.
A figure stands in the light, looking out here as though he knows I am hiding. I can’t make out who it is until he turns and I see the side profile of one of the people who took Soren from me.
How could someone claim to be his friend, but betray him so cruelly? I can tell when they start driving away, because it feels like a piece of my soul is being torn away from me, into oblivion.