Epilogue
Spade
The moment I pushed open the door to the compound, it hit me. Not just the familiar scent of oil, leather, stale beer, and sweat, but every single layer beneath it. Old wood soaked in years of spilled alcohol. Gun oil. Cigarette smoke embedded deep into the walls.
It should’ve been overwhelming.
Instead… it felt like home. It was just louder, brighter, sharper, and it felt alive in a way I’d never noticed before.
I paused for half a second on the threshold, taking it all in, my senses stretching out further than I meant them to. Every heartbeat in the room registered—steady, uneven, fast, calm. Every shift of weight, every breath dragged into lungs that still needed air.
Humans.
My family.
My brothers.
And thank fuck I was strong enough to not want to eat any of them.
Grinning, I turned to Soren. He stepped in behind me, and his scent cut through everything else like it owned the damn place. Clean. Powerful. Undeniable.
The bond between us pulsed, steadying me even more.
Soren matched my grin. “I knew you could do this.”
“Fuck yeah. Nothin’ will keep me away from my family.” I took his hand in mine before I brought them up to my lips and kissed the back of his. “Not when I’ve got you at my side.”
“Careful, pet, or I’ll drag you to your old room, and you won’t get to see your brothers.”
I cocked my head to the side and thought about it. I mean, my brothers would still be here later.
Soren chuckled as he reached out to walk his fingertips up my stomach, then my chest, where he tapped twice. “Later. And maybe I could show you how good it feels meeting your prostate.”
Christ. I’d been curious, since he looked like sin when I fucked him. It drove him wild every time I hit it in the right spot.
I yanked him to me and kissed him. Against his lips, I said, “I could be down for that.”
“Spade,” Razor called from across the room.
I smirked automatically, that name settling over me like a second skin. It fit here. Always had.
We made our way over, the room subtly shifting around us. Brothers shouted their greetings or paused to slap me on the shoulder and say something to Soren.
Razor was leaned back in his chair like he didn’t have a care in the world, boots kicked up, a drink in his hand. Riker lounged nearby with lazy confidence and sharp eyes. Monkey and Coms were mid-argument about something that sounded completely pointless and exactly like them.
Nothing had changed.
Yet everything had.
I dropped into an empty chair, stretching out like I owned it. Soren took the seat beside me without hesitation.
Monkey glanced over, his eyes flicking between me and Soren before he snorted. “Well, look who decided to show up.”
“Miss me?” I shot back.
“Not even a little,” he said dryly.
“Sure,” I drew out.
Coms barked out a laugh. “He’s been complainin’ for days. ‘How come Spade’s not around? He needs to get back here and pull his weight.’”
Monkey flipped him off without looking. “Shut up.”
Coms kicked at Monkey’s chair. “Make me.”
“Glad to see nothin’s changed,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“Yeah, well,” Razor said before taking a slow drink. “You disappearin’ for a few days tends to get people talkin’.”
I lifted a brow. “I didn’t disappear.”
Riker snorted. “You absolutely did.” He was now bouncing in his seat with a wide-ass grin.
I shrugged. “Had shit to handle.”
“That what we’re calling it?” Riker’s grin turned sharp, his gaze sliding to Soren, then back to me. “Handling shit?”
I smirked. “Somethin’ like that.”
The bond flickered with amusement coming from the vampire beside me.
Riker leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees, eyes locked on me. “Come on,” he whined. “You can’t keep us in the dark. Tell me everything, but most importantly, how’s the sex now?”
Monkey groaned. “Here we go.”
Riker ignored him. “No, wait. We need to get back to the sexy time part—”
“We don’t,” Razor said with humor, reaching out and manhandling Riker to sit on his lap. “It’s good to have you back, brother.” Razor added, tipping his chin my way.
Monkey and Coms nodded. They were the only ones who knew where I’d been. Soren told me he’d called them, and I made a follow-up call once I’d been back to myself.
“Thanks, brother,” I said, curling an arm around Soren’s shoulders.
Riker rolled his eyes and relaxed back against his mate. “Fine.” He winked at Soren and mouthed, “Tell me later.” Then, loud enough for just us to hear, he asked, “How are you handling being a bloodsucker?”
There was no judgment in his tone—just curiosity and a little bit of shit-stirring.
I kissed Soren’s temple before I said, “It’s the best choice I ever made.”
The truth settled heavy and solid in my chest.
Across the bond, something warm brushed against me.
Soren.
I turned my head slightly to meet his gaze and held it. It was the truth. I’d never regret making the choice to be reborn like him. I let everything I felt bleed through our connection—certainty, satisfaction, and something darker and more possessive that I didn’t bother hiding.
His lips twitched. “If I were capable of blushing,” he said dryly, “I would be right now.”
Monkey barked out a laugh. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “That’s it. I’m done. I don’t need to see this lovey-dovey shit.”
Coms leaned back, grinning. “Nah, this is entertainin’.”
Riker snorted. “Didn’t think I’d see the day Spade got like this.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Whipped.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You’ve got a death wish.”
“Probably,” he said easily. “Worth it.”
“And you can’t talk. You’re just as bad.”
Riker beamed and kissed Razor’s cheek while the Prez huffed out a quiet chuckle, but he didn’t say anything, since he knew I was right.
Monkey pointed at me. “You better not go soft on us now.”
I snorted. “I’m not soft.”
Monkey grinned. “Hmm, debatable.”
I smirked. “You wanna rumble, human?”
That shut him up for about two seconds. Then his grin turned into a smirk. “Nah, I’m good.”
Chuckling, I pointed at him. “Thought so.”
Soren shifted and caught our attention. “How’s your father, Monkey?”
He snorted, running a hand through his hair. “He’s… something.”
When he didn’t continue, I asked, “What do you mean?”
Monkey leaned back, exhaling. “Apparently, Dashiel’s been showing up everywhere he is.”
I frowned slightly. “Everywhere?” I knew it was hard to stay away when you’d found your fated mate, but I damn hoped Dashiel wasn’t blowing his chance of making this work.
Monkey nodded. “Pops goes out? He’s there. Goes to work? There. Gets a drink? Boom—elf.”
Riker grinned. “Awww, that’s so sweet.”
“That’s one word for it,” Monkey said. “Weird is another.”
Soren’s gaze sharpened slightly. “He’s attempting to court him. His emotions are riding him. I can have a word with him if your father wants him to back off.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know if he needs it, but so far, I think Pops is handling things.”
“And what’s your papa think of our Dash?” Riker asked.
Monkey shrugged, but there was a smile. “I dropped in to his place, and the elf was there. They’re gettin’ along. But this is so fuckin’ different on so many levels for him.”
“Understandable,” Soren said. “At least they have time to work things out.”
“Yeah,” Monkey muttered.
Coms leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “This is all still weird, though.”
Everyone glanced at him.
“What is?” Razor asked.
“All of it,” Coms said, gesturing vaguely. “Vampires. Shifters. Fae, and the rest. All this shit just… existing.”
Riker smirked. “It’s weird in a wonderful way.”
Coms ignored him. “We’ve been walkin’ around like none of it’s real.”
“That’s the point,” Razor said calmly. “You weren’t supposed to know.”
“Yeah, well,” Coms muttered. “Now we do.”
“Do you want to continue to know?” Soren asked.
“I do,” Monkey added quickly. “Especially if Pops is stayin’ in the know and accepts his new future with the elf.” His eyes widened for a second, like he couldn’t believe he said that, and he shook his head.
“Coms?” Razor pressed. “Before you make your mind up, you gotta remember you can’t say shit to anyone.
None of the other brothers, and eventually we’ll have to move away from them and the club to keep this secret.
Know we mentioned about the amulet that’ll age you like the rest of us, but it does mean others around you will grow old.
I know I’m willin’, but that’s because I have Riker.
You willin’ to walk with us when the time comes?
If you’re allowed to keep the knowledge? ”
Silence settled for a second.
“I guess. I’ll have a good think about everythin’ and let you guys know when the time comes. That cool?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. I leaned back, letting their voices fade again as I took Razor’s and Coms’s words in from a different angle. Because I got it. Both sides. Razor’s certainty and Coms’s reluctance to accept right away.
Hell, I would’ve been right there with Coms, trying to wrap my head around everything and what had to be done to keep the information. All while trying to figure out how something this big could exist without the rest of the world knowing.
Now? Now I could hear the shift in Razor’s heartbeat when he got serious.
Smell the difference between irritation and amusement rolling off Monkey.
Feel Riker’s attention sharpen when another member walked into the compound and he quickly had to work out if it was friend or foe.
And beneath it all was Soren.
He’d always be my constant reminder that this was exactly where I wanted to be.
With him.
The bond pulsed softly, grounding me. Yeah, I wouldn’t trade this for anything.
Because without it all, without the supernatural, without whatever the hell force decided to throw me into this world, I wouldn’t have him.
Wouldn’t have this connection that sat deep in my chest, stronger than anything I’d ever known.
My gaze shifted to him again to see that he was already looking at me.
Of course he was.
A slow smile pulled at my mouth, and I winked. “Love you,” I said.
It was simple and honest.
I didn’t have any hesitation in front of anyone. I’d shout it from the top of a tower if I had to.
The people around us went quiet for half a second before Monkey groaned. “I swear to God—”
“Shut up,” I cut in without looking at him, grinning.
Razor snorted as Coms laughed while Riker bounced on his mate’s lap until Razor tightened his grip on the fox.
And Soren, he didn’t react outwardly much, but I felt his love through the bond.
It was warm and consuming.
And that was enough. Hell, it was more than enough.
Because for the first time in my life, I wasn’t just surviving. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
And I wasn’t going anywhere.