Epilogue
Tobias
Consciousness always seeped in slowly, like the hazy fringe of a mirage, gradually gaining focus the longer you looked at it. This was no illusion, however. He was in his bedchamber at the palace, and Kitty was straddling his hips naked, licking a path from his neck to his navel.
“Well darlin, this is the way a male likes to be awoken.”
“Thought so,” she said without glancing up.”
“You’re beginning to make a habit of starting without me...”
She huffed a sigh and sat up. “Way to spoil the moment, Martelli. You know your muscles always start twitching when you’re about to wake; I’ve told you before. I’m not into making out with your corpse so don’t get all creeped out.”
“Feisty tonight, aren’t we? Let me fix that.”
In moments, he’d reversed their positions, so he was on top, kissing her with a fervor.
One of his favorite things about sex with Kitty was that no two occasions were ever alike.
She somehow managed to make every time feel like a new experience.
Tonight, they were all about the urgency, as if their passion was simply too great to be contained.
She really was the perfect female for the vampire he’d become.
They took a long shower together and dressed for the memorial. It had become an annual tradition.
By now the palace staff would have made the appropriate arrangements. Willing blood donors would be on standby for the Undead, and a banquet of royal proportions would be ready for the living in attendance.
Westergaard and Lyla had already arrived and taken their places at one of the tables set up in the throne room. Marquez and his female, too. Ngdugu, Yamamoto and their spouses arrived shortly after. All four Original kings had also brought their mortal servants, six between them all.
O’Brien, Althea, Keziah, and Derek sat with Tobias’ mortal servants, including Charisma’s twin sons. Rion and Lori were seated at the head table with their two teenage sons and daughter, sipping wine. Rion glanced up and saw Tobias and Kitty. His face broke into a wide grin.
Tobias grinned back. Rion’s eccentricities had calmed considerably over the years.
Now that he didn’t live on edge wondering what his father’s next ploy would be, life had grown so much simpler.
He’d surprised everyone when he agreed to start a family with Lori, but in truth, it had been the making of him.
Will on the other hand, was every bit as chaotic and smart-assed as he’d always been. As usual, he was the last to arrive to the banquet, flashing in with Vixen and their eleven Holy daughters.
Despite the chaos, it was damned good to see the male getting the happily ever after he’d earned.
The girls clustered around Tobias, greeting him with hugs and excited chatter.
They always greeted him first, which tickled him.
Then, they’d move on to Kitty, Rion, and Lori.
Aurora always lingered longer than the others.
She had a special bond with Tobias. What had started out as a vampire-servant link quickly grew into a cherished connection.
Part of it was due to the fact she’d been the one to save him, when all the other servants had fallen unconscious.
Most of it was due to her filling a void inside of him, the one left by his own children.
He loved all of Will and Vixen’s children, just as he loved Rion and Lori’s. But, with Aurora, it was different.
After she’d hugged him, she messed with his hair, and teased him for growing sentimental in his old age. Tobias, who still bore the appearance of a thirty-year-old, and could have passed for her older brother, sniggered.
“Watch yourself, darlin’.” It was a hollow threat, laced with affection.
She grinned and moved to greet the others.
The memorial banquet was never a sorrowful occasion. They celebrated the bonds they’d created, and toasted another year of peace and prosperity. Tobias looked around at the family he’d created, stronger than blood and worth every sacrifice. Forever tasted pretty damned sweet.
“Feeling a bit nostalgic there, Martelli?”
He turned to the female who’d helped him become whole again, and pick up the pieces he’d had scattered inside of him. The female who challenged him at every turn, and reminded him that even the most monstrous of vampires could reclaim their humanity.
“Eat your peas and carrots Silverwood.”
She laughed and reached for her wine. “You’re a big sap, you know that?”
“Keep it to yourself,” he warned with a smirk.
Eventually the evening wound down. Hugs were given, and promises to keep in touch – though they rarely saw each other between times. Except for the Trinity, who had family gatherings on a regular basis, and met for poker night every Friday night.
Tobias pulled out his phone to check the time. If they were going to game before dawn, they needed to get moving. He gave a signal to Rion and Will, who nodded. He French kissed Kitty hard, and waited for Rion to transport him to the bar.
Christo’s, formerly known as Chameleon, hadn’t changed much. Charisma, Dominic, and Aaron, the new proprietors, had kept things as similar as possible out of respect for its former owner. They’d remodeled five or six years ago, but the aesthetic was very similar. Christo would have approved.
The VIP room was only ever used by the Trinity these days.
Tobias liked it that way. He took off his coat and hung it on the coatrack, before taking a seat at the card table.
Rion called a bottle of cognac to his hand, and Will did the same with three glasses.
One for the angel, one for the demon, and one for the empty chair that would never be filled by another.
“Vixen is pregnant again,” Will announced.
“You must understand it is no longer surprising when you say that,” Rion said as he poured the cognac.
“At this point, the Savior is going to have to create a new realm just for the baby angels you keep producing,” Tobias drawled. He shuffled the cards and started to deal.
“He had better not,” Rion threw in. “Not, after the amount of money I paid for that Manhattan penthouse.”
“Anyone would think you weren’t happy for us,” Will feigned offense before he laughed. Pawing at his pockets, he retrieved a packet of cigarettes and lit up.
“We’re glad you’re happy, Jones.” Tobias said sincerely.
“I know, and I am. I’m grateful for the house, Rion. You didn’t have to buy a fucking penthouse, an apartment would have done just fine, but I’m grateful.”
“An apartment would never do. My nieces require a certain standard of care.”
“You spoil them,” Tobias teased.
“Martelli, what kind of shit cards are these?” Will demanded after picking up his hand.
“He is bluffing,” Rion sniggered.
“Or, is he…” Tobias narrowed both eyes.
“So, what kind of badassery has everyone been up to?” Will took a drag on the cigarette and blew out a smoke ring.
“Definitely bluffing.” Tobias laughed. As the words left his lips, his gaze fell upon the untouched glass of cognac in the empty spot. A tightness appeared in his chest, as the memories filled his mind.
You’d be proud of us Christo. We did it, we actually fucking did it.
It would have been a damned sight better with you here to share it, but I know that’s not what you wanted.
We miss your bad moods and rants. We miss your courage and your loyalty, but we won’t ever forget.
We saved our forever, and we’re living it.