Chapter 23
Gabrieland I returned to the safehouse to find everyone settled in—sans Avery, who’d opted to go home and rest now that Nash was dead. Jaden sat in the middle of the living room floor, surrounded by a new pile of weapons, including one disassembled crossbow she was working to reassemble. Josh sat on the couch with an array of stakes laid out on the living room table, like he was inspecting them. And Sam and Lucy sat in the kitchen with two steaming mugs of tea in front of them. It surprised me to find everyone still awake, but they probably hadn’t felt right going to sleep before Gabriel and I returned home. Just in case.
Everyone glanced up when Gabriel and I walked inside, their expressions a mix of relief and eagerness.
“Well?” Jaden jumped right in. “Can we trust the Fanged Defender?”
Laughter rumbled from Gabriel. “Oh, he’ll love that nickname.”
Chuckling, I slumped into the nearby armchair, the leather cool against my skin. “Elias is legit. And he’s given us Adrian’s location, along with the promise to assist us when we make our move, which will be tonight after sunset.”
Josh paused and glanced at me. “We’re not going during the day?”
“Unfortunately, Adrian has a brain, and when Gabriel and I escaped, he upgraded his guards with four daywalking vamps.”
Jaden gave a low whistle. “Clever bastard.”
“Doing it after dark means Gabriel and Elias can assist, so that’s something.”
Clicking the last piece of her crossbow together, Jaden tested the drawstring with a satisfying snap. “Aimee’s way of thanking us for taking out Nash.”
“Ah,” I replied. I was grateful for the extra weapons, don’t get me wrong, but crossbows had always been Chris’s expertise, and seeing one in Jaden’s hands only reminded me he was gone. There was a beat of silence where I suspected Jaden and Josh were having a similar melancholic moment.
Jaden placed the crossbow down and faced Gabriel. “Are you ready for this fight?”
He curled a lip, exposing a fang. “More than ready.”
She studied him, then pushed to her feet and came to stand in front of him. “The first thing they teach us at the Academy is to separate our emotions from the job. Can you do that? Adrian is your father, and he’s done a lot of shitty things to you recently. To both of you. But you can’t let your emotions get the better of you. You can’t let yourself lose focus. If you do, he’ll win.”
For a moment, I thought Gabriel might snap at her, but instead, he gave a grave nod. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
Jaden spared me a glance with the same question in her eyes.
“Or me,” I told her. “We’ve got this.”
“Alright,” she said with a definitive nod. “Then we go in tonight. What time?”
“I told Elias to expect us about an hour afterward. Enough time for Gabriel to wake, for us to arm ourselves, and then get to the location. Elias said he’ll keep Adrian indoors to minimize risk to any bystanders.”
“And the vamp guards?”
I glanced at Gabriel. “They’re your people. You’re their king.”
“They die,” he said simply. “They’re traitors to the crown. I don’t want them thinking about revenge or anything like that when Elias takes over as king.”
Josh and Jaden’s expressions went comically blank. And when I stole a glance in the kitchen, Sam and Lucy seemed equally surprised. Considering this was something Gabriel and I had only recently discussed, I’d never had a chance to fill them in on his plans. Guess they knew now.
I handed Josh the napkin Elias had written the address on. “Can you look into this location? Just so we know exactly what we’re walking into tomorrow?”
“You got it,” he said.
“On that note, I’m heading to bed,” I said. I was utterly exhausted after the day’s events, considering we’d all been up since the crack of freaking dawn.
Gabriel slid an arm around my waist. “I’ll walk you up.”
A sly smirk curled my lips. “Do I need an escort?”
“Well, considering the danger you attract,” Gabriel said with an arched brow, “I think it’s my duty to accompany you to our room.”
“Mm, I bet,” I teased. “Fine, you can tuck me in, but I’m drawing the line at bedtime stories.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Gabriel said as we started climbing the stairs. “I’ve got quite a few tales that could keep you entertained all night long.”
The hint of innuendo sent a pleasant shiver down my spine, and I laughed.
“Hey, you two!” Lucy called up from the kitchen. “This house is rather small, and some of us have sensitive hearing, so let’s keep the canoodling to a minimum, alright?”
Heat scoured my cheeks, and I leaned over the railing and called back down, “Right back at you!”
“How about no one has sex tonight?” Jaden fired from the living room.
I had to admit, I didn’t want to hear my sister and brother-in-law going at it, or my best friends. So, even though Gabriel was pouting next to me, I shouted down my reluctant agreement.
Gabriel’s pout morphed into a devilish grin as we entered our bedroom. “Fine, no sex. But that doesn’t mean we can do other things.”
“Yes, it does!” Lucy shouted from one level below.
I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Guilty as charged,” he replied, his voice dropping to that low, soothing timbre that made my heart flutter.
With a hand against my lower back, he guided me to the bed before he crawled in. I quickly changed into my pajamas, then crawled in next to him. He outstretched an arm, and I curled up against his side, quite content to lie here forever. My body had other plans though, and I fell asleep within seconds.
* * *
I wokeup cocooned against Gabriel and blinked open my eyes. As always, our room was pitch black, and thanks to its lack of clock, I had no idea what time it was. I heard movement downstairs, which told me someone else was awake, so I rolled out of bed, then quickly dressed. After attending to my needs, I headed on down.
Jaden was already awake, meticulously sharpening a dagger, so laser-focused on her task that she didn’t even look up as I padded in. Josh lay sprawled on the couch, eyes closed, but clearly awake as he tapped his fingers rhythmically against his leg.
I glanced at the living room clock and noted it was only a few hours before sunset. I’d slept longer than expected, and the deep rumbling in the pit of my stomach confirmed that.
“How’s the arsenal looking?” I asked Jaden, my voice breaking the hush.
She finally glanced up and gave me a determined nod. “We’re in good shape. Stakes, daggers, the crossbow. You have your sword and daggers too.”
I did. And we’d need every last weapon if we planned to take out at least five vampires tonight. We’d never tackled so many at once before.
When my stomach gave another complaint, Josh opened his eyes and grinned at me. “Go eat. Before your stomach disowns you.”
Guess that banana muffin last night hadn’t been enough to appease my inner beast.
I strolled into the kitchen to find Lucy standing near the coffeemaker, her empty mug a sign that she was in desperate need of caffeine.
“Sam still sleeping?” I asked.
She nodded, then glanced at me with droopy eyes. Guess she’d only just woken up herself.
“Food?” I asked.
“Definitely food,” she agreed.
I yanked open the door and surveyed our options. Then I pulled out a flat of eggs and an entire package of bacon. We’d need more than that to feed three werewolves, so I hustled into the pantry and pulled out a box of instant pancakes and the syrup to match.
Lucy and I immediately set to work, and it wasn’t long before the sound of crackling bacon caught the attention of Sam. He staggered into the kitchen, still half-asleep but on the hunt for sustenance.
Josh and Jaden stood in the living room entrance, clearly amused by our werewolf ways.
While we prepared the food, Sam laid out all the dishes along with a carton of orange juice that I knew wouldn’t survive the meal.
“Dare I ask if there’s enough for us?” Jaden asked, still keeping her distance. She knew better than to get between us and our meal.
I surveyed the platters and gave her question some serious consideration.
“Maybe we should make some more pancakes, just in case,” I said to Lucy.
“Oh my god,” Jaden said, laughing. “There’s like fifteen pancakes on that plate already.”
Lucy looked at me, her expression completely sober, and she nodded. “I’m on it.”
Finally, we were all seated at the table, and thus began the ritualistic passing of the plates.
“So, now that Gabriel’s asleep, care to give us your take on Elias?” Josh asked while pouring syrup onto his pancakes.
“Gabriel compelled him to tell the truth,” I said, “and I believe everything he said last night. He’s on our side. And I think the promise to make him king has definitely strengthened his allegiance to us.”
“Yeah, about that,” Lucy said, pointing a fork at me. “When was this decided?”
I stuffed my face with a bunch of seasoned scrambled eggs and swallowed before answering. “Back in Jackson. The night before we went to the Academy. Gabriel and I were talking, and he told me he wanted to abdicate the throne. I offered to move to England with him, but he doesn’t want me to do that. He said I was the most important thing to him, and that the crown came second. Then he said that he can live without being king, but he can’t live without me. He knows how important family is to me, and how much I love you guys. So he chose to give up being king to stay here.”
Everyone stared at me, shocked into silence.
“He said that?” Jaden finally asked. “That he would give the crown to his brother just so you wouldn’t have to move away?”
I nodded and shoveled some bacon into my mouth.
“Wow,” she breathed. “That’s incredible. Definitely marry him.”
I froze with my fork halfway to my mouth. “Uh, we haven’t talked about that. I’m not sure if he even—I mean, he’s never said?—”
“Of course he wants that,” Lucy chimed in. “I’ve never known a mated couple who doesn’t. But I have a more pressing question. How will you two work when he’s immortal and you’re not?”
Oh boy. I should have expected that. “So, um, there’s this thing called the ‘eternal kiss,’ and well, the details aren’t important.” I couldn’t imagine telling my vampire slaying friends that I would need to drink Gabriel’s blood. “But it would stop me from aging, allowing us to be together.”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Uh huh, and what’s the catch?”
I dropped my gaze. “If the vampire ever dies?—”
“Then you die,” she finished, sighing. “Figured there’d have to be a downside.”
“Are you going to do it?” Jaden asked quietly, her attention locked on her plate.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I haven’t had much time to think about it. But the thought of not being with him kills me. And if I don’t, then I’ll keep aging and he won’t.”
Finishing her meal, Jaden shook her head, then shared a glance with Josh. “I don’t envy your decision. I just don’t think that’s something I could do.”
I understood her reservations. But for me, the thought of not being with him was worse than the thought of drinking a little of his blood.
“He isn’t pushing you into doing that, is he?” Sam demanded, his brotherly nature flaring.
“No. He told me he’d respect whatever I decided and he’d be with me, regardless.”
“Okay, that’s good,” Lucy said. “Now I don’t have to kick his ass.”
I chuckled and finished the rest of my meal while everyone processed my future with Gabriel. There were downsides to immortality, like watching my entire family grow old and die. My whole life, I’d been so desperate for a family, and now I had one. I couldn’t imagine not growing old with my sister, or aging alongside her kids. When I pictured my senior days, it was with Jaden and Josh, playing pinochle in our retirement community. Us talking about our good ol’ vampire slaying days until everyone grew tired of our stories. And when I pictured my death, it was always with me surrounded by family and friends. I’d never imagined outliving every single one of them and continuing through the ages without them. Sure, Gabriel would be with me, but without Lucy, Jaden, Josh, and Sam, eternity sounded awfully lonesome.
I rose from my seat and started clearing the dishes, my thoughts heavy.
“Let me help,” Lucy said, even though we’d cooked.
Everyone brought their dishes to the counter, then stood back as I started running the sink. I needed something idle to do right now.
“You know, for what it’s worth,” Lucy said, breaking the silence, “I think you should do it.”
My head snapped up, and I turned to find that everyone else had abandoned the kitchen, leaving only the two of us. Jaden, Josh, and Sam had retreated to the living room for one last weapons inspection before tonight.
“It’s a hard choice, and I get that. But I see Anna with Vlad, and I’ve never seen her happier.”
The thought of them brought a smile to my lips. They loved each other dearly, and that was wonderful, but Anna hadn’t lost anyone yet. I wondered how her opinion would change when she was the one turning five-hundred-years old. Maybe she’d make new friends, create a new family. But that thought terrified me. I wanted the one I had now, and I didn’t want anything to change.
But change was inevitable.
“You don’t need to decide anything right this second,” Lucy reminded me, stepping forward to dry the dishes I’d washed. “You have time. Let’s finish this business with Adrian, go home, deal with the Academy, and then you can decide. When you don’t have so much on your shoulders.”
“Yeah,” I murmured while sponging down a plate. “Thanks, Luce.”
“Why don’t you let me finish the dishes? Go play slayer with your friends, and prepare yourself for tonight.”
“You aren’t coming with us?”
She sighed and shook her head. “We agreed it would be Sam tonight. I’m the alpha, so according to him, I shouldn’t be running into danger unless absolutely necessary. And tonight isn’t necessary.”
I slid an arm around my sister’s waist and pulled her in for a hug. I knew she hated being left behind, but Sam was right. This wasn’t her fight, and her pack had nothing to do with tonight’s upcoming slayage. Involving the alpha could create some potential political problems between the werewolf and vampire community. Sam was an alpha, but he wasn’t the alpha. So we had some leeway there.
“You’ve got this,” Lucy said. “But you better come home to me tonight. Or I swear, I’ll kill you myself.”
I chuckled, then quickly kissed her cheek before disappearing into the living room where my weapons cache awaited.