Epilogue 1 — Vaughn
ONE MONTH LATER
Maybe this was a mistake.
Not transferring to Brighton Island—that was perfect. I get to live with Yulian in our coastal house. But this…this meeting.
If you can even call it that.
“So let me get this straight,” Niko says. “Or gay, see what I did there? Muahaha!”
“You’re so lame,” Killian says from where he’s standing near the door as if he’s looking for a chance to slip out.
“You are lame, Satan’s heir,” Niko shoots back.
We’re at the Heathens’ mansion. Technically, no one lives here anymore except for Kill and his girlfriend, Glyn. The rest of us just show up to strategize, which pisses Kill off because he’ll have to spend time with us instead of his girlfriend—hence his stance by the door.
Jeremy is mostly with his girlfriend, Cecily, in a secluded renovated cottage on the island. Nikolai can be found in the penthouse with his boyfriend, Brandon, and Gareth in his own mansion with his ex-professor.
And I…well, I’m always in our home—the one I bought because I wanted to have Yulian all to myself, shielded from the world, where no one can see us or take him from me.
I still feel that urge sometimes, wanting to shield him, to hide him, especially when people start flirting with him in fucking public. Often while I’m standing right there.
Do I start shooting lasers from my eyes and actually contemplate shooting them? Sure. I blame Yulian for being irresistible.
Not that he encourages the behavior, but he does love seeing me get jealous just so I’ll pull him possessively by the waist, so everyone knows I own him.
He’s mine. Not theirs.
I figured it was about time I introduced him to the guys and come out while I’m at it.
I dislike being labeled as bi or gay or anything else.
All I know is that I love Yulian. And I always will.
I lace my fingers through Yulian’s and settle our joined hands in my lap. I’m perched on the armrest of his chair instead of taking one of the empty seats by Gareth or Jeremy—or even by Niko, who shot to his feet the moment he noticed the gesture.
Doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. I’ll never get tired of holding Yulian’s hand in public, rubbing my thumb across the back of his hand, letting the whole world know that we’re together.
I know it means so much to him as well. He waited so long for me to stop hiding, denying, and hurting him, whether unintentionally or not.
He grins up at me, squeezing my hand tighter, and my heart thuds in my chest.
Seriously, why does he keep becoming more…
gorgeous? He’s dressed in leather—we both are because we rode his motorcycle here.
He looks fucking delicious in the open jacket that reveals a skin-tight white shirt, hair finger-raked by me just earlier when I kissed him senseless before we stepped into the mansion.
But it’s mostly his eyes that seem to shoot an arrow to my chest. They’ve been brighter, the blue lighter, the brown shimmering. Since we vowed to spend the rest of our lives together, he’s been getting more beautiful by the day.
Or maybe I’m falling in love with him a bit more every day.
“You know what this means?” Niko asks, grinning. “V is now part of the fun dick alliance as well. Woohoo! I was the blueprint, just saying.”
“Get over yourself,” Gareth says.
“Nah, you bitches are following in my footsteps. I feel like a proud papa.”
“I’m older than you,” Gareth protests.
“Details, details. Anyway, Jer.” Nikolai pats his shoulder. “You’re, like, the straight token friend of the group.”
“Thanks?”
“Nah, that wasn’t a compliment.” He shakes his head. “My condolences.”
“I’m happily straight and even happier with Cecily, Niko. Stop making it into a drama.”
“I’m just saying.” Niko grins up at me. “So Yulian, huh? Knew you had a boner for him when you kept asking about his preferences at that camp.”
Yulian raises a brow as if he’s a dog with a bone. “You were asking about my preferences?”
“Niko was the one who brought it up,” I grumble. “And he said you were totally straight.”
“Tiny mishap in my gaydar. I was young at the time, so technically it doesn’t count,” Niko says. “Bet it broke your tiny queer heart back then, V.”
“Shut up, Niko.”
“No, tell me more,” Yulian says.
“Yeah, so, like, V was kind of obsessed with you, kept talking about you all the time.”
“Is that so?” Yulian grins, and I squeeze his hand so he’ll stop gloating, but then again, I love how he looks so happy, so I let it go.
For now.
I’ll be making Niko suffer for this later, though. Might mention his crush on Cyrus back then to Brandon just to make him pay.
Yes, I can be colossally petty.
“For the record,” Gareth says, holding up a hand and raising his eyebrows. “I still think you’re a fuckboy, Yulian.”
“I’m a reformed fuckboy.” Yulian places a hand on his now healed chest. “Mishka fixed me.”
“Aw, you call him Mishka.” Niko grins. “That’s fucking adorable, dude.”
“Disgusting,” Kill says at the same time.
“Cringe,” Gareth adds.
“No one asked for your opinions,” I say. “Only Niko’s matters.”
“See?” Nikolai grins. “Told you I was the blueprint. Now, the most important question: you top or bottom, V?”
“Please, no more bottoms.” Killian’s face pales as he gives his brother, Gareth, the side-eye. “I’m still traumatized.”
Gareth flips him off.
“None of your business,” I say.
“A bottom, then?” Niko asks.
“We don’t do that.” Yulian grabs my nape. “We don’t have fixed roles, and it works for us.”
“You don’t have to tell them shit,” I whisper, and he just grins.
“I don’t mind.”
“Hold up.” Nikolai scratches his chin. “I need to know who’s the little spoon and big spoon.”
I glare at him. “Shut up, Niko.”
“I mean, I’m little spoon to my lotus flower.”
“You’re a little dog to your lotus flower,” Killian says. “Who’s still Landon King’s identical twin, by the way.”
“Told you they’re completely fucking different, Satan’s heir. Don’t make me punch you.”
“Is anyone going to tell me what he’s doing here?” Jeremy juts his chin in the direction of Cyrus, who’s lurking in the shadows.
“I’m not sure.” I grind my jaw. Yes, still not a big fan of Cyrus. One day, I’ll stop being jealous.
But not today.
“I’m here to make sure no one abuses Yulian,” he says.
“I’m here to do that.” I glare at him, and Yulian laughs, dropping his hand from my nape to my waist.
He enjoys the lash of my irrational emotions toward Cyrus a bit too much.
“I don’t think that’s the case.” Gareth whistles as he stands up. “Want to join me for a ride back, Cyrus?”
Cyrus’s face pales a little, and it’s the first time I’ve seen him flustered, but it only lasts a minute before he goes back to his magnificent poker face. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know, maybe because of a certain nerd you’ve been—”
“Gareth,” he cuts him off as he strides toward him and pulls him by the arm. “I need a word.”
Gareth laughs maniacally as Cyrus drags him out of view.
Yulian smirks, and I just narrow my eyes. I think he knows whatever is going on with Cyrus, or maybe he’s suspecting it, but let’s say Gareth has also been highly entertained lately.
We have dinner together after Glyndon, Cecily, and Brandon join us. Gareth and Cyrus never make it back for some reason. Knowing Gareth, he’s definitely back at Kayden’s side by now. He has attachment issues.
Not that I’m any better.
I honestly don’t know how I spent the past four years without Yulian or even had the control to only see him on weekends for a few months.
Now? I can’t be separated from him for even a few hours. I even take classes at a similar time that he does so I can see him throughout the day. I was separated from him for so long, I now want to savor every moment I have with him.
Two weeks ago, he went to visit his sister after he met my parents—who love him, by the way, especially Mom. Dad is warming up to him, though he still doesn’t like that he put me in danger, but he has deep respect for him for taking a bullet for me.
So that weekend, I had to stay home and he went to Alina’s. Two days, it was only two days, but I couldn’t sleep properly and kept tossing and turning all night.
He also sounded miserable on the phone, even though he was glad to see his sister happy and witnessing that her husband treats her well.
Did I end up flying to him in the middle of the night? Maybe.
I also wanted to officially meet Alina and was not surprised to find out she shares Yulian’s sass. She hugged me tight when we were about to leave and asked me to take care of her brother because sometimes, he doesn’t know how to take care of himself.
She’s not wrong.
He still has that recklessness that drives me bonkers, but it’s part of him. I never want to tame him or extinguish his fire when it’s what I love about him in the first place.
I’m just making sure he doesn’t take it too far.
That he’s safe.
And here.
The second we make it home, Yulian turns off the engine of his bike, rips off his helmet, then mine, and rotates in his seat so he’s facing me.
“What’s wrong—”
My voice dies in a moan when his lips crush mine, his tongue dragging wet across them before plunging deep. He slams me into the bike, forcing me back until I’m stretched out beneath him, kissing me with the hunger of our first time.
And it might have been—if our past were anything more than stolen, fractured kisses.
I’m panting when he rips his mouth from mine. “What was that for?”
“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening. Just wasn’t sure you’d be okay with me giving your friends a show.” He licks my bottom lip. “Thank you for introducing me to them.”
“I don’t mind you kissing me in public. I told you I’m done hiding.”
“Well, can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
He thrusts his hips into mine, and I feel his engorged cock against my thigh. “Because I’m going to bend you over Chaos and fuck you, then we go inside, and you can fuck me.”
“You’re insatiable.” I laugh, even though my own erection is rock-solid at the image he painted.
“Only for you, baby.”
“Only for me.” I drop a soft kiss on his nose. “I love that.”
“I love you.” He sucks in a deep breath, then grins. “I’ll fuck you like I hate you, though.”
“Just the way I love it.” I chuckle and then slam my lips to his.
I’ll never get enough of this.
Of him.
Of us.