Epilogue
Sandra
Three more months later.
My mobile phone vibrates on the bedside table, and when I see Lucy's name on the screen, I answer without hesitation.
"Hi, long time no see!" I joke, putting the phone to my ear.
It's been over a week since I last saw her in person, even though she lives less than fifteen minutes from my house. Since she got engaged to Shadow, the mysterious man she met when she moved here and fell madly in love with, she barely has time for our weekly get-togethers.
She's always busy with him.
Not that I blame her.
If it were up to me, I wouldn't leave that cottage either.
In fact, I wouldn't even leave bed with Mark.
"Babes, we're thinking of having dinner here tonight, can you and Mark come?"
My heart warms at the lightness in her voice.
I'm very happy for my friend. Shadow seems to be really good for her.
I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and his is a little scary, even similar to Mark's, but Lucy's fiancé manages to be even taller and more intimidating than my husband.
However, when it comes to her, he turns into a softie, willing to do anything to make her happy.
But Lucy's invitation...
I bite my lip, hesitant. Not because I don't want to see them. I love them both. The problem is that dinner will be at her house.
An old mansion that looks like something out of a horror film, but which, for some reason, has charmed Lucy.
"Shadow and I have something to tell you," she adds.
"Oh, by the stars, are you pregnant?!" I gasp, my eyes widening.
"What? No!" Lucy laughs on the other end of the line. "Don't even try to guess, because you won't figure it out. You'll only know when you come."
"That's no fun! You're just making me more curious." I click my tongue, feigning irritation.
"You're so dramatic," she teases, still laughing. "But anyway, can you come today? If not, we'll schedule it for my next day off from the hospital."
"I think so. Mark and I don't have any plans, I'll ask if we can go when he finishes work and get back to you."
"Great! Oh, Sandra..."
"What?"
She pauses.
"Nothing, never mind."
I let out a groan of frustration.
“Are you messing with me, Lucy? Argh!”
She just laughs even more before saying goodbye:
"See you later!"
I turn off my mobile phone and notice my heart racing, my skin tingling with anticipation.
What could she want to tell me? It seems like something important. I feel anxious and, at the same time, a twinge of guilt.
Lucy has been open with me, sharing her life with me.
I, on the other hand, still hide the truth about who I am.
So many times I've tried to tell her, but I chickened out at the last second.
I know I can't put it off for much longer.
Now that she's back in Salem after years away and getting to know my close circle of friends, most of whom are supernatural, she may end up finding out. And I want her to hear it from me...
Maybe this is the right opportunity.
Maybe today I'll find the courage.
Lucy won't abandon me like my parents did.
This fear, rooted in me by a family trauma, is something I'm working on in therapy.
After everything Mark and I went through to survive, we decided to seek help before getting married.
It was one of the best decisions we ever made.
It only strengthened what was already unbreakable between us.
With that thought, I get out of bed and head to the home office. Mark is focused on his computer, typing something with a serious expression. Today he chose to work from home, since he spent the previous night away, coordinating security for an event in the city.
He hears me and stops typing, turning his full attention to me.
"Come here, Kitten," he asks, his voice low and full of affection.
I obey, sitting on his lap and rubbing my face against his neck.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to confirm that we can have dinner at Lucy's house today. She and Shadow invited us.”
“I don't have any plans, love. We can go.”
“OK. I said we would go, but I wanted to make sure nothing came up at work.”
He holds my face and kisses me.
"What about your studies?" he murmurs into my mouth. "Didn't you have an assignment due tomorrow at college?"
"I'm done. I'm free!"
I feel his lips stretch against mine, his golden eyes shining.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."
My chest warms.
"Thank you, love."
I exchange one last kiss before letting him go back to work.
When it's time to leave, my stomach churns. My nerves are on edge, and I fidget with my hands on my lap the entire car ride.
"Why are you nervous?" Mark asks, glancing briefly at me.
I take a deep breath.
"I think... I'm going to tell her."
"Do you feel ready?"
I exhale slowly and nod.
"I'm here for whatever you decide, Kitten. You know that."
My anxiety eases a little when he smiles at me, and I smile back.
***
The iron gate opens with a low creak, allowing the car to drive up the stone path to the mansion. The old, imposing house stands against the dark sky like a scene from a horror film.
But for Lucy, that place is home.
She is already waiting for us at the door with a smile on her face, Shadow appears behind her, pulling her into a possessive embrace.
Mark slips his hand through mine, intertwining our fingers before we cross the short distance to them. Lucy greets me with a tight hug, and I return it, feeling her familiarity and the warmth of friendship. Meanwhile, Shadow and Mark exchange nods, a minimal gesture, but one laden with recognition.
They're two peas in a pod.
Lucy and I exchange a glance and smile, complicit in our thoughts.
"Come in!" Lucy invites us. "The table is already set, and I've opened a bottle of wine for us."
We go inside, and Shadow takes on the task of serving the glasses. He hands me one, and I thank him before taking a long sip, enjoying the drink.
"Um..." Lucy suddenly fidgets, twirling her engagement ring on her finger. "Never mind, I think we'd better eat first. I'll talk to you later..."
I raise an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips.
"No way!" I say, exasperated. "You're not going to torture me for another second! Tell me now, is it good or bad?"
She exchanges a meaningful glance with Shadow, and the tension in the air grows. The two seem to communicate without words, and my anxiety only increases.
Mark notices and squeezes my hand, anchoring me.
"It's something good, I suppose," Shadow finally says, as if giving Lucy strength.
"For the stars' sake... Then why all the mystery?" I cross my arms. "Have you already set the wedding date, is that it?"
"No." Lucy shakes her head. "It has to do with you and Mark." She points to herself and then to Shadow. "And also with us."
I snuggle up against Mark's body, feeling my face burn.
"Um, babes..." I swallow hard. "Look, no judgement, I'm flattered and all, but if you and Shadow want to explore new things, Mark and I aren't into swinging, okay?"
Lucy gasps, her eyes wide.
"Sandra!" She almost chokes, and Shadow pulls her closer into his embrace, the gesture laden with possessiveness. "Of course not, stop being crazy!"
"I don't share my woman," Shadow growls.
"Neither do I," Mark replies in the same tone, tightening his arms around me.
"By the stars, guys, it was just a misunderstanding!" I start laughing nervously.
Lucy sighs and laughs too.
"I'd better speak up before your mind wanders even further," she says, shaking her head. Then her eyes meet mine. "Shadow and I know the truth about you two."
My heart stops for a second. My body tenses, and Mark instinctively pulls me closer to him.
"W-what do you mean?"
My partner kisses my head, a gesture of comfort. He wants to remind me that I'm safe, that there's nothing to fear. I should trust that. If Lucy has discovered my secret... maybe it's not a problem. I was going to tell her eventually.
Shadow clears his throat.
"I know you're both shape-shifters," he says, his voice calm but firm. "I can sense both of your essences."
My breath catches.
"If you can sense it," Mark interjects, sounding suspicious, "that means you're supernatural too."
Shadow nods.
"But then... why can't I smell your essence?"
"My kind doesn't give off much of an essence. It's rare to pick up," he explains. "Only another of my lineage can easily track my scent."
Then he explains what he is and where he came from, answering some questions from Mark, who is quite interested, as he didn't know about this type of supernatural being, and I knew even less.
My attention turns to my friend.
"Lucy..." My voice comes out weak. "I wanted to tell you about myself, I swear..."
She breaks free from Shadow's embrace, and I do the same with Mark. We meet halfway and embrace each other tightly.
"I understand," she whispers. "I've also been hiding something from you since I moved here."
"You were protecting Shadow... I understand."
"Not just that." She steps back and twirls the ring on her finger. "We're not just engaged, we're fated mates. I accepted the bond ritual with Shadow... and became like him."
The world around me seems to sway.
"What do you mean, like him?"
"I'm also supernatural," Lucy reveals, her eyes shining with serene certainty. "By uniting with him, I will live for centuries... perhaps millennia."
My throat goes dry.
"Centuries?"
"You're my only family, Sandra." His voice is soft, but it carries enormous weight. "I don't want to live to see you leave. It's hard to accept, but... There's a way to change that."
My breathing quickens.
"What do you mean?"
Shadow takes over the conversation.
"I have a proposal."
My eyes dart to Mark, who looks as tense as I am.
"I want to give you the same chance I gave Lucy," Shadow continues. "I can make a bond pact. I can unite my essence with yours and grant you immortality."
The silence hangs heavy like a thick fog.
"What...?" I whisper.
"You would remain young forever," Shadow explains. "You would look the same, but you would need glamour spells to hide it from others.
"At least we wouldn't have to suck the youth out of others like the old witch," I murmur to Mark.
Our eyes meet.
I can see in him the same conflict I feel inside myself.
Hope and fear, intertwined.
An eternity together wouldn't be a problem.
But would it be worth seeing all our friends gone while we remain here?
"I would do it for you, Kitten," Mark says softly.
My eyes well up.
"Really?"
He lifts my hand and kisses it.
"That way, I don't have to wake up every day afraid that it will be your last," his voice carries raw emotion. "That an accident or an unexpected attack will take you away from me."
A sob escapes my throat.
"And I wouldn't have to fear that your life would be shorter than mine..."
"You don't have to decide now," Lucy says softly.
But I already know the answer.
I look at Mark. He stares back at me, and I know we're thinking the same thing.
"You can answer, love," he whispers against my ear. "You know I want you forever... and even eternity wouldn't be enough."
I feel a shiver run down my spine, and I turn my face, seeking his lips. Our kiss carries all the promise of what is to come. When I pull away for air, opening my eyes, I remember where we are, and what I still need to say...
"We accept."
The word leaves my lips like a sacred declaration, sealing everything we are and everything we will be.
An eternity with him, that is my happy ending.
Or rather...
A happy beginning.