I knew I loved Damien, and he’s special in a lot of ways. They’re all special in their own respective ways. Some are just more obvious than others.

Idun never forgot Damien. How did she manage that?

Maybe I’ll piece her together one day and ask that question.

Arion’s thumb at my chin draws me out of my own head once more, while I try to deal with my current debacle.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I tell Arion, treating him like Ace for a moment, because he’s really intimidatingly sure of himself.

His grin only spreads wider, as though he’s enjoying that for some reason.

“Tonight, we’re going to celebrate, and I’m very glad I had that pesky task you gave me to keep me away long enough for you to ready yourself. You look stunning, love,” he says.

“Let’s claim him,” Anna stage-whispers, as my knees actually wobble.

It’s embarrassing as hell, and I straighten them real quick. The vampire eyes my knees, keeps on grinning, and slowly returns his knowing gaze back to my eyes.

“You’d better fucking claim me, love. Use Anna. Or Diva. Leave the triplets and other young or creepy ones out of the bedroom,” he states like it’s some sort of easy compromise.

“We use Violet’s face for claimings,” Anna states with a smile, as she gives him a red-lipped air-kiss.

“Even better,” Arion says with his own scary grin.

Great. It’s already normal to him, while I’m just starting to pick up the mountainous piles of pins. I envy him sometimes.

That freedom…

“How do you do that? Make it sound so easy to simply see things as one way, and then another, and move forward with complete commitment, without a glance too far ahead to worry about what comes next?” I ask very seriously, needing an answer to this. “Especially since you know how much one little thing can change everything you thought you knew?”

Soft petals touch my chest, and I swallow around the immediate lump in my throat, as he slowly drags the rose down. It moves down the small valley between my breasts, touching the top of the black lace.

The lace leads to silk, which clings to me more than I usually prefer. Arion’s hand runs across my side, pushing the silk against me, and I decide the silk feels way better than anything else he’s ever touched me through.

The feel of his firm, restrained power is delicately cushioned with the softness. I wish there was a buffer for the intensity of his stare, because it takes a lot of effort not to shrink.

“Because I’ve lived more than long enough to know exactly what I want. I just never dared to hope it could be so perfectly suited to all my favorite tastes,” he says, sliding me forward and sideways, until my back is pressed to the wall.

He quickly steals all the space between our bodies, and he tips my head back, teasing my lips with the smallest ghost of kisses.

I’m not sure when my eyes closed, but when they open, he’s still staring down at me.

“I know I’m the biggest monster of the four of us. I don’t want you to ever see me the way they see her, and you’re far more delicate than you realize. I’m going to ensure my bride stays happy, because that’s always been the plan. Even before I knew that bride would be you. You’re my priority. My anchor. My soul’s replacement,” he says, grinning lips teasing mine once again.

The grin on his lips is almost patronizing.

“A sweet monster like you should be interesting to keep pleased. Go easy. I’ll try to play the game, Violet,” he says, once again…not understanding there is no game.

Or maybe I’m just not capable of seeing this the way he sees it. He’s an ancient vampire who sold his soul for a woman who could never respect, love, or even truly want him. We’ve clearly had two very different lives.

I’m just starting to understand how different we actually are.

I thought I was the same, because I’ve got a monster. Which is stupid.

He has centuries more experience and way more monster stories than I ever want to have.

Anna scares the shit out of me.

There’s still a piece of me that wants to fully give in to that request, because…I really want to claim him. If Anna could succesffully force the issue, it’d already be done.

“You should be more scared of my monster,” I say, even though I shouldn’t have to point that out by this point. “Instead of just asking me to claim you. You have no idea what that’s doing to me right now.”

His grin spreads again. “Then please tell me all about it, love.”

Anna is practically glowing beside me, desperately hoping for another shot at flesh.

“It’s dangerous,” I assure him, unsure why the desperate urge to give into this is hitting me so hard.

Is this really instinct?

Is this really how this all works?

I’m so glad my mother suppressed it. The teenage me would have never survived this.

“We’re monsters capable of destroying the world if we so choose,” he states like somehow that’s what I’ve said and he’s agreeing with me. “It’s always dangerous.”

“At least now it’ll be far more fun,” comes Damien’s voice from behind Arion.

Arion doesn’t act as surprised as I do, since I fully startle, and even press against Arion. Pete’s sake, I just put down a monster no one else could handle, made her look silly, and left her to rot in a simple case as a giant fuck-off message.

And I still startle easily.

Awesome.

My hands are pressed on Arion’s sides, and he grins down at me like he’s enjoying the touch. It still feels like we’re just starting to get to know each other, and I’m already so in love I’ve tied myself to him for all eternity.

To all of them.

All. Of. Them.

Damien leisurely props up beside us, leaning over to twirl a curl of my hair around his finger. There’s immediately heat that stirs in reaction, as his lips curve up on one side.

“Damnedest thing about living forever…is you cling to anyone or anything that makes it more fun,” my deviant says, eyes on mine with far more intrigue than he’s ever shown before. “I’ve thought you weaker than you are. I’m ready to enjoy what I lucked right the hell into. We’ll help you figure this all out, sweet monster.”

Sweet.

Still with the sweet.

My monster played soccer with their ex-girlfriend’s head right in front of them, baked that head in an oven, and used all her strengths against said monster to make her the mockery for once. Yet, still, they still say sweet.

I have no idea what’s wrong with them.

Time clearly warps the mind.

There’s a thump at my other side, and I dart a look over to find Emit perched up next me, eyes hungry and lips turned up in a devilish smile.

I expected him to have more reservations, possibly even be completely wary of me for a long, painful while, given their past with a freakishly powerful alpha female and all.

His hand smooths across my stomach, as he stands taller than all of us, even at a lean. “Now that we know how strong you really are, we can have more fun,” he says, intentionally letting his eyes dip to my chest. “In many ways.”

He leans over, crowding Arion enough to push him back some. I know it’s a terrible pun to call the wolf’s expression wolfish, but there’s no other way to describe the predatory look in his eyes, the daring turn of his full lips, or the underlying mischievousness etched into his every feature.