When he woke later in the evening, Jax caught me staring at my reflection in the mirror. I’d slept little after the claiming. I couldn’t. I felt…everything. There were butterflies inside me whenever I looked at him. Though we’d taken our time and the claiming had been a passionate experience, though I’d climaxed more than once, I wanted him again. I needed him again.

“This is normal,” he murmured against my hair. He laid a hand over my lower abdomen. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Barely,” I admitted with a shrug. “So much need.”

“I can help with that,” he whispered. Then he took my hand and dragged me back to bed.

This time he focused entirely on me. He didn’t take my blood. Instead, he buried his face in my throbbing groin and licked, sucked, and kissed until I shattered. He used his fingers to provide a fullness similar to his cock, though not nearly as long. When he was sure I was satisfied and I could barely move because he’d worn me out, Jax carried me to the shower.

“We need to get ready.” He spoke so quietly, I could barely hear him.

“Why? We have nothing to do.” I shrugged. “We could stay in bed all night.” I grinned as I imagined what that would be like.

“You’ll get tired of me,” he warned.

I laughed and shook my head. “Never.” I curled up in his arms under the stream of hot water. Everything about us felt natural, aside from the whole hunter in love with a vampire thing. I frowned. I did have a way of keeping my life complicated.

Finally, when I was clean and completely shriveled from being in the water, we turned off the water. Jax was the first to climb out. He grabbed a towel and before even drying himself, he moved to take care of me instead.

“What are you doing?” I could feel my cheeks burning as he patted every square inch of me.

“Get used to it, babe.” He smiled. “I’ve claimed you. You’re my responsibility. I have to take care of you, see to your every need.”

I glanced at him sideways. “Really? So, you should know I’m ridiculously hungry.”

He wrapped a towel around my body and carried me to the bed. “Let me get you dressed first, then I’ll see to it you have a meal, fit for a queen.” He winked.

“Well, that’s a crazy way of putting it.” Then I considered his words. “Wow. You’re king.”

He nodded sadly. “Yes, but not much of a king. Every other vampire I know is dead. So…there’s that.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m an orphan.” I shrugged.

“No, this doesn’t make me feel better in the least.” Jax wrapped his arms around me. “But I promise, I’ll be your family now. I’ll make sure you never feel lonely, never feel alone.” He pressed his lips to my temple.

“I know.” I sighed happily. “I don’t. I haven’t since I’ve known you. This is why I wasn’t afraid of being claimed. I was more afraid of losing you.”

Within minutes, Jax had me dressed. He held my hand and we wandered from the bedroom out to the main living area of the hive. There was a kitchen because of Alayna and Scarlett. There was a living room as well. And that’s where we found everyone sitting in silence while waiting for us.

“Whoa,” I murmured when I discovered the witches were there. Then I turned my head and found Vhorg reading in a corner.

“Oh, hello, dear,” she murmured as she slid the dust jacket in between the pages to save her place.

“What’s everyone doing here?” Jax frowned. “I figured we’d have the place to ourselves.”

“Well,” Alayna began shyly.

“We have nowhere to go,” Scarlett blurted out. Her eyes were red and I imagined she had been crying not so long ago. I almost felt sorry for her, knowing she’d been a pawn her entire life.

“I see.” Jax tugged at his chin. Then he glanced at the professor. “And what about you?”

“I need to speak with Molina.” She grumbled. “I mean Ash. You have decided to keep the name, I assume.”

I nodded. “Yes. I want the name of the strongest woman I know to live on. And I don’t want any part of my father’s name. You know?”

She frowned. “It’s sad, but I completely understand.”

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I moved to sit on the loveseat nearest her chair and Jax joined me, laying his hand on my thigh. For some reason, a warmth radiated through me, despite his normally cold skin.

“Your father’s spot on the council. I’d like you to take it.” Vhorg stared at me with her hands folded in her lap.

I sucked in a breath. “I’m not sure I’m right for the position.” I jerked my head toward Jax meaningfully.

She chuckled. “You wouldn’t be the first hunter in history to be claimed by a vampire. Besides, with you around, he won’t be killing anymore. Right, Jax?”

I looked over at him and saw him nodding his head. “That’s right.” He shrugged. “My days of destruction and death are over. I’m on the straight and narrow. I can’t do anything foolhardy. I’d lose you, Ash.” He reached over and lifted my hand, planting a kiss on my knuckles.

“Okay. So, what would this entail? I’m not ready to be head of the council.” I frowned. The thought of the pressure associated with the position was crippling.

“Head of the council is an elected position, but the spots on the council are inherited. You’d have to get voted in, but I know one day, you’ll be running things.” She smiled warmly. “You’re a born leader, Ash Carter.”

My cheeks warmed at her words. “Thank you.”

“This brings me to part two of my sit in.” Vhorg chuckled at her own joke.

“Which is?” Jax eyed her curiously.

“Well, thanks to your mother, we have some positions open on the teaching staff.” She shrugged. “You and Ash were the best students we’d seen in years. I had hoped she could join the council while continuing to work on completion of her degree.”

“And what does this have to do with me?” Jax frowned.

Vhorg leaned in. “I rather hoped you’d consider taking over the weapons class.” She shrugged. “If you think about it, it makes perfect sense.”

“You’d be better than Devlin.” I squeezed his hand.

“Devlin quit.” Vhorg covered her mouth with the book and I could’ve sworn from her eyes, she was trying to hide her laughter. “That man refused to come back to class after dealing with you, Jax. I can think of no one better, stronger, smarter, or more qualified to prepare our hunters.”

“I’m a vampire.” His words were flat.

“Yes, but you’re a good vampire! Just like there are good and bad witches.” Vhorg laughed while Scarlett shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Also, if you decide to join the staff, you and Ash can have a suite in the tower of your choice at Shadowborne.” She leaned closer. “Come on. No cooking, no cleaning, no expenses.” She shrugged. “Of course, neither of you needs the money.”

I whipped around to look at her. “What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you know? Your father had tons of investments, multiple bank accounts, and several other properties.” She frowned. “I’m not sure all of them were legal, but you do the right thing with all of it and it’ll be clean.”

My head tilted as I studied Alayna. “So, Vhorg, you mean I could let Alayna and Scarlett stay in one of my houses rent free so they could get on their feet?”

Alayna brightened while Vhorg nodded. “I think that would be a brilliant idea.”

I smiled at the older witch. “Done. You’ll always have a roof over your head. I’ll make sure you have some money to start out with too.”

Scarlett bit her cheek before speaking. “Thank you, Ash. That’s very generous.”

I shrugged. “Seems like the least I can do.”

Jax leaned back on the love seat. I could feel him turning over the idea in his head. “I want you to be happy.”

“I am.” I smiled.

“I want you to have a sense of purpose.” He raked a hand through his hair.

With a sigh, I admitted, “I’d like to finish at Shadowborne.”

He blew out a breath. “This was where we began. It only makes sense this is where we should stay.” Jax leaned forward and rubbed his palms together. “Okay. So, tomorrow night we’ll move back in. I’ll teach. She’ll learn and take the council seat. And we’ll all live happily ever after.”

“What about tonight?” Vhorg frowned.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he studied my face. “Tonight, we have one night of normal, one night of nothing but love.”

I shivered in anticipation. “I think this is a brilliant idea.”

“Does this mean I’m brilliant?” He teased.

“Don’t ruin the moment. Feed me.” I laughed as I bounced off the seat and onto my feet.

“Okay, then it’s straight back to my room, babe.” He patted my ass when I walked past him.

I sighed happily. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”