Two years later

Quinn remained behind the heavily tinted sliding glass door of the beach house Julian had rented for them in Aruba. He stood on the beach, his head tipped back as he let the fading rays of the sun play over his body. The sun was nearly at a point where she could join him, but he’d been standing out there for two hours, absorbing the rays with little ill effect.

“He’s almost there,” Chris said from beside her. “Another couple years and he may be able to stay in it off and on throughout the whole day.”

“Yes,” she murmured.

Julian’s determination to walk in the sun again had remained unwavering through the past two years. No matter where they traveled, he’d spent time every day steadily increasing his exposure to the sun’s rays until he’d attained this point.

She glanced at Chris when he ran a hand through his disordered hair. Shadows lined his eyes as he stared at the beach. “You look tired,” she said.

“I am,” he muttered.

“Get some sleep.”

“Easier said than done,” he replied and turned to walk away from her.

When the last of the sun dipped behind the sparkling, clear blue ocean, she slid open the door and stepped onto the sand. The sea breeze drifted over her, flattening her sundress against her calves and blowing her shoulder-length hair around her face. Despite the fact she knew they were safe here, she had stakes strapped discreetly away on her. She’d never be caught unawares again, but she’d relaxed enough while they were here to wear a bikini again, and she’d discovered swimming wasn’t difficult with stakes holstered to her ankles.

Julian turned to face her as she made her way toward him. The fine grains of warm sand slid between her toes when she wiggled them on the beach. He held his hand out to her, and she took hold of it. Her ability had increased to the point that they were always connected by it now, but for a second, his heart gave a solid beat when their skin slid into contact again.

Her ability may have grown stronger over the past two years, but she hadn’t used it to kill again, and her constant connection to Julian helped to keep her grounded when the urge for more power and life swept over her.

The connection had also made them both stronger, something she knew the other vampires could sense when they were around. That strength helped to solidify Julian’s leadership over them and their belief she was their savior. She still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of that, but she had learned to deal with it.

She marveled as the setting sun created pinks and oranges that burned across the sky. The colors reflected in the rolling waves of the ocean. “I’m not ready to leave here,” she murmured.

They’d finally found a measure of peace on this island for the past month, but it was time for them to get back to the real world. “I’m going to bring you back here every year,” he promised.

She tilted her head back to smile at him. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I have no doubt. I know you’re looking forward to seeing Clint and Hawtie though.”

“I am!” she said eagerly.

It had been two years since she’d last seen her friends in Vegas. Their lengthy tour through Europe and Asia had taken more time than any of them had anticipated as they stopped in nearly every country along the way. Then, their travel plans had been extended into Central and South America when the vampires there also wanted to meet with them.

They’d left Belize behind before coming here. She’d seen so much of the world in the last two years, more than she’d ever dreamed of being able to see, and she’d loved so much of it, but she was ready to return to her loved ones.

Their very first stop was going to be Canada to meet up with Hawtie and Clint at Cassie and Devon’s property. Over a year ago, Hawtie and Clint had grown tired of the RV life and taken Cassie and Devon up on their offer to help with training the young Hunters and Guardians. Clint and Hawtie both gushed over the phone about how happy they were, and Quinn couldn’t wait to see that happiness in person. She also couldn’t wait to see Cassie, Devon, and all of the children again.

“I thought Canada might not be such a bad place to set up a solid base of operations,” Julian said.

“You hate the cold.”

He draped his arm around her shoulders to pull her against his chest. “We won’t stay there year round. We can stay there six months out of the year—no, four months.”

She chuckled as she rested her palm against his bare chest. His skin had taken on a golden hue from the sun. The tan would fade by morning, but there were no blisters or burns on him, not anymore.

“June through September,” she said.

“Maybe three months.”

She stood on her toes to kiss his jaw. “Then what do we do for the other nine months?”

“Then we come south, to here.”

She turned to gaze back at the large home with its wall of tinted windows facing the beach. Despite the heavy tint, she was still able to see within the home whereas no humans could. She watched Luther, Dani, and Lou walk by the wall of windows on the first floor. They went to the sliding glass door leading to the beach.

Lou opened the door for them to exit and followed behind. Quinn licked her lips when she saw the pitcher of pink liquid she knew held some delicious concoction that Luther had mixed together. Dani set the pitcher and an assortment of glasses on the table near the house.

“I really do love this place,” she murmured.

“So you’ve said,” Julian replied, drawing her attention back to him. “Many times.” His ice-blue eyes reflected the colors of the sunset when he smiled at her. “That’s why I bought it for you.”

Quinn’s gaze shot from him to the house and back to him again. “Seriously?” she blurted.

“I don’t kid, Dewdrop, not about making you happy.”

She opened her mouth to sputter something, but words completely failed her. Finally, she was able to think clearly enough to speak again. “But we’d be so far from all the vampires we’ve taken charge of.”

And they had gathered quite the following over the past two years. Vampire attacks on humans were way down. The vampires who had joined with them had all formed a tenuous truce with the Hunters and Guardians. A truce she knew would only grow over the years as the trust deepened with time.

“Bonus in my mind,” he replied with a shrug. “We’re so far from those in China, Australia, or even South America while we’re in the U.S. and Canada anyway. If something happens on the other side of the world, it won’t make any difference if we’re here or somewhere else. It’s why we have regulators in those areas to deal with any problems until we can arrive to take control, if it becomes necessary. Every year or so we can take a couple of weeks, or a month, to travel back to those countries and reestablish our relationships with the vampires there. Plus, there is an airport here.”

She had no idea what to say to that. He was right, of course, but she’d never considered being able to call this place their own.

Clasping his cheeks between her palms, she rose onto her toes. “You bought me a house,” she murmured against his lips.

“I bought you a house.”

“Maybe we can do six months here and six months in Canada,” she suggested.

He locked his arm around her waist and drew her flush against his chest. “Seven and five.”

“Deal,” she agreed and threw her arms around his neck.

The kiss he gave her had her toes digging into the sand before he lifted her off the beach and carried her back toward the house. He went to carry her past the others and inside, but she broke the kiss and slapped him playfully on his shoulders. “I want to tell them!”

He groaned but set her on her feet. The sand shifted beneath her as she ran over to the table and slid onto the bench beside Lou. Dani pushed a drink toward her; judging by the scent, it was a tequila sunrise. Sharing drinks around the table had become their nightly ritual since arriving here, and she wasn’t willing to break it when they were leaving tomorrow.

“Where are Chris and Melissa?” she inquired, wanting to tell everyone at once.

The question was no sooner out of her mouth than she spotted the married couple descending the spiraling staircase and making their way across the tiled living room to the door. In his arms, Chris carried their two-month-old son, Andrew. They had all tried to convince the two of them to return to Cassie and Devon when they’d learned Melissa was pregnant, but they’d refused to do so.

Instead, Chris and Melissa had gotten married on the coast of New Zealand in a small ceremony before they’d all traveled to Argentina. Now, the young couple looked like zombies as they leaned against each other while they shuffled toward the doors. They stepped outside and walked over to the table, forgetting to close the door behind them.

“Can I?” Quinn asked and held her hands out for the tiny bundle while Lou jumped up to close the door.

Chris handed Andrew over to her. She beamed down at the baby when he wrapped his tiny hand around one of her fingers. His onyx eyes watched her while he blew bubbles at her. She may not have dreamed of having children herself, but she’d fallen in love with Andrew. She often watched him while Julian was on the beach and Chris and Melissa napped.

Andrew cooed happily as he jerked on her finger and giggled. She would never have children, but she would have Andrew and his children and countless others to watch over long after their parents were gone from this world. She shut off the depressing thought and bent to kiss his forehead. She inhaled his sweet, baby powder and milk scent.

She was so engrossed in Andrew that she forgot about Julian’s news until Julian cleared his throat and straddled the bench to sit beside her. He ran his finger over Andrew’s cheek before kissing her ear. “Wasn’t there something you wanted to tell them?”

“Oh, yes!” she cried and lifted her head to look at all of them. “Julian bought this house! We can use it as part of our base for five months of the year and stay in Canada for the other seven! When we’re not traveling again, of course.”

“What?” Julian sputtered. “I didn’t agree to seven in Canada.”

She smiled sweetly at him as the others talked excitedly amongst themselves. “You didn’t specify seven and five months where.”

He scowled at her for a minute before leaning forward to kiss her nose. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I am,” she replied. “I really am.”

He pulled her closer to him, and she dropped her head onto his chest. “I’m lucky you love me too.”

“You really are. No one else would put up with you.”

His chest rumbled with laughter. Quinn lifted her head to take in the people around her as Julian’s love enveloped her. After her family had been killed, she’d been certain she would never know love again. Now she was surrounded by it, and she’d never been happier in her life. She knew it would only get better with every passing year.

***

Julian hugged Quinn against him as he savored the radiant joy on her face. He’d never believed himself deserving of love, and after everything he’d done in his life, he knew he probably didn’t deserve it. But somehow, he’d been blessed with this woman with her enormous heart and warrior spirit. Somehow he’d been gifted a love he’d never dreamed possible for himself. For the rest of his life, he would do everything he could to make her smile like this at least once a day.

When he’d first stop killing, he’d been half certain he would return to it one day. Now, he knew he never would, not while he had her, and even if he somehow lost her, he could never be that vampire again. Quinn’s love had changed him; it had made him a better man, and he would never do anything to cause her any disappointment.

Because of her, the vampires were thriving, as were the Guardians and Hunters. When some of the younger Hunters and Guardians were ready, they would be taking groups of them and introducing them to the vampires to further solidify the truce and the trust between the species. There would be bumps along the way, maybe even a few pitfalls, but he knew they could all deal with whatever trouble arose as it came.

The vampires adored Quinn, and not just because they saw her as their savior, but because of who she was at heart. Because of that, more of them were willing to work with them than he’d ever thought possible in the beginning. Vern, Prue, Carla, and Hadie had become the top of their command. Having something to do, other than watch over her son, had really helped Carla to move on with her life, though he knew she still went to see him often.

For nearly his entire existence, Julian had shunned almost everything to do with vampires. Now, with Quinn by his side, they had become the leaders of the largest faction of vampires to ever exist. He never would have believed this was where he would end up, but there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

Julian placed his hand in the hollow of Quinn’s back as Andrew tugged on her finger again and giggled. Leaning forward, she passed the baby over when Dani held her arms out for him.

Grabbing her drink, Quinn gulped it down before turning to face him. “I think I’m ready for bed.”

“Your wish is my command.”

She started to rise, but he swept his arms underneath her and plucked her from the bench. “We’ll see you in the morning,” he called over his shoulder as he carried her into the house.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his chest. “Our home.”

“Yes.” He carried her up the stairs to the master suite at the end of the hall. “And we have an eternity to enjoy it.”

“I love the sound of that.”

“So do I.”

He shifted his hold on her to open the door and carry her inside their room. They may be leaving tomorrow, but he was going to enjoy every last minute they had left on this island until he could bring her back here again.

THE END

Stay in touch on updates and new releases from the author by joining the mailing list!

Mailing list for Erica Stevens & Brenda K. Davies Updates: