EPILOGUE

Eight Months Later

The snow was falling as we left our house for the graveyard. My daughter, Luna, was in the backseat playing on her iPad, and Calla, my wife, was in the passenger’s side.

A lot had changed in eight months.

Calla and I married in Seattle one starry night in May in Martin’s backyard. She wasn’t able to hide the fact she was pregnant, so we made sure everyone knew.

“You’re not eating?” I heard Valencia ask Calla.

We were at Martin’s having dinner before the big night. Of course, the food was for the mortals. Martin’s three girls were all having sleepovers for the night since his house was overtaken by Calla’s family.

Calla shrugged. “Not hungry.”

I smiled warmly at Calla sitting next to me and squeezed her knee under the table.

“As your maid of honor, I’m forcing you to eat so you’re not—”

Calla abruptly dashed off—fast. Morning sickness for a vampire was different from a human since the only thing Calla could throw up was blood. Plus our mornings were at nighttime.

I rushed after her, but heard Al ask, “How did they both run that fast?”

“Sweets, you okay?”

“Same as every morning,” Calla replied as she hung her head over the toilet.

I knew the answer to my next question because it was the same response every morning. “Can I get you anything?”

“No.”

I heard footsteps coming. “We need to tell them.”

“Calla,” Valencia called and then peered into the bathroom. “Are you—is that blood?”

I turned to see her blue eyes wide. “Val—”

“It’s fine, Valencia.” Calla stood and moved to the sink to rinse out her mouth.

“How is all of this fine? You’re barfing blood,” Valencia shouted.

“I’ll do whatever you want to do,” I stated before I left the bathroom. I went back to the dining room and sat back down.

“Everything okay?” Marcy asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, and my gaze met Shauna’s. I have to say that Shauna was taking the fact that her daughter was a pregnant vampire pretty well. It was what she had wanted for Calla her whole life. Not the vampire part, but the part where her daughter was loved by someone. She smiled at me slightly to indicate she understood what was happening.

Calla and Valencia returned a few moments later. “I’m just going to say it,” Valencia started. “Calla was throwing up blood in the bathroom, and her doctor fiancé is acting like he doesn’t care.”

“You were throwing up blood?” Betha asked.

Calla’s dark gaze met mine. Fuck, I missed her green eyes. “It’s up to you,” I replied out loud to her silent question of if we should tell them.

“Tell us what?” Al asked.

“Everyone finish eating, and then we have something to tell you,” Calla replied and picked up her fork, only to push the spaghetti around on her plate.

Valencia pushed her plate away from her. “After seeing you barf blood, I’m good.”

“So dramatic,” Calla mumbled.

“I’m full as well. Thank you for the lovely dinner,” Shauna said to Marcy.

Everyone started to stand. “Not a problem. Just leave your plates, and I’ll clean up,” Marcy said.

“Since I already know what Calla is going to tell you all, I’ll do the dishes,” Shauna stated.

It was Marcy’s turn to object. “I can’t let you—”

“How about we leave it all here, and after we break the news, we all help?” I suggested. Everyone agreed and finally moved to the living room.

“All right,” Calla started. “Everyone take a seat.”

“You’re making me nervous.” Betha laughed.

“I’m more nervous,” Calla replied as she stepped closer to me.

I pulled her to my side and kissed the top of her head. “I can do it,” I offered.

She looked up at me. “I got it. Just be prepared if anyone faints.”

We both chuckled.

“I’ve got V if she faints,” Athan said to Calla and me telepathically.

Calla nodded. “Great-Grandma Gael got pregnant by a vampire named Renzo which means that we,” she motioned between herself, Al and Betha, “all have vampire venom in our veins. Renzo, in 1928, turned Draven and Athan into vampires and a few weeks ago, I almost died. Draven saved me by turning me, and The Mother of Vampires gifted us the ability to have a pure vampire baby.” Calla turned and flattened her sweater over her belly—a sweater in May—to show her growing belly.

The room was silent, and then Valencia started to laugh. “Good one. I almost believed it for a second there.”

“I’m not joking,” Calla stated. “Think about it, V. Think about you and Athan …”

Calla trailed off, and the moment it clicked in Valencia’s head, her eyes widened, and she looked at Athan, who stood next to her.

“You’re a vampire?” she asked, looking up at him.

He nodded. “Yep.”

“We’re vampires?” Al asked.

Calla shook her head. “No, you and Betha just have vampire traits.”

“And Dad?” Betha asked.

“He had all of the traits,” Shauna stated. “He was fast, strong, and had the reflexes like a cat.”

“Can you turn us too?” Al asked.

“No,” Calla stated.

“You’re a vampire!” Valencia shouted at Athan. “Don’t you think that’s something you should tell someone you’re sleeping with?” She shoved at his chest, but he didn’t move. “And you!” She spun around to face Calla. “You didn’t think to tell me that you almost died?”

The next night, Calla and I married in Martin’s backyard. Valencia was still shooting daggers at Athan, but it seemed that she had forgiven Calla. Martin married us, and everything on my end was perfect. Calla was perfect, and that was all that mattered.

“Are you going to carry me over the threshold?” Calla asked after the limo we’d rented dropped us off at the hotel.

“You bet I am.”

Athan had already checked into the hotel for us and given me the key to the room. Without further hesitation, I bent and swung Calla into my arms. Her poofy white dress went into her face, and she laughed.

“I can’t wait to get this thing off.”

I walked into the hotel and headed straight for the elevators. “I can’t wait to take it off of you.” I pressed the call button for the lift, and the doors opened. With Calla in my arms, I stepped inside and pressed the correct floor number.

“You wanna try for eight tonight?” Calla smirked and looked up at me.

“Reading my mind?” I teased. In the last few months since her turning, we had been steadily increasing the number because our sex life was electric—even if she was pregnant. At first, I was worried I would hurt the baby, but it was a pure vampire, and I assumed it would be stronger than both of us.

“Nope, but we’ve come a long way since one.”

“Yeah, sweets, we have.” I opened the door to our room and gave my wife what she wanted.

Luna grew inside Calla at a rapid rate, and Calla gave birth to her after only six months pregnant. I’d ended up keeping the ultrasound machine (after making a donation to the doctor’s office so they could replace it), and I delivered Luna into the world in a room we set up for Calla to give birth.

Looking at Luna now, in the backseat, you’d think we had her two years ago. She was already a toddler. I didn’t know when she’d stop growing because I’d never encountered one of her kind before, but I was certain she would look like an adult in a few years.

I took Calla’s hand in mine as I drove. “Are you okay, sweets?”

“Can’t believe it’s been a year already.”

“Yeah.” It had been a year since I pulled the plug on Miles. If he had gone with Donovan to Chicago, I wasn’t sure if I would have ever met Calla. Though, a part of me knew that our paths would have crossed at some point given we are soulmates.

“Do I have a present too?” Luna asked for the backseat, taking me out of my thoughts.

Calla turned to face her. “No, baby. You already opened all of your presents on Christmas.”

“Why are we doing it now then?”

Calla’s gaze flicked to mine, and I returned my attention back to the road just as I was pulling into the cemetery. “Because my daddy didn’t get to open his last year, so we’re doing it now.”

“But he’s dead.”

“He is,” Calla agreed, “but Grandma wants to do it, and that means we have to do it.”

“Fine.” Luna rolled her eyes. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her aging to speed up or slow down because I never wanted her to truly grow up.

After hugs were exchanged, Calla and her family sat in chairs that were in the shape of a half-moon in front of Miles’s tombstone. A canopy was overhead so they wouldn’t get snowed on, and a wooden platform had been placed down so the presents wouldn’t get wet. I held Luna in my arms as we watched them open each gift.

There was one more present left.

“It’s for you, Mom,” Calla said, handing her the wrapped gift.

Shauna took it, and after reading the label, she said, “It’s from your father.”

Calla nodded, and we watched as Shauna tore open the paper. She opened the box and pulled out a watch. From where I stood, I could read the back when she flipped it over. Inscribed was the sentence: I promise to love you until my last breath.

Little did Miles know that his last breath would be my beginning.

 

The End.

*Keep reading for a sneak peek of ; an erotic standalone by Kimberly.*