It took nearly three months for Roman to be rehabilitated. Julian kept us informed of his progress. A few days after we were told he’d completed the process, a random person donated thousands of dollars to each of the families who had lost someone due to the Midnight Reaper.

We knew it had to be Roman.

Eli pulled up behind Julian’s car and cut the engine on his truck. The check that had been given to his family was folded in his back pocket. We were here because his mom wanted him to return it. She didn’t want Roman’s money. Blood money was what she’d called it.

To her, there was no amount of money in the world that could make up for what happened to her husband. Even though it had never been said directly that Roman was the vampire responsible for our previous alpha’s death, June knew he was affiliated with the Midnight Reaper group and that was enough for her.

“You okay?” I asked Eli. He was staring at the back of Julian’s car while chewing his bottom lip. I knew this was the last place he wanted to be—we hadn’t been back since Roman was shackled to the basement wall—but I felt it was important. He needed to see Roman. Hell, so did I. I was curious as to who this new version of him was. Besides, there was a sense of closure I desired. One I thought paying him a visit might help acquire.

Eli rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know.”

“Is it seeing Roman that has you freaked, or giving the money back?”

“Both, if I’m being honest.”

“You don’t have to give the money back; you can always tell your mom you did and keep it for whatever,” I said. I wanted him to still step inside and see Roman, though. Mainly because I needed to and I didn’t want to do it alone.

Eli shook his head. “I can’t lie to her. Not about something like this.”

“What if Roman won’t take it back?”

“Then at least I tried, I guess.” He sighed.

“What will you tell your mom?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I’ll save it for the boys.”

My heart warmed and the tension in my muscles faded. He was such a good guy. I was lucky to call him mine.

“For what?” I shifted around on the bench seat so I could face him.

“Clothes. School supplies. A vehicle when they need one. Tate will be graduating this year. He might want to move out of Mom’s place or go away to college. I’ll use it to help with that.”

I hadn’t thought about his brothers in that way before, especially not Tate. Saving the money for them was the smart thing to do. I’d do the same for Gracie, if given the opportunity.

The real question was: would Eli allow Tate to go away for college next fall? The two of them had grown close. Tate had become an integral part of Eli’s inner circle.

“Those are great ideas, but won’t your mom notice if you pay for them?” I asked. While I hated to be Debbi Downer, I still had to look at this from a rational point of view.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Eli gripped the handle to his door. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t want to plan things out too much; he might take it back. Plus, I’m sure they already know we’re here.”

I doubted Roman would take it back but didn’t say so. Julian had mentioned once a few weeks back Roman had a bleeding heart. He hated all the pain and torment he’d caused while in his state of bloodlust. I guess the way he was appeasing his guilt was by passing out money to the families of those who’d died. Which meant there was no way he’d be taking it back from Eli’s family today.

I followed Eli to the front door. Julian answered when we knocked. I’d imagined it would have been Roman to greet us first, but maybe he was smart in waiting before he showed himself. I knew my wolf was on edge even thinking about him. She hadn’t forgotten all the crap he’d put me through.

“I’m glad you stopped by,” Julian said. His eyes shifted to me. “You too. Roman has been waiting for you to visit.”

“For me?” Why?

“He said you’re not the type to let things like what he did to you go. You’re too curious. He’s been talking about you coming by on your own accord at some point for days.” A smirk twisted Julian’s lips. “And here you are. I guess he was right.”

My arms folded over my chest. I didn’t like that Julian found humor in the situation or that Roman had expected me to come by. It hinted that he knew me, and it didn’t sit well with me or my wolf.

“I’m here for moral support,” I said. “Nothing more.”

A lie, but no one else needed to know.

“And I’m not here to chit-chat with Roman. I’m here to give his money back,” Eli insisted.

“Why?”

“Personal reasons,” Eli said.

I could feel the tension radiating off him. Julian had picked up on it as well; I could tell from the way his face pinched.

“Why don’t the two of you come inside, and we can talk with Roman about it?” Julian suggested. He stepped to the side, allowing us room to enter his house. “Roman is in the study.”

I reached for Eli’s hand and took the first step inside. If I didn’t, I knew Eli well enough to know he would have passed the check to Julian and turned around to leave. He needed to speak with Roman. So did I. I knew this deep down. There was no way I’d be able to put everything behind me until I looked this new version of him in the eye and saw for myself the demon he’d been was laid to rest.

We followed Julian through his gorgeous house until we came to a solid wood door hung on a sliding track. Julian knocked and I held my breath. Was I ready to see Roman again? My wolf paced, already on high alert. Her anxiety fueled my own.

“Come in,” Roman’s familiar voice filtered through the door.

My heart kick-started in my chest at the sound of it, and Eli squeezed my hand, offering me comfort as though he could sense the battle taking place inside me. Fight or flight mode had been switched on.

Julian slid the door open, revealing Roman at a black desk. A computer was in front of him, one he didn’t look up from. My eyes skimmed over him. He still looked the same—dark hair, sharp features similar to his siblings—but there was something different about him. Even my wolf picked up on the change in him right away.

He was no longer evil.

The coldness that had rippled in the air around him was gone. His facial features seemed softer. And his eyes, when he finally did glance up from his computer, were filled with warmth.

He didn’t smile like his eyes suggested he might at the sight of us, but he did nod his head in hello. He knew who we were. I wasn’t sure why this came as such a shock to me. After all, he had sent money to families of those who had been killed. He had to have some memories of the entire mess in order to do that. Didn’t he? If so, I could only imagine how tortured his soul must be because of all the pain he’d caused.

I felt for him.

The realization took me by surprise. I’d wanted to hate him. To have a chip on my shoulder the entire time I was here so I could prove that he hadn’t broke me with all his mind tricks. However, looking at him now, none of that was possible.

I couldn’t hate Roman because even though he was a vampire, he was still human deep down. We all make mistakes. Granted, not all of us kill people or screw with their minds for fun, but none of us are perfect. Not a single person. Not even those of us living in the supernatural world.

“Eli. Mina. I can’t tell you how glad I am you finally decided to stop by,” Roman said. His voice was friendlier. Lighter. With a tiny hint of nerves underlining it.

Eli’s grip on my hand loosened. Could he sense the nervousness coming off Roman too?

“We’re here for one reason, and one reason only,” Eli said.

His voice was sharp, firm. It was businesslike. He enjoyed the fact that Roman was nervous while in his presence. I was sure his wolf did too. Mine did.

Eli reached into his back pocket and pulled out the check. “I’m returning this. My family doesn’t want or need your money.”

Roman stood and made his way around the desk to where we stood in the doorway. His eyes never wavered from Eli as he walked.

“Please know I never meant to offend your family, or you, by offering the money,” he said.

“Yeah, well, you did,” Eli insisted.

My wolf nipped at Roman. He was too close for her liking.

“It wasn’t my intention, I assure you. I know that no amount of money would make losing your father easier. That’s not why I wrote the check.”

“Then why?” Eli’s jaw clenched and his grip on my hand tightened again.

“Because I know the financial strains losing a loved one can have—especially one who was a breadwinner in the family. I want to do what I can to help. I know in your eyes it might not eradicate me from my part in all of this, but it does make me feel as though I’m at the least doing something to make up for my sins. One moment of weakness led to a lifetime of heartache for so many. For that, I’m sorry.” Roman’s gaze dipped to the floor of the study as remorse dulled his features. “If I could go back to when I saw Lilith in the bar, I would. I would never have allowed her to talk me into taking a sip of human blood. I would have been stronger.”

“But you can’t go back. You can’t undo what you’ve already done. What’s the point in wishing?” Eli spat. “What’s the point in saying something like that to me? It doesn’t bring my dad back. It doesn’t help my family through their loss. It doesn’t make me feel sorry for you. And it doesn’t change a damn thing.”

My wolf’s ears perked up. Her fur bristled as she watched Eli. She could sense the anger rippling off him, as could I. Both of us were waiting to see what his next move would be. How we should react in response.

Roman nodded. “I know. You’re right.”

“Take it.” Eli shoved the check at him again.

“I won’t. It’s the least I can do to rectify what I’ve done.”

Eli’s nostrils flared. “I’m not leaving until you take the damn check back.”

“Think we should step out and let these two talk?” Julian asked me. He nodded to the door.

I released my hand from Eli’s and wiggled my fingers, trying to get the circulation back in them. “Uh, yeah. I think that’s a good idea.”

My wolf didn’t. She let me know with a growl, but I ignored her.

Julian walked me to the living room. I positioned myself on the couch opposite him and crossed my legs.

“So,” I said, unsure what to talk about.

Julian grinned. It was obvious he could pick up on my sensation of awkwardness. “So.”

“Um, have things been going okay since Roman’s rehabilitation completed?” I asked. It was the first thing that came to mind.

“For the most part. He still has some hurdles to jump through, but progress is progress.”

What other questions could I ask? There was such an awkward tension in the air. It was suffocating.

“What about Lilith? Has he heard from her?”

Julian shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean she won’t try to contact Roman at some point in the future again.”

My brows furrowed. “Why do you say that?”

“Because the two of them have always found their way back to each other somehow. They’ve never been given the chance to explore what they could be together. Arturo always shows up and takes her away because he needs her gift of seeking out others with rare abilities. He uses her to grow his collection.”

“Collection of what? Is he building an army?” I still didn’t understand his reasoning for collecting vampires with powers he found interesting.

“Some people collect stamps, books, or baseball cards. Arturo collects vampires with rare gifts.” Julian stood. He walked to a sideboard table behind his couch. “Care for a drink? We’ve got red wine, whiskey, and scotch.”

I wrinkled my nose at his options. “No thanks.”

“Suit yourself, but they could be in there talking for a while. Eli seemed to have a lot of questions he wanted to ask.”

“How could you tell?”

“I’m an empath, remember?” Julian grinned.

“I didn’t forget,” I said. “But, the last time I checked, being empathic meant you could feel what others felt not read their minds.”

“When you feel what others do for as long as I have, you learn how to read people on more than one level.”

I could understand that.

“Right, so why does Arturo collect vampires with powers?”

I wasn’t letting this go. It was interesting to me. I wanted to know if he was plotting to end the world in an epic supernatural showdown with vampire soldiers who harnessed rare gifts or something.

A shiver slipped up my spine. I hoped that wasn’t the case.

“Why does he need a reason? I already said sometimes people do things simply because they want to.”

“That’s right. They don’t always need a reason for motivation,” Benji said. He strolled into the room with Ridley at his side. “People do what they want, Mina. Always have.”

“True,” I said. “What are you two up to?”

I hadn’t seen or heard from either of them in weeks. Everyone had been lying low and recharging after the craziness we’d all dealt with together.

“Not much. What about you?” Ridley’s eyes narrowed. Worry slipped through their color. It was clear she wanted to know what I was doing here.

“Eli wanted to talk with Roman.”

“Oh. Is he okay?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. I think he’ll be okay. He may have had some questions he wanted answered.” I glanced at Julian. He smiled.

“That’s understandable,” Ridley said.

“How have you been?” I asked Benji, wanting to change the subject. “Handling the vampire thing like a champ still?”

A wide grin spread onto his face. “You know it.”

“He’s transitioned to the whole thing pretty easily,” Ridley insisted. She smoothed a hand along his arm.

“That’s great. I’m sure it has something to do with your teacher though, right?” I nodded toward Julian.

“Definitely,” Benji said.

“And what about your headaches, Ridley? Any better?” I asked. While she hadn’t told me of any bad ones recently, I still worried about her.

“I’ve been fine,” she said. Benji glared at her. She sighed. “I mean, I still get them sometimes, but they’re not bad. Most of them anyway. I’m still working with my aunt to figure out how to control the door to the other side in my mind without the need for one of her talismans.”

Heavy footfalls coming down the hall caught my attention. It was Eli. I could tell.

“Hey, you ready?” Eli asked. He stood in the hallway behind Benji and Ridley.

I stood. “Yeah, sure. If you are.”

He nodded. “Yeah.” His gaze drifted to Ridley and Benji. “Hey, guys. We’ll see you soon.”

“Okay,” Ridley said. She waved. “Bye.”

I walked with Eli to the foyer in silence. Had things not gone over well with Roman? There was an odd vibe rolling off him.

“How did things go? Did he take the check back?” I asked. It was as good a place to start as any.

“No. He refused. I’m going to do what I said I would and save it for the boys without telling Mom. Who knows, maybe she’ll thank me for it one day.” A small smile twisted his lips. I took it as a good sign. Maybe I’d misread his emotions.

“Everything else go okay?” I slipped out the front door behind him and crossed the porch.

“Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Roman isn’t a bad guy; he just has an addiction. And, he wasn’t the one who took my father’s life. The woman with the invisible razors was.”

I blinked. “Oh.”

I wasn’t sure if this made him feel better. It should. After all that woman was dead, and he’d been the one to end her.

“Let’s go home. I’m in the mood to watch a movie and chill with you and Moonshine,” Eli said.

“Sounds good to me.”

We climbed into his truck, and I scooted across the bench seat to sit beside him as we headed for home.

“Thanks for being there for me through all this,” Eli said. He’d pulled away from the Montevallo mansion and cut a right. “From the beginning, I mean.”

I reached for his hand on the shifter and squeezed it. “We’re a team. I’ll always be there to help you through.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

My lips twisted into a smile. “I’m always willing to hear it again.”

“I love you, Mina Ryan,” he said. He took his eyes off the road for a split-second to glance at me. Happiness glistened in his bright green eyes.

Warmth spread through me. “I love you too.”

He brought my hand to his lips and placed a warm kiss on the back. I trembled at the sensation of his lips on my skin. Fire had ignited behind his eyes when he glanced at me again, and it intensified the sparks of desire he was flaming to life inside me.

“You sure you want to head home to watch a movie and relax?” I asked with a smirk.

“I can think of a better way to occupy my time all the sudden.” He wiggled his brows.

“I’m sure you can.”

I laughed, but deep down I agreed with him. After everything we’d been through, more time spent reconnecting—for lack of a better word—with him was definitely time well spent. I couldn’t wait to get home.

Eli was my everything. My rock, my best friend, my alpha, but most of all he was the love of my life, and I couldn’t wait to spend some uninterrupted time with him. Finally.