Drake stared at his mother. Stunned by her words, he couldn’t think of anything to say.
“I envy what you and Elena have,” Liliana went on quietly, still not meeting his gaze. “My marriage to your father was arranged, as is the custom among our people.”
She stared into the distance and Drake had the feeling she was no longer speaking to him.
“I loved your father from the first time I saw him. He was handsome, as you are, strong and proud and stubborn. I knew he did not love me. I knew he would take other wives. There were times when he was cruel, and yet I stayed at his side. I wish now that I had told him I loved him, but I lacked the courage to say the words out loud. Perhaps because I knew he would not say them back to me.” She shrugged. “It does not matter now. He is gone, and he will never know how much I cared for him. And now,” she said, speaking so quietly he could scarcely hear her, “before I go, I want you to know that I love you, and that I am proud of you.”
Knowing she was about to leave, Drake laid his hand on her arm. “What are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know damn well what I mean. That little speech sounded a lot like a last good-bye.”
She turned her face away, but said nothing.
“I have lost my sire,” Drake said, his hand still holding her arm. “I will not lose you, as well. You have a granddaughter who will need you, sons and daughters who care for you. I want your promise that you will not destroy yourself.”
“And if I refuse to give it?”
“Then I will lock you in the dungeon until you come to your senses.”
“You are more like your father than I thought,” she retorted, but Drake heard the smile in her tone.
“I will not ask Elena to live in the Fortress,” he said. “There are too many bad memories here for both of us. But I promise you we will come to visit often. And you are welcome to visit Wolfram whenever you wish, for as long as you wish.”
“Drake . . .”
His hand tightened on her arm, his gaze drilling into hers. “I will have your promise before you go,” he insisted.
“You have it,” she whispered.
He nodded, and then he did something he had rarely done. He kissed his mother on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” she replied, her voice thick with unshed tears. “Good night.”
He remained outside for several minutes, remembering the past, thinking of the future, and then he returned to his quarters. He had expected to find Elena asleep, but she was sitting up in bed, nursing their daughter.
It was, he thought, the prettiest sight he had ever seen in his life.
Elena smiled when she saw him in the doorway, and Drake knew he would ask nothing more of his existence than to go on loving her for as long as they lived.
When she held out her hand, he heeled off his boots, shrugged out of his shirt, then sat on the edge of the bed.
“How are you feeling?”
“A little sore, that’s all.”
Drake kissed her, then brushed a feather-light kiss across his daughter’s downy cheek.
Elena felt a tug at her heart as she watched Drake kiss their daughter. “I was missing you.”
“As I miss you,” he murmured, “whenever we are apart.”
“Tell me the truth. Do you think our daughter will be like you?”
“Yes. Vampire blood is strong. Our genes are dominant.”
“So, they’ll completely overshadow her humanity?”
“It’s possible, but doubtful. I think her vampire side will prevail, though I doubt if her need to feed will be as compelling. I am guessing now, but I think that, because of her human half, she will always be able to eat mortal food and walk in the sun.” He smiled as he ran his fingers through a lock of Elena’s hair. “She may be weak in some areas, stronger in others, but I think our daughter will be blessed with the best of both worlds.”
Epilogue
Eighteen years later
Glancing at the clock, Elena ran up the stairs. “Kaitlyn, do you know what time it is? If you don’t hurry, you’ll be late for school!”
“I’m ready, Mom,” Kaitlyn said, smiling.
Elena paused in the doorway, momentarily taken aback as she stared at her daughter. Where had the years gone? It seemed only yesterday Kaitlyn had been a little girl, learning to walk, to talk, going to kindergarten for the first time. How had she grown up so fast? She was breathtakingly beautiful, with thick black hair and her father’s deep blue eyes.
Elena blinked back her tears. They had been truly blessed. None of the things Elena had worried about had happened. Drake had told Kaitlyn early on about her heritage and the Fortress, and when she had expressed a desire to see it, they had gone there one year for vacation. Kaitlyn had loved the castle and the people in it, and had formed an instant bond with Liliana, a bond that continued to this day, Elena thought, but she wasn’t surprised. Everyone who met Kaitlyn loved her.
And now she was about to embark on a journey. Today was her last day of high school. She was graduating tonight; tomorrow she was leaving for college in America. It was a day for celebrating. Andrei and Katiya and their children would be arriving after sundown, along with Liliana and a number of Drake’s brothers. She wondered, not for the first time, what Stefan was doing. They hadn’t heard from him since he’d left the Fortress so many years ago.
Elena walked her daughter down the stairs, other memories crowding her mind—ice-skating in the winter, swimming in the summer, picnics by the lake, horseback riding through the forest, shopping sprees in the city. She had taught Kaitlyn to cook. Drake had taught her to drive. So many happy recollections. Sometimes she wondered what she had done to have been blessed with such a loving husband and daughter. Kaitlyn had brought them nothing but joy. And now, too soon, she was leaving home.
Drake was waiting for them by the front door. Folding Kaitlyn into his arms, he kissed her cheek. “We will see you later.”
“Sure thing,” Kaitlyn said. “See if you can cheer Mom up, will you? She’s crying again.”
“I will take care of her,” Drake promised.
Elena hugged Kaitlyn, then stood in the doorway, watching her daughter slide behind the wheel of Drake’s new Jag. A cheerful wave, the roar of a powerful engine, and she was speeding away.
Her last day of school, Elena thought, and wondered again where the time had gone.
Drake closed the door, then drew Elena into his arms. “We knew this day would come.”