And he held her close.
Just as she held him.
Her head lowered to his chest. Her ear pressed against him, and his heart raced so quickly, almost shaking her with its strength.
“It’s over,” she whispered.
His heartbeat jumped. Then he stiffened. “What?” His hands caught her shoulders, and he lifted her up. “You’re…going with the vampires? Allison, you don’t have to, I—”
She shook her head. The flash of pure panic in his eyes made her feel braver. “I meant that we didn’t have to worry about Elsa anymore.” Though the witch’s final moments would haunt her dreams—nightmares—for months to come. Dammit, Elsa should never have looked into that mirror. There were some things that folks weren’t meant to know.
If Elsa had never glanced in that mirror, would the witch have ever come after her? Would their paths have ever even crossed?
Or, just by looking into that dark glass, had Elsa started the whole chain of events that had led to her own death?
Don’t think about her. Not now.
Allison’s fingers trailed over Cade’s muscled chest. He was still inside her, growing bigger and stronger by the moment, and this—he—was what she wanted.
“I know…things won’t be easy.” She’d managed to take his blood without a problem, but the thought of drinking from anyone else had her shuddering. Adjusting to vamp life wouldn’t be a quick, over-night process.
No more real food? No chocolate? No drinks?
Only blood.
Her breath sighed out. “Maybe being with me, the way I am now,” not human, not anymore, “that might not be what you want.” No kids. No white picket fence.
“You’re exactly what I want.”
Oh, that sounded so good. Her lips started to curl. “And you’re the only man I want.” Through blood and death, darkness and fire—just him.
His hand lifted and threaded through her dark hair. “We’ll take it as slow as you want. We’ve got nothing but time.”
Not death.
She nodded and for the first time in weeks, her heart felt lighter.
“I’ll keep you safe and give your nights filled with pleasure,” he told her, his eyes beginning to show the light of the wolf. “And I’ll stay by your side as long as you want me.”
Then he’d stay with her forever because she’d always want her wolf.
Want him. Need him. Love him?
Yes.
But could he love a vampire? She was afraid to ask. Allison didn’t want—
“When I look at you,” Cade told her, “I see every f**king dream I’ve ever had. You make me want to be better, for you.”
She lost her breath.
“Hell, I’m far from perfect, we both know that. And you could damn well do better—”
There was no one better. Stronger.
“But let me show you that I can love you.”
Her heart broke a little then.
“I can be the man you need.”
Allison shook her head. “You already are.” Maybe he wasn’t perfect. She didn’t want perfect. She wasn’t perfect. Far from it.
Perfect was boring.
Instead of some pristine prince charming, she’d much rather have her big, bad wolf.
They’d make their own happy ending, one that would last forever.
Forever with blood, monsters, and more than a bit of hot sex.
What vampire could ask for more?
Allison smiled and bent to kiss her wolf again.
Forever.