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There’s a knock on the door before he can respond, and I pat him on the shoulder as I leave the bedroom to go answer it. I can sense him trailing behind me, and I smile at his protective instinct.
If the person or persons outside my door mean me harm, they have a lot more to worry about from me than him. I’ve got a deep well of magic to back up my sharp teeth.
As soon as I swing the door open, I’m attacked, but not in the way Jesse was obviously worried about. Steph is inside the apartment and plastered against me before I can even greet her, her arms squeezing so tightly that if I had a need to breathe, I probably wouldn’t be able to.
I hug her back for a long moment, letting her tears soak my shoulder before she pulls back with a loud sniff and a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Sorry about that,” she says, wiping her hand over my shirt while reciting a few words under her breath.
My shoulder heats up, and as the temperature returns to normal, I realize the material covering it is dry.
“Nice trick,” I say with a sad smile, and she shrugs.
“I want to go with you,” she says, then holds up her palm to stop the argument about to spill out of my mouth. “But I know I can’t right now. I have to deal with…everything. Aunt Bernie’s will, the shop, her house, all of it. But once the dust settles, I’ll be on the first flight to California I can catch.”
“Deal,” I say softly, feeling almost overwhelmed with relief and gratitude that she’d put her life here on pause to come to Los Angeles…again.
My gaze flits over her shoulder to the Viking behind her, his grumpy face revealing how the prospect of being apart from Steph has affected him. I know Jesse would encourage him to stay with her, but I also know Erik would never agree. He will always put the needs of his king over those of himself.
Steph follows me back into the bedroom to help me finish packing my stuff while Jesse gets online to book four first-class tickets to LAX on the next available flight. Once we’re all packed and ready, the five of us climb into the SUV Jesse rented. Steph will keep it for her personal use until she’s ready to come back to L.A., then she’ll take care of returning it before catching her flight out.
The drive to Atlanta is a quiet and somber one, and when we pile out of the car at the curb, Steph hugs me for a long time before hugging Jesse, then Leif. Then she throws herself at Erik, and he kisses her so passionately, the rest of us shuffle away to give them some modicum of privacy.
Something twists in my gut, and as I look back at my best friend saying goodbye to her lover, I slowly realize that feeling isn’t sadness or despair at leaving her behind.
No. It’s something else, entirely.
I swivel first left, then right, scanning the crowds of people moving around us, but I can’t find a source for my uneasiness. Jesse shoots me a questioning look, but I just shake my head and force myself to brush away the feeling.
After hugging Steph one last time, I watch her climb into the vehicle, wave as tears trickle down her cheeks, and drive away. Leif slaps Erik on the back in some display of manly Viking comfort, and that one shrugs it off and stalks toward the doors that lead to the baggage check-in area.
I look over at Jesse, who gives me a small smile and holds out a hand in my direction. I take it, weaving our fingers together as we follow Erik and Leif inside. This feels like an ending. Like the conclusion of a wild adventure as we prepare to return home to our regular lives.
I don’t hate the feeling. Even though I’m left with a bunch of questions about my parents and my past, this trip has given me just as many answers. And honestly, I’m ready to start living my regular life as Jesse’s partner. His mate.
His queen.
He’s upended his whole life for me and this pursuit of answers, and now it’s my turn to support him. Nothing, not even the truth about my past, is as important to me as he is.
After we check our bags, we move to the security gate line, which seems to be moving quickly and efficiently. I try to ignore the people staring at us, but it’s impossible. Too many eyes are either staring blatantly or stealing furtive glances, and I’m not sure if it’s because they’ve realized we’re vampires, because Jesse, Erik, and Leif are so attractive, it’s damn near unearthly, or if they all just get a vibe that we’re different.
All the staring is messing with my gut, too, because I can feel eyes on me just like I did outside, but something is telling me the feeling isn’t from the curious travelers watching us. It’s someone else.
Someone who’s watching us with intention.
I tell myself I’m just being paranoid as we make it through security without issue. Of course, I’m feeling uneasy in crowds of strangers. In the last few weeks, we’ve survived an attack by Steph’s fucked up family, been warned and stalked by the witches in New Orleans, then survived another battle where we lost Bernadette.
And as much as I call our life together in Los Angeles “normal” or “regular,” I know it will be anything but. There will always be threats, but with Jesse by my side, I can face anything.
When we find our gate, the feeling persists, and it doesn’t take long for Jesse to notice the tension in me.
“What’s wrong?” he murmurs low enough that no human ear would hear the words.
“I don’t know,” I whisper back, shaking my head slightly. “Just a weird feeling.”
“Is someone following us?” he asks, his own dark gaze darting around.
Jesse has learned to trust my gut just as much as I do, and the fact that he takes my weird feeling so seriously without question makes me feel warm all over.
