Beth frowned, brushing plaster dust from his shoulders. "How's it going in there?"
"The wall's down," he reported, slipping an arm around her waist. "They're framing the archway now, and the built-in bookshelves should be ready by tomorrow evening."
A sharp tap on the doorframe made everyone turn. Margot stood in the entrance, her clipboard clutched to her chest, her expression as stern as ever.
"The construction foreman would like a word, Mr. Lindström," she announced. "Something about load-bearing concerns."
Tyr sighed, pressing a quick kiss to Beth's temple before releasing her. "Duty calls. I'll be back shortly."
As he followed Margot into the hallway, Beth couldn't help smiling at the way his shoulders straightened in the majordomo's presence.
"So," Naomi said once they'd gone, settling onto the edge of the bed beside Beth. "How are you really doing? And don't give me the 'everything's fine' version."
Beth glanced at Gabe and Liam, who both immediately took the hint.
"I should probably get back to work," Gabe said, sliding off the desk. "Grandma will have my hide if I'm late for inventory duty."
"And I'll help unpack those essential books," Liam added, moving to the box on the desk. "Over here, out of earshot."
Once they had relative privacy, Beth turned to her twin. "It's... an adjustment," she admitted softly. "The whole vampire thing is actually easier than I expected—the blood, the night schedule, even the enhanced senses." She chuckled suddenly. "I'm still running into walls unexpectedly, because I wasn't paying attention to my speed, and suddenly, bam!"
Naomi's face scrunched in sympathy. "Ouch. That sounds painful."
"It was, but..." Beth grinned, rolling up her sleeve to show perfectly unmarked skin. "The bruises vanish like magic. One minute I'm sporting this huge purple mark, the next - poof! Gone. Tyr says it's because vampire healing kicks in almost instantly for minor injuries."
"I am so envious," Naomi groaned, absently touching a fading bruise on her own arm from a recent mishap at the library. "Do you know how many times I've banged my shins on those stupid book carts? And I have to wait days for the bruises to fade."
Beth laughed, the sound echoing musically in the elegant room. "Trust me, the quick healing is definitely making up for my complete lack of grace with these new abilities. Though Tyr swears I'll get better at controlling the speed once I'm more used to it."
"You're telling me the graceful, elegant vampires actually have a clumsy learning period?" Naomi's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Oh yeah. You should have seen Tobi's face when I told him about walking into walls. Apparently, he spent his first weekas a vampire accidentally launching himself through windows because he couldn't control his strength."
Naomi snickered. A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the sounds of Liam quietly arranging books on the desk and the muffled construction noise from the other side of the wall.
A soft tap at the door interrupted their conversation. Layla burst into the room, her red hair flying as she rushed to embrace Beth.
"Oh Beth! I've been so worried!" Layla wrapped her arms tightly around Beth. "Are you really okay? When I heard..."
Beth hugged her back carefully, mindful of her new strength. "I'm more than okay. Being a vampire is incredible, Layla. Everything is so vivid now - I can hear heartbeats, smell emotions, see details I never noticed before."
"And the strength!" Beth grinned, gesturing to the heavy boxes lining the walls. "I could probably lift all of these at once if I wanted to. Though Tyr keeps warning me to be careful until I get used to it."
Layla pulled back slightly, studying Beth's face with wonder. "You look different - there's this glow about you. And your eyes..." She tilted her head. "They're still the same color but somehow more intense?"
"Vampire thing," Beth explained, touching the skin beneath her eyes. "All our features get enhanced during the transformation. But the best part is I still have Whisper!"
"Nobody knew if I would keep her when I was Turned. The thought of losing Whisper..." Beth's voice caught. "It would have been like losing half my soul."
Layla touched Beth's arm, her eyes soft with understanding. "I would have been so scared. The thought of losing my caracal... I can't even imagine."
"Me either." Naomi's fingers found Beth's, squeezing gently. "Shadow is such a part of me. The idea of living without her..."
Beth nodded, remembering the fear that had gripped her in those crucial moments. "But Tyr made me realize—if I died, Whisper would die with me anyway. At least this way, we both had a chance."
"Well, there is that," Naomi said softly, her grip tightening on Beth's hand.
The memory of that night sent a shiver through Beth - the searing pain of the bullet, Tyr's desperate race to save her, the terrifying choice she'd had to make. But here she sat, very much alive, with both her leopard and her mate.
