"I know. But still... it's where you began." Beth reached up to touch his face. "I want to see it through your eyes."
His cool lips found hers in a kiss that made her newly immortal heart race. The world around them—the wooded hills, the winter night, even time itself—seemed to fade away until there was only this: Tyr's gentle hands in her hair, the soft press of his mouth against hers, the perfect rightness of this moment. Above them, the stars witnessed their quiet declaration of forever. When they finally parted, his azure gaze held a depth of emotion that still took her breath away.
"Then Norway it is," he promised. "We'll sail the fjords under the midnight sun. Okay, well, in the moonlight, anyway. We'll have to time it right."
Laughing, Beth settled back against his chest, contentment washing over her. The future stretched before them, limitless and full of possibilities. There would be challenges, of course—adapting to her unique hybrid nature, navigating vampire politics, finding her place in this ancient society. But with Tyr beside her, those challenges felt manageable.
The night sounds shifted—a branch creaking where no wind stirred it, the soft scuff of a boot against bark. Beth's newly sharpened senses picked up the disturbance, her body tensing until she recognized the familiar presence lurking in the shadows.
"Tobi's here," she murmured, not bothering to turn her head. "Three o'clock, by the big oak."
Tyr sighed, his breath stirring her hair. "I told him to give us some privacy."
"Since when has Tobi ever listened?" Beth laughed softly. "Besides, he's just checking that we're safe."
"We're vampires," Tyr grumbled. "We're the apex predators."
"And yet you insisted on security cameras everywhere," Beth reminded him, poking his ribs playfully.
"That's different." Tyr's voice took on that protective edge she'd come to both appreciate and find amusing. "After what happened at the clinic..."
Beth sobered, understanding his concern. Though weeks had passed since the shooting that had necessitated her Turning, the memory remained raw. The sniper had been just one of many anti-shifter extremists who'd emerged since the supernatural revelation, and while Beth was no longer vulnerable to bullets in the same way, the threat to their community remained.
"I know," she said softly. "And I appreciate the precautions. I just think it's sweet that Tobi worries about me, too."
A rustle in the underbrush signaled Tobi abandoning any pretense of stealth. He emerged from the trees with his fair hair tousled and a sheepish grin spreading across his face.
"Don't mind me," he called, dropping onto the grass a respectful distance away. "I'm just out enjoying the night air."
"Right." Tyr's voice dripped with skepticism. "The night air. A full five miles from the Residence, exactly where we happened to be having some time alone."
Tobi brushed that off with an airy wave. "Pure coincidence."
Narrowing his eyes, Tyr glared at him. "You do realize Beth's senses are better than yours now, right? She heard you coming from half a mile away."
Tobi's grin widened. "Fine, I was totally following you. Sue me."
Beth laughed, the sound echoing through the clearing. "Since you're here, you might as well join us properly."
Tobi needed no further invitation. He bounded over like an eager puppy, flopping onto the grass next to them. "So, what are we talking about? World domination? The meaning of life? The absolutely ridiculous hairstyle Derek was trying out earlier?"
"Norway, actually," Beth said, still chuckling at his enthusiasm. "Tyr's going to take me to see the fjords."
"Ooh, yeah." Tobi's face lit up. "You should go in winter, when the Northern Lights are visible. It's spectacular, and there'll be the polar night."
"I've always wanted to explore the boreal forests in Siberia," he murmured, his voice taking on that distant quality it got when he was remembering something from his centuries of existence. "The vast wilderness, untouched by human development. And the Carpathian Mountains in Romania..." He paused, his fingers absently tracing patterns on her arm. "There are ancientvampire clans there who still maintain the old ways. Living in remote castles, keeping to themselves."
Beth's enhanced hearing caught the subtle shift in Tyr's voice as he spoke of other destinations. His arms tightened around her waist, his cool breath brushing her ear. She leaned back against his chest, picturing the landscapes he described. Her shifter instincts thrilled at the thought of running through pristine forests, while her vampire nature was intrigued by the possibility of meeting these ancient clans.
"The territories are so vast," Tyr continued, his voice warm with enthusiasm, "we could fly for hours without seeing another soul. Just endless forest and mountains stretching to the horizon."
Beth closed her eyes, letting his words paint pictures in her mind. She could almost feel the crisp mountain air beneath her wings, see the untouched wilderness spreading out below them. The thought of exploring these remote places with Tyr, both of them free to shift between their forms at will, made her dead heart flutter with excitement.
"Both," Beth decided, cutting off their budding debate. "We have time for it all, don't we? Norway. Siberia. Romania."
The brothers exchanged looks, identical smiles spreading across their faces.
"She's got a point," Tobi conceded. "Eternity is a long time."
