Page 265 of Volik

Something pokes my palm.

My hand stills.

I open my eyes. Stars look down at me.

Then my uncle’s face pops back into my view, his smile even wider. “Horns.”

Slowly, I lift my head from the grass.

And…

And holy shit.

My beautiful mate has horns.

Sticking up through her hair, in the same place as mine, same ridges along the base as mine, just smaller, to fit her size, is a pair of black horns.

“Holy shit.” I sit up.

“That’s what I’ve been saying!”

I ignore my uncle and readjust Nix so she is sitting across my lap.

Her eyes are closed, hiding their solid black color. Her mouth is closed, hiding her fangs.

But there is no mistaking the horns sticking out of her skull.

There is no mistaking what she is.

“Is… Is she…?” I cannot ask it. Whatever she is, she is mine.

“She is what you suspect.” My gaze lifts to the old druid’s.

“So she…”

“Her body belongs to the rules of vampires now. There is no human left.”

There is no human left.

I will never let harm come to her again.

It is my purpose from now until forever.

But…

I press a kiss to her forehead.

Rules of the vampires means she is as invincible as I am.

She will like that.

I hook an arm under her legs, but before I can stand, my gravito appears around us like smoke.

Uncle jerks away, and everyone else—including the old druid—takes a step back.

But as my gravito lifts us, I relax into its hold.

I am tired.