Page 86 of Awakened Light

“Yeah. You know, romance. He takes me to dinner. The movies. Long walks through the city. We talk. It’s pretty incredible, actually.”

“No sex, but you drink his blood. How romantic,” Mark teased.

She sucked the air through her teeth. “Yeah. I know that’s not typical date stuff, but I can’t not have a few sips when I see him. That shit tastes amazing. I just influenced him not to remember any of my vampy stuff. It works.”

“Well, I’m really happy for you,” I said. “He sounds like a great guy. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Soon.” Annella smiled. “I think he and I will be ready to take things to the next level soon, and I’m hoping maybe after your sister lifts our sunlight curse. It’s always been impossible dating humans and never seeing them in the sun, but now knowing that may be over soon, I think I’m ready to give dating one a try. If it keeps going well, I’ll bring him home to meet my crazy family.”

“I promise I’ll behave.” Mark held up his fingers in scout’s honor.

“No, you won’t,” Emilia and Annella said in unison, then burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Thorne asked from the grill where he and Aiden pushed the meat around on the flames.

“Nothing!” I called. “Just Mark being Mark.”

“Makes sense.” He lifted his beer and laughed.

Grizella and Lothaire joined us around the fire, and I sat back and listened to their stories, admiring the laughter and love between this family. Knowing I was part of them warmed me more than the flames sending sparks up into the air.

Thorne, Aiden, Emilia, and I had our dinners, which turned out surprisingly well since Aiden and Thorne burned the burgers, but they salvaged them by scraping off the charred outside. After we finished eating, Thorne took me by the hand and led me away from the group.

“What are we doing?” I asked as he tugged me to the garage.

“You’ll see.” He opened the garage door and pulled out a brand-new red dirt bike.

I grinned when I saw it. “Is that for me?”

“For us. I finally returned the one I ‘borrowed,’ so I bought us a new one.”

“I love it!” I slid my hand over the shiny paint.

“Want to go for a ride? We need to test it out.”

“Yeah! Can I drive?” I asked as he climbed on.

“Later. First, I need to take you somewhere. Hop on.”

I didn’t hesitate and climbed on behind him. My heart fluttered when I pressed my body against him. I knew this feeling I had for him, this love I had for him, would never falter. In fact, it seemed to grow stronger every day. Not once did I question the choice I’d made to be with him, and I knew I never would.

I belonged with Thorne. Always.

We scooted across the countryside, and I recognized the familiar trail. When we reached the top, he hopped off and held out his hand.

“I know this place.” I smiled as I took it. “The cliffs.”

“Come on.” He pulled a blanket out of the storage on the back of the dirt bike and led me to the edge of the cliff.

After he laid out the blanket, we sat down beside one another. I lay my head on his shoulder and sighed.

“I love you, Thorne. And I love our life.”

He slipped his arm around me and pressed his chin on top of my head. “I love you more than anything in the world, and I’m going to love you for eternity. Thank you for choosing me. Choosing us.”

“We were never a choice.” I looked up at him. “We were destined to be together. And we always will be.”

“I’m really glad to hear you say that.” Thorne lowered his lips to mine, kissing me deeply as I listened to the waves crash below. When I opened my eyes, I saw the moonlight glint off a giant diamond ring he held in front of me.