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Rosalie beamed at Dominick, hardly able to believe this was happening. "Really? You're prepared to go that far?"
"For our son, I'll do anything. He deserves a future better than ours; one day, he'll be a leader. So, it's time for us to show him how to do that."
Rosalie was overcome with emotion. She hadn't expected such an amazing response from Dominick, and she was touched that he had put so much thought into the issue because of his love for their son. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, surprising herself as much as him. But as soon as she realized what she was doing, she doubled down instead of pulling away.
This was what she wanted. He was what she needed.
"You don't have to rush into a decision just because of Jay," she said softly. "Take your time, think it through, and make sure this is something you really want before taking action. I know there are a lot of potential hurdles to overcome if you do this."
Dominick pulled her close and kissed her again, lingering on her lips for a few moments. "I'm sure about this," he replied firmly, determination blazing in his eyes. He cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. "And I'm sure about your plan. We'll make our son proud."
"Dominick." She breathed his name against his lips. Her heart slammed against her ribcage. And she squeezed his hand to steady herself. "I'm sure about you."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sure about us. I need you in my life. I still love you, and I'm terrified of losing you and Jay just because I'm attached to my mortality. I'm ready to become a vampire, Dominick. Not today or next week, but soon—"
Dominick jerked away from Rosalie, his hands moving up to cup both sides of her face. His amber eyes were wide with wonder and confusion. "My love, there's so much to unpack there. Are you saying that you love me?"
Rosalie's cheeks were burning, but she couldn't look away from him. She nodded and looking straight into his eyes, she whispered to him directly: "I love you. It's so hard not to love you when I see just how much you love our son. Dom ... he's changed everything. He's shown me just how much I still feel for you and always have."
Dominick's eyes were damp with emotion when he swept her into his arms, pulling her against his chest to kiss her again, deeply. "I love you with all my heart, Rose. I always have. I haven't always shown you in the best ways, but I assure you, you're the one for me, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you if that's what it takes."
"You don't have to prove anything to me, Dom. Not anymore."
Rosalie's heart swelled with love for him. Her eyes were filled with tears at his words for the future that he was promising her, Jay, and the whole kingdom. She reached up to touch his face, marveling at the transformation that had occurred before her eyes.
"So ... are you going to tell me what changed your mind about becoming a vampire?" Dominick said.
"You and Jay. Seeing you two together, knowing that you would have infinite years together and that mine were numbered ... it showed me that some things are more important."
Dominick laughed happily and kissed her forehead. Their gazes drifted over to the boy sound asleep under the makeshift fort. "It seems we've both learned something of incredible importance because of our son. Somehow, he's the magic that we needed to bring us together again."
"I think you're right about that, Dom." She linked her hands with his and rested against his shoulder. "Because I know my life is complete so long as we're together."
There was a shift of energy in the air, sudden and prickling down Rosalie's shoulders. Every hair on her body stood on end, and for the briefest of moments, she couldn't breathe. Waves of magic slammed into her chest, and then just like that, it was gone.
Dominick was already rising to his feet. "Did you feel that?"
Numbly, Rosalie nodded. She wobbled as she tried to stand. "What was that?"
"The curse!" Dominick pointed just through the trees, which had been occupied by the hazy barrier used by the curse to isolate them from the rest of the world.
Hand in hand, they raced toward the spot where the barrier had been moments before. There was even a hole in the ground that Rosalie had dug months ago in her attempt to escape ... but the barrier itself was gone. On the other side, there was no more fog or any hint of magic at all ... just a dark forest and the earth it stood on.
Dominick threw himself at Rosalie. "It's broken! The curse is broken!"
"Aelwen was right," Rosalie said, too stunned to take her eyes off the spot where the barrier had been. "Love was always the answer. Our love."
"You knew? That this would free us?"
"Not for certain ..." she trailed off. "But I had a feeling it might if only our love were true."
Dominick's gaze drifted to the same spot in the ground, the hole once dug by Rosalie in a moment of desperation. "I already knew our love was true, but if this isn't proof that the universe believes it is, too, then I don't know what is."
They kissed again, and the world melted away beneath Rosalie's feet. Everything was just as it was supposed to be, her, Dom, and their miracle son beneath the stars.
Chapter 12 - Dominick
