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I gasp. “Zavier! Did you kill Cory?”

He thrusts his hands up quickly in a gesture of innocence. “It’s not my fault, really. He talked shit about you, so I kind of punched him a little too hard and killed him. Total accident.”

“Zav,” I groan, very much doubting this was an accident.

He shrugs, smiling sheepishly. “Oops.”

“You killed him. Like … in here.” Ava points at the floor and he nods. “Fuck. Is this place haunted?”

“No,” he answers quickly. “Everyone knows ghosts aren’t real.”

“But vampires are?” she retorts.

Watching them battle it out is highly amusing. Ava and Zavier are quite a lot alike. Both stubborn and tenacious to a fault.

A noise pulls my attention to the open doorway and my jaw drops.

“Valen!” I gasp.

I’ve since filled Zavier in on my cellmate and how I worried about him since I wasn’t sure where he disappeared to or if he was even okay. Zavier had reached out to some of his vampire contacts, but no one knew anything about someone named Valen. But there he is looking a world better than he did the last time I saw him.

I still have so many questions about what was going on beneath Vex and the truth of why they held Valen captive, but they’re questions I’ve told myself will have to wait. I need to heal—not just physically, but mentally, too. I’ve put in for an extended leave of absence from work. Working crime and murders is too much for me right now.

I take Valen in, noting that his skin color has turned to a warm olive tone and his hair has been trimmed. Longer on top, shorter on the sides. Face cleanly shaven and showcasing a chiseled jawline, he wears a pair of new jeans and a t-shirt with a jacket over the top.

“Hi,” he says, voice gruff and raspy like he hasn’t spoken in a while. “I’m sorry I left you.”

“It’s okay,” I say, walking toward him. Tears burn my eyes. I’m so relieved to know he’s okay. “Can I hug you?”

I don’t wait for him to answer, just step around my mate and wrap my arms around the giant vampire.

“You saved me.”

He pats my head awkwardly. “You saved yourself.”

I let him go and step out. “I’m glad to see you alive and well. I’ve been worried.”

“I needed some time on my own,” he says. “But I think I’m going to stay in the city for a while. I’m looking for a place to stay.”

“Oh,” I gasp. “Maybe you could stay here with Ava?” I suggest. “She’s looking for a roommate.” Even though Zav has the place paid for, she says she doesn’t want to live alone and solely be our third wheel.

“Wait, who is this?” Ava points at Valen. “I think there are a few things I haven’t been filled in on.”

“This is Valen. He was my cell buddy. He helped me get out.”

Ava’s mouth forms a perfect O. “Got it.”

“Valen, this is Ava.” I point between my friend and the vampire.

“Put ‘er there, partner.” Ava extends her hand to him.

Valen hesitates before taking it and then his eyes go wide. “I wondered,” he whispers on a gasp. “But it is you.”

Ava scrunches her nose. “Huh? What?”

Valen takes her in like he’s seeing the sun rise for the first time.

The next words out of his mouth shock us all.

“You’re my mate.”