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I walked into the closet to check on Chanel. She had on her bra and panties. Her hands were moving through familiar motions while applying lotion to her skin. She didn’t look up at me as she placed a touch of perfume at her pulse points.

I left her to it and walked back into the bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and checked my incoming text messages. Natasha and my son were the only ones who messaged me.

I read Natasha’s messages first. She informed me she debriefed Harlen when he returned to The Castle. There was also another message from her informing me that she had given our newest member a crash course in Being a Vampire 101.

Donté’s messages were usually accompanied by a photo or video, even when it wasn’t necessary. I attributed this to his youth. He was more of a show me person than a tell me person and that was quite alright with me. With Donté, this would be the closest I would ever get to fatherhood.

Because I thought of every possibility with Chanel, I wondered if she wanted to have a child. This was a conversation that would arrive one day. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but I loved her too much to deprive her of the opportunity to be a mother. When I glanced into our future, I could see myself raising a child with her, but I wouldn’t be able to give her that child.

The image of another man planting his seed in my love made me ill. In today’s world, she could always get artificially inseminated. Not too long ago, I would’ve had to let her have sex with another man to give her a baby. I knew I wouldn’t have been able to sit back and let another man fuck her. I knew myself well enough to know that it would’ve sent me over the edge. I couldn’t understand why I was thinking about it now when making a baby had so many options in the present day.

One of my biggest regrets was not having biological children when I was still human. If ever I was reduced to ash, I didn’t have a biological legacy to leave behind. After a dozen or so decades, the memory of me would fade and a century later it would be as if I never existed. It was a sobering thought. It wassomething I could revisit at a later date. Now wasn’t the time to ponder such things.

Minutes later, Chanel emerged from the closet dressed in a chocolate brown tracksuit that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her hair was slicked back into a low ponytail that was wrapped in a neat bun. I was impressed with how fast she put her look together. She wasstunning in plain clothes, cute in casual and fabulous in formal wear. My human was gorgeous, no matter what.

Chanel stepped into a pair of rhinestone brown sneakers that matched her clothes perfectly. Looking at her, I could see her face was bare of all cosmetic products. That was, except for the lip gloss that was scented. My love was a natural beauty, and I loved to see her with the natural texture of her hair and the clean bare earthiness of her rich brown skin.

I didn’t bother responding to the text messages. Natasha and Donté would have to wait. I had other plans. I made a decision and hoped it was a good one. Tonight was the perfect night, but it would be morning soon. It was more of an overnight of victory, a reclaiming of power. It was a night of knowing that one threat was neutralized, and that other bitch was on borrowed time. What better moment to give Chanel what I should have offered her months ago?

“I’m ready?” Chanel said as she tossed her monogram Louis Vuitton purse over her shoulder. A gift that I forced her to take.

I pocketed my cell phone and extended my hand to her. “Me too.” I confirmed, leading her toward the bedroom door. I leaned in and got another whiff of her scent without her noticing me being weird.

Chanel had no idea what awaited us. Tonight, my two worlds would collide in ways I never anticipated. And by the morning light, everything would be different.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ZAND

My armored SUV drove through the darkness of pre-dawn Chicago. Josh guided us through empty streets. Chanel sat in the backseat beside me, staring out the window. Her reflection occasionally caught the glow of passing streetlights. I wondered what she was thinking. Did she have any idea where we were going or what awaited us? She didn’t. This excursion was something she couldn’t even imagine. She would either love it or be repulsed.

“We’re heading west.” Chanel observed, breaking the silence. “Away from the lake.”

I nodded, watching the industrial landscape gradually replace the sleek downtown buildings. “It’s not far now.”

Josh met my eyes in the rearview mirror. I gave him a barely perceptible nod. He knew tonight was different. Tonight, I was on the verge of crossing a line I’ve been hesitant to cross. I was bringing Chanel directly into the darkness of my world.

The SUV slowed as we turned onto a narrow access road flanked by chain-link fences topped with razor wire. Old streetlamps shined faded yellow pools across the crackedconcrete sidewalks. The buildings in this area were old, utilitarian structures of brick, glass, and metal. Unmarked facades and blacked-out windows obscured their purposes.

“AV Enterprises.” Chanel read from a small, discreet sign as we pulled up to one such building. “Is this one of your companies?”

“It’s a business I own.” I replied, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I have my irons in many fires.” I had made a little joke, but she didn’t get it yet.

I was a vampire that owned a crematorium. The place didn’t look particularly ominous from the outside. It was just another nondescript building in a manufacturing zone where very few questions were asked as long as you paid your property taxes and insurance. Behind its walls, however, there were a few secrets humans would never know.

Josh parked near a side entrance in a place that wasn’t visible from the main road. He turned off the engine. “Do you want me to wait here, sir?” He asked

“Yes. Josh, thank you. We won’t be long” I opened my door and helped Chanel from the vehicle. There was a faint smell of smoke and chemicals that permeated this part of the city.

I guided Chanel toward the rear entrance. I kept close to her by placing my hand at the small of her back. A security camera tracked our approach. The back door buzzed open before we reached it. I felt the subtle shift in Chanel’s posture. There was a slight tensing of her muscles, and a quickening of her breath as we stepped inside the doorway of AV Enterprises.

The interior was intentionally mundane. The reception area featured bland, office-standard furniture. There was a desk with a computer, a few chairs, generic and landscape prints on the walls. There was a precision to everything in the room. The freshly waxed floors, the faint smell of industrial bleach and the absolute absence of dust or debris made everything look legit.

A door opened at the far end of the room, and Virgil emerged. He was a tall, lean man with close-cropped gray hair and skin the color of well-oiled mahogany. Despite appearing to be in his sixties, he moved like a much younger man. His movements betrayed his true nature to those who knew what to look for.

“Mr. Valentine.” He greeted me respectfully, then he turned to Chanel. “And you must be Ms. Taylor. It’s a pleasure to have you visit our little establishment.”

Chanel offered her hand, which Virgil took with care. I recognized the cautious pressure of a vampire touching fragile human flesh. “Nice to meet you,” Chanel said. She studied Virgil with the sharp gaze that rarely missed anything.