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Chapter Twenty-Nine

ISADORA

I’d been sitting on Lucien’s couch for twenty-three minutes, and waiting for him to appear was exactly as agonizing as I deserved.

The house was dim and eerily quiet. It felt like he hadn’t lived in it for days. In fact, the living room looked exactly like Lucien and I had left it on our mad dash out after receiving the call about Thorne.

I’d come here first upon arriving in town, hoping to catch Lucien alone and give myself a chance to explain.

But I was second-guessing everything now.

Maybe I should have gone to The Crimson Veil first. The lounge was his second home—maybe he hadn’t left his office since I’d left town.

Except, I hadn’t wanted an audience for this conversation, or for my apology.

Privacy had seemed better when I’d planned this all out in my head.

But what did I know? I was the one who’d bailed in the first place.

When I left, I hadn’t told anyone where I was going. Not even Thorne. Ending Trystan’s life had broken me. And the only thought in my head had been to go back to New Orleans and tell his family all that had happened. I’d walked out of Ella Black’s house without so much as a goodbye.

And now, I was back and had no idea how everyone would react to that.

What if they didn’t want me? What if, in my absence, they’d realized I wasn’t worth all the trouble? Or that their lives were better off without me?

Returning to New Orleans had been difficult, especially when it came to telling Trystan’s family about everything that’d happened—about what I’d done. But coming back to Eternity Falls? This was so much harder.

I wouldn’t run again, though. I’d promised myself that. I’d face them, say my piece, and apologize. Then I’d await their verdict. It was the least I owed them.

Footsteps approached the house, and I froze like a deer in headlights.

To get inside, I’d deactivated Lucien’s security system—compliments of the code he’d shown me the night we’d spent together. By now, he would know something was wrong.

When the front door opened, my whole soul fled my body. I slowly rose to my feet and smoothed down my skirt.

Lucien didn’t call out. Didn’t ask who was in his house. He knew. My scent was likely everywhere.

He simply started walking, his steps slow and precise.

My heart leapt into my throat the closer he came, until finally, he appeared in the living room archway.

My breath caught at the sight of him, all rumpled and tantalizingly handsome.

I wanted to run to him, to throw myself into his arms, but the stoic expression on his face kept my feet frozen to the ground.

“I know,” I said softly. “I’m a jerk.”

He said nothing.

“I disappeared. I scared everyone. I didn’t tell anyone I’d left. That was a really shitty thing to do.”

He didn’t so much as blink. Or breathe.

“I went to New Orleans,” I whispered. “To tell Trystan’s family about him. To apologize to them.”

The silence between us pressed on my chest, threatening to crush me beneath the weight of all the things I hadn’t yet said.

I took a deep breath and plunged onward, knowing this would be my only chance to get everything off my chest.

“I had to see them. Had to look them in the eyes and tell them what I did.”

His jaw ticked.

“Apparently, no one else knew that breaking a mating bond could have such negative effects, since so few have ever braved breaking a bond. After a lot of talking and tears and yelling, they forgave me. They understood their son wasn’t innocent in all this, and they’re upset that it ended this way.

But they know I didn’t purposely hurt him.

I—I told them what he did to Thorne, told them that I suspect he killed Ella too.

In the end, they were grateful I…ended his pain. ”

I took a breath, and continued, “Then I saw my family. Just for a night. I needed to explain to them why I left in the first place, why I wasn’t ever coming back to New Orleans, and I begged them to come here. To meet…you.”

That did it.

Lucien moved, crossing the room in an instant. Before I could so much as close my eyes, I was in his arms. I sank into him, like my body knew this was exactly where I belonged.

He still didn’t say anything. He just held me. And gods, it was everything.

His lips brushed my hair, then the side of my head. “You should have told me where you were going. I would have understood or gone with you if you wanted me to.”

“I’m sorry,” I finally said. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

His arms tightened. “I came here to pack a bag. I was about to go after you.”

My fingers tightened on his jacket lapels. “I’m sorry,” I said again, this time softer.

He pulled back enough to look at me, his hands anchored at my waist. “Next time you disappear, I’ll rip apart the world to find you. Don’t make me do that.”

A breathless laugh escaped me. “That seems excessive.”

“I’m a vampire in love. Excessive is my default setting.”

I froze, staring wildly into his eyes. Had he just…told me he loved me? My pulse was thumping so loudly in my ears, I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. He should be mad at me. Not professing his love.

Lucien’s expression didn’t waver, but something in his gaze softened. “I love you. Have since the first night I saw you standing on those damn stairs and you kicked me out of your bar.”

I gave a watery laugh.

“It’s all right if you’re not ready to say it back?—”

I shut him up by kissing him.

Lucien didn’t hesitate. He kissed me back with his whole being. I melted into him, every nerve ending firing at once. Neither of us showed any hesitation, no tiptoeing around the other. Just pure, honest emotion.

When we finally pulled apart, I pressed my forehead to his. “I love you too. I think it happened the moment we danced together.”

“Ah, I knew it,” he chuckled, brushing a kiss against my brow. “I’ve been told my dance moves are lethal.”

“Shut up,” I teased. Then I sobered. “I really am sorry for leaving like that.”

“You were upset, understandably so,” he said. “But next time?—”

“There won’t be a next time,” I cut in gently. “If I need space, I’ll ask for it. No more running. I want to stay here, in Eternity Falls. With you.”

“Good,” he said. “Because I’ve made peace with a lot of things in my life, but I’ll never make peace with losing you.”

He kissed me again, slower this time. I responded with everything I had, pouring all my love into him.

“Are you staying the night?” he asked against my lips when we paused for breath.

“I was hoping you’d ask that,” I said.

“Well,” he said in a gruff voice, “if I had my way, you’d stay forever, but I’m trying not to scare you off.”

“Forever sounds perfect.” I cupped his cheeks and drew him back toward me.

His mouth found mine for one more kiss before he swept me into his arms like I weighed nothing at all. I laughed against his lips, assuming he’d carry me upstairs. I didn’t mind. I was just as eager to jump his bones as he was mine.

But when he carried me into the hallway, he turned toward the front door instead of the stairs.

“Uh, Lucien. I’m not someone who enjoys voyeurism.”

He barked a laugh. Then he carried me to his car and tucked me into the passenger seat.

“Are you abducting me somewhere?” I asked.

“More like…returning you,” he told me. He crouched until we were eye-level and said, “There’s a spritely werewolf who would murder me in increasingly creative ways if I chose to keep you to myself tonight.”

Ah, Thorne. It warmed me to my core that Lucien cared so much that he would forgo our reunion tonight to bring me to Thorne.

“Brace yourself, though,” he said as he rounded the front of the car. “She’s been storing insults for about six days.”

I laughed.

Lucien slipped behind the wheel, stealing one last glance at me before turning the key in the ignition. The engine purred to life, low and indulgent—like everything about this vampire.

As we pulled out of the driveway and into the quiet streets of Eternity Falls, I let my head fall back against the seat and watched the moon follow us through the windshield. It was big tonight, impossibly bright, hanging low in the sky like it had shown up just to witness my dramatic return.

I wound our fingers together, then lifted his hand to my mouth and kissed his knuckles.

Heat flashed in his eyes, and he grumbled something like, “Damn werewolves ruining my night.”

I chuckled.

At the first stop sign, Lucien brought the car to a full stop, then leaned over and snagged my mouth in a heated kiss. “Once Thorne forgives you, we’re going home, where I fully intend to ravage you.”

“Oh? Fully, you say?”

“And repeatedly,” he commented, his eyes practically blazing with desire.

“And every night after.”

“Forever,” he finished.

I stole another kiss, knowing without a doubt that this was where I was meant to be. At his side.

Lucien accelerated the car, then gave my hand another squeeze. I squeezed back.

And together, we drove off into the moonlight.