Page 79 of The Duchess and the Beast

“I’ll be fine...” Sebastian whispered—the frailty in his voice, the paling of his skin, and the way his body began to tremble all clear arguments against the point. He tried to support himself but could scarcely feel his legs. He tried to laugh it off, but it came out as a blood-drenched cough.

“Sebastian!” Virtue’s tears began to flow as she embraced him fiercely. “No! You cannot leave me behind! I refuse to accept it!”

“Ever stubborn...” he murmured before he collapsed onto the ground, lying in a pool of his blood for the wound was far worse than he thought. “You’ve always been so stubborn.”

“You cannot die!” she punched his chest as she wept. “You cannot!”

“V...” His vision began to blur, his consciousness waning. But before he let himself drift, not knowing if he would ever wake,there was one thing he still had to say. Something he should have said a long time ago. “Should I not make it—”

“Don’t you dare!”

“You must know that I... that I... that I love...” His eyes shut and darkness claimed him.

EPILOGUE

It was three days later when Sebastian finally stirred from his slumber. For Virtue, they were the longest three days of her life.

Three days spent in constant vigil by his bed praying for his recovery. Three days spent in agonizing uncertainty over his life. Three days spent regretting every little decision she had ever made, for all of them had led her to this moment. Of all those decisions, however, there was one she regretted the most...

She was tired when his eyelids fluttered open for the first time. Exhausted, for she had barely slept since sitting down by the head of his bed. Such was her state of mind that when she saw him shift and noticed his eyes gradually flicker open, she wondered if she had fallen asleep and was now ensnared in a sweet, but somehow impossible dream.

“Virtue...” Sebastian’s voice was but a raspy whisper. “Is that... is that you?”

“Sebastian!” She was on her feet and then throwing herself at him a second later. “You’re awake! You’re—oh! Forgive me!” she gasped and forced herself back as he grimaced from the pain of her body landing atop his. “I should call for the physician, shouldn’t I?”

“No, no, not yet... It is quite alright,” he chuckled, his voice weak. “You’re here.”

“Of course I am.” She took his hand instead, clasping it so firmly she worried it might hurt him. Not that she would have been willing to let go if it did.

“You’re alive,” he murmured, struggling to smile but forcing it nonetheless. “I thought—”

“Me?” she giggled softly. “It isyouwho has caused us all such alarm. There were moments—too many to count—I feared you would not pull through." Her voice faltered, a lump forming in her throat as the memory of those harrowing hours, just after he had been struck, resurfaced with vivid clarity. "I truly feared I had lost you."

He scoffed. “It will take more than a bullet to end my reign of terror over Greystone.”

“It appears so,” Virtue responded with a radiant smile, gently kissing his hand. “I always knew you would come for me.”

“No. I should never have parted from you,” Sebastian confessed, his expression one of regret. “I knew at the moment of leaving—it was a grave mistake... I was torn…”

“Hush now,” she cautioned him lightly. “None of that talk. You acted with nothing but honor. You did everything right in my books.”

“I vow to spend the remainder of my days making it up to you…”

“Dayswhich promise to be long and fruitful,” she beamed for him. “The wound was grievous, but the physician has assured us that with adequate rest, you will recover fully.”

For a brief moment, the two simply gazed at one another. The morning sun shone through the window and bathed them in its soft light. Birds sung from the treetops. The sound of Lucy humming as she worked drifted from outside the door. A tranquil setting, as peaceful and perfect as could be hoped for. And Virtue, the happiness she felt that Sebastian was awake finally... she might have cried was it not for the fact that she’d spent the last three days doing just that and didn’t much feel like burdening Sebastian with tears presently. Smiles only.

“What happened?” Sebastian asked finally as he attempted to shift up the bed. He was shirtless, his lower half wrapped in bandages, and he grimaced and winced at the effort it took.

“Don’t...” She extended a hand to stop him.

“I am fine,” he assured her, although the way he began to sweat and shake from that simple movement suggested otherwise.

Virtue arched a brow at him. “Evidently not. And I must insist that for the time being, you take it easy, Sebastian. That means plenty of rest in bed. If you need anything, I can fetch it for you. And perhaps in a day or two, if you are up to it...” She could not hide away the grin that played across her lips. “We might even venture out for a brief stroll in the gardens. But not beyond that.

His expression was unamused. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself.”

“Me?” She touched her chest. “I am beset with worry. Your health is my only concern.”