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Story: The Vampire’s Soul (Moretti Blood Brothers Romance #14)

ARI

I lied, Ari gets the last word now he’s the Moretti king.

A ri pushed open the throne room and held it open for Sage to walk inside. She had Gio on her hip, and when the door clicked closed behind them, Ari locked it.

Without hesitation, they turned to one another.

“Do you—?”

“I remember.” Sage leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Thank God.”

Grateful to have another chance at getting this right, Ari was relieved that Sage remembered everything so he could share this with her. He’d carried enough secrets through life, and this was a huge responsibility.

Having his queen by his side, who understood how important his role was and what was at stake should they get it wrong, would make what he needed to do much easier.

Her face lifted, and those sparkling eyes glistened with devout love as he pressed his lips to hers.

His mate.

His reason for choosing.

His everything.

Between them, Gio made baby noises, and they both gazed down upon the gift that was their child.

“I remember carrying him. I love him.” Sage kissed the child’s forehead. “Even if I know it didn’t really happen.”

“I do too. I guess God did a huge reshuffle of memories and we have two realities in ours.” Ari led them down to the thrones and opened the cabinet off to the side.

Lifting out the crowns, he placed one on the queen's head and Sage giggled.

Ari smiled proudly.

“It suits you.”

“Put yours on.” Sage giggled.

Ari lifted the king's crown and steadied the tremendous weight on his head.

“I feel like we’re playing dress up.” Sage shifted Gio in her arms, keeping one hand up to steady her crown.

Or was it a tiara?

He wasn’t sure.

Ari would buy her whatever she wanted.

Then he placed the small crown on Gio’s head, and it immediately got thrown to the floor.

“We will work on that.” Sage shot him a grin.

Ari put them away, and they walked to sat on their thrones. Holding hands, they stared out across the enormous room that would, at times, be filled with their senior warriors, the royal household, and other guests.

“I believe in you,” Sage squeezed his hand. “I know you have doubts, but I believe you will be the best king the race has ever had.”

“Vincent was—”

“You do not need to make excuses. He is a Moretti and nothing changes that. If I can make an observation...”

“Go ahead.”

“He is an excellent adviser and great at relations, but as a king—”

“I am the king now. We do not need to judge.”

“It is okay to acknowledge you are the more powerful and chosen one, Ari.”

He turned. “I’ve always been the most powerful. It has scared me. I’ve felt it burning inside me. But I lost my brother, I lost everyone I loved because they were threatened by it. Do you not think they sensed it?”

His queen’s lips tilted up ever so slightly. “I felt it.”

His shoulders softened.

“You never lost me. You never will.” Sage shook his hand, and he knew she was ensuring the message was getting through.

“I didn’t give you a choice, to be fair.”

The blush that hit her cheeks had his cock thickening and both of them glancing at the baby on her knee. Then they smirked at one another.

Later.

“I read this silly meme on Facebook, but I wonder if I was meant to see it for this moment.” Sage said. “It said something like, the moment you accept your greatness, so will the world.”

Wow.

That was a summary of what God had told him.

Next time send a meme.

Ari turned and stared out at the great hall again and smiled to himself. He still didn’t love the guy, but he was incredibly grateful for this second chance.

Then something occurred to him, and he leaped off the throne.

Gio let out an excited cry.

“Come.” He extended a hand and Sage climbed down.

“Where are we going?”

Grinning, they walked around the back of the thrones and through a door, then he stopped at the side door.

“Ready?”

Sage’s eyes widened.

He didn’t give her a second to question what he was doing when he flung open the door and they were flooded with sunlight.

Ari stepped outside and widened his arms, spinning around. Laughing, he grabbed Sage’s hand, and they ran across the castle lawn down toward the lake. The one many vampires visited and had romantic encounters.

Placing Gio on the grass, Sage placed her hands on Ari’s bulky chest.

He took her hands. “I’m going to bring you out here and make love to you one night. Impregnate you a million times.”

“That’s a lot of babies.” Her lips stretched into a smile.

“It’s also a lot of really good sex, my love.” Ari winked and patted her bottom.

“Well, I’m glad to see that hasn’t changed.” She giggled. “In any case, Ari Moretti, you have always been my king.”

She had always been his queen.

With a quick kiss on his lips, Sage turned and walked to the water’s edge and kicked off her shoes, then waded in.

Ari lifted his face to the sun. It has been fifteen hundred years since he’d been human and felt the sun on his skin.

He closed his eyes and soaked it in, feeling how right this new world of theirs was. One that he would protect with every single ounce of power that ran through his Moretti blood.

Opening his eyes, Ari Moretti stared out across the sparkling lake and let the single tear filled with joy and hope for the future run down his cheek.

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