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Epilogue—Briar

T here was a soft tap on the door.

“Come in,” I said with a smile.

Lorcan opened the door and stepped inside, his gaze sweeping the room. “Anything specific on the agenda for today?”

I walked around my desk and over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“A shipment is coming in this afternoon, and Amy and I have some wedding planning to do later. And the last of the paperwork for the deed transfer got here this morning, so I need to look over that.”

We were transferring our properties into the Dún Na Farraige Estates Incorporated portfolio.

Lorcan tilted his head. “What do you think your mother would say?”

“She would be thrilled. Mostly that you and I are together, but also that I know the truth of my ancestry.”

His eyes drifted to the journals on the shelf behind my desk. I lay my head against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.

“And Lady Isobel can finally rest,” he said.

I smiled up at him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “Lorcan, she’s always been at rest. My mother and I were the ones who needed to know.”

“And if she knew the truth?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. We never considered that vampires could exist. It always seemed like Lady Isobel had made up some wild, romantic story. But without her, I never would’ve been led to you.”

He kissed me, his lips warm against mine. “That’s true. And I’d still be sulking around here, wanting nothing to do with my family and fearing I’d repeat what Ashdowne had done.”

He sat down in the armchair and pulled me onto his lap.

“You know…” His hand slid up the inside of my thigh under my skirt. Heat curled low in my belly as my stomach fluttered with excitement. “You should wear more skirts so I can bend you over that desk whenever I want.”

“What is it with you and bending me over?” I asked with a laugh, running my fingers through his hair. I didn’t need to tell him I would submit if he wanted it—without question. We both knew I would.

“Well, then you can ride me while I sit here.” He cupped my cheek in his hand and kissed me, his fingers grazing my center.

I swatted his hand away and giggled. “Your brother has people crawling all over this place.”

He kissed me again, taking his time and massaging my tongue with his. “And what if I want them to watch you melt in ecstasy? Do I have to remind you that you are mine?” The flush in my cheeks betrayed me as I rolled my eyes.

I swallowed hard, feeling a familiar tingle between my legs.

Lorcan quickly moved on. “If you’re sorry about Cormac’s people being around, we don’t have to sign the deed.”

I shook my head, smiling. “Not at all. I’m happy to be part of your family.”

“Well, wildflower,” he murmured, “eventually, you’ll understand that being part of this family comes with the privilege of me being able to send my brother’s people away.” His voice held that edge of protectiveness, which I was only learning to recognize.

The door opened, and I jumped up, wondering if a customer had arrived.

Conall stood in the doorway, a sarcastic smile plastered across his face.

“Well, brother, you might be able to send his people away—but not us.” He leaned lazily against the frame.

“Conall, what are you doing here?” I asked, straightening my clothes.

He stepped into the room to hug me.

Cormac followed Conall with Rory at his side. I hugged them, stepping back from Rory and holding her hands wide. “Look at you! You’re finally starting to show!”

We hugged again and laughed together.

Lorcan stood, running a hand through his hair. “Perfect timing, brother.”

Conall snickered. “Of course it is. Tell us again—what exactly were you about to do with your mate and that desk?” He pointed at my desk. “I presume that is the desk in question. And who would you like to watch? Please, not me. I don’t think I need to see that. But, I can get Rupert.”

I slapped Conall’s shoulder, knowing it wouldn’t hurt him.

“Lorcan is going to tell you no such thing. We need to find you a partner.”

Conall rolled his eyes. “I don’t think so. There’s nothing I want a human for that I can’t get all on my own. I don’t understand you mated people.”

Lorcan wrapped his arms around me from behind, brushing his lips over my neck. His breath warmed my skin, the light scrape of stubble making me shiver. I fought the urge to close my eyes and melt into him.

“Don’t worry, brother,” Lorcan said softly as he held me close. “You’ll understand eventually.”

He stood taller, looking past me to the group gathered in the room. “Why are you here? We weren’t expecting you.”

Cormac shrugged. “As always, we need your help.”

“You mean now that we’re a family again, you can’t go a month without needing me to do something for you?”

Cormac shrugged again. “We always knew you were the one who understood the magic side of our lives better than anyone.”

“And what does that have to do with anything?” Lorcan asked.

“Come,” Cormac said. “Let’s go out to the firepit.”

“Are you planning to stay?” I asked.

Cormac smiled. “It’s one of our homes now.”

“Almost.” I laughed. “And I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

As we stepped outside, I saw Declan building a fire, and Isla sitting on the stone wall, assisting him. A man I didn’t recognize sat beside it, staring into the flames. I tilted my head and looked back at Cormac. “Um… care to explain?”

Cormac glanced at Lorcan. “This is our distant cousin Sean.”

Lorcan’s brow furrowed. “Really?”

Cormac nodded. “Sean O’Cillian.”

“Yet somehow you couldn’t find him,” Lorcan said with a short laugh.

We all settled into seats around the fire.

“Sean, this is our brother Lorcan—and his mate, Briar.”

The man at the firepit waved.

Rory sat up in her chair. “I finally figured out how the Cure was protected, after some conversations with my mother and aunt.”

I frowned. “I’m sorry, but aren’t they both—”

Rory nodded. “Dead? Yes. One of the perks of being a witch. I can contact them anytime I want.”

“Oh,” I said, eyes wide. “I guess I should’ve expected that. Could I?” It seemed silly to ask.

“We’ll see what we can do about finding your mum if you want.”

I swallowed. “I’ll think about it. Thanks.”

Rory smiled. “Anyway… They did some digging on the other side, talking to our ancestors. That’s when they found someone they thought had been lost.”

Lorcan leaned back in his chair. “Lost? How?”

Rory turned to him. “It seems that in 1855, when the coven lost its memory, one witch retained hers, but she disappeared. The coven thought she had been killed. She stayed in hiding because she remembered and protected the Cure from us all.”

Sean spoke for the first time, his voice heavy with a Scottish accent. “It was my great-great-great-great-grandparents’ wedding night. Love protects… yet again.”

Rory smiled. “Exactly…”

Sean held up his hand to show a silver band set with a black stone. “And I still wear his ring to this day. It’s been passed down from seventh son to seventh son. My father always told me never to take it off—that if I did, I’d be vulnerable.”

I bit my lip. Generations of O’Cillians bound by a curse, a magic even older than memory itself. Did this man know the significance?

He continued. “But something started happening to it a month or so ago. First, the ruby turned black. A few weeks later, the O’Cillian knot melted right off.”

“So… in other words…” Lorcan’s gaze shifted to Rory. “When you broke the spell.”

She nodded. “And when the four of you combined your blood to find him. Then it took a while for him to trust me.”

“So Sean,” Lorcan said, leaning forward. “What exactly do you know?”

Cormac smiled faintly. “You’re going to love this.”

Sean rolled his eyes. “There’s a poem. It’s been passed down with the ring. I was told never to write it down—and only to speak it to the High Priestess.”

“What does it say?” Lorcan asked.

He glanced at Rory, who nodded her head.

Sean recited the words, his voice low and even.

“Bound in darkness by crimson light, to break the chains, fate’s bonds unite.

With gifts most rare, one of each, essence combined to be complete.

When desired it is to remove the night, consume the key to end the plight. ”

As Sean spoke, the flames crackled as if the fire strained to hear the ancient words. The air thickened, the weight of forgotten magic pressing down on my skin.

Cormac looked at Lorcan expectantly.

Lorcan’s expression darkened. “I have no idea what it means. But we’re going to have to figure it out. And we’ll have to protect him—because if Aiden finds him, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

Rory tilted her head. “Do you think it’s that serious now? We all know the secret of the Cure.”

Cormac took her hand. “Aiden’s been after us for over a lifetime. We must keep Sean safe because, for all we know, he’s an integral part of what we must do. We may know the words, but we have no idea what they mean.”

I stared at the flames, just starting to understand this world. Protecting Sean wasn’t just about keeping some distant cousin safe. It was about holding on to this family.

“But, Sean,” Lorcan asked, “do you know exactly what this cures?”

Sean shook his head, his eyes solemn. “The plight, whatever that means.” He smiled and shrugged.

We all leaned back in our chairs, the weight of it settling over us.

Cormac’s voice was strained. “We need to return to Dún Na Farraige.” He looked at Lorcan and me. “All of us, together.” He clenched his jaw as though he expected Lorcan to deny him again.

Lorcan exhaled, his gaze moving from one of us to the next before settling on the fire, the wind whipping at the flames.

“Aiden’s coming,” he breathed. “We don’t know for who—or for what.

” His lips curled into something between a smirk and a grimace.

“But for the first time in centuries, he won’t just be facing one of us. ”

Lorcan’s gaze flicked between his brothers and Declan, his voice steady.

“This time, he faces all of us.”

No one spoke. Even the wind seemed to hush, as if the earth itself was bracing for the coming storm.

A dhampir born from shadows. A vampire who can’t die. Bound by blood, divided by war—and undone by a desire they can’t control.

Vampire's Flame