Page 123 of Worse Fates

Damn though, the stranger’s voice is hard, solid as a mountain. There’s a slight accent beneath the English—something Northern, maybe Scandinavian.

“Welcome to the land of the living, Vidar,” Lucero says good naturedly and my jaw drops open.

Vidar? No way.

He’s pale white, but not sickly like when I first met him. Hair silver and eyes a startling pewter-grey. Body no longer skeletal, now muscles stretch across the deep navy V neck sculpted to his frame.

“And Golden,” Vidar’s gaze hits me like a blizzard—not trying to be harsh, It’s just nature, like this level of intensity is his normal. And here I thought Lucero was bad. “Hello, again.”

“Holy shit, you’re hot.”

A deep rumble tumbles from his barrel chest as he drops onto the sofa. His thick neck is decorated with black tattoos. If he has any on his chest, they’re hidden, but the ink reappears past his rolled-up sleeves, climbing over his knuckles and down to his long fingers.

Lucero grumbles, the hand in my hair tightening.

“Told you,” Ramy grins, sitting beside Vidar and looking at him as if the man holds up the sun in one hand, and the moon in another.

“Er…” I clear my throat. “ I mean, obviously you’re way hotter, Lucero.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Lucero replies sarcastically.

“However, the last time I saw Vidar, he looked like death itself. This? This is the real proof the supernatural exists.” I say, then awkwardly clear my throat. “Fuck, sorry.”

Vidar’s half-grin doesn’t reveal his fangs, yet he doesn’t mask his predator behind charm like Lucero, or gentleness likeRamy. Or whatever the fuck Rurik does. This vampire is a weapon—and he wants everyone to know it.

“But damn, now I get how you convinced a bunch of gay dudes to turn into vampires and follow you around the world after one meeting.”

“Again, told you,” Ramy sing-songs. It’s like a weight's been lifted off his shoulders, his smile only growing the closer he is to Vidar—his Maker.

“That isn’t why I followed him,” Lucero informs me.

I cock up an eyebrow.

After a beat he exhales. “But fine, it didn’t hurt either.”

I laugh hard with Ramy, Vidar smirking at Lucero as he stretches out on the sofa next to me as if it were a throne. His scent is…I’m not quite sure. Something like rain?

“I came here to speak with you, Golden.” Vidar’s voice isn’t loud—his natural authority does all the work. Without a word or a glance, Ramy and Lucero fall silent, waiting for what’ll happen next.

Shifting, I look up at my soulmate and he gazes down at me like I’m everything he’s ever wanted. I hope he knows I feel the same, even if it took some time.

“You are the offspring of my offspring.” Vidar pulls my attention like the pounding of a gavel. I snap to him, breath caught somewhere in my throat.

“You are Lucero’s eternal mate, but as the head of this family you belong to me. As I belong to Sen, Lucero, Rurik, Ramy…and you, Golden.”

His large hand presses to his chest. Then, in the same place, he lays his palm against mine—grounding me to this moment and freeing the air from my lungs on a wobbling exhale.

“As the newest offspring to the Hardaldsson Vampire family, Welcome home, Golden.”

I don’t realise the tears painting my cheeks until Lucero brushes them away.

When I wasn’t adopted I assumed I’d never be part of a real family. So I tried to make my own with Jace, which had been a mess. Then I managed to patch one together with Kai, something strong but our secrets created holes.

For so long I thought fate didn’t have one in the cards for me, but looks like fate had a plan all along.

“T…thank you,” I whisper, knowing those two words aren’t big enough to encompass the swell of emotion expanding in my chest.

Vidar watches me…something soft in his eyes, perhaps pride. So maybe he does kinda get it.