Page 83 of Taste of Fate

“Yeah!” the brusang chirped through the speaker. “Is Tavia with you? She’s not answering her phone.”

“I lost my phone,” Tavia said, able to hear her clearly. “But I’m here. I’m okay.”

“Oh, great!” Bea sounded relieved. “Glad you’re alright. I’ll just text Cy then until you find yours. Thanks, bye!”

She hung up before I could respond and I frowned at the phone.

“What was that about?” Tavi wondered.

“No idea.”

A flurry of text messages came through, and I spent the next few seconds scanning them before laughing out loud.

“What?” Tavi stood on tiptoes to look at my screen.

I handed her my phone. “She’s sending over a brusang beginner’s guide, including meat-based recipes to slowly acclimate a new brusang to drinking blood.”

My beautiful blood mate scrolled through the incoming messages, tears filling her eyes once again. “Oh my god, this is…”

She trailed off and brought a hand to her mouth. I was about to ask what was wrong when a bright laugh bubbled out of her, followed by a smile full of relief and gratitude.

“This is so sweet of her. It’s…” She laughed again, wiping her cheeks. “It’s like she was waiting to share all this knowledge. Oh Bea, you’re amazing.”

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close again with a kiss on her forehead.

“Everything is going to be fine, my love.”

Tavi lifted her face to mine and accepted the kiss I gave her with a smile.

“I actually do believe that,” she whispered.

Epilogue

Tavia

Four weeks later

“How the fuck is he allowed to be here?” Des hissed over Cyan’s shoulder, glaring at the figure seated in the crowd below us.

Cyan didn’t miss a beat. “Because he’s Amy’s guest, which means you’ll behave yourself during the ceremony.”

“But why’d she have to bring him as a guest?” Laith echoed Desmond’s disdain.

The vampires’ eyes fell on me for an answer.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “She said he kept her safe that day she went missing. Apparently they’ve been in touch.”

Des and Laith grumbled at that. “He’s using her to get to us,” Des bit out. “Why else would the last sane member of Rathka’s Order have anything to do with a freshly turned brusang? How do we know he’s not a cannibal like the rest of his kin?”

“Maybe he actually likes her,” I shot back.

Des’ expression was one of bewilderment. “Nothing against Amy, of course?—”

“Can it,” Cyan growled, his fangs long. “Do your gossiping after the fucking ceremony. He’s here. We have eyes on him, and so far, he’s minding his own business. Why can’t you do the same?”

Des lowered his chin, mumbling an apology. “You both look great, by the way. Congratulations.”

A flurry of nerves rose from my stomach to my chest. This was it. I felt like a bride on her wedding day.

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