Page 62 of Guarded By the Reaper

“I don’t know. Maybe someday, when the time is right. But I’m not sure when that will be.”

Grim nodded, his bony fingers resuming their gentle stroking of my hair. “I understand,” he said. “It’s your decision to make. I’ll support you no matter what you choose.”

His words warmed my heart, but they also made me think. As much as I wanted this relationship with Grim, as happy as he made me, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. He wasn’t like other monsters. Many of them had lifespans similar to humans, but Grim... Grim was different. He had lived once as a mortal, died, and now he was undead. He could potentially exist for eternity. The thought made my head spin. What would that mean for us in the long run? I tried to push the thoughts away, to focus on the here and now. On the feeling of Grim’s arms around me, on thepeace and safety I felt in his presence. But the questions lingered in the back of my mind, persistent and unyielding.

Grim’s fingers traced lazy patterns on my skin. I was lost in thought, my mind wandering to places I wasn’t sure I wanted it to go.

“What are you thinking?” It was his turn to ask.

I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to voice my fears. But Grim deserved honesty.

“I was just thinking... you’re eternal, and I’m not. What happens when I grow old and... well, decrepit?”

Grim’s hand stilled for a moment before pulling me closer. “First of all, you’ll never be decrepit. I’ll love you no matter what, Millie. Age doesn’t matter to me.”

His words were sweet, but they didn’t ease the knot in my stomach.

“Maybe it matters to me,” I said. “I’m beautiful now, but it won’t last forever. I’ll grow old, Grim.”

He let out a low chuckle. “I can’t believe you’re worried about aging when I’m literally a bag of old, ugly, dead bones.”

I couldn’t help but laugh too. “When you put it that way, it does sound a bit silly.”

Grim’s hand cupped my face, turning it so I was looking into the dark pits of his eyes.

“Millie, listen to me. When the time comes and you have to leave this life, I’ll leave with you. I’d give up eternity for you.”

“Grim, I–”

He placed a finger on my lips, silencing me gently. “We shouldn’t think about it now. It’s a long time until then. Let’s focus on the present, on us.”

I nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Grim was right, of course. Why worry about something so far in the future, when we had so much to enjoy right now? Just then, the sound of Elysia’s laughter drifted through the open window.

“I should probably check on her,” I said, reluctantly pulling away from Grim’s embrace.

I slipped out of the bed and grabbed my gown that I’d carelessly thrown over the back of a chair some days before. As I tied the sash, I walked over to the window, drawn by the sound of Elysia’s giggles. The sight that greeted me made my heart swell. Elysia was in the garden, skipping and running, Lady Mews trotting after her, tail high in the air. Even from here, I could see the pure joy on Elysia’s face. I forgot about my worries. All that mattered was this moment, watching my little girl play without a care in the world.

I felt Grim’s presence behind me. His cool hand rested on my shoulder, and I leaned back into him.

“She looks happy,” he said.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Happy didn’t even begin to cover it. Elysia looked... free. Like the weight of her illness, of everything we’d been through, had been lifted from her small shoulders.

“I never thought I’d see her like this again,” I whispered. “After the diagnosis, after everything... I was so afraid, Grim. Afraid I’d lose her, afraid I’d never see her smile again.”

Grim’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. “But you didn’t lose her. She’s here, she’s healthy, and she’s happy. You did this, Millie. You saved her.”

I shook my head. “We saved her. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

We stood there in silence for a while, watching Elysia play. My heart felt so full it could burst. This was everything I’d ever wanted – my daughter healthy and happy, and someone by my side who loved me unconditionally.

Epilogue

Grim

I stood at the end of the aisle, feeling more nervous than I had in my entire existence. The rose garden at Asterhaven had been transformed into a gothic wonderland. Black roses and thorny vines wrapped around the chairs, creating an eerie yet beautiful atmosphere. Candles flickered in ornate black holders, casting dancing shadows across the grass.

The guests were a mix of humans and monsters, an odd sight that would’ve been unthinkable in any other circumstance. On one side sat Millie’s family friends, all dressed in their finest. I spotted her aunt and uncle, the ones who would’ve controlled her trust fund if things had gone differently. They looked uncomfortable, probably wondering how their niece had ended up marrying a skeleton.

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