Page 149 of Bite Marks

Tears once again began to fall from my eyes.

“Even so, I’m still so mad I didn’t get to say goodbye. I feel like you took that from me. I couldn’t be there to make you soup or kiss your injuries, or whatever you do for sick people.” A breathy laugh left me at that. “I want you to know that I’ll always protect the girls, the club, everything you held dear. And I’ll never take this gift you gave us for granted. We love you.Ilove you, and your legacy will live on, I promise you that.”

With that, I stood. The grass stains on my knees were a temporary reminder that’d wash away with a warm bath and a glass of wine the moment I stepped foot into our apartment. It was hard to feel too guilty about it; I was sure this wouldn’t be the last time we’d visit the woman who had turned us from strangers into family… twice.

Strangers. Lovers. Strangers again.

And then, against all odds, finding each other and falling back into love like no time had ever passed at all.

I turned, taking a moment to fully take in the sight of my coven. One of Juniper and Dana’s arms was wrapped around Elsie’s shoulders as she wept, the other shielding their sensitive skin and eyes from the dim sunlight peeking between the clouds. Ren crouched to make eye contact as she spoke to her softly, a tattooed hand reaching up to gently wipe away the tears sliding down her cheeks.

“Ready to go?” Dana called, jerking her head for me to join them.

“Yeah. Hey, Elsie, do you want to go get some ice cream?” I offered, joining my family with arms outstretched.

Elsie darted forward, wrapping herself around my centre, head thunking heavily down onto my chest. “Raspberry cheesecake?”

“Is there any other flavour?” I asked in mock horror, earning myself a watery laugh.

“No.”

“Didn’t think so.”

I kept an arm around her waist, leading her back down the path with Dana jogging to keep the parasol over Elsie.

Ren joined us on my other side, her hand sliding over my wrist before her fingers hooked into my bracelet momentarily. A reminder of who I belonged to.

The family I’d found.

I looked up into the vampire’s face, her dark monolid eyes and the flat bridge of her nose. Beautifully handsome, even more so than the first day I’d seen her in that coffee shop.

Or even before that, when we first met as I’d stumbled into O barely able to walk in my heels to demand a job.

And for the first time, in a really, really long time… I wasn’t worried about my next rent payment. If my mom was going to be okay. If I’d still have to crash on Kaylee’s couch.

The only thought that remained was whether or not Ren would hog all the covers that night.

And that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

I mean… What’s eternity without a little compromise?

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