Page 150 of Midnight Coven

He heard every detail of the fight and struggle and gunfire around him, but all of it faded to the background as he ran.

His eyes never left Wynter’s face.

Then she was leaping for him, landing in his still-cuffed arms, and crushed him too her as hard as he could squeeze. He was almost glad he couldn’t squeeze her back, if only because he was afraid he would have squeezed her so tightly he might have hurt her on accident.

Her butt balanced on his cuffed hands and arms, she kissed his mouth under the umbrella, and he groaned aloud, kissing her back, leaning into her when she wrapped her arms around his neck. For a long feeling few seconds, he lost track of everything else.

He lost himself in her lips and tongue, groaning softer now.

When they both finally came up for air, he wanted the cuffs off.

With her still holding onto him as tightly as she could, still sitting on his cuffed hands, he turned around to look at the rest of his friends in the trees.

They were all running, walking and jogging towards Nick and Wynter, too.

Nick only remembered the doppelganger when a form flashed past him and Wynter. It moved faster than Nick was prepared for, darting through the air with a speed that nearly made his teeth rattle.

He barely pulled Wynter out of harm’s way in time.

Then Nick realized who it was, and put Wynter down.

He handed her off to Mal, making sure she was safe with the other seers before he ran for the vampire that was hissing and growling and making guttural cries as he ripped out another vampire’s neck and throat.

He didn’t do it very well.

For a first time, it wasn’t so bad, but it was messy and sloppy as hell.

It got really bloody, really fast, too.

Nick didn’t try to stop him.

He stood over Damon Jordan with the umbrella so his friend wouldn’t end up burning off half his face on his first damned day of being a vamp. The burns likely wouldn’t kill him unless he fell asleep out here, but Nick knew from experience how long they took to heal, how painful they were, and how aggravating it was looking like you’d stuck your face on a barbecue grill for weeks after a serious burn.

So Nick held the umbrella for his friend, and he watched.

Nick didn’t say anything for a number of minutes.

He just stood there, letting Damon work out his shit.

He didn’t venture to speak until he felt the last of the doppelganger’s presence let go.

Nick felt it leave him like a sick, broken, twisted cloud.

He felt his mind grow lighter instantly.

He felt that unending grief lift, the pit of despair he’d been carrying around in his chest for what felt like months. He felt all of it go, seemingly all at once, lightening his mind and heart so much he let out a surprised gasp, rubbing his chest.

Gods above.

None of that had been him.

None of it.

It was such a relief, Nick found himself briefly fighting tears.

When Nick focused back on Jordan, he saw his new vampire buddy had decapitated the other version of himself.

The doppelganger’s eyes had glazed. They had already sunk into his skull.

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