Page 59 of Hitched to the Vampire King

I couldn’t think of a single reason Adrian would be there. But a girl could hope, right?

Gabriel’s hand twitched in mine, yanking my back from my thoughts. The sun had set, and I hadn’t even noticed I’d been so consumed by them.

I couldn’t help but smile as I turned to Gabriel just in time to see his eyes spring open. He jolted awake and shot up in bed, his eyes immediately locking with mine. Relief instantly washed over his features, and he squeezed my hand, the same one he then brought to his lips and gently kissed.

“Told you I’d be here when you woke up,” I said, my voice teasing.

His laughter was deep and soothing, echoing in the quiet room. “I must admit, ‘I told you so’ has never sounded so good.”

That made me laugh.

Releasing my hand, Gabriel cupped the back of my head and drew me close for a heartfelt kiss. But before our lips could touch, he paused, his attention caught by our unfamiliar surroundings. “Uh, where are we?”

I snickered at the look of pure confusion on his face. “One of the pack’s safehouses,” I explained. “Today’s been…eventful, to say the least.”

His brow furrowed with concern. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Everyone’s perfectly fine,” I assured him. “We just had some unwelcome visitors. Turns out, our investigation into Nash didn’t go unnoticed. Some local slayers figured out our—and more importantly, your—location. A few came calling, intent on fulfilling the contract on your head. I gave them a stern talking to, made them rethink all their life choices, then sent them on their way. But after that, we didn’t feel safe staying at Aimee’s. So we relocated.”

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of amusement and bewilderment. “I must say, waking up in a different place than where you fell asleep is quite jarring. I’m glad you can safely move me around during the day, but yeah, unsettling to say the least.”

I chuckled, then leaned forward to finally claim that kiss. The instant our lips met, all my worries and fears faded away, leaving nothing but the feel of him against me. The urge to strip him bare and explore his body came upon me so suddenly I had to pull away before I acted on it.

Gabriel stared at me, his brow furrowed again. “Everything okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” I hummed, while silently ordering my lady bits to calm the eff down. We had plans tonight. Vampire slaying plans. There was no time to hop on Gabriel and take him out for a spin, much to my disappointment. “We don’t have a lot of time. If you’re awake, then so are all the other vampires. And we have a mission tonight.”

“We do?”

I nodded, then quickly debriefed him on the warehouse recon before filling him in on our plans.

Gabriel listened with rapt attention, an eagerness narrowing his eyes when I mentioned that we were hunting Nash down tonight. Quite the wake-up call for him, but he didn’t seem bothered by this one bit.

“But first, you need blood,” I told him. He hadn’t fed last night, and there was no way I would let him go tonight without full strength.

“Not from you,” he commented. “You need all your strength as well.”

“Then it’s a good thing I thought ahead and stocked the fridge for you,” I said, winking.

Gabriel kissed my forehead, then climbed out of bed and stretched. I stole a glimpse at the few bits of skin I could see, then followed him downstairs. The crew greeted him happily, and no one seemed to mind when he cracked open a bottle of blood and sated his thirst. Meanwhile, for the second time today, I strapped myself into my leather harness and armed myself to my teeth. No matter what, Nash died tonight.

* * *

We arrivedat the new storage facility location, the night air practically vibrating with tension and excitement as we waited for Nash’s arrival. Hunting vampires was ourthing, and Jaden, Josh, and I often found it exhilarating. Gabriel and Avery, however, seemed a bit more subdued and cautious.

We split up the moment we stepped out of the van, taking positions that would provide us a wide surveillance range without leaving us with any blind spots. Gabriel and I took a spot with a clear view of the main entrance, hidden in the shadows to avoid detection. Josh and Jaden took the side entrance, and Avery, despite our concerns about her going off alone, took the back bay entrance.

We all connected via the group call, with Lucy and Sam on the other end, ready to offer assistance or call for backup if things went south. Compared to other hunts, this one was quite elaborate. I was used to tracking my mark alone and planning the best moment to attack. I had to admit, it was nice to have the backup, with multiple eyes and ears primed for movement.

Gabriel’s hand found mine in the dark, and he gave it a squeeze before lacing our fingers together. We exchanged a wordless glance, and I gave him an encouraging nod. This wasn’t his idea of a normal night. He was a king, more often focused on politics and speeches than hunting and staking. When he ordered a vampire’s death, his people fulfilled his order on his behalf. But this was an entirely different ballgame for him. He wasn’t in England, and he didn’t have his people here at his beck and call—much to their dismay. He hadn’t yet announced to his council that he planned to abdicate; he hadn’t yet had the chance.

I wondered now if his plans had changed. He’d intended to give the throne to his brother. But Elias was here and had possibly sided with his father. The thought broke my heart. We’d come so far and been so close to finding our happily ever after. He’d trusted Elias, but there was a chance that Gabriel’s plan was now shot to hell.

Sighing, I let go of Gabriel’s hand. He faced me, a silent question in his eyes. But I shook my head. Not only did I not want to discuss my thoughts right now, but I also couldn’t. We were on mission and I needed to give Nash my complete focus.

“Movement at the back,” Avery’s quiet voice suddenly spoke in my ear. “Could be him. Need a better visual.”

Adrenaline surged through me, and Gabriel clenched and unclenched his hands, as though to rid himself of any excess energy.

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