Page 159 of Kingdom of Chaos
“I’m not going back,” she says quietly, her gaze moving between my eyes.
The words hit me like a shockwave, and I reel back, stunned.
“But your parents. Your friends. Becks. They’re all back in the creature world.”
“They are. And I love my parents and my friends. But they understand my decision. They support me.” She draws a breath, her eyes steady, her voice stronger. “I never really belonged in the creature world to begin with. I belong here. With you.”
Her words hit me and sink deep into my soul, warming those icy places that froze over the moment she disappeared through that portal.
“So, you’re staying . . . for good?” I ask, almost tentatively. I need to hear it again to believe it.
A wide, radiant smile spreads across her face, her eyes lighting up, color blooming in her cheeks, turning her from achingly beautiful to breathtakingly stunning.
She nods. “I love you. And I’m here for good.”
I lean down and press my forehead against hers, overwhelmed.
“I love you too, Freckles.”
The words are rough and raw in my throat, and almost lost before she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me in for another kiss.
This one isn’t born of desperation or fear that it might be our last. It’s born of joy and hope for the future. The future we’ll finally get to have together. And the passion we’ll have a lifetime to explore.
Epilogue
LOCKLYN / ONE YEAR LATER
A year.
It’s been a whole year since I left everything behind. My friends, my family, the creature world, and chose to stay here, in the human world, with Talon.
It’s been the best decision of my life.
Well, the second-best decision, after the one we made not quite a month ago: getting married.
It was right after a late-night patrol when we stumbled upon a human couple being attacked by vampires. We fought the vampires off, but they ultimately got away. One of the humans almost didn’t make it, but after we got them to safety, Talon turned to me and asked me to marry him.
I was completely taken off guard, but he told me that life was too short to put anything on pause. He didn’t want to waste another minute where I wasn’thisin every sense of the word.
I know I’m young, and marriage is a big step, but there wasn’t a single part of me that disagreed with him.
So I said, “Yes,” and a day later we were married.
It was rash and impulsive, born out of the need we both felt to be connected in every way possible.
Simply put, it was us. And it was perfect. I haven’t regretted a single moment since I said, “I do.”
If I have any regrets, it’s that I didn’t do it sooner, because I quickly learned how much I loved living with Talon and having twenty-four-seven access to him, andallthe perks that come with it.
Now we live in a cozy loft tucked high in an old brick building in downtown New York. It’s nothing fancy. Creaky floors, an old radiator that rattles, and a fire escape that’s seen better days. But it’s ours.
The space feels like home in a way no other place ever could. It’s cluttered with books, half-empty mugs, and the scent of Talon’s coffee in the mornings. It’s filled with laughter, shared secrets, and a love that neither of us ever saw coming.
And sure, we’ve had our challenges. Missing friends and loved ones and adjusting to human life after everything we’ve been through hasn’t exactly been easy, but we’ve made it work. Together.
Which is why mornings like this, lazy, quiet, wrapped in sheets and each other, feel like stolen treasures.
Talon’s warm body is pressed against mine, his arm heavy around my waist, the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling me into that hazy, half-asleep state where time doesn’t exist. His breath brushes my temple and I smile, content and full in a way I never thought possible.
