Page 79 of Forever Midnight

“Oh it’s a blast. We can just be ourselves. There’s dancing and talking and so much feeding.”

“Without mortals?”

Bowie scrunches his nose. “Sorry. I should be more clear. There usually aren’t mortals who are willingly there, but you know, vampires hunt sometimes and invite them in for sport.”

“Oh. People you intend to kill?”

“Usually. Our moral compass is a little off kilter, but we go out of our way to make sure our victims only make the world a better place when they leave it. Fortunately for us, there are plenty of shitty people in the world.”

“True.”

“But now that we’re talking about it, I’d say that’s the biggest shift when you turn,” Bowie says. “Yeah, the physical changes are huge, but everything that it meant to be human before changes. You adopt your maker’s views. It’s nothing to me to kill a person now, but at the same time, we aren’t just heartless beasts. We don’t kill for no reason. We don’t kill the innocent. Before Yves takes any job, he verifies it through his methods. We don’t kill children, animals, and rarely women. We have emotions, as you know. But when it comes time to do a job, we just do it. Some of us enjoy it more than others.”

“Let me guess. Thorn?”

Bowie laughs. “Definitely Thorn. He’s our hedonist. Everything is over the top for him. It takes a lot to satisfy a vampire.”

“Even you?”

“Yep. I could guzzle a bottle of tequila right now and it wouldn’t have any effect at all.”

“Kind of cool.”

“It is. Your emotions for your mate will be the strongest thing you ever feel. You would give your eternal life for them without hesitation, and they would do the same for you.”

“Is there anything you regret? Anything you would caution me to think about first?”

“I don’t regret anything. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I guess if I was gonna caution anyone, I would just say make sure this life is what you want because there’s no going back. You can’t change your mind. You can’t be mortal again, and you’ll be forever tied to Midnight. If you leave, you’ll destroy him. It’s not something you do lightly.”

“What about…” I pause as insecurity swarms around me. “Do you ever worry Syn will get bored with you or, I don’t know, just fall out of love?”

Bowie’s smile is soft and comforting. “That’s the best part, Tru. They can’t fall out of love. When a vampire falls in love, it’s absolute and eternal. It’s not like any mortal relationship you’ve ever had or even imagined. You are literally the center of his universe.”

His words bounce around my chest, settling into a spot in my heart that feels good and right. “Thanks, Bowie. I appreciate your perspective.”

“Anytime.”

I turn and look at Midnight just as his gaze seeks mine too. I smile, filled with love and desire for this man. All I can think about is ending this nightmare so I can get on with my future. My future with Midnight.

Hours later, Midnight and I lie twisted together on the sofa, naked and happy just holding each other. My thoughts are jumbled with ideas and images and dreams of the future.

“How was your talk with Bowie?”

“Good. I just wanted his perspective since he’s been through it recently.”

“Of course. Did it change your thoughts at all?”

I smile, brushing a kiss to his shoulder. My tough vampire is feeling insecure. “No. It just confirmed that what I feel inside is right and good.”

Midnight tugs me up slightly to claim my lips. I sink into our kiss, our tongues tangling the way our bodies do, but just as things are heating up, there’s a hard knock on his door.

“It’s Yves,” Midnight says without hesitation.

He stands, walking quickly to the door with no regard for his nudity. When he opens the door, Yves speaks so softly I can’t hear a word, but I can sense the tense shift in Midnight’s demeanor. He closes the door, twisting around to me.

“Eros and Raph found Vinni. We gotta go.”

As we throw on clothes, Midnight explains the situation to me.

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