Hudson sat straighter. “For the entirety of our vampire existence, you mean?”
Briar nodded. “Yes. It wasn’t until there were four of you that you left him. Maybe he couldn’t continue to control all of you at once. If he could control you without you knowing, or, I don’t know, be the devil on your shoulder—the kind who whispers excuses making bad things not seem so bad—think of his power. He could manipulate you to do whatever he wanted, and if you balked, then he just gave you a mental shove in the direction he wanted. Maybe his control was like that.”
From their wide-eyed stares, the thought had never occurred to them. “He wanted to show you how powerful he was today, but what he actually did was show you how strong you are.”
She fixed each of them with her gaze, wanting to impress upon them what she thought of them. “You fought him, and I’m alive.”
Slowly, Sylvain grinned. First one corner of his mouth lifted, and then the other until he threw his head back and laughed loud. “You’re right. And he’s revealed himself to us. We won’t underestimate him again.”
“Exactly!” Briar snapped her fingers. “See? We’ve got a leg up.”
Hudson and Marcus exchanged a glance, one that was loaded with the promise of strategic battle planning. They would use this to their advantage.
“Whatever happens,” Valen added, catching her attention, “we will fight to keep you safe.”
“Yes,” Sylvain answered and took her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently. “You’re with us now. We’re a—”
“A team?” she joked, and then shook her head. This was serious. “We’ve got each other’s backs. We take care of each other.”
Hudson nodded and stood before kneeling in front of her. “I promise you, Briar. I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
“And each other.” Briar looked around the room. “Promise me. You’ll protect each other. You’re family.”
“Well, you’re part of this family now,” Marcus said, and leaning down, kissed her lips. “Consider yourself one of us. Vampire-lite.”
Briar giggled and held out her hand. One-by-one each of them touched her, and she smiled at them. Her heart thumped, and even if she couldn’t say it aloud yet, she wanted them to know how much she cared for them. “Family. Forever.”
Sylvain swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and he glanced at his brothers before answering. “Forever.”
Author Bio:
Ripley Proserpina spends her days huddled near a fire in the frozen northern wilds of Vermont. She lives with her family, three magnificent cats, and one dog who aspires to cat-hood.
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Books by Ripley:
The Searchers Series:
Finding Honor: https://books2read.com/u/4Xg2E9
Finding Nora: https://books2read.com/u/mK9qPB
Finding Valor: https://books2read.com/u/47kvEg
Finding Truth: books2read.com/u/4NRro6
Demon Matched Series:
Matched with a Demon https://books2read.com/u/mgrKwv
Kindle Worlds: Dallas Fire and Rescue
Slow Burn: http://amzn.to/2wlCJlm
Wishes and Curses Series:
Wrath and Ruin: http://amzn.to/2xbt1QY
Anthologies:
Married. Wait! What?:books2read.com/u/3GYVwL
Snow and Seduction: books2read.com/u/3yZWaJ
Briar Page 24
