He is just as bloody as I am.
“How am I still alive?” I ask, as the water runs over us.
He carefully sits me down on my feet, holding onto me until he’s certain I can hold my own weight. Even after he’s certain, he still holds on, like he can’t touch me enough.
Cayson shakes his head, more blood running from his eyes. “I have no idea. I think it’s because of our bond. Somehow our bond kept you alive until I could get to you.” He chokes on a sob. “I thought I lost you, Riley.”
I put my face into his chest, squeezing him. “I’m not going anywhere, Cayson. Never.”
“I’m so glad we completed the mate bond,” he says. “I don’t think you’d still be here if we hadn’t completed it.”
I’m glad we completed it too.
So glad.
“What is going to happen to Ashley?”
His entire body tenses. “You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I saw…” he clears his throat, looking away.
He doesn’t have to finish his sentence.
“The blood… it’s not all mine, is it?”
He shakes his head.
I should feel remorse, right? Ashley is dead. But I don’t. I just feel… relief. What she did to me was completely horrific. She tried to kill me and she almost succeeded. I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with her anymore. I’m glad I don’t have to be afraid of her.
“Thank you.” I grip him tighter.
I can feel his whole body loosen, like he was tense, waiting for my reaction.
Did he really think I would be mad at him for protecting me?
“I love you so much, Riley.”
“I love you too.”
He pulls back a little, so he can look at me. “There will be repercussions. I won’t get in trouble for defending you, but her dad is… Well, let’s just say there will be backlash, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“I’ll be by your side the whole time,” I promise.
He grins, running his thumb along my face. “You’re so perfect.”
“Perfect for you,” I say.
“I’m never leaving you alone again.” He leans down and kisses me gently.
“Good, because I don’t want you to leave me alone again.”
Cayson kisses me again, hard this time, and he doesn’t stop.
Dying is the best thing that has ever happened to me—dying is what brought me to Cayson.
I love this boy.
Epilogue
Four years later.
As much as I wish I could say the vampires have their stuff together, that would be a lie. Even four years after meeting Cayson, nearly four years after graduating from Mystic Academy, I can positively say that things are still very much a work in progress in the vampire world.
But we’re working on it.
Cayson and I are a positive change. We are proof that an elitist and a ‘turned’ vampire are equal, because you can’t argue with fate. Though, that’s not to say that some people don’t try. They try to say I’m a fraud, but it doesn’t change how Cayson feels about me.
Cayson’s family accepted me—even his brother who has a very elitists-only mindset. It’s kind of nice to know that he’s on our side.
Things are not perfect—they’re far from it. Life is messy. But all those things are okay because I have Cayson and he has me. What else could we want in life?
After graduating from Mystic Academy, I did go to college. I just went to a small college close to Cayson’s house… our house.
That took a little while to get used to—calling it our house. What was even harder was letting him buy me a car and pay for my college. I swore I would pay him back, but after four years, I’m getting used to him spoiling me. He takes me on trips frequently and I love every second of them.
Cayson and I have both ‘aged’ together. Whenever he was turned at nineteen-years-old, he stayed frozen at that age, despite the fact that his siblings all matured. They stopped aging in their early to mid-twenties and I suspect we will do the same, but I’m not worried. Even if all I had was one lifetime with Cayson, I would feel so thankful for the time I get with him. But forever… that’s not even long enough. Not really.
I look at the giant ring on my finger.
We’re not ‘married’ in human terms. But our bond is stronger than that of marriage. We have a mate bond. And there is nothing in the world stronger than that. Only death can break what we have between us, and even then, most people who lose their mate also lose their will to live. I hope that neither one of us ever have to face that.
The ring… Cayson got me that so all the humans would know that I am taken. Apparently he didn’t like that guys at the college we attended hit on me. So he bought me a ring, we told everybody we eloped, and that was that.
I don’t know what my future will bring with Cayson, but I’m excited to see where it leads us next.
But there is one thing that is certain about our future. Something I didn’t expect, though I suppose I should have.
We were in Bora Bora when I ran out of pills. But instead of going to see the doctor, like I should have, we stayed for another two months. Now we’re back home. And when I went to get a check up and get more birth control, the vampire doctor informed me that I am pregnant. Six weeks pregnant. And I don’t know what to think about that, but I suppose it’s too late now.
I’m going to be a mom, which is just weird to think about.
I look at the picture the doctor gave me. It looks like a tiny, alien blob right now. But I know it will get bigger. Wait. Not it. She? He? I don’t know yet. But I can’t call my baby ‘it,’ even if they are just a tiny little blob right now.
When I pull my car into the garage, I notice that Cayson is already home. I guess that means I’ve got to tell him. What was supposed to be a routine visit to get birth control is way more complicated than I thought it would be.
I shut off my car and walk inside, my heart racing as I do. I have no idea how he’s going to react. Is he going to be happy? Sad? Mad? I don’t even know. We’ve talked about having kids, but I honestly thought we’d wait until I was much older. Vampires don’t have limitations on these kinds of things like humans do. But adding a member to the family sounds kind of nice. The more I think about it, the more excited I get.
I just hope Cayson feels the same.
“Hey.” Cayson looks up as I enter his office.
“Hi.” I let out a nervous breath.
He knits his brows as he looks at me. “Are you okay?”
I nod, walking closer to his desk. I don’t know what to say, so I just put the sonogram picture onto his desk and stand there.
He looks at his picture, confusion on his face. And then he picks up the picture to get a closer look.
The confusion leaves his face and he looks from the picture to me. “Is this real?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“We’re having a baby?” His jaw is lax, but I can’t tell yet what he’s feeling.
“Yep.”
He doesn’t miss a beat.
Cayson jumps over his desk and envelops me in his arms, spinning me around.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t that. He’s completely elated and I can feel it through our mate bond.
He kisses me on the lips and then backs up to look at me. “You’re not joking, right?”
“I promise. I would never joke about this.” I give him a shy smile. “I’m due in July.”
Cayson lifts me into his arms again, holding on tight.
We’re going to be parents.
“I love you so much,” he says, then kisses me again.
“I love you too.”
It’s the start of our new adventure and I couldn’t be happier.
The end.
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Mystic Academy Page 8
