I shift at the foot of the bed, my hands still working her foot, and I clear my throat. "And what you'd be getting with us is a lifetime of devotion and love, but we're demons, princess. There's no getting around that. We're not necessarily the good guys."
Esme's gaze shifts to me, something fierce in her blue eyes. "No, but you aremyguys, and I need you. I want you. You're mine."
The words settle over me like a warm blanket, the tension in my chest easing even more. She's choosing us. She's choosing this life, this existence, even knowing what it means.
Milo shifts behind her, his arm tightening around her waist. "You're sure, dove? Because once we do this, there's no going back."
Esme nods, her hand reaching back to cover Milo's. "I'm sure. And I think my heat will be here tomorrow."
There's a beat of silence, and then we all start laughing. It's absurd, the timing of it all, and yet it makes perfect sense in the most fucked-up way.
"Fate really did fuck with us," I say, shaking my head. "Bringing your heat in on the same day your body is to be buried."
Duske's expression goes serious again, his hand still cupping Esme's cheek. "Once again, you'll never really be human. Are you really okay with that?"
Esme meets his gaze, her expression so full of love and understanding. I'm not sure what stroke of luck we hit to have this woman. "As long as Liora suffers and I get you three, I don't care at this point."
I can really scent her now, her vanilla and honey wrapping around me, and it's perfect. It's everything I ever needed, everything I didn't know I was missing until she came into my life. She's ours, and we're hers, and nothing else matters.
"Do we need to do anything, or can we just all cuddle like this?" Esme asks, her voice softening. "I really like this. I didn't realize how much I would like it."
I smile, my hands still working her foot, before crawling up the bed and settling in behind Milo. My body presses against his back, the demon shuddering between me and Esme. "You're hard."
I laugh, leaning down to press a kiss to his shoulder. "It's hard not to be when I'm next to the two sexiest people I know. Sorry, Death."
Duske laughs. "It's fine. I'm not offended."
More laughter fills the room as I press another kiss to Milo's ear, my lips brushing against the sensitive skin. "I'll fuck you later, hmm?"
Milo grins, twisting his head to look at me. "Bet!"
I settle back against him, my arm draping over his waist, my hand falling to Esme's hip. We're all tangled together, a mess of limbs and warmth, and it's perfect.
Duske's hand is still on her cheek, his thumb brushing gentle circles against her skin. "We'll figure this out," he says quietly. "We'll find a way to keep you here, to keep you with us."
Esme nods, her eyes drifting closed again. "I know."
I watch as her breathing evens out, her body relaxing completely. Milo shifts slightly, his hand reaching forward to tangle with mine on Esme's hip. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"
I squeeze his hand, my lips curving into a smile. "Yeah. We are."
Duske's black eyes meet mine over Esme's head, something resolute in his gaze. "The funeral is tomorrow. We need to be ready. Once her body goes in the ground, we won't have a lot of time."
“We will be."
The room falls quiet again, the only sound the steady breathing of the people I love. Esme is safe between us, the emotional bond between us strengthening with every passing moment.
And in two days, she'll be all ours, starting a new life right by our sides.
Right after we bury her and somehow torture her sister so that she experiences everything Esme did during her death.
Chapter 15
Esme
I wake up to the smell of coffee and bacon, the scents drifting up from the kitchen and pulling me from sleep. For a moment, I forget everything. I forget that I'm dead, that I'm stuck in this weird transition state, that my sister killed me. I just focus on the warmth surrounding me, the solid presence of Duske in front of me, his arms wrapped around me.
Then reality crashes back in, and I sigh, my eyes opening to find Vesper standing at the foot of the bed, watching us with a soft smile.
