But then his head descended, and the only moving I did was to take his long hair out of its bun to hold on tight.
Chapter Thirty-One
Vincent
Alright, I’ll admit it. The lion grew on me.
Was he a dick? Yes. I thought house cats were assholes, and lions were majestic creatures of the wild. Amari had the confidence of a beast that could in fact eat people, but also—dare I say—swagger. The lion knew he was the shit and acted as such.
He also loved every female and eyed the males like meat. But after spending four hours with him at Draco’s mountain cabin, I saw the sheer devotion he had for Emily. He would do anything for her, including deal with the other males around. Males like me.
Amari wasn’t domesticated by far, but he respected the boundaries of his chosen.
“Maybe we can get him a little mask or a cute bow tie.” Emily laughed while scratching his back. Rose sat on a bench beside her with a teacup in hand and a smile on her face.
“Stop.” Emily laughed and I assumed Amari responded.
“He likes the idea. He doesn’t want to be recognized and have to escape from the zoo again.” Of course he would.
“So tomorrow is Terratrex’s big reveal. Phillip said we’re to help you.” Draco stepped to my side, and I nodded. I got the text from the seer this morning that the Hero Society was a family, and we help each other. A notion that was true no matter the year in time. Despite that, I’d been trying to find the answers on my own and pushing everyone away. Too many moving pieces to control, and the thought of them changing something because I wasn’t there to stop it had me gasping for air more than a few times.
Then Emily’s words came back to me about controlling it all. I couldn’t, so with a heavy weight settling in my gut, I decided to include whoever wanted to help. Phillip’s text came two minutes after the decision. I wanted to call and ask how the future changed, but I knew his answer would likely drive me crazy.
I didn’t know how the event would go. Perhaps, it would all work out.
“They’re gonna demo the satellite at the park downtown. In my timeline, something goes wrong and the sun’s rays, which were supposed to go into space, turn to the park, setting the whole space on fire. It spread two blocks over and threatened to continue, but the Hero Society stopped them.” I spoke loud enough for the ladies to hear.
“And Emily died.” Draco spoke low enough for only me to catch. I nodded once and kept my lips shut.
“The pain is indescribable, watching your soulmate die.” He continued the low-timbered conversation as the lion jumped up and pressed his head into Emily’s side, knocking her down. The lion shot a glance my way, and I read the look instantly. He heard us and wanted to keep Emily and Rose from paying attention. Like I said, he grew on me.
“The time shift?” I heard stories about the whys of the heroes’ magical time shift but never asked for the real truth.
“Rose died hours after our wedding during the big battle. I was still immortal then, but if I could have died with her, I would’ve.” I kept quiet as his gaze shifted to his smiling wife, as if checking this reality were real, unlike the memories flowing through his mind.
“You went back in time for her?”
“I did, as did the villain for his woman. Winning the battle left him empty without his love. In the end, we chose love over war, over revenge, over fear. He almost didn’t do it. He was scared that even if he got to see his woman again, she’d reject him after he’d killed her friends and caused a war.” My chest tightened with every word. “But he realized living in a world, even a world he created, was pointless without her.” I nodded without realizing I did.
“Phillip gambled with Rose’s life, with so many others, for a better future for all of us. He let his sister die because he believed in love winning every time. Love changed the heart of the villain. I have this life, with my wife and a baby on the way, because of that gamble.” He leveled me with a stare that spoke more than his words did before his hand landed on my shoulder, squeezed once, then walked to his wife. Emily floated a big brush from a nearby table over to brush her lion’s mane.
Phillip always bet on love, but I didn’t know the other side of that gamble. What if he’d bet wrong? That other future ceased to exist the moment they changed it. I couldn’t look at how things unfolded even if I wanted.
“It is a good idea. I’ll start saving for some land for us,” Emily said to Amari, but her gaze was on me. “Yes, he’s coming too.” She continued her silent conversation about us living in the woods with him. My favorite time in space flashed through my head. The side of the mountain was all trees, and not too far from Draco’s cabin. Allowing myself this daydream, I closed my eyes, visualizing the view of the bay and the city shimmering in the early morning. Emily sat in the grass, while the new king of the forest hunted squirrels. My body felt lighter, like I weighed less than a feather. My chest relaxed, and my skin warmed in the rising summer sun.
“Vincent,” she called out before lifting her hands. I chuckled as I walked to her. My Emily.
“You’re not my Vincent.” She smiled, her fingers caressing my face before falling to her rounded stomach. When Chasity mentioned kids, I would have burned in hell before procreating. Now, thoughts of Emily having my child had me enamored. I’d walk through hell barefoot to have that future.
“Remember that day at Draco’s cabin? How pretty I looked with my pink hair, blue shorts, and creamy long-sleeve shirt? I laughed with Rose, and you could feel my soothing powers from where you stood?”
I closed my eyes as her fingers lightly trailed over my eyelids. Her warm touch settled into me, and my whole body tingled.
“Vincent.” Her voice drifted off, and I opened my eyes and stared into her beautifully freckled face.
“You’re perfect.” I pulled her close, and she kissed me first.
“Where’d you jump to?” She eased back, her fingers lifting to cradle my jaw.
