When he turns back to face me, he’s grinning from ear to ear. “It’s only fitting,” he agrees. Taking me by the waist, he pulls me to my feet. “Are you alright? Can you stand?”
I nod. Though I’m a bit wobbly, I’m gaining back the strength in my legs.
He switches places with me and cups my face in his hands. “Go ahead, bite me, Joanna. Mess me up. It’s your blood that fills me. I am yours, do you understand that? Your blood will never stop singing for me, because you are what gives me life.”
He kisses me deeply, his tongue sweeping and exploring my mouth hungrily, then turns and now he’s the one bent over the table. So many naughty ideas come to mind looking at him in this position, but I stick to the task at hand.
I crouch behind him and latch onto his muscular thighs, repeating the same promise he made to me over in my head as I press my mouth to his perfect, pale skin, and bite. Without the jaw strength or sharp canines of a vampire, I’m only just able to break the skin, but it’s enough.
Aidan stands up to admire my subtle bite mark in the mirror, but something else catches my eye. Those few gray hairs I originally spotted have spread throughout his scalp, giving him the natural peppered dusting of a middle-aged man.
“Will it stop?” I ask, running my hands through his locks.
He studies himself for just a few seconds, then moves to stand face to face with me. “Your blood restarted the clock for me,” he says confidently. “But that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to gain a hundred years. Your blood finally pushed me over forty, and now, because you’re my one true mate, I’ll age at a normal human rate.”
I’m awestruck by how all of this is possible, but I don’t dwell on trying to understand it. Right now, the only thing I need to know is right here in front of me—my mate. “So, does that mean?—?”
He pulls me against him. “It means we’re going to grow old together, and I can’t wait to start my new life with you.”
Epilogue
Bones is fully renovated and ready to open for business just in time for the holiday season. It took seven months, and a handful of mistakes, but on December 1st, Aidan and I make our way into town an hour before Shadow Hills’s local bar plans to open its doors. He pulls me close to him as we walk side by side beneath the twinkle lights, sheltering me from the winter wind that whips down Main Street.
My stomach flips as we get closer to the building with its wreaths of holly in the windows and the neon sign above the door. My pride for what Aidan has accomplished has only grown over the past several months as I’ve watched him learn and adapt to this new version of himself, but seeing this project of his come to life has also made me truly respect his vision to do good. I didn’t see it before, but every time the movie theater is full of patrons, or we happen to see a happy couple jogging on the new trail, there’s a small smile on Aidan’s face, and I get it. I know what he’s feeling, because I feel the same thing when I watch my animals running in the open field, living a life they were so close to not having.
As we approach the building, I notice Raegan and Jamie waiting on the sidewalk.
“Hurry up!” she demands, rubbing the sleeves of her jacket for warmth. She nods to the dark tinted windows. “Let us in before I turn into a popsicle.”
Jamie moves to stand behind her and envelop himself around her shivering body. She instantly softens, adding a much nicer, “Please.”
Aidan dangles his key in a showy manner then goes to unlock the door. I feel jittery as I watch him turn the handle, sucking in a deep breath. The bar is dark as we step inside, with only the dim light from the back office to illuminate the space.
“Why are the lights out? Shouldn’t your employees be here?” I ask, but Aidan is dead still beside me.
I reach to touch his arm. “What is it?”
But it’s Jamie who speaks up. “I told you guys there was no point hiding. Trying to surprise a paranormal is pointless.”
I’m not sure what he’s talking about at first, but then I hear a quiet snicker from my other side. Before I can register that there might be more people in the room, all the lights flick on, and I’m met with almost a hundred faces grinning back at me.
The room erupts, and my heart nearly stops in my chest.
“Surprise!”
Practically everyone we know has crammed themselves into the tiny bar, and every last one of them is cheering wildly in celebration.
I lean into Aidan. “You saw them, didn’t you?”
He smirks. “They were kinda hard to miss.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. Jamie is the first to purchase a round of shots, and for the rest of the night, we drink and laugh, and I soak up time with those I’ve come to cherish. A year ago, I never would have expected an entire town to show up forsomething like this, but they’ve embraced Aidan just as they’ve embraced me, even when I didn’t want them to.
We drink to Aidan’s success and try not to overdo it. It’s a wonderful night with wonderful friends, and for the first time in a very long time, my cup is full. I hate to think I wasted so much time feeling lonely when all I needed was right in front of me, but right now, I feel included and happy. And that’s all that matters.
I find Simone and Casey in the crowd and they both congratulate Aidan. Simone and I have spent a lot more time together since clearing the air, and I’ve enjoyed hearing all about her journey discovering her magic. We don’t talk about the coven, but we’re all happy to support her. Secretly, I hope this gives Raegan an opportunity to mend things with her family. If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that holding in your feelings is never a good thing.
Aidan and I are still working on our relationship every day, but whenever we learn something new it just makes us stronger. The more confident I grow in my feelings for him, the more I know I’ve made the right decision. Having our friends know the truth has only made things better. It no longer feels like an arbitrary secret, and more like something I wanted to shout from the rooftops.
