“You don’t look a day over fifty,” DJ said with a wink.
“I was tethered at thirty-four, durak. Now,” she said, brandishing the necklace, “can I trust one of you to dispose of this?”
“We’ll sort it,” Kit said, though Quin could tell he was putting on a show of bravery. Roxy dropped the necklace into Kit’s hand. He shuddered—so minute that the others probably wouldn’t notice—and tucked it away into his pocket.
Quin would take the necklace from him as soon as possible. He loved and respected Kit’s strength in facing up to Lawrence, but he didn’t want Lawrence anywhere near Kit, even when trapped in an object.
“Thank you both,” Quin said.
“Your bill is waiting in your inbox,” Xavier said instead of a farewell as he and his sister moved to the door. Quin and Kit saw them off. Quin couldn’t seem to keep his hands off Kit, andhe wasn’t sure if it was the relief of Lawrence being gone, or this new bond between them.
“So, how does it feel to be immortal?” Shaun asked from where he was curled up on the sofa.
“Uh.” Quin blinked. Christ, maybe he should have at least told his mum that he was going to live forever with his vampire boyfriend. He just wasn’t sure how one approached such a conversation. The idea of telling Sage was even worse. His cousin was younger than him, but it wouldn’t be long before Sage appeared older than Quin. The thought had him sitting down hard in the armchair.
Kit’s eyes widened with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Quin flapped a hand. “I’m fine. Processing.”
Kit came over and placed both hands on Quin’s shoulders. “I get it. Take as long as you need.” He turned to the others. “You should go back to mine, get ready for the sunrise. We need a moment.”
Quin didn’t notice the others leaving. He startled when Kit plonked himself down on his lap, arms winding around his neck. Quin buried his nose into Kit’s curls, inhaling his sweetly spiced scent. The familiarity comforted him.
“It was hard for me too, at first,” Kit said. Quin closed his eyes and listened. “I think especially as a twin, knowing that Nicola would age, and I wouldn’t. It was something I couldn’t comprehend for years. I don’t think I faced it until I found her Facebook account and saw her as an adult.”
Quin took a few shuddering breaths in and out, steadying himself. “I’m not regretting it one bit, in case you thought that.”
“Itwasfast?—”
“No,” Quin said. “I mean, yes, it was fast. But I knew from the second I saw you. Actually, it was from when my beast smelled you, but I knew for certain when we caught sight of you.”
“So, it was love at first sniff?”
“Look, it’s the werewolf way, and I won’t be apologising for it.”
Kit laughed, vibrating against Quin’s chest. “You don’t need to.” He drew back, a small smile on his face. “I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather spend forever with.”
Quin gazed into Kit’s eyes, seeing only the truth in them. Maybe forever didn’t seem so long, after all.
Quin slept longer than he’d have liked but made it to Louie’s around midday. He heard Mabel racing down the hallway as he rang the doorbell. His face split into a grin as Louie opened the front door, Mabel slipping out and bounding towards him.
“Hey, girl. I missed you.” Contrary to his admittedly subpar training, she jumped up onto two legs and began licking at every inch of his exposed skin. It was a warm day, so he was in a loose T-shirt and shorts, which gave her plenty of target areas.
“Shit, that tickles,” he said as she caught the inside of his elbow.
“Oh, Miss Mabel, you’re just so excited to see your daddy, aren’t you?” Louie said.
Quin stifled a snort. “She sure is. Down, Mabel.” With a bit of cajoling, she followed the instruction.
“Back from your trip early?” Louie asked, handing over Mabel’s leash.
“Yep. Kit’s got a few friends over, so we’re going to take them out with her tonight.”
“And miss out on this lovely weather?”
“They like sleeping late.”
Louie’s smile didn’t falter. “Well, if you find yourself at a loose end during the day, let me know. Could grab a gin and tonic or something.”
