I receive a nod of appreciation from Aurora before she rushes into her mate’s waiting arms. With one quick glance around, I see that the demons are gone, the night sky returningto its usual shade of navy blue with stars twinkling to give it a luminescent glow.
Relief only comes fully when Rissa’s breathing becomes steady again. For a moment there, I thought I lost her, and I don’t know how I would have survived not meeting her eyes the same way I can when she lifts her face now and stares at me with sadness, glossing them with tears.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobs, hanging her head.
Hooking a finger beneath her chin, I frown as I stare into her sad eyes.
“You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart…you did nothing wrong.”
Her bottom lip trembles with worry. “I did. All those things I said earlier…”
“It doesn’t matter,” I assure her. “I thought I was gonna lose you, and the only thing that matters is that you’re still here with me.”
Rissa gulps as she blinks back her tears. “I shouldn’t have doubted you, Brooks. You have every right to be angry with me.”
“Except, I’m not.” I shake my head. “How can I be angry with you when I gave you reason to doubt me? I pushed you away, and I realize now that I shouldn’t have. You’re the most important person in my life, and I’ll never shut you out again. I love you, Rissa Rudolph. I love you with all of my heart and soul.”
Rissa gasps, her brows furrowing in a hesitant frown. “You-you mean that?”
“Of course I do,” I affirm as I cup her cheeks and feel the warmth of her wary breath fan my face. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Brooks,” Rissa responds without hesitation, and we both lean in for our lips to meet in a soft kiss that seals the deal. A sense of wholeness keeps our lips locked for a long moment, neither of us ready to break the kiss.
I have a feeling that from this moment on, neither of us will ever think of breaking the mate bond, either. Love can’t be broken, even when it’s something I’ve tried to deny.
But loving Rissa Rudolph is the most natural feeling in the world, and I’m done fighting with myself trying to deny my innate feelings.
Epilogue - Rissa
Two Months Later
“I can’t believe you kept this around.” I shake my head in disbelief, with a hint of surprise in my voice as I stare at the Ferris wheel.
“I just had to,” Brooks chuckles. “We didn’t get to go full circle on this thing the last time we tried, and I didn’t have the heart to have it taken down until we finished what we started.”
Still shaking my head, I giggle as Brooks leads me toward the ride. Now that the season is making its retreat, the summer festival came to a close this past week. Brooks has been busy tending to his work, so it’s our first time spending a date night together since closing the demons’ portal.
Though it’s a temporary fix, there haven’t been any demon sightings in the area for months, so tonight does feel less stressful than our first date since Aurora binded this part of town with a protective spell to prevent an incidents like the one Brooks and I faced a few months agoIt’s even better now that Brooks and I have been bonding at home whenever we can, and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to tell me he loves me in between.
Brooks helps me onto the carriage, and he’s about to climb in when he stops and shakes his head.
“You’re not gonna use magic to switch it on,” he says as he steps back and makes sure the safety gate remains open. “We're not taking any chances.”
“What are you doing?” I ask with a frown as he proceeds to walk toward the controls.
“I’m turning it on,” he says with a casual shrug before flipping the lever that kicks the Ferris wheel into gear.
It jostles to life, and I instinctively grab the rail that surrounds the cart, frowning in confusion when the cart begins its steady ascent, and Brooks doesn’t immediately return.
“Brooks!” I squeeze my eyelids shut as fear lodges in my throat, when suddenly, a loud bang rumbles through the cart with vibration. Brooks jumps in and shuts the safety gate behind him, then turns to throw me a charming smile as if he’s oblivious to the fact that we’re moving.
“You’re crazy!” I wail as I grab a fistful of his T-shirt and pull him onto the bench beside me.
“Crazy about you,” he teases as he leans in and whispers his lips under my earlobe.
Just as I’m about to lean my head to the side and give him full access to my neck, a strange, distant ringing enters my eardrums. I frown and straighten up, a trickle of fear running through my spine when I suspect that I’m sensing the demon.
But as I stare ahead, the vast, open night sky suddenly turns blindingly bright, a warm orange glow warming my face.
