Dex sucked in a breath, butterflies exploding inside him.He was right. He was Luc’s. His fingers dug into Luc’s palms. “How do you know for sure?”
“I felt our connection the moment I saw you. Before, actually. I bought one of your mugs and couldn’t figure out why I was so drawn to it until I followed you to Dorthy’s.”
“I felt it too. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Luc squeezed Dex’s hands. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we met. I can’t believe I found you. I was sure, down to my soul, that I never would. It didn’t seem real at first.”
Didn’t seem real? “But you were so calm when we met.”
Luc laughed. “Not on the inside. I hadn’t been genuine with anyone or free of my past in centuries, and it rattled me. I was out of my depth.” Luc’s tone hardened, his eyes wide and pleading. “I’m sorry I gave up on finding you and did such horrible things, and I’m sorry I used losing you as an excuse for my actions.”
“You didn’t.” Losing Dex before they’d even met couldn’t have pushed him over the edge.
“I did.” Agony tightened Luc’s words, and his eyes glowed with the faintest hint of red as he gripped Dex tighter. “I stopped caring when my quest to find you failed. My world was misery, and instead of finding hope, I clung to self-pity and indulged every horrible thought I had. I wish I was the kind of man you didn’t have to excuse. One you could love without hesitation. I wish I’d never lost hope.”
Dex wanted to say he hadn’t hesitated, but he couldn’t, and that was okay. Caution was natural. Luc’s past was a part of him and affected their relationship. But Dex’s conflicted feelings over what Luc had done weren’t nearly as strong as they’d been. He knew who Luc was.
Luc was plagued by the remorse he felt. He didn’t want to be that person anymore. Ollie seemed determined to forgive Luc, and Dex wanted to give Luc the chance to be the bestversion of himself. He still had to talk to Ollie and be honest with him, but finding some level of harmony between the three of them seemed possible for the first time.
Ollie was right. They had fate on their side.
Dex pulled a hand free from Luc’s grasp and traced one of his horns. “You can’t undo the past, but you’ve changed. I believe who you are with me is the real you. And I want all of you. You don’t have to be someone else.”
The glow faded from Luc’s eyes. “I’m glad. I like who I am with you.”
“Good.” Luc should like who he was, even if he didn’t like who he’d been. “You can have love in your life. Things can get better again.”
Life would get better for Dex, too. He wouldn’t always be drowning in grief. Coming through the other side was within reach. If he could believe in a better future for someone as flawed as his mate, why not for himself?
Luc stood, running a hand through Dex’s hair. “My life is already better.”
But was it enough? Dex swallowed. “What about when I die? I can’t… I’m not…”
“I know, my dear.” Luc’s fingers teased Dex’s scalp. “Don’t worry about me. I’d never ask you to give anything up, least of all the afterlife.”
Dex choked down a sob before it escaped. “There’s no other way?”
“I’ll find one.” Luc’s eyes flared red, his hand tightening in Dex’s hair. “I’ll do everything in my power to create a world where we can bond and you can enter the Eternal Realm. I destroyed everything looking for you. I can put it back together, make it better than it was, so you don’t have to lose anything. I’ll try my best. I swear.”
“Wait. It’s possible?” Dex’s voice shook. Nothing Luc hadsaid before suggested there were options, but Luc’s grip was so secure that Dex’s doubts scattered.
Luc’s expression hardened. “I won’t lie, the odds are against us, but there is a chance. We can have hope, and nothing can take that away. I’ll do my best not to fail you again.”
“Fail me? You couldn’t. A minute ago, we were doomed, and now you’re saying there’s a chance. What else could I ask for?”
“You could ask for anything.” Luc tugged Dex’s head back and bent to kiss him, his tongue invading Dex’s mouth. “Anything, my dear Dex.”
He whimpered, mind straying to last night. “Make me yours.”
The scent of smoke filled the air. “You’re already mine. We’ll figure out how to make it last.”
Dex and Lucsat at a café by the river on a patio overlooking the southern end of the riverwalk. They hadn’t gone far from Luc’s loft, and the all-day breakfast spread was exactly what Dex needed.
Being awake all night, getting tackled and claimed in the street before being made a prisoner gave him an appetite. Who knew?
Dex was on his second coffee and contemplating a third as he considered Luc’s idea.
Luc hadn’t wasted any time proving he was ready to make Dex his forever. He’d outlined his plan to approach the Eternal Realm and argue for the entrance of all who’d been damned unfairly, starting with witches and vampires. Dex had a momentary freak-out at vampires existing, but got over it quickly.
