Zane held her closer, their baby protected between them. “We’re all going to be okay, Belle.”
“I know.” And she did. For the first time in so long, she believed. “I tried to be strong, but I don’t think I could’ve made it without you.”
“You’ll never be without me.” He turned his head and brushed her cheek with a soft kiss. “I promise.”
Janie lifted her chin and met his lips with hers before drawing back. “You can’t make that promise.”
“Sure I can.” Green began to sizzle through his pupils, filling them with color. “I’ve loved you every second of this life, and if I died, I’d love you every second of the next. That, my beautiful Janie Belle, is something neither fate, destiny, nor stubborn will can change. Ever.”
She closed her eyes, love washing through her with a completeness she’d never imagined. Then she opened them, not wanting to miss another moment with her family.
Zane stared at their daughter. “What should we name her?”
There really was only one possibility. Janie smiled. “Hope.”
Zane smiled. “Hope Kayrs Kyllwood.”
The baby, the future, awoke and looked up with serious, dark eyes full of light—and smiled.
Chapter 33
One year later
Cara Kayrs finished tucking in the African violet in a green pot, humming softly to herself in the small atrium off her kitchen. The lake outside shimmered in late fall weather, boosting her already good mood. She added a little jiggle to her butt.
“Now that’s a damn fine sight,” Talen said from the doorway.
She yelped and turned around. “Don’t startle me like that.” Taking off her gloves, she glanced down at her casual skirt and blouse to ensure she hadn’t spilled any dirt. “We have a party to attend.”
“A quick party. Then back here, and I’d like to see that dance again.” His gorgeous golden eyes darkened.
Heat filled her face. On all that was holy. After two decades of marriage, after she had birthed his son, the vampire still had the ability to make her blush. Her empathic abilities allowed her to feel inside his skin, and sometimes his passion burned hot enough to singe them both. “I’m not missing a minute of my granddaughter’s first birthday party, Talen. You’ll just have to control yourself.”
Big mistake. Or rather, a big challenge, which she’d meant wholeheartedly to throw down.
He advanced toward her, all male intent.
She chuckled and looked frantically for an escape. The vampire was between her and the door.
He grinned. “You didn’t plan this room well, did you?”
She shook her head and drank him in. Healthy, virile, and strong. The gray hair had fallen out, leaving a world of bald vampires for the briefest of time as the virus cure took effect. Then health had descended upon them, and the color had returned to their eyes and skin just as their hair had begun to grow. Talen’s thick brown mass now curled over his collar, although a gray strip remained as if a grim reminder of how close he’d come to dying.
“You know, I kinda liked you bald. You were a Mr. Clean badass,” she teased, angling to the side for her one shot at the door.
He lunged and caught her about the waist, swinging her up with one arm. Easily.
The renewed, much darker brand on her hip began to burn. The Kayrs marking in full force after Talen had mated her again. Her golden cuff encircled her wrist again, and she clunked it against his jaw as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed her up against the wall, settling comfortably between her legs. “Why do you always try to run?” he asked.
“So you can catch me.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I’ll always catch you.”
“I know.” Happiness burst through her chest. “Thank you for the atrium. I love this room.” She wiggled against him, gratified when his eyes flared.
“The structure is sound and will withstand any blast.” He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Although maybe we should’ve included another exit to the tunnels in our aboveground home.”
She smiled. “We have six passages from our home alone. That’s enough.” The vampires had built a subdivision at the northern end of an Idaho lake, burrowing another headquarters underground into the massive mountains. This time they’d included missiles and defenses in the lake itself. “We’re safe here.”
