“The food,” I say.
“The fucking food!” He groans. “I don’t think my taste buds will ever be the same.”
Alden spoiled us rotten. We dined with him and the ailing King Simon, who barely tolerated our presence or how we ate only blood. Except, he couldn’t do much since Alden was his remaining heir.
We were there for Zeus’s funeral. Alden didn’t cry during the sky burial. He held his face and middle finger skyward before taking Tanith’s hand and turning his back on his sibling for good.
“I will also miss our adventures in the snow,” Vane says in a sultry voice, evoking memories of sneaking off to secluded spots between the trees and thrilling gondola rides where I’d take Vane into my mouth.
“Those adventures don’t have to end just because we are going back to Borealis,” I tease.
Vane tugs me flush against him by my leather jacket. “Is that so?” His gaze hoods, dark with desire, as he watches me bite my lip.
“Maybe we could get a head start right now,” I breathe against his ear. “I wonder if our train compartment is soundproof?”
He groans, nipping at my throat.
“Desiree?”
The familiar voice ties my stomach into knots. I turn to find Jaxson standing on the platform, dressed in a crisp, dark Blade uniform that accentuates his chiseled physique. He looks even more handsome than I remember, with the scent of summer and untamed wilderness clinging to him.
“Jax,” I breathe, extracting myself from Vane’s embrace. Jaxson nods to him, his eyes flicking between us.
“I heard you were passing through customs on your way back to Borealis,” Jaxson says with a hesitant smile. “Congratulationson the cure. It’s all my Anselm can talk about. He’s an orderly at Psyche Psychiatric.”
Heat surges inside me, a fierce, primal instinct. Mere moments ago, I was lost in Vane’s passionate embrace, but now my body is readying for battle.
Who the fuck is Anselm? And why did Jax call himhis?
“That’s great,” I manage to say, surprised that I mean it despite the ache in my chest. The searing jealousy recedes to a simmer. “I’m happy for you, Jax. Truly.”
“Thanks, I’m happy for you, too.” His gaze lifts to Vane. “How long have you two been together?”
“Five months,” I admit softly.
Jaxson nods slowly. “I had a feeling there was unfinished business between you two. I guess that’s what makes me a great Domna.” His wry smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
I want to say something to break the awkward silence, but the words stick in my throat. I love Vane, but seeing Jaxson again makes me realize I never stopped loving him, too.
Tears prick at the back of my eyes as I pull him in for a fierce hug. “I am so damn proud of you, Jax.”
He clutches me tighter for a long moment before releasing me and stepping back. His eyes drink me in as if committing every detail to memory. “I missed you, sunshine. Take care of yourself, okay?”
“I will,” I promise, aching with a mix of love, nostalgia, and letting go. “You do the same.”
With a final nod, Jaxson squares his shoulders, and walks away, disappearing into the crowd.
Vane comes up behind me, slipping his arms around my waist. I lean into his chest. “It’s okay, you know,” he says softly. “You can love us both.”
I twist in his arms to look up at him, searching his beautiful face for deception. There is none. “I will always love Jax. ButI am desperately, completely,eternallyin love with you. Not because you’re a vampire prince or my sire, but because you’re you—the man who saw me when no one else did.”
Vane’s eyes blaze as he holds my face, his cold rings sending sparks across my skin. “I know. And I will spend every day of forever showing you how much I love you and reminding you to love yourself.”
I smile. “Let’s go before my mom kills me for staying away these past few months.”
The mention of killing reminds me of Vyvyan, and I’m nearly knocked off my feet by a sudden wave of insecurity. I don’t know if Vane has kept in touch with her these past few months. I’m sure she knows where we are, given that our departure from Lua was no secret.
A whistle blows nearby.
