And again.
Chapter 20
Audrey
For the next three months, I don’t get turned into a vampire. Instead, Arran and I take advantage of the benefits of his bite and fuck every chance we get.
But not tonight.
Tonight, the guys are out practicing for the Stewart Games while I’m hosting a few of the girls at the castle.
“Anita,” I gasp, bending down to wrestle my favorite vibrator out of her mouth. “I thought I told you no more of Mommy’s toys?”
Thinking it’s a tug-of-war game, the pup growls and doesn’t let go.
“Daddy likes this one too much for me to give it to you. Sorry, girl,” I say, finally freeing the toy from her jaws. It’s not beyondrepair, but it can do with a very thorough wash and sterilization before it meets any sensitive human body parts again.
I don’t even know how Anita got her paws on it. I’ve moved the special toy box in our bedroom out of reach of the curious pup so this won’t keep happening.
Unless we didn’t put it back this morning after I used it on Arran. Oops. Guess I can’t fault Anita for this one.
A week after our evening of big feelings and confessions, I headed back to Cape Easton to officially quit my job and pack up my life in the city.
But this time, I didn’t get on Shinsu’s boat alone. My sweet Arran joined me.
It was his first time stepping off the island in four hundred years and it was an honor that he did so with me—forme.
Watching Arran take in the new world was an experience in itself. He clutched my hand tightly as he took in the tall and shiny buildings, his eyes hopping from one thing to another as sights and sounds bombarded him.
It was never part of my plan to linger too long in the city, so I hurried us along to my quiet apartment before Arran could get too overwhelmed.
Anita stayed in Starry Hill with Pack Morgan, while Arran and I spent the weekend packing up all my belongings. Of course my vampire boyfriend sniffed out my box of toys and tested a few on me, but I was happy to teach him which types of toys could be equally effective on his anatomy.
We’ve since made frequent use of our special collection and I’ve successfully managed to get Arran to a point where he’s needed three blood bags to replenish himself in a single night, even while supplementing directly from my veins.
Even though I couldn’t quite manage to walk normally the following day, I consider it a very successful, very memorable night.
Doing one final sweep of the parlor, I make sure there aren’t any other adult toys tucked under a cushion or hidden behind a chair leg, then head to the kitchen to check on the platter I’ve prepared.
It’s not long before I look out one of the windows and spot the first guest strolling across the hill, the setting sun limning her red curls with its golden rays.
Excitement bubbles through me and shoots straight to my feet, directing me out of the bright and airy kitchen, through the foyer, and to the castle’s front door.
“Nori,” I say, welcoming my old neighbor into my new home. “Glad we can continue old traditions in new locations.”
It’s almost unfathomable that Nori and I met in an elevator in our shared apartment building years ago and slowly became friends. Of course fate would have it that she’d come to the island my cousin just so happened to live on, leading to Nori bumping into her childhood best friend, Shinsu, after more than twenty years. And the cherry on top of it all is that Shinsu and Arran are good friends too and now we all get to hang out whenever we want.
“Hi, Audrey,” Nori says as she wraps me in a hug. “I always knew you’d find your way to Starry Hill and have your own happily ever after.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, accepting the freshly baked bread from her.
“Yup,” Nori says, her eyes soft. “You were always meant for a place that can appreciate all the love you have to give.”
“Even when it’s wrapped in a prickly package?”
Nori bumps me with her shoulder. “Especially then. Because everyone knows there’s not even a trace of fakeness to the way you love and care.”
The words mean a lot to me, because I know I can have a sharp tongue sometimes. My humor tends to lean dry and I’mvery direct when I speak—qualities not always appreciated by everyone.
