REYNA
She was absolutely gorgeous.
Seductive.
Alluring.
Powerful.
She exuded confidence with every minor movement.
Her bright green eyes were radiant.
Her blood-stained lips inviting.
It was meâ¦after Iâd undergone the ritual to become a vampire.
It wasnât that this version of me was inherently scaryâ¦
I was scared of how much I wanted to ~be~ her.
But at what cost? What would I have to do to become this breathtaking woman before me? Was this even me anymore? Or was it someone else?
These questions terrified me.
The older vampiric version of me stepped forward and walked into me as if we were fusing, becoming one.
My breath hitched, and I lurched forward. I was suddenly in new surroundings. It was a penthouse, filled with beautiful and expensive things.
Was this my life? An inheritance of both vast wealth and vampirism.
My black silk robe trailed behind me as I walked to the giant bay window overlooking Lumen. It was a breathtaking view, but it felt odd being so high up and disconnected from everything going on below.
I walked into the kitchen, where my transparent refrigerator was filled with small bottles of red liquid.
Bloodâ¦it was the only thing a vampire had a taste for after they fully changed.
I suddenly noticed a bloodstain on my robe. It began to grow bigger and bigger, until I was completely drenched. I tore my robe off and threw it to the floor.
But now the blood was on my hands.
Feeling sick, I ran to the shower to wash myself clean, but as I turned the faucet, a downpour of blood covered my body from head to toe.
I screamed as the thick, sticky blood clung to my skin.
Sobbing, I tried to wipe it out of my eyes as I stumbled into the living room. I tripped over a coffee table, knocking a framed photo to the ground.
My hands shook as I picked it up. It was a picture of me with Dad and Anyaâ¦
Only they were old and sickly, while I was still young and beautiful. Iâd be fated to watch everyone I loved slowly die.
I didnât want this. I didnât want any of this.
âI want to go back!â I screamed. âI want to be normal!â
âYouâll never be normal,â the Fear Creator sneered. âThis is your fate. You must accept it.â
âNo, itâs my CHOICE!â I shouted back, feeling a surge of power within me. âAnd I wonât make a choice based on fear!â
The walls around me started cracking, then shattered like glass. The forest reformed in front of me, and I saw Derekâs wolf snarling at the Fear Creator as its shadowy form tried to swallow Snow.
~HELL NO!~
I donât know what propelled me forward, but I was running faster than I ever had before. I rammed into the Fear Creator and knocked him off balance.
âI guess youâre not so incorporeal when itâs a half-vampire hitting you!â I taunted.
The Fear Creator turned on me. âYou think Iâm afraid of a little girl whoâs scared of her own shadow?â he scoffed. âIâll give you something to ~really~ scream about!â
His elongated, shadowy body hovered over me, engulfing me in darkness. Whatever he was about to do, it sent shivers down my spine.
But he didnât get the chanceâ¦
Before I knew what was happening, Snow was twisting her hands like a tornado, sucking the shadowy figure into her tailspin.
âWhatâs happening?â it shouted in a panicky voice.
~I guess the Fear Creator could get scared after all.~
Snowâs eyes rolled into the back of her head as she continued reeling him in, finally clapping her hands together and obliterating the Fear Creator into smoke.
I was stunned by her power. It looked so effortless. It didnât even seem like she knew how she was doing it. It was all instinct.
Snow collapsed. I caught her in my arms as Derek shifted back into his human form.
âHoly shit, that was intense,â he said, looking a little beat up.
âSNOW!â Eveâs voice suddenly echoed through the clearing. Her psychic link must have led her here. Raphael, Jed, and Killian werenât far behind.
As Eve scooped Snow out of my arms, I threw myself into Derekâs. He looked surprised, but he quickly embraced me in a warm hug.
I didnât care what was still unresolved between us.
I just knew I needed him right now.
EVE
I wasnât sure if I was even capable of crying anymore. The world had hardened me far too much for such a paltry display of emotion.
But holding Snow in my arms after almost losing her againâ¦
I definitely felt a bit misty-eyed.
She was the most important person in the world, and Iâd never let her down again.
âIâm so sorry, Snow. I should never have yelled at you. I only wanted to keep you safe,â I said, stroking her hair.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around my neck.
âI hope you understand that no matter what you do, Iâll always be there for you. No matter how hard things get. Or how hopeless they feel. Iâll protect you.â
Raphael wrapped his arms around both of us. âThat goes double for me,â he said.
I looked up at Reyna. âThe Fear Creator?â
âDealt with,â she responded, shifting uncomfortably. She wasnât telling me the whole story, but for now I wasnât going to press it. I was just relieved that I had my daughter back safe and sound.
âGood. Then letâs get out of these ~fucking~ woods.â
***
Snow was a special girl.
There were times where I wished I could just place a magical lock on her room or discipline her with my powers, but Snow had powers too.
Powers that I couldnât even begin to fathom.
The look on Reynaâs face when I asked her about the Fear Creatorâ¦she was worried.
I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Snow, not Reyna, who had dispatched the vile monster.
Her powers were emerging at lightning speed. Hell, I wouldnât be surprised if ~actual lightning~ came out of her at some point. And there was no way for me to help her get this under control when I didnât even know the extent of it.
She was so innocent, but also a walking weapon of mass destruction.
I needed Kimbringe to get his divine ass back to Lumen before things went nuclear.
And given the unpredictable nature of the Haze imbalanceâ¦
That could be any moment now.
REYNA
Derek walked me home from the woods. It felt like we were facing one trial after another, testing our strength as a couple.
This was exhausting, and all of it was uncharted territory for me.
It was honestly a testament to Derek that he was even still around. A lesser wolf mightâve run for the hills with his tail between his legs by now.
For that reason, I had started to wonder if he was more than just his punk, bad boy persona. I still wasnât sure if he was âthe one,â but what if that didnât even exist?
Maybe it was time for me to let go of my foolish childhood idea of a perfect guy. Maybe it was time toâ¦grow up.
âWhat are you thinking?â Derek asked as we reached my doorstep.
âAbout us,â I replied truthfully.
âMe too,â he said, brushing my hand with his fingers. âWeâve gone through a lot in the past forty-eight hours.â
âMost couples couldnât endure it,â I said, looking away.
He grabbed my chin and brought my gaze back to him. âWeâre not most couples.â
We kissed passionately, pushing inside and leaving our insecurities at the door.
Dad and Anya were already asleep. As Derek pressed me against the wall, I tried to be as quiet as possible, but my hormones had other ideas. I let out a soft moan as his hand gripped my waist.
Derek stopped for a moment and looked at me. âAre we actually a couple?â
âYes,â I responded without hesitation. âI think we are.â
Derek kissed me even harder, and we slid down onto the stairs, his firm body pressing against mine.
The pressure felt good, and I wanted more, but Derek stopped once again.
âAre you sure youâre okay withâ¦with everything that was said in the woods? We never really talked about it because we were looking for Snow, but nowâ¦â
Maybe I was avoiding getting too deep.
Or maybe I was just tired of facing demonsâreal or metaphorical.
But right now, I didnât want to talk.
That was the ~last~ thing I wanted to do.
âDerek,â I said, placing my finger over his lips. âNowâs not the time for talking.â
He gulped, his eyes wandering down my body. âWhat is it time for?â
âFucking,â I said bluntly.
I was finally ready.
Or at leastâ¦I thought I was.