EPILOGUE

Two months later…

"It worked!" Simone shouts, jumping up and down like a child on her birthday.

"You're sure?" I ask anxiously, wringing my hands while trying to shift my wedding dress into place.

"Yes. You were right. Your savage can strip away the counter using empathic powers, and it can replace the counter with one better suited and chosen. As long as you fuse your blood into the code. This is going to shift evolution, Aria. You're going to save so many people who have lost their counters or fallen in love with someone they can't give up."

Considering it only made sense to heal Simone first, she and Kellan were our test subjects. We don't normally play with blood. It's a dangerous game with a fine line to ride, but for someone to find what I have with Jase… We had to try.

"It worked?" Kellan asks, his eyes bright and excited as he joins us, apparently reading Simone's squealing as a positive.

I grin and take a step back just as Simone collides with him in a violent embrace. My phone vibrates, and I glance down to see my husband's name on the screen, forcing me to grin like a girl with a crush.

"Hey," I say into the phone, still grinning.

"You swore you'd only be gone for ten minutes."

"Sorry. Simone fixed the counter situation, so I still haven't—"

"It worked?" he asks in disbelief, sounding just as excited as all of us are.

"Yep. So I've yet to finish what I set out to do."

"It's our redo wedding day, Aria. Can't the rest wait until tomorrow?"

"I don't want to make her wait. Bad timing? Yes. But we've had worse wedding days. And I sort of owe someone an apology."

"No. You don't. You deserved to treat him that way. Plus, you were a little bit overwhelmed with trying to save the world. The man kidnapped you, Aria. You don't owe him an apology for anything."

"Jase, you know how I am. I love you."

He groans, but I can sense his smile. "I love you. Hurry. This wedding night is going to be so much better than our last one."

A thrill shoots through me, and I hang up while smiling like a complete fool.

"I've got rounds to make. You two…. Gross!" I cut my eyes away just when I see Simone's skirt sliding up. Damn hybrids.

Snickering and shaking my head, I leave the newlyweds behind. It's a big day for everyone. It's rare to have three people getting married on the same day, but it's been so hectic with all the newest advances made. This was the only way we'd all get to attend each other's wedding, and Jase and I definitely deserved a redo.

"Congratulations," Rex says, wearing his tux like a pro.

When his arms wrap around me, I hug him back, smiling and ignoring the tears in my eyes.

"Congratulations to you, too."

He grins as he pulls back, and Melania comes to stand by his side. He doesn't hesitate to pull her to him. I've never seen him look so happy. His visions are getting so much better, even though they're far from the measure than can be.

"I've got something to do, and then I'm going to enjoy my wedding night. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rex grins, waggling his eyebrows at Mel before saying something that leaves me with an ew face.

"So don't need that shit in my head before I try to enjoy my night, you bastard."

He just laughs as I walk by him.

"We just came to check out Simone's progress before heading up. Bye."

I refrain from smiling until I hear the lab door open. When Rex sucks in a sharp breath and curses me from behind while scrambling to shut the door, I burst out laughing.

"That's so fucked up, Aria! You could have warned me!"

My laughter continues to pour out on my way to the interrogation room. But the humorous lightness I feel dissipates the second I step into the room that holds the defeated, broken man I once found so admirable.

He looks up, and his eyes brighten and soften just a little. "Aria. I heard you managed to take out the rest of the Scorpions. Or at least the majority. Any word on Hedin?"

He still sounds like the captain I once knew when he's like this.

"No word on Hedin yet. But we'll find him. I actually came to speak to you… Well, apologize for what I said to get Alice's location."

His smile turns grim, but understanding forms in his eyes. "You said what you had to. You did what you had to. I'm sorry I doubted you. You were so much stronger than I ever thought. Your father would have been so proud."

Tears try to form, but I hold them back. No tears on my wedding day.

"Your blood worked. We've managed to save the emergent hybrid children. Simone is certain of it."

Pride swims in his pale blues, and his chest swells with an emotional breath. "Thank you for telling me that. I'm glad it worked."

It takes me a minute to gather up the courage to do the rest, but I finally manage. "I also wanted to say thank you. You could have ran when we fought them. In all the commotion, you would have escaped. But you stood and fought. That says a lot. Jase is reducing your sentence for that, but it'll still be a few hundred years before you're released."

He nods slowly before blowing out a long breath. "I deserve to spend the rest of my immortal days in here, Aria. Don't let him reduce my sentence."

And there's the man I always knew. The man who deserves the redemption that Alice refused to strive for.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss mercy," I say, motioning to the glass behind me.

"Mercy is the sign of a strong and compassionate leader. Though I appreciate Commander Ericson's offer, I have no reason to be out. I'm afraid of what I might become outside of the walls. I can't be that man again, Aria. I never want to forget who I am."

The burden, the guilt, and the regret is there. Redemption is possible.

"You might not be that man if you have a reason not to be," I say just as the door opens. A strikingly slender woman with vibrant red hair, soft pale skin, and just the slightest dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks is smiling at him, unshed tears filling up in her eyes.

Captain Fricks stops breathing as his eyes widen, his heart takes on erratic patterns, confused about whether to stop or pound rapidly. I feel his shock, his disbelief, his dread that he's gone insane and hallucinating.

"She's real, James. She's standing right in front of you."

Tears start falling from his eyes as I cross the floor to remove his shackles. He remains frozen in his seat, just staring at the woman he never thought he'd see again after my blood failed to restore her.

"Penelope," he finally whispers in a breath that sounds like an answered prayer.

She nods softly, and he blurs across the room, crushing his lips to hers in a kiss that could warm the northern Unaligned nation.

He breaks the kiss when a sob tears out of him, and he holds her to him while he weeps happily into her hair. With his back turned, I hear him speak to me in a choked tone that barely releases the word, "How?"

"Everyone thought my blood was the answer, but in the end, it was actually the one everyone overlooked. Simone's blood. Her savage blood. We never stopped trying to finish your work, and when we saw her healing, we decided to wait. I never wanted to bring you false hope. She just woke up a few hours ago."

He pulls back, staring at her with worshipful eyes, and she touches his face with love that only counters possess, even though she's just a full blood. I step out of the room, wanting to give them privacy, but once I'm in the hallway, I hear the whispered thank you .

Damn tears. I wasn't supposed to cry. Not today.

"Give them two hours," I tell the guard who is standing by.

He nods in approval, and I make my way upstairs, searching for our temporary room in yet another compound. Seminole should be healed soon. The compound is still under construction, but it's almost back to its once former glory. Dad really would be proud.

I walk into the room, smiling when I see roses everywhere. Now this is a wedding night.

"Hey," Jase says, grinning as he joins me in the entryway, and my eyes widen with lust and mass appreciation at the fully naked hybrid in front of me. "Like what you see?"

Licking my lips, I slowly rake my eyes over the hard lines, firm erection, and mouthwatering body of the man I've got for eternity. Hunger forms in the pit of my stomach, calling me with carnal intentions, and I grin before moving to him and tangling my hands in his silky, inky black hair.

"Best wedding present ever," I murmur before seizing him in a devouring kiss.

He grips me at my ass and lifts me, walking me toward the wall before pushing me up against it. The kiss grows more desperate as our tongues fight for dominance, and my dress drops to the floor in a heap, revealing the very slinky red, lacy underwear I have on.

"Best wedding night ever," he says happily, pulling back to appraise me with hungry eyes.

My blood heats to a boil as his eyes darken, promising me a night that will top all others.

"You seem to be in a romantic mood, considering the flowers and candles," I muse, grinning as his hands slowly slide down my body.

"Actually, I was thinking something less romantic tonight. Something a little more… savage."

His tone sends shivers down my body just as his eyes flare a brighter blue, and my eyes dilate on command as we both surrender to the darkness we control.

"Savage sounds good," I say, rewarded by the bruising kiss he attacks me with in an instant.

My nails slide across his bare body as he rips the lace away, and he pounds into me without any warning, filling me and owning my body with his as my legs wrap around his waist. Erotica explodes in my veins when his blood bringers sink in, and my blood heats deliciously. He drives into me with a painful pleasure, and I moan loudly as the wall behind me cracks with each powerful thrust.

An eternity of this will never get old, and I can't wait to find out just how far we can push the limits.

A century later…

"I can't believe you caught Hedin by yourself. He's been a fugitive of the law for over a century. That's impressive, even for you," Sierra says, dusting a dark lock over her shoulder as she moves next to me.

Every man in the room has their eyes on her ass right now. All I want to do is roll my eyes.

"And my rich reward is losing out on the trainee selection. Real fair, huh?" I ask, admittedly sounding surly.

"Sorry, H. There wasn't a lot I could do about it. It was necessary to start the training as soon as possible, and the sooner the groups were divided, the better."

Sierra is always the one trying to defuse me. But it's the worst job in the world, because I can't be cajoled easily.

The quick dividing of cadets was all set up so that Commander Ericson could bring me down a notch. He thinks I'm getting too cocky and reckless, despite the fact I've led more successful teams in gathering fugitives than anyone else in the United.

My interrogation skills are unparalleled by anyone on active duty right now. My tracking is only second to one. And my leadership skills might be questioned by the fearless commander, but I get the job done. It's not about making friends; it's about saving lives.

"I have to get back to work," Sierra Maverick says as she sashays away from me.

"Yo, H, how's it looking?" Grayson asks as I walk toward the new trainees.

Pathetic. That's how it's looking.

He jogs up to my side, and I watch as the worst of every class slouches around the circle, none of them looking the least bit ready to train.

"I hope it gets better," I grumble, looking around at the pitiful assembly of men and women the United has sent me to train.

"How many gifted?"

It's not the amount of ungifted that concerns me. It's the degree of the gifted that worries me the most. No one here is over a level five.

"Don't know. I'm working through their ranks. When's the commander coming back?" I ask mildly, knowing the students are listening in.

"Soon. He, Aria, Simone, and Kellan are receiving massive awards for all the breakthroughs. Offering all humans immortality without fear of infection seems to be pretty monumental."

The dry humor actually makes me laugh.

"So I hear. Does Fricks get any of that recognition?"

"When he gets out of prison."

People are fucking crazy when it comes to love. Glad I wasn't around during all the madness. I prefer absolute control.

"Captain—"

"What?" I ask in interruption, growing agitated each time someone new comes into the training room.

Annoyed, I turn to see Cindy, my assistant, but beside her is what almost knocks me on my ass. Long, blonde, silky locks are attached to a body that shouldn't be hybrid. It's too perfect. Blue—almost too blue—eyes stare back into mine, and I tilt my head, finding myself closer than I mean to be.

She's encased in the sexy ensemble only hybrids wear, but she still seems… different. Impossibly perfect.

Flawless, lightly tanned skin is wrapped in tight, red leather pants. Her midriff is showing, but her gorgeous chest is semi-covered by a top that exposes her generous cleavage. Feeling like a fucking idiot, I gape at her instead of speaking.

"This is—"

"Sorry I'm late, Captain," the girl says, thrusting her hand out in front of me. Her hands are bound by leather strips meant for a fighter. She doesn't look like any damn fighter I've ever seen.

Trying to ignore the painful growth in my pants, I shift and manage to shake her hand in return. She's supposed to salute me, not shake my hand.

"What's your name?" I ask her, unsure about whether or not I want to know.

"Everyone calls me Key, but it's Keela Silvers."

Silvers? That's a common name, but one that still strikes dread within our nation. Fortunately, Ty Silvers never had children.

"Late ones always go first," I say, my hand still holding onto hers.

I hate the way her skin sizzles against mine, because it exposes the fact I'm aroused. I wouldn't mind under other circumstances. She smells like chocolate and blueberries, making my cock all the harder.

"Who do I fight?" she asks, shaking herself free from my grip and wiping her hand on her pants like my touch burns. That pisses me off a little.

"Me," I dare her.

No one ever acts like they can't stand to be touched by me.

"Fine. Sounds good to me."

Eager and reckless. I like her even more now.

She takes her stance in the circle, waiting on me to draw near. Shrugging off my shirt, I become aware of her eyes fixed on me, and I can't help but smirk.

"Ready when you are, doll," I drawl, taunting her.

She growls before lunging at me, and with speed I'm not accustomed to with newbies, she takes me down, surprising the fuck out of me, and fueling my anger. When Grayson bursts out into a fit of laughter, I glare at him, struggling to get out from under the girl who is pinning me down. No way is she a newbie.

"Apparently you weren't so ready, doll," she says with just as much taunting as she can.

Considering I rarely have to use all my strength, I'm pissed when I have to pull it forth with her, but I manage to flip her to her back. She starts to knock me off, but I grab her hands, effectively pinning them above her head while straddling her waist.

Her eyes widen when she looks down at our connection, seeing the proof of my arousal, but her distraction plays out in my favor.

"Pinned!" Uncle Grayson announces after her shoulders stay down for twenty seconds.

She drops her head back while muttering a few curses, and I stand to my feet. I offer her my hand, but she just stares at it, silently refusing the offer.

"I want a rematch," she grumbles, sulking as she stands to her feet on her own.

"Fine," I murmur with a shrug. "Tomorrow. Come better prepared, and don't be late."

She refrains from rolling her eyes, considering my rank. "Sorry, Captain. Being late won't happen again," she bites out.

"You're officially one of my trainees. My units are always the best. I expect the best behavior. You have my schedule?"

"Sorry, sir, but no. I just arrived, and I was led here. I don't even know your name."

That's insulting, but I don't mind delivering my name. In fact, I love to watch the eyes on someone when they hear it.

"The name is Hale. Captain Hale Ericson."

THE END