61. Marina

As Marina bustled about the tiny kitchen of the bungalow she shared with Peter, she looked out the window toward the lodge and the ocean beyond. The view was spectacular, with the water stretching into the infinity of dark blue. The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in soft shades of pink and gold.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the sizzle of eggs in the pan, creating a comforting and familiar soundtrack to the start of another day.

She hummed to herself as she worked, her mind busy planning the rest of her day off. Peter was due back any moment from his night shift, so after breakfast, he would want to get in bed for a few hours. He would probably want to make love before falling asleep and again when he woke up, which would work out great. The bite would send her on a psychedelic trip that would last a couple of hours, and when she woke up, she could laze in bed until Peter got enough sleep, either reading or watching television.

Life with Peter was good every day, but especially on a Sunday when she didn"t have to work.

In the short time they had been together, living in this cozy little haven, she had discovered that happiness and fulfillment were rooted in the small things. Sharing breakfast, going for a walk, walking on the beach, spending time with friends, and making love. It was more than she had ever dreamt of, and even if Kian didn"t approve her transfer to the village and she and Peter stayed in Safe Haven, she would be perfectly happy.

With its views and privacy, the bungalow was truly her Safe Haven.

Even the prospect of cleaning guest rooms for the rest of her life didn"t seem as daunting anymore. It was hard work, but it wasn"t emotionally or intellectually demanding, and the simplicity and repetitiveness of the tasks were calming. Besides, she got to spend her days working side by side with her best friend and her evenings with the best male she"d ever known, so all was good.

As Marina flipped the eggs onto a plate and reached for the toast, a loud ringing noise pulled her out of her pleasant reveries.

Turning the heating plate off, she picked up her flip phone, which, unfortunately, didn"t have any of the bells and whistles of a modern smartphone, so she couldn"t tell who was calling her.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Marina. It"s Eleanor. Can you come to my office?"

Marina"s gut clenched. "What happened? Is Peter okay?"

"Peter is fine. Come as soon as you can. It"s Sunday, and I don"t want to be stuck here all day." She ended the call.

Marina"s mind raced with reasons for Eleanor"s summoning her on a Sunday morning. Was it about her transfer request? Had there been some problem or issue that needed to be addressed?

That was probably it. Maybe she needed to fill out some form correctly or had forgotten to initial one of the paragraphs.

Should she call Peter and let him know where she was going and why?

It was probably a matter of signing some papers or dealing with some minor administrative issue. There was no need to worry him unnecessarily, especially since what Eleanor needed her for wouldn"t take long, and she would probably be back before his shift ended.

Marina left everything where it was, put her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, and left the bungalow.

As she reached the door to Eleanor"s office, she took a deep, steadying breath and knocked.

"Come in," Eleanor"s voice called from within.

Marina pushed open the door and stepped inside. She"d only been in Eleanor"s office once, when she"d filled in the paperwork for the transfer request, and the space was just as impersonal and devoid of any comforts as she"d remembered it.

"Take a seat." Eleanor gestured at the chair.

"Thank you." She did as she was instructed. "Is everything alright? Is there something wrong with my transfer request?"

To her surprise, Eleanor"s face broke into a smile, a rare display of warmth from the immortal. "On the contrary," Eleanor said, her tone almost jovial. "I wanted to let you know in person that your transfer request was approved." She lifted a piece of paper and handed it to Marina. "This arrived earlier, and I printed it for you. It"s an official invitation from Kian himself."

A rush of relief washed over Marina as she reached for the paper and brought it closer to her eyes to read through it.

"That"s awesome." She lifted her gaze to Eleanor. "Do I need to show it to the guards when I enter the village?"

Eleanor chuckled. "I"m sure they will be notified of your arrival, but you should keep it with you just in case. I thought you would want to save it as a keepsake."

"I do. Thank you."

Eleanor must have seen the emotion playing across Marina"s face because her expression softened, her gaze turning almost sympathetic, or as much as the immortal was capable of experiencing that emotion. She was not known for being warm and fuzzy. "I"m happy for you, but if for any reason things don"t work out as well as you hoped for and you want to come back here, Safe Haven will always take you. It"s your home."

Marina nodded, swallowing hard past the lump in her throat. She knew what Eleanor was implying, and although she didn"t like the insinuation that her relationship with Peter might be short-lived, she couldn"t fault Eleanor for thinking that.

Relationships between immortals and humans were discouraged by the immortals, and rightfully so. Things might look all rosy now that she and Peter were in the honeymoon phase, but when reality came knocking on the door, that could change, and it was possible that Marina would want to distance herself from Peter.

It could happen, but she wasn"t as worried about it now as she had been before. Their relationship had only improved after living together for almost two weeks. They were in love; they didn"t argue or fight about anything, and being with him was bliss.

She had never been happier.

Meeting Eleanor"s gaze, Marina lifted her chin and smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate the offer, and it means a lot to me knowing that I will always have a home in Safe Haven, but I have faith in what Peter and I have. We will defy the odds and make it work."

"I wish you the best of luck," Eleanor said. "I hope you will be happy in the village, but if not, don"t hesitate to call me and request a transfer back."

"I"ll keep it in mind. When can I leave?"

Eleanor glanced down at the papers on her desk, her expression turning brisk and businesslike once more. "The new team of Guardians is set to arrive this Wednesday. When they get here, you and Peter can leave with the current group."

Marina nodded, her heart leaping with excitement at the thought. In a few short days, she would start a new life with Peter in the immortals" village.

But even as the thrill of anticipation coursed through her veins, she felt sad at the thought of leaving behind her friends and family, people she had known her entire life.

Larissa would be the hardest one to part with, and the one Marina"s departure would impact most. They hadn"t been as close back in Igor"s compound, but since moving to Safe Haven and rooming together, they had become as close as sisters.

At least it wouldn"t be a surprise. Larissa knew it was coming, and she supported Marina"s decision.

"Is there anything I need to sign?" she asked.

"No." Eleanor smiled. "You are free to go. I"m sure you want to share the good news with Peter."

"I do." Marina pushed to her feet. "Thank you again for doing this for us."

"It was my pleasure. I owe Peter more than I could repay with just this one gesture. He was there for me when I needed him."

Peter had told her about his time with Eleanor and Leon in Safe Haven and what Emmett had done to them after Leon had left with Anastasia. It was such a bizarre story that she"d thought he had exaggerated it, but Eleanor was not the type to express gratitude for just any minor favor. What Peter had done for her must have been major.