Epilogue

A Year Later:

Halloween had come again, but this time, everything was different.

I stood in the flower shop, arranging bouquets in the soft afternoon light. The air smelled of fresh lilies and damp earth, a blend that grounded me. This shop had become my refuge—a sanctuary away from the horrors of the past. The flowers were delicate, fleeting, and yet, they held me together.

"Katie, we're done for the day," I called, glancing her way. She sat by the window, cradling a cup of coffee, her eyes soft when they met mine.

Katie only remembered fragments—flashes of chaos and terror from that night. The injury to her head had taken the rest. What little she did remember, she buried deep, too afraid to face it. The others—the police, the media, even the public—accepted the story I gave them without question: There was a fire, the mansion collapsed while everyone else slept, and only Katie and I managed to escape. They called it an accident.

But only I knew the truth. The whole truth.

"You sure you're okay tonight?" Katie asked, her voice tinged with concern. "I don't know... I just have this weird feeling."

It was that time of year. Perhaps she felt uneasy—not for herself, but for me.

"I'll be fine," I said, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "I've got plans."

Katie didn't push. She never did. After everything we'd been through, she trusted me enough to let the silence fill in the gaps.

She nodded as she stood, grabbing her jacket, and gave me a lingering look.

"If you need me—"

"I know," I said softly. "I'll call."

She smiled one last time before heading out into the cool evening. The bell over the door chimed, leaving the shop wrapped in silence. I let out a breath, staring at the empty space where she had been.

That night changed everything. I wasn't the same woman clinging to a broken marriage, waiting for someone else to decide my worth. Something snapped in me. I finally believed in myself. I stopped waiting for life to happen and made it happen.

I didn't hold back. I sued Phoenix for alimony and a share of his assets. All those years of standing by him while he screwed other women—including my so-called friend, Maya—came to light. His affairs, his neglect. I made sure the court saw it all, and I won.

The settlement was more than enough to make my flower shop flourish and expand. Now, there are five Rose Garden locations across the city—each one a symbol of how I rose from the ashes.

And I guess, life had its own way of serving justice. After the settlement, Phoenix spiraled, drinking heavily until his reckless behavior caught up with him. A car crash left him paraplegic from the waist down, and he couldn't even get it up anymore. For a man who lived for control and thrived on sex, it was the ultimate punishment. The man who once thought he owned the world was now trapped in a body that betrayed him every day.

Pushing the thoughts aside, I locked up and drove back to my apartment. The night air was cool, the chill biting against my skin, but it didn't help calm the jittery feeling coursing through me. There was something familiar in the air tonight, a pull I couldn't ignore. I had to keep my promise. A promise I made a year ago.

Once inside the apartment, the scent of pumpkin spice greeted me. I had made it a habit to light those candles every morning before leaving for work, letting the sweet, warm smell linger. It gave me a sense of routine, something to hold onto. But tonight, as I breathed in that familiar scent, a tug deep in my chest reminded me that some things hadn't changed. Even though I didn't need to anymore, my body still produced milk.

I didn't fight it and just like before, I still donated to the milk bank, telling myself that at least something good had to come from the nightmare I survived. It was a strange comfort, knowing that even in the darkness, something as simple as that could make a difference.

I quickly changed into a black dress and stood in front of the mirror—long sleeves, simple. It felt right for tonight. I reached for the witch's hat on my dresser and smiled at my reflection. A witch. Perfect for Halloween.

As I started doing up the buttons, my hand brushed against my breast, and suddenly, the memories of that night crashed over me. The Creepers eyes—glowing, piercing—flashed in my mind. The raw connection, the way he made me feel alive in a way I hadn't known was possible. And tonight, I was going to see him again. I was going to keep the promise I made: to return.

Just as I reached for my keys, the doorbell rang.

My heart stuttered in my chest. The sound wasn't casual or playful like trick-or-treaters. It was deliberate. Expectant.

I crossed the room slowly and when I opened the door, the breath was knocked out of me.

He was there.

Tall, sharp-featured, unsettlingly familiar. His eyes—piercing, knowing—locked onto mine, and a slow smile crept across his lips.

"Can I help you?" I whispered, barely able to steady my voice.

He stepped inside without a word, his presence consuming the room in an instant. He didn't need an invitation—he belonged here. His eyes remained locked on mine as he moved closer, and I felt the air shift, grow warmer. "You don't recognize me yet?" His voice was low, smooth, sending shivers down my spine.

I blinked, trying to place him. He felt familiar, but not like this. Then, his gaze dropped to my chest, his lips parting slightly.

My breath caught, as the memories hit me so fast it made my head spin. The night. The creature. Him.

"How?" I stammered, stepping back, my hands trembling. "How are you here?"

His smile deepened, slow and deliberate. "I left hell because of you," he said softly, his voice like a caress. "This is my earthly form."

I stared, trying to make sense of it. "But you were—"

"Different," he finished for me, his voice shifting, darker now. "Yes, I was. But you… you pulled me back, Rose. You're the reason I returned to this world." His eyes gleamed, something primal flickering in them. "Do you even know what you've done to me? What I've been craving all this time?"

I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears. His presence pressed in as he took slow, deliberate steps toward me. I felt him before he even bridged the gap, his breath hitching as he leaned in closer, eyes burning with something raw, something that made it hard to look away.

"I've been through hell," he rasped, his voice low and strained. "Everything was chaos. But through it all, there was one thing that kept me going."

My heart pounded, everything inside me tightening. My body braced for his next words, for the truth he seemed ready to tear open.

"I love you," he growled, the words jagged, each one a struggle. "I've loved you since that night. I've seen you in every shadow, tasted you in every breath. I love you in ways you'll never understand."

The force of it hit me—his need was overwhelming. This wasn't tenderness. It was something feral, desperate, something that had festered in the dark.

"You've haunted me," he breathed. "You're the only thing that made sense in all that madness. And now that I'm here…" His voice dropped to a whisper as he closed the distance. "I'm never letting you go."

His fingers brushed my cheek, gentle despite the storm in his gaze. "You've owned me since that night," he murmured. "I'll never stop craving you."

My pulse raced. There was no escaping the intensity of what he had just laid bare. This wasn't love as I had known it—it was something darker, wild, dangerous.

Before I could think, I surged forward, grabbing him, crushing my lips to his. The kiss was a fierce collision of breath and desperation. His cold, rough lips met mine with a low, guttural growl that vibrated through me.

"I love you too," I whispered, the words spilling out before I could stop them. Exposed, real, unstoppable.

His gaze softened, though the intensity never faded. "You made me feel alive, Rose. Made me want to be something more than darkness."

I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, my fingers tracing the lines of his face, my heart still racing. "What now?" I asked softly.

A deep chuckle rumbled through him, sending a thrill through me. "You tell me. What do humans do on Halloween?" He tilted his head, curious.

I smiled, biting my lip as I glanced toward the window. "Well, they dress up. Pretend to be someone else for the night."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "I am pretending to be someone else, so does that count?" He gestured to his human form, confusion flickering in his gaze.

"I guess for tonight you can be yourself. So lose the human form," I whispered, my fingers slowly unbuttoning the front of my dress. "It's Halloween. No one will question it."

Understanding dawned in his eyes, and a slow grin spread across his face. "They'll think I'm one of them."

"Exactly," I whispered, feeling the corners of my lips lift. "You don't have to hide. Not tonight."

In one fluid motion, his human form melted away, revealing the creature I remembered from that night. His dark wings stretched behind him, his glowing eyes locking onto mine. But there was no fear this time. Just us.

Together, we stepped into the cool Halloween night. The streets buzzed with life, costumes swirling in a colorful blur. No one stopped to stare at him, or cast second glances. Instead, people tossed compliments his way, admiring the "costume." They had no idea. I caught the flicker of unease in his eyes, a brief moment of tension in his jaw. But it was Halloween, and they just thought he was another creature of the night dressed up for the occasion.

We wandered the streets, me adjusting my witch's hat, the cheap pointed tip wobbling in the breeze. My heels clicked against the pavement with every step, pressure building in my legs as my feet ached more. I shifted my weight, trying to ignore the sharp bite of the straps digging into my ankles. The discomfort rose until I let out a soft sigh, feeling myself slowing down. He noticed right away.

Before I could say a word, his arms were around me, one smooth, effortless motion lifting me off the ground. He cradled me against his chest like I weighed nothing at all.

I blinked in surprise, my breath catching. "I'm heavy," I murmured, embarrassed by how easy it seemed for him.

His eyes softened as he looked down at me, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "No, you're not," he said firmly. "You're perfect."

My heart fluttered, a warmth spreading through me as I melted into him. His strength was reassuring, the way he held me, secure and unshaken, made me feel safe in a way I hadn't in years.

We kept walking until we found a quiet spot beneath a large oak tree, its branches swaying in the gentle wind, casting long, shifting shadows over us. He set me down on a bench, his touch lingering as if reluctant to let go. My pulse raced in my chest, a steady drumbeat in my ears as I reached for the buttons on my dress. My fingers fumbled slightly, a cool sensation spreading across my skin as I began to reveal the soft curves of my breasts.

His gaze darkened, filled with that familiar hunger, but there was no rush, no urgency. It was different this time. He knelt before me, lowering himself so slowly that it felt like time had stretched, drawn out between us. His hands found my waist, warm and steady, grounding me even as my heart threatened to race out of control.

The moment his lips touched my chest, every nerve in my body ignited. His kiss was slow, deliberate, a reverence in the way his mouth moved against me, like I was something sacred. I shivered beneath his touch, every sensation amplified as he continued, his tongue tracing gentle paths across my skin.

Then, with a deep, guttural sound, he began to suck.

It was more than just physical; the connection between us was instant, profound, like something deeper had awakened in that moment. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer as though he was afraid to let me go. I felt cradled, cherished, his strength enveloping me, holding me in a way that made me feel like I was the most precious thing in the world.

My breath hitched, my fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer as I surrendered completely. The air around us faded, the world shrinking to just the two of us—this intimate moment. His feeding was slow, deliberate, like he was savoring every second, every drop. It wasn't just about the milk; it was something more. It was the promise between us, the unspoken bond that had brought him back to me.

When he finally pulled away, his eyes were glossy, raw emotion shimmering in them. His chest rose and fell heavily, like he was barely holding himself together. "I left hell," he whispered, his voice thick. "For you. I can stay, Rose. If you want me to."

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as I cupped his cheek, feeling the roughness of his skin beneath my fingertips. "I want you," I breathed, my voice shaking. The impact of my words hung between us, as heavy as a vow. "Stay."

He kissed me then—soft, reverent—and it felt like the world shifted. For the first time in a long time, I felt whole, like every broken piece of me had finally fallen into place.

And in his arms, surrounded by the warmth of his presence, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.