Epilogue

EPILOGUE

COOPER

A week later.

If I could have gotten into the vampire's sleeping chamber during the day, I would have. Or maybe not. It's not right that he should die peacefully in his sleep. I considered coming for him in my bear form during the full moon and mauling him to death, but a mauling is too quick and merciful. And I want to talk… with pointy objects. I want to drag out this piece of shit's suffering for daring to touch my mate.

I thought he'd have fucked off back to Europe by now. But why should he? I didn't go after him when my brother died. Why should he think this would be any different?

It's just before sunset, and I'm sitting on top of the emptied coffin of one of his vampire guards. I took both of them out while they were sleeping. And now I sit, with a wicked-sharp dagger, waiting for Marcus to rise.

As the sun sets, the heavy vault-like bars release in a loud clang. And then the massive steel door slides open with a groan. But it's empty. There's a note on the bare marble slab. I step inside and pick it up.

The note reads, "Look behind you."

I turn to find Marcus on the outside of the vault, a sinister smile on his face. Before he can input the code to close and lock the door, I fling the dagger at him. It pierces his skin, and he collapses to the ground.

"W-what i-is this?" he asks. He's already ripped the dagger out of his throat, but it's too late.

"Dagger dipped in Vampire's Bane," I say. It won't kill him—not immediately—but it weakens him. A younger vampire would be unconscious by now.

"T-there's no s-such thing," he says, his voice going raspy.

"It's a proprietary recipe. My friend Selene whipped it up for me." For another 15k—apparently she also needs a new roof. I'm fairly certain she didn't sell it to me at market value.

I look around, wondering where he slept during the day. I guess he knew I'd come for him after all. Rowan would have killed him for taking his mate if he could have pulled himself together long enough—and if Marcus hadn't already fled the country by then.

I spot a small door, leading to another chamber. I drag the vampire back inside. It's a windowless dungeon, a good secondary resting place for a vampire—not quite as secure as the vault for a being that falls completely dead each day—but safe enough in a pinch.

This room isn't mostly empty like the cell I found Rosalie in, no this one is meant for… playing. I push down the bile rising in my throat at the thought of the things he would have done to her in here if I hadn't gotten to her in time.

There is all manner of bondage and sex furniture, sex toys, whips and chains, as well as weapons hanging on the wall… swords, axes, and knives. The space seems to serve as a play room, a torture dungeon, and general weapons storage.

I drag Marcus over to a set of chains and secure him. He seems even weaker, and I'm afraid he'll nod off. Fuck. I want him to be fully aware as I take him apart piece by piece. Slowly. I want to drag this out until I am satisfied.

I pull the phone from my pocket and call Selene.

"Coven Mart, how may I help you?"

"He's about to go unconscious on me. How long until this wears off?"

"Oh. I might have used a little too much belladonna."

"How long?"

I can practically hear her shrug over the phone.

"I mean, possibly twenty years. Give or take."

"Selene…"

"I'm kidding. Throw some water on him and smack him around a little. Just keep him awake for a few minutes and it should wear off. Vampires bounce back."

I growl and hang up the phone. I run upstairs, grab a glass, and pour some cold water from the faucet. Then I go back down to splash it in the vampire's face.

He spits and splutters when the water hits him. I smack him a few times. His vision finally seems to clear, and his fangs descend.

"I'll kill you," he says.

"When you make your impossible escape from shackles you're too drugged to break out of?"

A dagger, my dagger, flies past my head and embeds into the wall.

"No, when my new human servants release me."

I turn to see five burly guys piling into the dungeon. They look like members of a biker gang and probably were before Marcus recruited them and pressed them into his service.

I am so angry right now that I can't fulfill my original plan, but Rosalie comes first, and if I get myself killed… it would be too cruel to her.

"Fuck you for making me do this quick," I snarl.

I grab a sword off the wall and lop off the vampire's head. The head rolls on the floor at my feet, turning gray right in front of me. As his body begins to disintegrate I see the ghost of a smile on his face like even in death he thinks he won a round.

I look back up to the humans who seem spooked—now freed from the vampire's thrall—and confused about what they're even doing down here. I don't bother explaining what they just witnessed. They'd refuse to believe it anyway.

When I get back to the penthouse, I find Rosalie on the rooftop, painting. We've set up a makeshift open-air workspace for her until I can design and build a properly ventilated and temperature-controlled studio up here. Right now there's a steel closet she can store everything in when she's not working to protect all her stuff from the weather.

We've discussed a large structure with huge glass windows so she gets all the angles of the sun without obstruction.

A couple of days ago the gallery she exhibited at called. They're getting calls and emails requesting more of her work. She's been invited to do a solo show at the city's largest art museum which I designed the renovation for. A major fine art review publication wants to feature her show in a story that's going to combine art with the public interest angle of wildlife conservation.

Rosalie stands out in the clear sunny day, wearing a white smock covered in paint. Her hair is swept into a messy updo. I slip behind her and pull her back against my chest. I smell her citrus and honey scent and run my tongue over the puckered scar of my mating mark.

She shivers and sighs contentedly against me. "Where'd you go?"

"I just had an errand to run. Are you near a stopping point?"

She pulls out of my arms and steps back to take a look at her newest painting. It's another bear and woman. It's a large scale piece. One half of the painting is a dark, gritty dirty city and the other side is the beauty, splendor, and magic of the forest. The bear is leading the woman from the city back into nature.

I want to hang it in our penthouse, but I know she needs work to sell, so I keep this feeling to myself. Anyway, I have the first one in this series.

She sighs, "I could probably take a break."

"Good. Get your cute ass into my bed." I smack said cute ass, and she lets out a shriek of laughter as she races back inside, and I spend the rest of the day in bed reminding her of all the perks of being mine.