Chapter 25

They say honesty lifts the soul's burden or some such nonsense, but I'm pretty sure those people did not sit through a five-hour conversation being grilled by Astrid and Mortimer. By the end, Anthony and I would have confessed to just about anything to get it to stop. I'm sure Astrid will relay everything to my absentee father. Why should he make an appearance after I saved the world? He pretty much missed everything else in my life. There is no point in being bitter. That's who they are.

I left out the more intimate details of my time with Paul and Costin, but as for the rest, I told them everything that happened to me. I can't say they believed all of it. But at the end of the day, it is the truth.

I've come to terms with fate's plan. It's not like I had much of a say. Things are as they were meant to be. Paul and Diana are safe. I don't have to worry that Conrad will harm them anymore. There is no reason for them to be on the supernatural's radar as long as I stay away.

As evening approached, a sense of anticipation built within me. I found it difficult to sleep during the day. Adapting to a boyfriend who is active primarily at night will take some getting used to.

Boyfriend. I shake my head in awe. I'm dating a vampire. Who would have ever thought?

I wait on the sidewalk outside our building. I need the fresh air, and I don't want Astrid drawing me back into the same conversation.

The chilly air caresses my skin, leaving me with a tingling sensation. The sky is transitioning into a deep purple, signaling the imminent arrival of nightfall over the city. Fall is here, and soon snow will follow.

Dusk has always carried with it a sense of foreboding for me. Nighttime is when the beasties and ghoulies come out to play. But now, waiting here, it's different. The evening feels charged—like anything can happen.

I touch the amulet, feeling safe, knowing that its magic protects me. This is not the life I would have designed for myself, but I feel hopeful about what may come .

I smile in anticipation, pulling my jacket tighter around my shoulders as I lean against the cool stone railing, scanning the darkening street.

Costin will be here soon. This will kind of be like our first official date.

After everything that's happened—the battles, the betrayals, the endless loss—I'm finally ready to move forward. I've chosen him, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I've made peace with my choice. The tension that's lived inside me for so long, that tiring pull between my mortal life and my supernatural legacy, is starting to settle. I'm not technically supernatural, but the amulet gives me protection, and the battle against Draakmar gives me respect.

The breeze picks up, and a prickle of warning crawls over my skin. A hunched figure catches my attention. He's coming toward me. My heart stutters in my chest. There's something familiar about him.

I hold my breath, unable to look away. The figure steps into the fading light.

Paul.

What's he doing here?

For a split second, I can't process it. It makes little sense. I hadn't expected him to come back. I had let him go. I chose Costin.

But now, he's here.

He looks different. There's something about him that's almost fractured. His eyes, which once held so much certainty, are troubled. His movements are unsteady, and he's deep in thought. I hold still, thinking he might continue on like I'm a stranger.

Then his gaze locks onto mine, and I see a flicker of recognition. "T-Tamara?"

He remembers me.

How?

I touch the necklace. But the timeline didn't change. This shouldn't be possible.

My heart slams against my chest and my head spins. He remembers. "Paul."

And just like that, all the surety I had moments before starts to crumble.

Paul takes a shaky step forward, reaching out to me. "Thank goodness you remember me. What happened? One moment, life is moving on like normal. The next, I vividly remember that we were in California right after Nancy's funeral, but my calendar says I took clients." His voice breaks, his fingers trembling as they hover in the air between us. "Tamara, I don't understand. How could I forget that? Diana doesn't remember anything. I mean, she's had terrible nightmares about being chased by monsters since the funeral and actually insisted we name the dog Tamara for protection, but she doesn't remember you, and neither do my parents. When I talked to the counselor, they said she was just working through her mother's death."

"Where is she now?" I look behind him, hoping I don't see the child in the shadows.

"With my parents in Kansas City," he answers. "She's fine. I just talked to her."

The confusion in his voice twists something deep inside me. I fight the urge to tell him everything, to explain what happened, why I did what I did, why I need to let him go. But I can't move. I'm frozen, suspended between the past and the present, torn between the person I once was with him and the person I'm evolving into now.

I glance at the sky. Costin will be here soon. How do I explain this?

"Paul," I whisper, my throat tightening. I don't know what to say. The labyrinth made me give him up. It was all settled. It was fate. How can I tell him that I've moved on, that I've chosen someone else, when he's standing here in front of me, remembering us?

Paul closes the gap between us. His hand brushes mine, and I feel our connection snap into place like it never left. I can't ignore what's at stake—Costin and the promises I made to him—but Paul's touch feels like a distant memory, the ghost of a life I thought I'd left behind. I can't help but feel the pull of the possibility. He looks at my mouth and I think he might try to kiss me.

His voice is laced with desperation as his eyes search mine for answers. He holds my hand tighter, his fingers working against me as if to prove I'm real. "What happened to us?"

Magically erased memories are not supposed to return. That's what Anthony told me.

Cars move past the busy street.

"Paul, you can't be here. It's not safe for us to be seen together." I look around the sidewalk, hoping no one is watching us. I do fear for his safety, but I also don't want Costin finding us talking. I have to handle this delicately.

All the reasons why we can't be together remain true. I have the protection of the amulet, but he doesn't. It might not be today or tomorrow, but eventually, something dangerous will come, and I will lose him all over again.

"You need to go and pretend those memories are just dreams and never speak of it to anyone," I say. "Live a good, long life. Be there for Diana."

There is so much more I should tell him. We don't have a choice. I'm doing what I think is best. But the truth is I don't even know if I can make sense of this myself. I feel that old connection between us, the way it tugs at me, pulling me back to him and the dream of a normal, mortal life. But things aren't the same. I'm not the same.

"Not until you explain what this is." He comes closer still. I feel the subtle heat radiating from his body. "I still care about?—"

"I… It's complicated, Paul." My voice cracks as I cut him off. "So much has happened."

Before I can finish, the air around us shifts.

"You have to go. I promise I'll find you, and we'll talk. But for now, you need to keep walking. Go home." I squeeze his hand before letting him go. "Don't say anything to anyone."

I can see his protest, but he must also see my panic.

"But you're safe?" he persists.

"I will be if you go now."

"Fine." Paul glances up at the buildings and then goes down the sidewalk the way he came. I take a relieved breath, watching him leave. He glances back at me a few times, as if fighting the urge turn around and come back to me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up in warning. I start to go after him. Out of nowhere, a blur of movement darts from between two buildings. The massive figure is unmistakable. A werewolf.

"Paul," I try to shout in warning.

But it happens so fast that I barely have time to react. The werewolf lunges at Paul, its hulking body closes the distance in a heartbeat. Its dark fur blends into the shadows. Paul turns just in time to see the attack. His eyes widen in terror, and he lifts his arms to fight, but it's too late.

"Paul!" I scream as I run toward him, but the werewolf's growl swallows the sound.

In one swift, brutal movement, the werewolf takes Paul by the throat, lifting him off the ground as if he weighs nothing. Paul kicks and claws at the werewolf's massive arm as he struggles to breathe.

One second, Paul is in front of me. The next, he's gone.

The werewolf snarls, its fangs bared, saliva dripping from its jaws as it yanks Paul backward into the alley.

"No!" I scream again, my heart pounding in my ears. I give chase into the alley, but they're both gone as if they were never there. I search anyway, running the length of the building, searching behind dumpsters and trash until I reach a dead end.

I skid to a stop. My breath comes out in sharp, ragged pants. My eyes strain to see into every shadow, searching for anything. There's nothing. No sign of Paul. No sign of the werewolf.

He's just... gone .

And I didn't stop it.

My hands tremble as I press them against the cold stone of the building beside me, trying to steady myself. It's like the ground has dropped out from under me, and I'm falling into something else I can't control.

This shouldn't be happening. I made peace with letting him go. He was safe. Why did he have to come back for me?

Guilt gnaws at me, and I have this horrible feeling that I'm responsible for what's happened.

Before I can even fully form a plan of action, I feel a familiar presence behind me.

"Tamara? What are you doing in here?" Costin appears from the darkness, moving quietly. He immediately scans the alley before taking in my expression. I can't hide my worry.

"What happened?" he demands, locking his gaze onto mine. I see the swirl of his powers and I push away from the building.

"Werewolf," I manage, trembling.

Costin tenses, and he sniffs at the sky. He leaps from the ground, bounding up the side of the building like a predator, and he climbs. I watch his silhouette disappear onto the rooftop, hopeful that he will find Paul in time. I listen and watch, but I can't tell what is happening.

Costin jumps from the tall building, landing beside me. "It's all right. You're safe. It's gone now."

He pulls me into his arms. I shake my head. "No, it took Paul."

Costin stiffens. "What was Paul doing with you?"

"I don't know. He just showed up." I push away from him and gesture helplessly. "I don't know why, but he remembers what happened before the amulet broke. He came to talk to me."

Costin's jealousy is palpable, and it knots something inside me. I can't say I blame him. But I chose him, didn't I? But why does seeing Paul still hurt so much?

"He was just looking for answers," I lie. Well, it's not a complete lie.

"Are you sure it was a werewolf?" Costin frowns. "The moon is not full. They normally don't hunt in the city."

"I know what werewolves look like," I respond, a little too sharply. "I tried to stop it, but it happened so fast. There was nothing I could do."

Costin goes silent. I can't read his expression.

"It's not what you're thinking. I chose you," I say. "But Paul has a daughter. We have to find him. For her."

"It may already be too late," Costin argues.

"The wolf didn't bite him. He took him. There's a chance."

I don't know what to do, but I can't waste time. Every second that passes, Paul slips further away.

"One of Anthony's friends is a werewolf, Peter. Maybe he can help us?" I move to the end of the alley.

"Tamara."

I turn to Costin. I can't shake the feeling that Paul's disappearance is my fault. And I can't ignore the connection to Paul that refuses to fade.

Costin's eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the world goes still. I get the impression he knows what I'm feeling. He doesn't call me out on it, but he knows.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I have to help him."

Costin studies me. "As you wish. We'll figure this out. Together."

I nod, grateful for his help and humbled I have to ask him to save my ex.

"I will take care of you, Tamara." Costin takes my hand in his, and his eyes meet mine. "Trust me."

His eyes swirl as he mesmerizes me. I don't want to lose myself. I try to protest, but the vortex is too strong, and I melt easily into it. All worry for Paul drains away until there is only Costin left .

"I will take care of everything," Costin whispers. "You can forget all about him."

To be continued…

The End