Epilogue

A month later.

“Did you pick up the ring?”

Zac side eyed Mabel with a grin. He was sitting at the counter with his sketch pad while she was crocheting something bright and colorful, sitting on his couch. “Yes. You got me the deal with your mother’s second cousin’s brother or someone like that, remember?”

“Oh, yes, so I did.” Mabel giggled. “But what about a suit for the date? You have to make a good impression.”

“Locryn’s not going to care if I’m in a suit or not, but yes,” Zac added as Louisa came in, taking the seat next to Mabel. “Afternoon, Ms. Louisa. Yes, I have a suit, and it’s pressed with no wrinkles, and I even bought a new shirt just for this occasion.”

“Good. Then you’re going to need a tie.” Louisa dug into her bag and pulled out a slim piece of what looked like gray silk. “This was my late husband’s. There’s no death cooties on it. I had it pressed and cleaned. But he always claimed it was his lucky tie. He bought it when he wanted to propose to me, and we were married for more than thirty-five years, so it will bring you luck, too.”

“Oh, Ms. Louisa.” Zac got up, went over to the couch, leaned down, and lightly kissed the older woman lightly on her cheek. “That is really sweet of you, and I’ll wear it proudly. But I’m fairly sure Locryn will say yes, even without the tie.”

“You can’t be too careful,” Mabel warned. “This has to be the fastest romance Appleton has ever seen. You’ve only dated him a month. Are you sure Locryn is the one for you?”

Zac smiled, holding the tie carefully so it didn’t get creased. If only they knew. He and Locryn had spent absolutely every minute they could together in the previous month, even changing out their appointment times so they could share lunch together in the middle of their working day. Locryn filled every hole in Zac’s heart, and while the rest of Appleton believed he was going to propose marriage that evening, Zac’s actual intention for the posh dinner, with reservations at the Chalet just out of town, was to let his mate know how much he loved him. Although, there was a good chance Locryn already knew. It wasn’t like Zac tried to hide how he felt.

The Appleton ladies, who seemed to be everywhere in town when something was going on, didn’t understand just how close he and Locryn truly were – they couldn’t know the depth a mating bond could bring to a relationship. Although Mabel had been in Zac’s shop within thirty minutes of him making the dinner reservation. It fascinated Zac how quickly the lady network knew what was going on – it was like they had spy cameras in every corner of Appleton.

But rather than get upset with people getting into his business, Zac was coming to love it. “I’m absolutely sure I’m doing the right thing, ladies. Locryn is the only one for me, and I truly appreciate you caring about both of us. We’re going to have a perfect night.” Zac held the gifted tie close to his chest. “Just perfect.”

/~/~/~/~/

Four hours later, Zac was worried he wasn’t going to be on time for dinner, let alone have a chance to say the words he desperately wanted Locryn to hear. His friendly visitors had long gone home, and with only one client left for the afternoon, everything should’ve gone to plan.

Except when the client was Maximus.

Zac wasn’t silly. He knew Maximus could be difficult at the best of times. As the head of one of the biggest vampire covens in the Northwest, Maximus wore entitlement like a cloak, which he liked to fling around at every opportunity.

Demons and vampires had good relationships, as a rule. In a fight, a demon was always going to come out on top purely and simply because they couldn’t be killed. Whereas vampires, for all their strength, speed, and beauty, could be felled with one well-placed machete through the neck.

So while Maximum liked to come in as though he was doing Zac a favor by frequenting his establishment – if he wanted his full back piece finished, then Zac was the only one who could do it. The afternoon session should’ve only taken an hour, as most of the color and line work had been done and there was just some subtle shading work that was needed to make certain elements of the picture pop. An hour tops.

Except Maximus was an hour and a half late and came in sporting a foul mood. One of his favorite donors had run off with one of his guards, and he took that as a personal insult. In his bad mood he decided he did not like Appleton and spent the best part of the hour Zac allocated to the tattoo work complaining about it. Then he insisted on the grand tour, making sure to be rude about all of the embellishments Zac’s lovely new friends had provided in his shop – items that Zac really enjoyed.

When Maximus found out Rat had already decamped to the Underworld for the night, he was doubly pissed off as he wouldn’t have anyone to send on useless errands that were just Maximus’s way of getting an ego boost. Zac never allowed Maximus to bring his own underlings into his tattoo parlor, and it was as if the vampire couldn’t function unless he had someone to boss around. Zac had purposefully told Rat to leave early just so he didn’t have to sit through endless chats while the vampire sipped on some designer named bottles of water, complaining all the while. As it was, technically, the appointment time was already well over when Maximus finally decided he’d let Zac put some ink on his skin.

The vampire insisted on being naked, even though Zac’s design only went from shoulder to the rise of the vampire’s butt, and just losing the shirt would do. Usually, Zac didn’t care – he was a demon, and as a paranormal, it wasn’t as though nakedness was a big deal. But the way Maximus took his own sweet time arranging his muscled body on the tattoo table was setting Zac’s hackles on edge.

Quietly fuming, Zac put his sign on the door, indicating he was busy, and went back through to the private room, leaving the clothes Maximus threw on the floor where they lay. If Maximus wasn’t worried about wrinkles in his clothes, Zac was damn sure it wasn’t his job to pick up after the man.

“What the hell are you doing in a backward place like this?” Maximus had another annoying habit – he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Zac had barely started the inking when Maximus started talking again. “It took me forever to find this place.”

“You didn’t have to come.” Zac had learned to be friendly and kind to the Appleton locals thanks to Locryn’s influence, but Maximus would see being polite as a weakness. “You could’ve canceled anytime in the month since you learned I relocated.”

Maximus lifted a shoulder. “Meh. I’m here now. At least I know how my night will go. There’s nothing else to do in this town, so you’ll have to entertain me.” His butt wiggled as if Zac didn’t know what he was talking about.

“You’ll be playing by yourself tonight. I’ve got plans. Hold still. I want to get this finished.”

But instead of lying still, Maximus half rolled, the shock on his face evident. “What the hell? You drag me out to this godforsaken place and then have the cheek to tell me you’ve got plans? Cancel them. I’m not being bored all night just because you want to run around after some lame ass you’ve finally convinced to suck your dick.”

“Lie down.” Zac held the tattoo gun clear of the skin, meeting Maximus’s glare with one of his own. “I won’t ask again.”

“Cancel those plans.”

Zac felt the brush of magic against his skin and sneered. “Trying to use influence on a demon? When has that ever worked out for you?”

Maximus looked flustered for a moment, as though he genuinely thought it would work. But he still persisted. “Your dick is part of our deal. Cancel those plans.”

“You’ve got a lot to learn about demon deals. You and I don’t have a deal and never did. You can get dressed now.” Zac stood up, pulling the needle from the gun. He’d normally wipe the excess ink off the vampire’s skin with some alcohol, cleaning the skin before covering it. But… asshole vampire. It’s not like Maximus would die from infection or blood poisoning.

Ignoring the vampire completely, he carefully disposed of the needle and put the caps on his ink bottles. Arranging them all on the tray that Tatty had found for him in a thrift store, Zac picked it up, turning to see Maximus hadn’t moved.

“We might have tumbled before, but that was always a mutual decision. This time I said no.” Zac curled his lip. “I’m a respected tattoo artist, not your blood bag, or your fucking whore. You’ve got thirty seconds to get your clothes on and get out of my shop, or I’ll throw you out naked. I don’t give a shit.”

Moving towards the door of the private room, Zac sensed Maximus leap for his back. Throwing up a hand, he set a ward like a bubble around himself so he wouldn’t drop his tray – a ward that might look like a bubble made of fairy liquid, but it was as solid as concrete when Maximus hit it. The whole thing shimmered but held as Maximus slumped to the floor in a groaning heap.

“Asshole, making me late for my dinner.” Going through to the main part of the shop, Zac saw Locryn waiting for him, looking model handsome in a well-fitted suit that was the same color as his gray hair. His shirt was the same shade as the pink highlights he’d applied the day before.

“Our dinner reservation is in twenty minutes. Problem customer?” Locryn’s familiar smirk widened as he peered around Zac’s shoulder. Glancing back, Zac realized all his mate could see was two naked legs and a shriveled cock and ball set.

Zapping his tray to the counter, Zac took the two steps necessary to sweep Locryn into his arms. Yes, they had dinner reservations – Zac even had the ring handy, but in that moment, he had to tell Locryn how he felt. His mate was truly amazing in every way.

“I love you,” he said softly, meeting Locryn’s brilliant ice blue eyes. “You have filled my heart with joy every day since we met, and I will spend eternity adoring you.”

“Damn it.” Locryn’s smile was blinding. “You realize I owe Tatty twenty bucks now? She reckoned you were going to tell me how you felt before dinner. I thought you’d wait until after we’d eaten.”

“I’ll pay the twenty bucks.” Zac started to chuckle. “Now, haven’t you got something to say to me, too? Because our mutual friend Mabel was very specific that one declaration deserves another if we’re to be wed.”

There was so much mischief in Locryn’s eyes. “I bet Mabel didn’t reckon on there being a naked vampire in your private room when you were making your declaration. In fact, I’m sure if I told her about that, she’d say I should wait until after you’ve paid the dinner bill before I say anything at all.”

“But…?” Zac could tease because he could feel Locryn’s love for him through their bond.

“I love you, too, my precious demon,” Locryn said softly. “We might not have had the meet cute our friends envisaged, but you remind me every day what a true family feels like. You mean more to me than life, and I love you with every breath I take.”

“You’ve got a Fae to suck your dick now?” Maximus’s enraged yell came from behind them.

“I’ve never understood why people are so surprised about that,” Locryn said, his smile and gaze never wavering. “You have an amazing dick, and I’m sure the naked vampire knows that, too. What people like him don’t seem to understand is that you are so much more than a body with a hard appendage. You’re my perfect meet-cute, which means scum like you can piss off,” he added, leaning around Zac’s shoulder to deliver the last part of his sentence to the disgruntled vampire, before looking at his stunned demon again. “Come on, my mate, let’s go to dinner. There’s going to be at least a dozen people waiting to see you get down on one knee for me this evening.”

Zac mock groaned. “The things I do to fulfill Appleton dating rituals.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about planning the wedding,” Locryn laughed. “Our lovely ladies have probably got that organized already.”

Six months later, to the day, Locryn was proven right. It was a beautiful wedding, attended by all the locals who’d taken Zac into their hearts. Mabel even gave a speech about how it was her idea for the meet cute that was the reason Zac and Locryn were married.

No one contradicted her.

It should be noted that not a single naked vampire was invited. There were no pretty boy demons, and no Fae on the guest list either, although Rat did act as Zac’s best man and Taffy stood up with Locryn. But none of the annoying paranormals were missed. Everyone else was having too much fun for that.

And when the vows and the speeches were all done, the newly married couple, along with their wonderful friends, all lived happily ever after. Because in Appleton, if it’s meant to happen that way, it will.

The End