29. 28

28

Serina

B astian and I had pretty much stayed cooped up in the bedroom together for the last couple of days.

Nox had busied himself with the car, as apparently it had broken down again, or he was getting antsy since I hadn’t been giving them as much attention as I have been Bastian, but I couldn’t help it. He wasn’t here for an entire week, and I had wanted some alone time with him.

But another part of me knew I was stalling. I didn’t want to give them up… not yet.

I didn’t know what the outcome would be when I finally went after my target. Even if they were at my side, he had more Vampires under his belt, and I refused to put anyone else’s life at risk for the sake of my revenge.

I had always known dying was a big possibility, and before I met the guys, I had accepted that outcome.

I was certain that Sam would be okay; her strength was undeniable. While my death would undoubtedly cause her pain, she would mourn and ultimately endure. I hoped she would find some semblance of peace in the fact that my quest for vengeance would be fulfilled.

I made a mental note to message her; I wanted to spend the little time I had left with the ones I loved before I went after Victor. The Vampire responsible for my father’s murder.

Any other friends, like Brielle, or hunter family I had growing up I had distanced myself from when Dad died. Because I knew what I was doing would put them in danger, and I knew they would argue and say the same thing Dad used to say:

“In our line of work, death is always a risk with the job.”

And it was, but most of our cases always went after a handful of bad guys at a time, or we would take down the big bad guys slowly, one by one, to make it safer to better our odds.

But no, I was going after Victor head-on, and I was going to do it on my birthday.

The same day I lost my dad, the same day I became hell-bent on revenge, because what a beautiful full circle moment it would be when I killed Victor, even if I might die in the process.

Three days… I had three days.

I glanced over at Bastian lying in bed next to me, his breathing even with sleep, the smell of breakfast wafting through the bedroom from Thorne cooking downstairs, and I imagined Nox sprawled out working on the car in the garage, and it made me not want to die.

It made me want to know what it would be like in this life to live and to be with them.

But I had never planned on getting a happily ever after when all this was over.

So, I sat up on the bed and shoved my racing thoughts to the back of my mind, and then I felt Bastian’s lips on my shoulder from behind me. He kissed my neck, then my cheek, and I turned my head to meet his lips with mine.

“Where are you going, love?” he asked, pecking my shoulder again, and I didn’t ignore the fact that he was using the term love more often now, but that was another thing I didn’t want to think about—didn’t want to acknowledge.

Because if I did, it just might break me.

So, instead I plastered a happy grin on my face. “I’m going to go grab some breakfast and see what Thorne and Nox are up to.”

He sighed like he was sad, and his shoulders sagged a little knowing our few days of alone time in this room were over. I chuckled at him as I climbed to my feet and exited the room in nothing but a pair of panties and Bastian’s shirt.

Thorne was in the kitchen downstairs cooking something that smelled delicious while sipping on a bag of blood like a Capri Sun, which I had noticed was something they were doing more of lately.

“What? You don’t drink from the tap anymore?” I joked, tapping my neck, and he shook his head with a grin.

“Not unless it’s your tap,” he said, kissing the same spot I had just tapped and causing my heartbeat to flutter at the contact. The sentiment of them not feeding on anyone but me did something to my insides.

“Won’t you miss the hunt? You know, the thrill of cat and mouse?” I asked.

I knew they never killed anyone, just fed and then compelled them to forget, but still, I was sure their animalistic instincts craved the hunting aspect.

“Chasing you down could always be arranged,” Thorne whispered against my jawline before kissing my lips.

I was a puddle in front of him at his naughty words. After the last three days of enjoying Bastian’s bed, I didn’t think I'd be so ready for Thorne or Nox the way I was now.

Fuck, I never thought I’d want anybody the way I wanted them.

All it took was a single look, a fleeting touch, a few words and my pussy would practically start weeping. He gave me a saccharine grin which told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

“Is that what you want to do today?” he asked, licking his lips and I blushed, swatting him away.

“I want to do other things first,” I admitted, trying to hide the hint of sadness behind my tone. But it was impossible to hide anything from them.

“What’s wrong?” Thorne asked, and I decided to tell a half truth.

“It’s my birthday in three days, and it’s also the one-year anniversary of my dad’s death.” Both were true, and although the one-year marker did hit me hard, what was hurting me even more than that was knowing that it might be the end of our story if I didn’t make it out.

So today, I wanted it to be about us. All of us. Together, and not think about anything else that was coming.

“What do you want to do today? Anything,” he said, pulling me into a hug just as Bastian came down the stairs already dressed and ready for the day while Nox entered the room through the garage door using a towel to wipe his dirty hands.

Both saw me, and a look of concern furrowed their brows. Thorne caught them up quickly before asking me again.

“Anything… We are at your disposal.”

I smiled. “A date, I want a date separately with all of you today, and then I want us all to go to the diner tonight,” I said happily, the thoughts of the day already making me giddy.

“Who’s first?” Nox asked, and I looked to Thorne.

“How about we go on a hike and then have a picnic without getting attacked by Werewolves this time?” I suggested slyly, and he chuckled.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll make some food, and we can head out in an hour.”

I bounced happily on my toes, kissing each of them quickly before running upstairs to get ready. When I shut the door behind me, I let out a sad sigh and then tucked all of my emotions away to just focus on the happy day I had planned ahead.

Dappled sunlight filtered through the orange leaves, creating a patchwork of warmth on the forest floor as we ventured deeper into the woods. The air was alive with the soft hum of nature, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of serenity as we strolled hand in hand, Thorne’s fingers interlaced with mine.

We found the perfect spot by the side of a pond, a small clearing bathed in the morning sun. Thorne tossed down a checkered blanket and a basket holding an array of delicious food he had made.

He had put so much thought into our picnic, and the genuine smile that lit up his face made my heart flutter and sink at the same time, knowing what was coming. I almost felt bad not letting them all in on my plans, but I cleared my throat and shoved my doubts away.

I would get my revenge, and this would be the best route.

The pond shimmered in the background, its surface reflecting the surrounding trees. The gentle lapping of the water against the shore provided a soothing sound, putting my mind a little more at ease. We settled onto the blanket, and I couldn’t help but steal glances at him.

I wanted to remember all the beautiful angles of his face, and those kind eyes that had caught my attention from the start.

We shared bites of food and sips of sweet red wine, our conversation flowing effortlessly. Laughter echoed through the woods, blending seamlessly with the rustling leaves and the distant bird calls.

Thorne spoke about his dreams, his passions. He had always wanted to be a chef even before he was turned and still would love to work in a kitchen one day.

I had never had dreams like that; with the family business, I never had time to stop and think about that kind of future. It was never an option for me. The way his eyes lit up when he spoke, the genuine enthusiasm in his voice—it only fueled me further to get rid of Victor.

I wanted Thorne to find his happiness.

I wanted that for all of them, with or without me in the picture.

This was more than a picnic for me; it was a glimpse into the future that I wished I could have—a future with him, with all three of them.

“Why haven’t you?” I asked curiously.

Having over a century under his belt, he could have easily acquired his dream job by now. They definitely possessed the money, and all they had was time, so I didn’t see what was stopping him.

Thorne hesitated. “Worked in a kitchen? Hm, well, I’d want to open my own restaurant, and with everything that’s happened with him , I never felt like I could.”

“Maybe once all this Victor stuff is over, we could open a restaurant next year,” I lied so easily with a grin, kissing him, and he palmed my cheek.

His brows raised. “We? Does that mean you plan on sticking around after everything?” he asked, kissing me again.

“Maybe,” I said, holding back the pain in my voice from lying, and he laughed. I just wanted to see him laugh.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he sighed with content.

Clinking his wine glass against mine, he took a long swig before putting his glass down and leaning over to kiss me. He moved down my jawline and next to my ear.

“You know what else I’m looking forward to…” he trailed off.

My breath hitched as he kissed down my neck, laying me down on the blanket with one hand pulling me closer to him as he leaned over me on his elbow.

He started undoing the buttons of my oversized long-sleeve shirt. The chilly air hit my bare skin, making my nipples pebble. Even with the warmth of the sun, it was still in the low sixties today, but the weather did little to cool me off as I kissed him back.

He growled in my mouth when he realized I wasn’t wearing a bra.

Fuck bras.

He gripped one hand in my hair at the nape of my neck while the other one moved up and down my sides, then in my hair and back down my body as if he wished he could touch me everywhere all at once.

I grabbed onto him, our kiss growing more aggressive by the second, my hands roaming over his body just as his did mine, but I was losing my patience.

I wanted him; it had been too long without him.

I ran my hand over the front of his shirt and ripped it open, the buttons pitter-pattering against the forest floor and blanket.

Thorne smiled against my lips as my hands tangled in his hair, angling his mouth so I could devour him properly. He readjusted himself as he took off his pants before doing the same with mine, and then he was on top of me, his hips pinning mine as his lips devoured me once more.

We were a mess of tongue and teeth. The weight of him on top of me felt so fucking perfect.

His cock nudging at my entrance had me squirming and then without any more hesitation, he pushed inside me with one long thrust, and I broke the kiss with a moan.

His hips moved, rocking against mine, and I ground against him on every thrust. He swiftly found that perfect spot, making my body go taut with pleasure. My hands ran up his back, my fingers gripping onto his shoulders as my nails dug into his skin.

His pumps were perfectly controlled as he watched me start to burst apart at the seams, and then that taut coil snapped and recoiled through me.

I cried out as my orgasm washed over me like hot, uncontrollable flames. He drew out my orgasm as he quickened his pace, his hips pounding ruthlessly into mine, his rhythm lost to the bliss.

He groaned, his cock pulsing inside me as he soon found his own release.

He dropped next to me in a heap, and the loss of his warmth over the top of my body had a chill creeping over my sweat-slicked skin against the chilly morning air.

He pulled me into him, doing his best to warm me up as he kissed my jaw and neck.

“I can’t wait to spend forever with you,” he admitted on a whisper. “However long you decide that is.” A frown curved my lips that he couldn’t see since his head was buried in the crook of my neck.

Little did he know our forever was only days.