Epilogue

An excerpt from the article "Synthblood Manufacturer Sold: UniSynth Saved by Local Businessman" written by Nasir Patton for The Sacramento Hive, dated February 30th, 2049?—

After the untimely death of its owner, local synthblood brand UniSynth was destined for bankruptcy. Hubert Todd Junger, a vampire and businessman who passed away in his home in May, left his company in a bind.

During his life, whispers and accusations plagued his leadership, and after his death, many in the company openly speculated that he'd been siphoning money from UniSynth for years, funding a lavish lifestyle. Some evidence of this has since come to light, and many of the high ranking members of the company have abandoned ship, leaving behind a mound of debt and over a hundred distressed, mostly vampiric, employees.

One of the rare synthblood manufacturers on the West Coast, the company that had been flourishing, despite what now appears to be criminally bad leadership. This would have been a blow not just to the local economy, but to the small but growing vampire community in the Sierras.

Synthblood is costly to produce and store, making importation across territory lines a hassle. With most manufacturers located across the continent in the Neutral Zone — and the prices of their product correspondingly high — losing a local company means that vampires will have even fewer cost-effective options for something that is necessary for their very survival.

Understandably, the speculation around Junger's death and its effect on UniSynth was the cause of a lot of anxiety amongst Sacramento's vampires. Notable among them was local businessman Harlan Bounds, owner of Empire LLC and Empire Estate.

A quiet, reserved man, he's known for investing in several successful restaurants, start-ups, and charitable initiatives in small towns like Pineridge, Auburn, and Grass Valley.

Bounds purchased UniSynth with little fanfare. An announcement went out to employees Monday evening at nine PM introducing him as the new owner and outlining his vision for the future of the company:

We don't just make synth. We serve our community. Going forward, half of UniSynth's profits — a direct result of your labor — will go to charitable organizations that support causes like vampire health, outreach, and the safety of those of us who are venom neutral.

I ask that you help us in this mission, so we can all benefit from a stronger, more interconnected community. Let's do some good.

When asked what inspired the decision to turn a profitable company into a charitable one, Bounds answered simply, "I'm inspired by my family. They deserve a better world."

"I think we should call it something fun," Zia suggested. She bounced Serafina on her knee, one hand on her daughter's soft belly and the other holding a steaming cup of cocoa to her lips. Serafina was getting just a little too big for her mother to easily bounce her, but she didn't seem to care as she played with her soft dragon plushie on the tabletop. She'd received it as a gift from her friend Emilia, a little dragon girl who lived in Pineridge, and it was an official member of the Empire family.

Almost every member of that family was crammed into the kitchen. The non-vampires picked over the abundance of baked goods Zia had whipped up for the meeting, while the vampires contented themselves with bottles of synth or nothing at all.

Harlan sat at the head of the table, one arm slung over the back of Zia's chair. His other hand was occupied with one of the many files scattered across the tabletop — tax records, expense reports, invoices, and every bit of the mess Junger had left his company when he got what he deserved.

Atticus sat beside his anchor, who was dressed in a sparkly top with her short, dark hair pulled back in a scrunchy and dangling, articulated skeleton earrings in her ears. They were pressed close together, their thighs touching beneath the table. Every time he shifted, he not only felt the warmth of her, but the pleasant ache of where she'd bitten him that dusk: right on the meat of his thigh, mere seconds after letting him come in that pretty doll's mouth of hers.

Gods, I love her.

When the news broke that Junger's business was going under, everyone except Carmine had scoffed and agreed it was his final punishment. He deserved no legacy, no remembrance. Every bit of him deserved to die, even if all that remained was a struggling synth brand. Atticus knew it bothered her, but he assumed it was the reminder of everything that'd happened to her that caused her upset. Knowing she liked to process things on her own for a while, he hadn't pushed her to talk to him until she was ready.

It shocked the shit out of him when, not two nights after the news of the company's possible bankruptcy broke, she asked if the money in her account was enough to buy UniSynth.

He wasn't sure, and more than that, he didn't understand why she'd want to save something that carried Junger's name in its legacy.

"Because," she'd answered, as frank and logical as she always was, "he used the money from that company to do bad. Isn't it a better punishment to do the opposite? Grim says that we shouldn't meet acts of evil with evil, but with action. Besides, think of all the vampires who need that synth. I don't want anyone going hungry if I can help it."

Even if he hadn't seen the wisdom in that, he still would have done whatever she asked of him. If Carmine wanted something, he found a way to get it for her, no questions asked.

Of course, it wasn't a simple operation. Buying up a floundering company wasn't something he had experience in, so he went to Harlan for advice. Of course that meant Zia, too. Soon enough, the entire estate was involved.

Carmine didn't want to be the face of the company, despite owning the majority stake by a slim margin, so it was decided that Harlan would step in. After much discussion and the rest of the men on the estate sticking their nose into stuff that wasn't their business, they decided to invest, too.

With the money lined up and Harlan's ability to intimidate even the gods used to their advantage, it didn't take long for the remaining members of UniSynth's board to sign over the company.

All the investors, save Adriana — who was busy with gods knew what in San Francisco — were gathered to decide on the company's new name.

Suggestions were thrown out from all corners of the kitchen, most of them ridiculous or exceedingly bad. Someone suggested Hot Blooded. Another threw out I Can't Believe It's Not Blood. When Tarrence, a shifter, had the bright idea to suggest Red Juice, Atticus slapped his hand on the table and ordered, "All right, everyone shut up! Your ideas are bad and you're not funny."

Michael, speaking from around a mouthful of steaming g?zleme, muttered, "I thought Red Juice was pretty funny."

"You're not a vampire and you have a terrible sense of humor, so quiet." Turning to his anchor, who was making the face he recognized as her I'm thinking look, he asked in a much gentler tone, "What about you, doll? What do you want to name it?"

Carmine wasn't shy, but she still struggled to find her voice amongst the relative chaos of their friends and family. He'd gotten good at reading when she had something she wanted to say but couldn't find the space to get it out. When he spotted it, he always made a point to quiet everyone down, allowing her to speak in her own time.

No one ever complained or looked askance at her. The crew adored her, and the Bounds family loved her more. They could be a little too loud sometimes, but they tried hard to give her what she needed to flourish amongst them.

Part of it was out of love for Atticus, he knew, but that wasn't the main reason. Carmine just fit. She was the quiet, thoughtful friend Zia needed and the confidante Adriana never had. Her dry humor and blunt way of speaking delighted the guards. The director of the funeral home treated her like one of his grandkids, and the community of Pineridge breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she would likely take over for the old man when he retired.

Their lives fell into a comfortable groove, but there was no boredom, no dulling the spark that lit between them the night they met.

He'd never been as happy as he was when he simply basked in her. Atticus lived for every new discovery she made, every trip they took, every grin he received when he surprised her with a kiss. When they were together, everything was new and beautiful.

"I know what I want to name it," she said, big blue eyes moving as she made eye contact with everyone, including little Serafina, who made her best attempt at a beastly growl and flapped her dragon's wings.

Settling his hand on her back, right where he could best feel her heartbeat, Atticus pressed, "Tell me."

She tipped her chin up and met his gaze. "New Life."

A hush settled over the room. It was a different kind of quiet than the one before it. His chest swelled with a potent mix of pride and tenderness as he gazed at his anchor. "For our new life?"

"Yes." Carmine looked around again. A small, soft smile pulled at her lips. "For all of our new lives."

He pressed his own smile into the crown of her head as murmurs of appreciation went around the kitchen.

New Life. New purpose. Everything I'll ever need.

Atticus silently counted the beats of her heart under his palm, treasuring each one, when he whispered, "I couldn't imagine anything better, doll."

THE END