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Chapter 18 Vivian

I t's been three weeks since Victor attacked our home, murdering Jason and attempting to kill Ethan and Greyson.

The members of the High Council held Victor for me, keeping him tucked away until I was ready to deal with him. Which was the first item on my to-do list when I returned. I took extreme care in crafting his coffin, which has since been sealed in concrete, deep in the depths of the Barlowe. I meant what I said to Victor that night. I meant every word.

He will pay not only for what he did to Ethan and Greyson but for taking the life of one of my dearest friends, Jason Belmoore. We honored his life the way vampires do, burning his body and setting the ash free to find peace, wherever that may be.

Our worst nightmare is being trapped in a coffin, especially in death, because our soul will remain trapped in our body unless set free by fire.

The High Council and everyone who was there the night of Victor's attack attended his memorial, celebrating his life both as a human and as a vampire.

Jason will be missed, but he will be remembered forever, his picture hanging in the hall of the Barlowe for everyone to see. I hate that his life was cut short by that monster, and I can't help but feel some of the blame for his death. But I will honor his life every day, upholding his respect for the High Council and the success of the Culling.

Victor's attack feels like so long ago somehow; so much has happened in the last few weeks. Greyson and I agreed to complete the Ceremony of Life and Death. He has officially graduated from college and completely made himself at home, turning the entire basement into his own personal library.

Lucy, who he insists loves his nickname for her—Lulu—has become a Velcro kitty, never far from her favorite person in the world—who is definitely not me. Which I find incredibly offensive since I've known her far longer and love her unconditionally, spoiling the hell out of her for years. But I also can't blame her. Greyson's my favorite person too.

We stayed in a happy bubble at our house for a couple of days before I needed to return to the High Council, even though they insisted on me taking all of the time I needed…

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Greyson knocks on the bedroom door, pulling me from my thoughts, my heart nearly jumps out of my mouth. "Hey, slowpoke. We're ready for you."

Slowpoke . Yeah, right. I laugh as I step into my favorite pair of black heels, the same ones I wore the night of the Culling, and the perfect complement to the red satin gown that flows over my body, accentuating every curve.

A thigh-high slit runs up my right leg, parting as I step toward the door with my heart in my throat. I spent way too long putting my hair in a curly updo, a few curls hanging loose and framing my face. But I wanted to look perfect. After all, this is the most important night of my life.

Wrapping my fingers around the doorknob, I take a shaky breath, the resident bats in my stomach flying around like crazy.

This is it, the moment the last three weeks of waiting have been leading up to, the moment my entire life has been leading to.

Pulling the door open, I take yet another deep breath, but there's no point because the second my gaze locks onto the white button-up on Greyson's chest, all the air in my lungs dissipates.

His smooth voice wraps around me, pulling me closer to him. "Forever? I get to stare at you for eternity ? How did I get so damn lucky?"

My cheeks burn as I lift my gaze, meeting his eyes. "You may get sick of me eventually. It could happen."

He offers me his hand, which I happily take. "I quite literally could never tire of you."

Guiding me into the hallway, he lifts my hand, spinning me beneath his arm, bubbling laughter spilling out of me as he twirls me around, and I can't help but be reminded of how much I love this man.

His voice deepens, a raspiness there that wasn't before. "You look…beautiful, Vivian."

If my cheeks were warm before, they are ablaze right now. "Thank you."

He leads me toward the staircase, stopping me right before I try to take my first step. "Allow me."

My brows furrow as I turn to him, the sweetest smile lifting his full lips. Scooping me up into his arms, he places a gentle kiss on my forehead, curling me into his chest. He holds my stare, the warm light of the giant chandelier reflecting off his glasses.

"Life with you feels like a dream, Vivian. And I never want to wake up," he murmurs, his soft voice caressing my heart as he slowly and carefully descends the stairs with ease.

As his feet hit the floor of the foyer, I wiggle to get down, but he only squeezes me harder with a cocky smirk, refusing to let me down until we are in front of the double front doors.

"Last chance to back out," he whispers into my ear as he lowers me to my feet.

Turning in his arms, I look straight up at him, fixing the collar of his shirt. "I think I should be the one saying that to you."

"If there are no objections—" He pauses, stepping beside me as we both face toward the doors. "—then we better get started." His voice gets louder, projecting his next words, which are definitely not intended for me. "We're ready."

"What?" I ask, confused, but my question is quickly answered.

The doors pull open simultaneously, and my jaw falls to the floor as I take in the most romantic scene. A white aisle lies before us, lined by hundreds of burning candles, casting the softest glow on everything around us.

Tears well in my eyes as I take in every detail. Endless red, white, and gold-painted flowers surround the path, growing taller and fuller further down the aisle. I can't help noticing the absence of roses in the space. He remembered .

At the very end of the path stands Autumn, centered in front of the giant black fountain, the sounds of the flowing water like music to my ears.

Greyson clears his throat, and I turn to him, in awe of the man that stands before me. His blond hair is grown out slightly and parted down the center, tousled atop his head, not a strand out of place. He's perfect, every inch of him.

Those pretty blue eyes shine with love as his next words brand themselves in my memory. "You never belonged in the shadows, Vivian. You deserve to shine in the light."

Autumn holds the doors open with her magic as we descend down the first step toward forever. With every stride forward, my heart thumps in my chest, even more so when Greyson's hand dances along my wrist, his fingers intertwining with mine.

Greyson has granted me a gift more powerful than I've ever wielded. He's seen my darkest parts, the broken and jaded pieces I'm not always proud of, and he chooses me anyway. He makes me feel loved like I've never experienced and cherished like I never knew possible.

Before Greyson, I hid from all of those things, deep in the depths of the darkest shadows, only emerging for my two outings a year the night before the Cullings, the Cullings themselves, and the needs of the High Council.

It was him that brought me back to life, him that made me open up and rid myself of the fear that ruled my decisions for so long.

If I had never met him, I still would have survived, serving the High Council with honor and grace, protecting those who need me most.

But a dream I've long forgotten about was brought back to life when I met him. The possibility of finding the love that I've yearned for since I was a little girl who first heard the story of the lamia et fatis sanguis .

There is nothing wrong with dreaming of a fairy-tale romance. There is nothing wrong with craving love more than power. I waited lifetimes for this moment, and now that I know what it's like to be loved by him, I don't want to ever remember what it's like to live without him.

Tears fall from my lashes as I stare into the eyes of the man who I've been searching for my entire life.

"Are you okay?" he leans down and whispers into my ear, pressing a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"More than you will ever know."

His eyes soften, his eyebrows pinching together. "Are you sure?"

Biting down on my bottom lip, I take a big stride forward, dragging him along with me, a smile stretching across his face, ear to ear. "I've never been more sure. Now, hurry up. I can't wait any longer. I have already waited almost two hundred years for you. I'm not waiting another second."

He rushes forward, tugging my hand, and I giggle as I match his pace, racing toward Autumn.

We come to a halt in front of her, and she welcomes us with the biggest grin and overwhelming joy. "Greyson. Vivian. It is my absolute honor to bind you two together beneath this full moon tonight."

My body is vibrating from adrenaline and anticipation. Greyson's thumb swipes across the back of my hand, and I take a deep, steady breath, calming my erratic heart.

Autumn's gaze bounces back and forth between us. "The ceremony is rather short but permanently binding. To start, I need a few drops of blood from you both." She turns, grabbing a wrapped blade from the edge of the fountain. "Vivian. You will go first."

She hands me the blade and grabs a gold chalice that is already nearly full to the brim, the liquid a stunning lavender color with herbs and flower petals floating on the surface.

Taking the knife, I raise my hands above the mixture and draw it across my palm, tilting my hand to allow the blood to drip into the cup.

"Perfect. Now you, Greyson," she instructs, and I carefully hand him the blade.

Calmly, he cuts his hand in the same way I did, the blood dripping into the chalice. A bubble emerges from the bottom, and as it floats to the surface, the color changes to a deep maroon.

Autumn takes the blade from Greyson before handing him the cup. "Wonderful. Each of you needs to take a drink from it and then hold both hands in front of you, facing each other."

He holds my stare, raising the chalice to his lips before taking a drink and swallowing. "Mmm. Delicious."

"Is it?" I chortle, accepting it from him.

He purses his lips and shakes his head like he just sucked on a lemon, and I can't help the laugh that bubbles out of me, earning an award-winning smile from him.

Lifting the cup to my lips, I take a mouthful of the tart, musty, and floral-tasting potion, swallowing it with ease, knowing that this is the next step in granting me forever with Greyson.

After handing it back to Autumn, she sets it back on the fountain. Greyson turns, taking my hands in his, and a shock runs through me from his touch.

She rests a hand on each of our shoulders that are closest to her. "A reminder to you both that you must say it with true intention, or the spell won't work." She pauses briefly, turning her attention to Greyson. "Greyson, look her in her eyes and repeat after me… I vow my life."

His stare burns into mine as he recites the words. "I vow my life."

Autumn feeds him the next line. "I vow my forever."

He repeats each word with passionate emphasis. "I vow my forever."

Autumn continues. "I vow my soul."

He wet his lips before saying, "I vow my soul."

She gives him the last line, and he repeats it, lightly squeezing my hands. "I bind myself to Vivian Barlowe from this night forward, for all of eternity."

Something stirs deep in my chest, like a door appearing that wasn't there before.

"Beautiful. Perfectly done. Now, Vivian, we'll move to you," she says, the moon glowing above us in the starry night sky.

She reads me the first sentence, and I recite it wholeheartedly. "I vow my life." And the next. "I vow my forever."

Greyson sniffles, his cheeks burning bright red as Autumn feeds me the word. "I vow my soul."

"I vow my soul." My voice is thick with emotion as I complete the final phrase, feeling that door inside of me cracking open. "I bind myself to Greyson Gilmore from this night forward, for all of eternity."

Autumn removes her hands from our shoulders to our hands, one of hers on top and bottom, sandwiching them together. "I, Autumn Ashwood, honor this binding and unite these souls for eternity."

The door in my chest blows wide open, and my head flies back, my neck craning completely toward the sky.

Every cell in my body is vibrating like a mini earthquake is tearing through each one, building it back together with a piece of Greyson sewn inside.

I wince as the most blinding light erupts from our hands, growing brighter and engulfing all of us.

My mind calms uncontrollably as my body feels lighter than air, like I'm levitating off the ground.

Seconds, minutes, days pass me by as we float in this stream of light. The connection I felt to Greyson before is dying inside of me, the tether that tied us together cut in half.

Now, I don't have to tug on an invisible string to sense him. I can feel him as easily as I can feel myself, aware of his presence the way I'm aware that my feet are dangling above the pavement.

The light begins to dim, and we levitate back down to Earth, energy pulsing through me in waves, and it takes a moment for me to recognize that it's Greyson's, moving through me as freely as my own.

Forcing my eyes open, I take the deepest breath I ever have, the world around me feeling brand-new. The air is crisper, the colors sharper, like I'm seeing everything in ultra detail.

I feel invincible, like nothing could come close to challenging my strength. If I already feel like so much has changed within me, I can't imagine what Greyson is feeling right now.

His face is soft and relaxed, his eyes racing back and forth beneath his eyelids.

Brushing my thumbs against the silky soft skin of his hands, I stand up on my toes, whispering his name. "Greyson?"

He swallows hard before his eyes snap open, the blue of his irises more vibrant and brighter than ever. "This is… incredible ."

"Are you doing okay? I know it's probably a lot to adjust to," I warn him.

He chuckles, laughing in disbelief as his hands fall to my waist, and he lifts me with unnatural ease, spinning me around and holding me above his head.

"Oh my god, I love you so much!" Slowly lowering me back down, his face lights up. "I can feel you…your emotions. Woah . This is crazy. You feel this all of the time? How in the hell do you get anything done? How do you focus? It's like a new world has opened up inside of my mind."

Nodding, I can't help but smile and giggle at his exaggeration. "You'll learn to control it, but yes."

Running his hands through his hair, he then cups my face, his eyes bulging. "I can sense you, like I'm a compass and it's programmed to find you."

"I feel that too," I murmur, watching him experience the otherworldly sensations.

Autumn approaches us. "If you guys don't need anything from me, I will leave you to it. The ceremony is complete."

"Come here," I mumble, grabbing her arm and pulling her in for a hug, whispering in her ear, "Thank you."

She welcomes my embrace. "It truly was my honor."

Pulling away, Greyson hugs her quickly. "Thank you for everything, Autumn. You're one hell of a witch." He pauses, his face contorting with disbelief. "That's a sentence that I never thought I would say."

She laughs and dismisses herself with a finger wave, leaving us all alone.

Greyson's staring at his hands like they wield magical powers, but I suppose, in a way, his new strength does feel like that.

"I have one more surprise for you." His gaze flicks up through his lashes, catching me staring at him.

Rolling my eyes playfully, I step toward him, and he takes my hands, securing my arms around his neck. "Haven't you surprised me enough?"

He scrunches his eyes and nose. " Never ."

His fingertips trail along my arms, down my shoulders, and past my lower back until his hands cup my ass. He lifts me up, and I happily settle into one of my favorite places in the world…wrapped around his waist.

"Do you change your last names after ceremonies like this?" he asks, guiding us back down the aisle, up the stairs, and into our home.

"I think it is usually reserved for a more human ceremony. But if you want to change your last name to Barlowe, I certainly wouldn't have any qualms." I smirk, and he grins.

"Greyson Barlowe." He sounds it out, rolling it on his tongue. "I like it."

"Me too. It's hot, honestly," I murmur, purposefully making my voice smooth and sultry.

"Oh yeah? You think so?" He shrugs before declaring, "Then it's settled."

"Just like that?" I scoff as he crosses the foyer and ascends the marble staircase leading to the second floor.

His gaze falls to mine, and my heart skips a beat at the intensity in his stare. "I think you would find there isn't anything I wouldn't do to make you smile."

Gulping hard, I feel my blush spread down my neck and straight to my core. "I love you too."

He smiles. "Ms. Barlowe, what are your plans for the remainder of the night?"

My fangs tingle in my mouth, begging to join the party.

He chuckles. "Oh, I know that look."

Biting down on my cheek, I reel my willpower back in, my restraint hanging on by a thread.

As he walks through the threshold of our bedroom, I bat my eyelashes at him and whisper, "And what are you going to do about it?"

He carries me to the edge of the bed before lifting me up and tossing me down. Grabbing the heel of my right leg, he lifts it up, popping it off before nicely setting it on the ground, repeating the same steps with my other heel.

I gawk at him, enjoying the view as he undoes his belt, sliding it out of the loops and dropping it.

As he undoes the buttons of his shirt, he clears his throat. "What was it you said you initially wanted from our arrangement? Feeding and fucking?"

Pointing at him, I add the missing f-word. "Don't forget frolicking."

He lifts his hands defensively and laughs. "Of course. How could I forget? My three favorite words."

Shimmying his shirt off his muscular shoulders, he peels the white sleeves off his defined arms, discarding the shirt to the floor.

The next to go is his pants, quickly joining his shirt on the ground. He pushes his boxers down, his throbbing erection calling out my name.

Grabbing onto my ankles, he lifts them slightly, and in one swift movement, he flips me over onto my stomach. Trailing his fingers up my legs and ass, he grabs the zipper of my dress and pulls it down slowly. His fingers hook into the thin straps on my shoulders, pulling them down as I press into the bed and hold myself up enough for him to peel the dress down my body, leaving me in nothing but red lace panties.

He crawls on top of me, his dick rubbing against my ass as his hands flatten against the bed on either side of my head, and he whispers into my ear, "I can feel your arousal right now, and fuck , it's intoxicating."

His tongue caresses the shell of my ear as he slaps his dick on my ass, earning a breathy gasp. "Please."

My senses are struggling to stay under control, and I know the second I open them, they are going to be unbearably intense. Since the ceremony, everything has been heightened. Sight. Smell. Hearing. Taste.

I hesitate a second before opening myself up to Greyson, and my eyes roll to the back of my head from the overwhelming desire coursing through him.

"Please what ?" he murmurs, nipping at my ear.

Rolling over, I look him straight in the eyes as I beg him. "Please fuck me."

"With pleasure, baby," he smirks, wrapping his fingers around my thigh and hiking my hip up, spreading me wide open. He glances between my legs. "Fuck, even through those panties, your pussy is so pretty."

My core pulses with his praise. Deciding to tap into my vamp speed, I tear the red lace apart.

"Goddamn," he murmurs before dropping between my legs and running his tongue through my wetness. "Mmm. So fucking sweet."

He sucks my clit into his mouth while easing two fingers inside of me, pumping me deliciously slow. But I want more. I'm not going to last long with how intense everything is, our emotions intertwining into a cloud of euphoria surrounding us.

"Greyson," I pant. "I need your cock. I need you to fuck me." I feel his arousal spike, and I swear my pussy flutters in response.

Sitting up on his knees, he inches forward, pumping his thick cock from base to tip, the bead of precum shining in the dim light.

"So greedy," he groans, lining himself up.

I gasp as his tip slides in, stretching me around his girth as he rolls his hips, feeding me every inch. "For you? Always."

He freezes in place, breathing heavily. "I don't know where you begin and I end. I can feel your pleasure like it's my own. I've never been this high before. You're like a high that I'm going to chase every single day." He eases out and thrusts back into me, my head falling back.

He's right. This is otherworldly. Overwhelming in every sense, yet somehow not coming close to describing it.

It's like he's occupying my body as much as I am. My eyes struggle to stay open from the intensity as he picks his pace up, my moans becoming uncontrollable as my core begins to tighten up.

He growls. "Fuck, I'm not going to last very long like this. You feel too goddamn good, already tightening around me."

My mouth dries, thirsty and desperate to taste him, and he can sense my need, cocking his head to the side. Without hesitating, I sink my fangs into his neck, my eyes rolling to the back of my head as I drink from him.

"You suck me so good, baby. My blood is yours forever," he groans, and I'm done for.

Sliding a hand between my legs, he circles my clit, and my body explodes, fireworks igniting behind my eyelids as I scream out in ecstasy, "Greyson."

Running my fingers through his blond hair, I force my eyes open, meeting his desire-filled, hooded stare, and he moans before falling apart at the seams, buried in me to the hilt as his orgasm rocks through him in pulsing waves.

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