Epilogue Greyson

" W hat in the hell are you wearing?" Vivian cackles as she walks into the bedroom, bending over at the waist and laughing hysterically. "Greyson, what is that?"

Sliding off the bed, I hold my arms out to the side. "This old thing?" I give her a twirl. "A little custom T-shirt I ordered online."

She admires my black T-shirt with a printed image of Lulu and the words printed beneath the princess' photo: proud cat daddy .

"You're ridiculous!" She throws her head back as I proudly show off my new favorite shirt.

My laughter breaks free as I try to keep my tone serious and unwavering. "If you think that's crazy, then you're going to lose your mind when you see the shirt folded on the dresser behind you."

Her head snaps upright, her eyes widening and her jaw falling open. "You didn't."

Stretching my arms up, I glance behind her to the dresser. "Oh, but I did."

She spins around and grabs the shirt, unfolding it and holding it up. "Oh my god."

Hastily, she tears her sweater off and pulls the proud cat mommy shirt over her head. "A perfect fit, truly."

Her smile is uncontrollable, and she faces me, pure happiness radiating from her. "Thank you. I will cherish it always."

Stepping forward, I lean down and whisper, "What if I told you I have one more surprise?"

She studies me curiously, wondering what other tricks I have up my sleeve.

Reaching around her, I pull the drawer open and grab the little black box tucked inside. Her heart speeds up when she sees the black velvet, her face softening as I stand in front of her, my nerves spiking like crazy.

" Greyson ." My name breathlessly falls from her lips.

I can't contain my smile as I drop to one knee and stare up at the woman I am so incredibly in love with. In a way no one else in the world will ever possibly understand. We are a part of each other, our souls together as one.

She covers her mouth, her eyes welling up as I clear my throat. "I know it might not seem as significant as the Ceremony of Life and Death, but I want nothing more than to tie myself to you in every way possible. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Dropping to her knees in front of me, she whimpers, "Yes, yes, of course I'll marry you."

Joy bubbles out of me as I pluck the gold-and-ruby engagement ring I had custom-made for her and slide it onto her left ring finger.

A tear slips past her lashes and rolls down her cheek as she studies her new ring in awe. "Greyson, it's so perfect. Oh my god, it's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it. I got it made to match my own," I tell her, digging the gold-and-ruby wedding band from my pocket and slipping it onto my ring finger.

She squeals, holding her ring next to mine. "They're stunning together. A perfect pair."

Lulu meows loudly, announcing her arrival as she jogs into the room. "Did I not mention that I also got Lulu a matching collar?"

Vivian chuckles, her face scrunching up. "You never cease to amaze me." She laughs and sits down on her ass, patting her lap, which Lulu happily jumps into. "This is actually so thoughtful."

She pets Lulu's black fur as she purrs loudly from the outpouring of love. "But we need to find you a few hobbies. Clearly, between the shirts, the jewelry and collar, you have too much time on your hands."

Rising to my feet, I offer her my hand and pull her up. "But I already have a few favorite hobbies."

"Oh, yeah? What are they?" She grins, popping her hand on her hip.

Swiping my tongue along my bottom lip, I decide to show her one of them, reaching out and grabbing her head, crashing my lips to hers, and kissing her tenderly.

As I pull away, her eyes stay shut as her cheeks flush, and she whispers, "That also happens to be one of my favorite hobbies. What else?"

Bending over, I throw her over my shoulder and walk the few steps to the bed, tossing her onto the soft mattress. "Do you want me to tell you or show you?"

She gulps, her lips parting. "I want you to show me."

Dropping onto the bed, I grab her pantyhose-covered knees, pushing them apart and finding she isn't wearing any panties. "When did you slip those off?"

I eye her curiously as she murmurs, a delicious smirk on her lips, "When you weren't looking when we got home and I could still feel your arousal pulsing."

"What? You just knew that I wouldn't be able to resist my favorite sweet treat?" Cocking my head to the side, my mouth waters as my gaze falls to her pretty pussy glistening in the light.

She bites down on her bottom lip and nods as I dip my head between her thighs and whisper, "You were right."

I flick my tongue out, dragging it through her soaking cunt. "Fuck, you taste so good." Savoring every second I get to have my face buried in her pussy, I worship her, sucking her clit into my mouth while finger fucking her to insanity.

"Greyson," she begs, my name a demand on her lips, and she doesn't need to say a word for me to know exactly what she wants.

She lifts her hips, and I strip the skirt from her legs, choosing to leave the sexy pantyhose and garter.

Grabbing the neck of my shirt, I pull it over my head and toss it onto the floor beside the bed, stripping my pants and boxers off as fast as possible.

Standing on my knees, I inch between hers, gripping my length in my hand, pumping myself back and forth as I hold her stare. "Is this what you want?"

She licks her lips, her eyes flickering red as she nods. "Yes." She lifts her hips up, and fuck if it isn't the hottest thing I've ever seen, her pussy begging for me."

Pressing my tip against her, I spit, watching it fall between us. Coating myself in it and her arousal, I push my tip inside her, earning a sharp gasp.

"Is that all you want?" I ask, demanding her to use her words and answer me. Fuck, there is something so intoxicating about having the powerful Vivian Barlowe at my whim.

"More, please," she whimpers, and when I don't give it to her immediately, she lifts her shirt off and unhooks her bra, tossing them aside. "Please."

Holding her lust-blown stare, I grab her hip and lift her right leg in the air, securing it over my shoulder. Anticipation looms in the air between us, electrifying every touch.

"Greyson," she whines, and I snap, giving her every inch she wants. In one smooth thrust, I fill her greedy cunt to the brim, my balls slapping against her ass.

"Fuckkk," I growl, overcome with pleasure.

Her hooded eyes, now completely red, hold mine as her mouth falls open, exposing her two fangs. That sharp sting of pain when she first latches on makes everything that happens afterward better.

"You're mine, Vivian. All mine," I groan, rolling my hips into hers as her leg falls from my shoulder.

"Good." Her voice is powerful and sexy as hell, earning her another thrust.

Smirking, I lean down, hovering my lips over hers. "Care for a celebratory drink?"

Her eyes light up at my words, and she nods, wetting her lips.

"My blood only, forever," I tell her, my breath caressing her fangs.

She challenges me like she always does. "And if I drink from someone else?"

Chuckling darkly, I grab her chin firmly, calling her on her bluff. "You won't. Remember? You have particular tastes. How would you feel if I let someone else drink from me?" I push her frustration, a murderous jealousy unfurling from her.

"You saw what happened when someone did." She pulls from my grasp and sits up taller, holding a haunting kiss against my lips. "And I'll do it again. Because you're mine , Greyson."

Fuck, that's the hottest thing I've ever heard. I don't want to wait anymore, to draw it out any longer. I need her fangs in my neck while I show her just how happy I am to be hers.

Freezing, I can't help but think about how fucking lucky I am to spend forever with her.

She pouts and wiggles her hips. "Greyson. Do you want me to beg you? Because I will. I need you so badly right now. Please, for the love of —"

Sealing my lips against hers, I cut her off, plunging my tongue into her mouth, and as I pull away, I playfully murmur against her fangs, "Shut up and bite me."

Red spider veins extend beneath her eyes as I physically watch her willpower snap in half. She grabs my neck, cocking it to the side at the same time I ease out of her.

She punctures my neck, and I slam into her. I fuck her relentlessly as she drinks greedily from my neck. We continue to worship each other as we crest the edge of euphoria, our bodies winding up together.

She releases my neck, blood trailing down the side of her O-shaped lips as she tightens around me, moaning my name repeatedly. Grabbing her hand, I lock my fingers in hers and pin it above her head as we fall apart at the seams, wrapped in each other's embrace.

Nothing could have prepared me for the changes I would go through after the ceremony of Life and Death. How intensely everything around me would change.

My strength was something I prided myself on before, but it was nothing compared to the strength and power that flows through me now.

Seeing the world through the lens of Vivian's gaze has been nothing short of enlightening and life-altering.

Feeling her presence and her emotions has only deepened the love I have for her, rooting it deep in my bones. She didn't just change my life; she gave me life, ripping me from the life I never truly wanted and placing the world in my hands.

I'm not just faster and stronger. I heal almost instantly, the same way her body does. My sense of smell is totally different, every scent more intense. It's like my senses have become supernatural. I can smell people's scent before they even turn into our driveway.

I no longer have a need for my glasses; my vision is better than it ever could have been as a human. I can see details on the dust particles floating through the air. I can see the perspiration on my skin.

It's like I've been living in a blurry world and I just got upgraded to high definition, seeing details that I never knew existed.

But as high as the highs are, the lows hit just as hard.

Today is Cheryl's birthday, and every year since her passing, I've brought flowers to her grave and had lunch with her. Whether rain, sun, or snow, I have never missed it. Today won't be any different, except I'll get to introduce her to Vivian.

We're stopping into Ambrose Floral Shop before we head to the cemetery to get the prettiest bundle of flowers for the prettiest gal.

"Welcome in!" The same lady who was working the last time I was here greets us from the cooler, loading new stems into the white buckets.

"Hello!" Vivian greets her, trailing her hand on one of the house plants, caressing the leaf tenderly.

The nice lady shuts the glass door of the cooler and turns to face us, brushing her hair out of her face. "Two dozen red roses." She points at me. "I remember you. What can I help you with today?"

Vivian smirks at the mention of the roses, and I almost break, laughing at the memory, but I manage to hold it together.

"We need a bouquet of flowers—primarily pink if possible. It was her favorite color." An image of Cheryl wearing one of her pink sweaters flashes in my mind, my chest contracting at the pain that follows.

Vivian walks over to me calmly, resting her hand on my arm, offering me comfort both from her touch and her emotion that sinks into my chest, soothing the ache.

"Absolutely. Give me a few minutes, and I'll get a bouquet put together for you."

"Thank you," I murmur before she gets to work, grabbing stems of different flowers from the coolers.

Before I know it, she has created the most perfect bundle, one that I know would bring a happy tear to Cheryl's eyes.

God, I wish she were still here. I may have stumbled down a different path than the one we planned together, but I know she would be so proud that I'm following my heart.

The little time we had together, that is all she ever wanted me to do—to focus on the good and allow myself to love and be loved. So many people—countless, really—showed me firsthand the evils that exist in this world.

They aren't always monsters with fangs; they are a seemingly normal man named Alfred who welcomes you into his home and beats you behind closed doors. They are a woman named Monica who puts locks on the fridge and pantry doors, using food as a tool for punishment, starving a six-year-old child so consistently that they are too weak to leave their bed.

Cheryl was the one good exception to the horrors of my experience in foster care. She gave me a second chance at life, giving me the tools I needed to succeed.

I regret not getting to know her deeper, not asking her questions about her childhood, her marriage to her late husband, and everything I could have learned that I'll never get the chance to know now.

But it's funny because when you're young, you never think of the lives your parents lived before they had you. They are just mom or dad, and you're too focused on your own lives to dig into their past. Only when you start to experience life, truly live through the highs and the lows, do you wonder what tribulations they may have faced and overcome.

But that regret is one I will live with for eternity. And I will have to accept that I was blessed enough to know Cheryl at all.

We pay for the flowers and head to the cemetery, my heart in my throat as I visit my oldest friend.

Hours pass by with ease, and before we know it, we've spent the entire afternoon hanging out with Cheryl, reminiscing on old stories that I know would've had Cheryl laughing up a storm. It was nice spending that time with my two favorite ladies, not including Lulu beans, of course.

I can't help but wonder what the old Greyson would be doing right now if he never took a chance to hang out with two classmates heading to a bar one random night.

One thing's for certain: I wouldn't be bonded to a vampire named Vivian who owns me, heart and soul. And god, what a shame that would be.

We have to stop at the Barlowe on our way back home. Vivian said she has to talk to Ava about something, and I'm happy to tag along.

Surprisingly, this is only my second time at Vivian's hotel, and I have such a different point of view looking at it now, knowing what lies inside and beneath the surface.

As we walk up the few steps to the entrance, the doorman pulls it open, greeting Vivian. "Ms. Barlowe. Welcome."

"Thank you, Greg." She smiles, passing through the door with me following closely behind.

Guests wander through the grand foyer, some even enjoying time sitting on the benches around the sky-high clock tower. Little do they know what happens down below.

Vivian leads me to a locked double-door entrance, pressing her thumb onto the little screen that scans her fingerprint, the door clicking unlocked a second later.

"Fancy," I murmur as she pushes the thick wooden door open and we step through, the lock securing back in place the second it swings shut.

She turns and faces me, walking backward and holding her hands out for me to grab, and I happily slide my hands around hers.

I can feel the sense of surprise building inside of her. I guess that's a downfall of being able to sense each other's feelings. It's like a language all of its own.

She sighs, her eyes locking onto mine as I feel disappointment trickle into her. "I was doing so good keeping the surprise a secret."

Chuckling, I drop one of her hands before pulling her into my side with our still-connected hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. "Don't beat yourself up. I still don't know exactly what we're doing here."

She nods, coming to a halt and turning to face a large wooden door. Standing behind her, I rub my hands up and down her arms as another scanner reads her thumb, the door unlocking once approved.

She opens the door to find the members of the High Council sitting in wingback chairs around a circular table, two of the chairs still empty.

They welcome us with cheer and hugs before finding their seats. Vivian sits in one of the empty chairs, gesturing to me to sit down beside her in the other free seat.

The members smile at me, and I can feel the same waves of eager anticipation billowing off them.

Vivian sets her hand on top of mine, pulling my attention. "As all of you know, with Jason's passing, we have the duty of finding that special individual to fill his spot on the High Council." She pauses and looks up at me. "You have shown bravery beyond measure and selflessness to protect those around you at all costs. You are genuine and kind. All traits held in high regard. Because of that, we would like to offer the seat to you."

My chest warms, my heart racing at their offer.

"Will you accept?" she asks, hope blossoming in her like a garden of flowers.

Glancing at each of the faces around the table, I nod, knowing that in this seat, I'll be able to make a difference, have an impact on the world that matters. "Yes, of course, I accept."

Everyone claps, their words of kindness filling the room at my acceptance.

"We are lucky to have you." Ava smiles, sitting beside Vivian.

My gratitude is almost too much to bear that they offered me a seat at this table. "Thank you, guys, from the bottom of my heart."

"That settles that," Vivian declares, sliding her chair back and rising to her feet. "Quickest meeting ever."

"This was the only reason you needed to stop in?" I ask her, surprised at how well she actually managed to keep it from me.

She nods, biting down on her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. Forgive me. I was so excited it was almost impossible to rein that in anytime we spoke about the council."

Standing to my feet, I kick the chair back and offer her my hand. "I forgive you."

She slides her fingers in mine and stands to her feet, and I can't help myself from scanning her head to toe.

Besides, I have a surprise up my own sleeve.

"I suppose we do have one more announcement," she swoons and hold her hand in the air, showing off her ring.

Ooos and ahhs ripple through the room as they congratulate us. Endless hugs going around.

My fingers brush against the thin pantyhose just beneath her brown suede skirt as she crosses in front of me. I've torn so many pairs apart that she started buying the ones that are thigh-high, secured in place by a garter belt.

She looks good today. I mean, fuck, she looks perfect every day. But her hair up in that sexy loose bun and those long legs are calling out my name.

We say our goodbyes and Vivian squeezes my hand tightly, and I know she can tell exactly what I'm thinking or rather feeling. And I don't try to hide it in the slightest.

We wander down the hallway and out of the first secured door we pass through.

"Holy shit. I think that's…" I pause, studying the guy across the lobby before calling out, "Ethan!"

He whips around, his face lighting up as his gaze lands on us. He jogs over to us. "Greyson, what's up?"

Dropping my stare to Vivian, I smirk. "Just stopping in for a few things. What have you been up to?" It dawns on me that we are standing in the Barlowe, the place we first met. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "About that…I, umm, met someone."

Listening to his heart, it's pounding in his chest, his breathing kicking up. "Oh yeah, who's the lucky girl?"

His freckled cheeks flush. "Well, you actually know her?—"

A sweet, familiar voice calls out from behind us, cutting him off. "There are you!"

Ava.

Lightly slapping Ethan's shoulder, I scoff. "You could have told me you're seeing Ava. I should have known, honestly."

"Yeah?" He laughs. "With all your new Spidey senses?" He scoffs, mocking me playfully.

"Yeah, exactly with those." I smile as Ava walks up to us, sliding her arm around Ethan's waist as he throws his arm around her shoulders. "You guys look good together."

"That is the sweetest compliment." Ava swoons, her hand pressing against her heart.

"After everything with Victor, she helped me get through the aftermath." Panic spreads in him at the mention of his attacker. "She kept me sane."

"Good. But you know, Ava, I've become rather protective of Ethan here," I tease. "Remember your motto."

Ava rolls her eyes and dismisses me. "Don't be ridiculous. I would never hurt Ethan."

Her heart rate is steady, and she means every word. "I know you won't."

She glares at me. "Don't tap into my emotions. I think I liked you better when you didn't have your abilities."

Vivian bursts out laughing. Tugging her hand, I pull her along with me, waving at Ava and Ethan as we stride away. "We will catch you guys later. Ethan, call me if she gives you any trouble."

He nods, side-eyeing Ava, and I would be concerned if I couldn't feel the happiness radiating off him.

"You want to be on the council, right? Not just because I put you on the spot in front of a room full of people?" Vivian asks me as we cross through the foyer and descend down the stairs outside.

"You overestimate your peer pressure skills, love," I joke, and she glares up at me through her lashes. "Of course I want to be a part of it. The work that you do is important. It makes a real difference in the world."

Her shoulders relax, and she grins. "Okay, I was just checking." She gasps. "Oh, we need to get you some custom suits made. Ugh, you are going to look so goddamn good in a suit."

"You can play dress-up with me all day long, baby." I throw my arm around her shoulders and pull her into my side. "Now, let's go home. I'm starving, and I'm sure you could use a little pick-me-up."

She flicks her stare up at me, flashing her red eyes for just a second. "You know me so well."

"Although, I should really cut you off. You have to have gotten your fill for the next six months. Surely, you would be just fine without another drop."

She has a love and hate relationship when I play hard to get with her. She wants control, to chase me and bend me to her will, and I happily play along, as long as she begs me for it.

"You love when I feed on you, and you know it!" She gasps,

Grabbing her jaw, I pull her to me and claim her lips with mine. "I can't help it. I love everything when it comes to you."

As we hit the pavement outside, I shudder at the cool breeze that whips in the air around us. Saint Eldritch became my home in more ways than I could have ever predicted. I lived here for years without realizing the secrets hiding in plain sight. But I can see everything clearly now. Any doubt I had regarding what I wanted out of life is long gone. I've never been more certain that where I am is right where I belong.

Vivian holds her palm up, and I thread my fingers in hers. "I love you, Greyson."

"I love you too," I murmur, leaning down and kissing the forehead of the girl I was born to love.