Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

NICHOLAS

I 'd forgotten how the mountains looked at night, their silhouettes black against the star-strewn sky. The familiar winding road felt both eternal and too short as my headlights carved through the darkness and the swirling snow. Somewhere behind me, Holly was probably crying in Michael's car, and the thought made my hands tighten on the steering wheel until the leather creaked.

I almost missed the moment I crossed into Grimm Mawr. There was no thunderous magical barrier, no crushing weight of ancient wards—just a subtle shift in the air, like stepping from one room into another. The "Welcome to Grimm Mawr" sign gleamed under my headlights, its fresh paint a far cry from the weathered marker I remembered. The population number listed below made me blink: 15,000. It had been barely 3,000 when I left.

As I crested the final hill, I had to pull over. The town spread out below me, a constellation of lights that rivaled the stars above. Holiday decorations sparkled everywhere—wrapped around lamp posts, strung between buildings, twinkling in shop windows. And there were people. So many people, strolling along the sidewalks despite the late hour, their laughter carrying on the crisp December air. Humans alongside supernaturals, I realized with a start. Humans walking freely through what had once been strictly supernatural territory.

I forced myself to start driving again, navigating streets that were both familiar and strange. The old bookshop where I'd spent countless hours was now a bustling café, its windows steamy and warm. The town square had been transformed into a holiday market, wooden stalls selling everything from hot chocolate to handmade crafts. A group of teenagers—some warm-blooded, some not—huddled around a fire pit, sharing marshmallows and stories.

I couldn’t help but think how Holly would have been utterly charmed by the sight.

"What happened here?" I murmured to myself, turning onto the long drive that led to my family's estate. The gravel path was now paved, lined with elegant streetlamps that cast a gentle glow through the ancient oaks. And there, at the end, stood my childhood home.

The mansion I remembered had been imposing, deliberately intimidating, with its dark stone and gothic architecture. Now, soft white lights outlined every window, wreaths hung on every door, and warm, yellow light spilled onto the snow from within. It looked… welcoming. Like somewhere Holly would have loved.

The thought of her hit me like a physical blow. I'd been so certain I was protecting her, so convinced that bringing her here would put her in danger. But this place, this transformed version of my hometown, wasn't the fortress of darkness and danger I'd described to Michael.

I'd barely put the car in park when the front door flew open. A figure burst out—my mother, moving faster than I'd seen her move in decades. Before I could even get out of the car, she was there, yanking my door open.

“Nicholas?” Her voice broke on my name. “Oh, my darling boy?—”

I found myself wrapped in an embrace that smelled of jasmine and home, her fingers clutching at my coat like she was afraid I'd disappear. Over her shoulder, I saw my father approaching more slowly, but his face—I'd never seen him look so openly emotional.

“You're home,” he said simply when he reached us. “You're safe.”

“I…” The words stuck in my throat. A century of rehearsed accusations and bitter speeches crumbled in the face of their genuine joy at seeing me. “What happened here? The town, the humans?—”

My mother finally released me, though she kept one hand on my arm as if maintaining contact was essential. “Come inside, darling. You must be exhausted from driving. We have so much to tell you.”

The entrance hall was exactly as I remembered, but warmer somehow. Family photos lined the walls—recent ones, I realized, of my sister and her children, of town events and holiday gatherings. I had missed so much. Lillian as a mother. I couldn’t even fathom that.

“We changed with the times,” my father explained as he led us to the sitting room. “About twenty years ago, we realized we couldn't keep living in isolation. The world was changing too quickly. Your cousin Hugo went into his long sleep thirty years ago, and it was something of a wake-up call. The old ways weren't sustainable.”

“The barriers?” I asked, sinking into my old favorite armchair. It had been reupholstered in a rich burgundy.

“Modified,” my mother said, perching on the sofa beside me. “They still keep out those who mean harm, but they welcome those who would be friends. We have a council now—humans and supernaturals of all species working together. The holiday market was their idea.” She smiled fondly. “The children love it. And you should see Halloween. It’s an entire month now.”

“Children?” I echoed.

“Human and supernatural children growing up together,” my father confirmed. “It's been… enlightening. Challenging sometimes but rewarding. We've learned so much. It was what you often said. We could learn to live together if we only tried. There have been some bumps along the way, but overall, it has been wonderful.”

I closed my eyes, thinking of Holly's face when I'd told her she couldn't come with me, that it wasn't safe. How many times had she told me I was stuck in the past? How many times had she insisted that things could change, that people could change? I had become what I had accused my family of—stuck in the past, mired to the old ways, and hadn’t even give Holly a chance. She had won me over, and I sent her away.

“Nicholas?” My mother's voice was gentle. “Are you alright?”

“I made a terrible mistake,” I whispered. “There's someone I left someone behind because I thought it wasn't safe for her here. I thought you wouldn't welcome her.”

“At one time, we might not have welcomed her. But now… Bring her,” my father said immediately. “Whoever she is, bring her home.”

Home. The word echoed in my chest, filling empty spaces I'd forgotten existed. I looked around at the warm room, at my parents' concerned faces, at the evidence of decades of change and growth I'd missed because I'd been too afraid to look back.

“I need to go,” I said, standing abruptly. “I need to find her.”

My mother smiled knowingly. “We understand. And Nicholas? We've missed you. Every day.”

As I strode out the door to my car, my phone already in hand, I realized that Holly had been right about something else too—sometimes love meant taking chances, even when you were afraid. Especially when you were afraid.

Holly

M ichael pulled off at a run-down diner off the highway in Oneota. I was feeling a bit gun shy about stopping anyway, especially a place that had seen better days, or even years in this case. It seemed they were magnets for hitmen these days, but my bladder was screaming at me, and my eyes were gritty from crying, so I could use the ladies’ room and freshen up. I wasn’t hungry, so it surprised me to come out of the bathroom to find Michael seated in a booth, studying the laminated menu.

I slid into the vinyl seat across from him. “I thought you wanted to get to our destination before more snow hit.”

He nodded noncommittally. “We have time for something to eat. This diner has an excellent reputation for burgers.”

I glanced around in disbelief. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting an intermittent sickly glow across the cracked vinyl booths that had been patched with duct tape that no longer matched the burgundy vinyl. I traced my finger along a deep groove in the Formica tabletop, wondering how many decades of coffee cups and restless hands had left their mark here. The window beside me was grimy, streaked with what looked like years of half-hearted cleaning attempts, but through it, I could see the neon "OPEN" sign reflecting off the wet pavement outside.

The menu in front of me was sticky, its laminated pages curling at the corners, food stains creating a kind of abstract art around the prices that had been crossed out and rewritten multiple times in different colored pens. A lonely piece of pie rotated slowly in a dusty display case, its meringue peaks looking more like plastic than food.

Michael had promised to take me somewhere safe. I supposed this qualified—it was hard to imagine anyone, vampire or human, looking for me in a place that time itself seemed to have forgotten.

“Is it safe?” I whispered.

He glanced at me. “You’re being chased by hitmen, and you’re worried about a diner?”

“It seems silly to survive the mafia only to be killed by salmonella.”

“Honey, you won’t get that here. Dominick cooks everything until it’s shoe leather. Salmonella can’t survive that. Now I can’t say much about that Noro virus. Iris isn’t much for cleaning like she should,” said the waitress in the bubblegum pink polyester uniform, platinum bouffant, and more makeup than I’d seen since the Drag Queen Bingo show I went to in Pittsburgh.

That did not reassure me. I set the menu down. “Coffee. Black.”

Michael grunted. “Cheeseburger. Well done, with a side of onion rings.”

I waited for her to leave and leaned forward. “Don’t you think we should get moving?”

“Not yet. We have time.”

He was avoiding my gaze, reading that menu like it was the most absorbing, fascinating novel of all time. I narrowed my gaze, suspicion growing. “What are you waiting for?”

He lifted his head and arched an eyebrow. “Waiting? For my dinner, of course. Nicholas dragged my ass out of bed to escort you to your new home. I didn’t have time for dinner. I think I deserve something to eat.”

His words rang true, but something was off. But I couldn’t find it inside of me to care. Not anymore.

I stared into my coffee, watching the fluorescent lights create oil-slick rainbows on its surface, when I heard the bell above the door chime. I didn't look up—I'd stopped looking up a few patrons ago, tired of the disappointment when it wasn't him. The squeaking of shoes on linoleum told me someone was approaching, and I tensed when they stopped at my booth.

"Your coffee looks cold."

My heart stuttered in my chest. I knew that voice. Slowly, I raised my eyes to find Nicholas standing there, looking somehow both perfectly put together and completely wrung out. His dark hair was windswept, his normally impeccable clothes slightly rumpled, and his eyes—God, his eyes were fixed on me like I was water and he'd been wandering in the desert.

He loomed over us, his gaze almost eating me up, then he shot Michael a thoroughly put out glare. “This is the place you stopped? You could have picked up a deadly disease eating here.”

“That’s what I said,” I chirped before remembering I was pissed off at him.

Michael shrugged, then slid out of the booth, throwing down a twenty. “It wasn’t this bad the last time I was here. But that was twenty years ago, I think. Hard to remember. If you were that concerned, maybe you shouldn’t have walked away, brother.”

“Maybe you should handle that other situation we talked about,” Nick snarled.

Michael only smiled. “Now that you got your head out of your ass, I’ll head south and make sure no one bothers sweet Holly again.” He turned to me and took my hand, kissing the back of it. “It’s been a pleasure and if Nicholas is any kind of asshole, call me. I’d be happy to take care of you.”

Nick growled, and Michael dropped my hand, chuckling. He headed for the door. “I’ll take care of your problem, Holly. And remember, sometimes it’s hard to take a chance. Be brave. Merry Christmas.”

And he ambled out of the diner with a wave to the waitress, who barely noticed he was gone.

I narrowed my gaze at Nick as he took my hand. “Is he a vampire, too?”

“A damned nosy asshole, but yes, he is,” Nick muttered. “I can’t believe he stopped here. Endangering your life like this. Come on. We’re leaving.”

He tugged my hand, but I had had enough of being dragged places. I yanked my hand back and folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t think so. I’m tired of being told what to do. You dumped me, Nick. You didn’t even ask me.”

To my horror, tears pricked my eyes. I hated that I was crying when all I wanted to do was yell and scream and throw things. Why couldn’t I have the big angry scene and scare everyone? No, I had to go and cry and be a baby.

I stared at the table, tears blurring my vision. A handkerchief appeared, and I hesitated. “It’s cleaner than the napkins here.”

Nick slid into the booth across from me with a heavy sigh. “I made a mistake, okay? I knew as soon as you left, but I had convinced myself that I was protecting you.”

“You were protecting yourself,” I corrected sullenly.

He gave a nod. “You’re right. I was. I convinced myself that no one would accept you in my hometown and never even gave it a chance. Yet, I didn’t take one thing into consideration. You.”

I lifted my head and met his gaze, hope kindling in my soul. His eyes were burning into me, filled with passion and something else I dared not define.

“You are pure light and joy, Holly. I was empty, drained of everything when I headed for home. I was retreating, feeling like I had nothing left when I met you. You brought light, joy, and laughter into my life, even when I didn’t want it. You dragged me, kicking and screaming, into the holiday season and made me live again. If you could do that for me, you could make anyone love you. After all, you made me fall in love with you.”

My jaw fell open, and I stared at him, not daring to believe what I was hearing. “In love?”

He reached out and took my hands. “Yes, Holly. I love you. Leaving you was the single hardest thing I ever had to do, and I did it because I was afraid. I thought if you came with me, you would realize that life with me was too hard, too confining for your light, and you would leave me. But I can’t live without you.”

“What about what I want? You never asked me. You just made assumptions about what I want for myself.”

He froze, his expression growing still. “You’re right. This is not about me, but about you and what you want. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want.”

I pulled my hands back, already regretting the lack of contact. “So, if I want to leave and go my own way, you’ll let me? Even if I want to go back home?”

He sucked in a deep breath, then nodded. “Michael is on his way there to handle your problem as we speak. You will be safe. I promise you.”

I studied him for a long moment, watching as he struggled to contain himself. “What if I want to go to Grimm Mawr and kick your father’s ass for kicking you out?”

Hope flared in his eyes, and one corner of his lip curved up. “I would gladly drive you, but I feel I should point out that he has welcomed me home and strongly suggested that I bring you back with me. Grimm Mawr has changed. It’s not the same town it used to be.”

Disappointment pricked the balloon of happiness that had been growing inside of me. “So that’s why you’re here? It’s now okay to have me back there?”

“No, I was coming for you, anyway. I knew I could never be happy living without you. But now we have a place where we can live together, openly, and not worry about anything.”

His open and earnest expression was so opposite to everything I had seen from him to this point. He had been so remote and closed off except during select times in our journey. But now, I felt like I was seeing the real Nick. Could I trust that he really wanted me? What had Michael said? Be brave. He wasn’t wrong. I had lived my life on the move, never getting close to anyone for a long time since my grandparents had died, never trusting that anyone would stick around. Nick’s life had been so very similar. He was offering me a home, a place to belong, by his side. And I already knew I was in love with him and would never love another. Would I let pride get in the way of my happiness?

The waitress dropped a plate with a well-done burger and a side of onion rings on the table in front of us. “Will there be anything else?”

We both stared at the unappealing meal and shook our heads. I reached for Nick’s hands. “We have to be going home now. Thanks!”

I slid out of the booth, dragging him with me. He pulled me into his arms. When his lips met mine, the entire world faded away—the dank diner, the cracked vinyl, the waitress popping her gum. There was only Nicholas, his cool lips moving against mine with infinite tenderness, his hand sliding into my hair as he deepened the kiss. I clutched at his shirt, pressing closer, and felt him smile against my mouth.

When he finally pulled back, just far enough to rest his forehead against mine, his breath was uneven. "Let's go home," he whispered.

"Home?" I echoed, my fingers still twisted in his shirt.

He kissed me again, soft and quick. "Home. To our ridiculous, magical, changing town. To my family who already loves you because you brought me back to them. To wherever you are, because that's home now."

The ancient linoleum creaked under our feet as I pushed up on my toes to kiss him one more time. "Take me home, then."