13. My happy place

13

MY HAPPY PLACE

W hen Damek and I get back to his family's bungalow, his family is waiting for us. They offer us congratulations and ask to see the ring. Tiffany even insists on taking a ton of photos with her phone.

They're treating us like we really just got engaged.

My heart warms at the moment. I didn't realize just how badly I wanted this until Damek proposed. I thought I was fine with the way things were. But having him propose means more than I could have ever imagined.

As the sun begins to rise, Damek and I cuddle on an outdoor sofa, our gaze on the horizon. And once again, I find myself imagining the future. I wonder what it will be like next year when we come. Or the year after that. I think about the children we will have and what they will be like.

Growing up, I wish I had something like this. Mom did try—we went on a lot of vacations. Grandpa had lots of family trips too, but those were always miserable for me. Before coming to live with the vampires, I never realized how lonely I was.

I want this . I want a family. I want to be happy. And I can admit that to myself now that I am happy. Before, I always thought I was okay with mediocrity. I tried to convince myself that I could smile through the pain.

Later, when Damek and I part for the day, I find myself excited about waking up that night. I can't wait to see Damek again and I don't dread being around his mom anymore. Things are finally coming together.

When I lie down, I drift off to sleep quickly. I'm not sure how long I'm asleep, but it only feels like moments before I am woken.

I jerk awake when I hear a strange sound. My eyes take a few minutes to focus, but when I see my curtain move, I sit up straight.

What is happening?

A figure in a dark hoodie approaches and my heart races faster. I call out, knowing that there are guards stationed around the bungalow. I know somebody will hear.

But how did this guy get past the guards?

He rushes toward me and I notice a syringe in his hand. I jump up, matching his speed. The guy hesitates for a moment, like he's confused.

Probably because I don't need blood to be fast. I imagine he drank blood right before breaking in. In theory, he should be faster and stronger than somebody who just woke up. I guess nobody told him that I don't need blood to be fast and strong.

There are some benefits to being a hybrid.

The guy doesn't stay stunned for long. He moves toward me again. I try to run for the door, but I know I won't be able to yank open the door before he catches up.

What do I do?

As I'm thinking it, my door bursts open. I hear a loud pop followed by a thud. I look behind me and see that the intruder is now face first on the floor. My shoulders relax when a familiar looking guard comes into the room.

"Princess, are you all right?" he asks.

I nod, confirming.

My heart is still racing so fast that I can hear the blood rushing through my ears. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my heart.

"Maddie!"

I turn when I hear Damek's voice. He comes rushing into the room. He puts his hands on my shoulders and carefully looks me over from head to toe.

"Are you injured?" he asks, his voice still frantic. His heart is racing even faster than mine.

"I'm okay," I assure him.

He pulls me into his arms and squeezes me tightly against him. I don't know if he's trying to comfort himself or me, but it feels good to be safely in his arms. I relax into his embrace, my entire body relaxing.

I feel Damek's lips on the top of my head. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

More footsteps join the room. I don't look, but I'm sure there are more guards.

"Is she okay?"

Damek pulls back at the sound of his father's voice, but he keeps on arm around my middle. "Yes, she's okay."

"Nobody touched me," I tell him, not wanting him to be worried.

"We don't know how she got away from him," one of the guards says. "He had just drank blood."

"It's because she's a hybrid," King Rune says, then turns to Damek and me. "The guards are going to escort you to the jet. Our family will be leaving within the hour. I will be informing King Scott of the incident."

"We have to leave?" I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, hating the idea of leaving so early.

"It's for the best," Damek says softly. "They will have to investigate how the intruder got in anyway."

My heart sinks.

Damek squeezes me tighter against him. "Don't worry—we will come back here again soon."

His words do calm me, but I'm still sad that our vacation was cut short. I wanted to stay here longer and celebrate our ‘proper' engagement. This is my happy place.

"Maybe we can come back here for our honeymoon," Damek suggests.

Our honeymoon. I once thought I would dread it when I heard about my political marriage, but I look forward to that time with Damek.

I grin up at him. "I'd like that."

Damek leads me out the door, guards trailing behind us. The guards drive us straight toward the airport, which is just a runway with a place to store private jets. When we get on the plane, Tiffany and Duncan are both there. The two of them rush toward us when they see us.

"Madeline, are you okay?" Tiffany asks.

Even Duncan looks anxiously at me.

"I'm fine," I tell them, but my heart squeezes when I see the genuine worry in their eyes.

When I first met Damek's mom, I thought there was no way she would ever like me. And it's not uncommon—most women do hate succubi. It's something in our very nature that makes them not like us. The night we had that dinner, I almost decided not to pursue Damek as a marriage candidate because I thought my life would be miserable.

Damek squeezes my hand. "Dad will be here soon and then we can head home. I imagine we'll go right to the Scott estate to tell King Scott everything that happened."

My dad is going to be upset that this has happened again . At least this time we know who is was coming after me.

I glance at Damek. "It was the Nodin Clan, right? They're the ones who sent the intruder?"

Damek shrugs. "That's likely the case, but I imagine we will question the guy and find out for certain."

I guess I am just speculating, but I sincerely hope another clan isn't after us.

"Let's sit," Tiffany says. "You poor thing. You've just been attacked and we're just asking questions and making you stand."

She leads us toward a long couch in the middle of the plane. There is a long couch on one side and a table with chairs on the other. Damek and I sit down and Tiffany sits beside me. Duncan takes a seat at the table, but he angles his body toward us.

"How long do you think Dad will be?" Duncan asks.

Tiffany glances at her phone. "He said he's on his way." Her eyes widen as her phone vibrates. "And he's bringing the prisoner with him."

I swallow hard.

He's going to be on the plane with us? My stomach churns at the thought, even if I know I'll be safe. There will be tons of guards and I imagine they will keep him sedated.

But the guy tried to kidnap me. At least, I think that's what he was doing. He didn't really attack me, he likely just planned to use that syringe on me.

I shiver at the thought.

What if I hadn't woken up? And what if he was able to sneak past the guards a second time? The thought of being locked up with Lucas Nodin makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don't imagine he would make the same mistake twice. This time, it would likely be difficult to find me. Just like it's been difficult to find Lucien…

"You're safe." Damek puts his arm around me and squeezes me.

I lean into him, taking advantage of the comfort he's offering.

He kisses the top of my head. "I hope this didn't ruin the night we had."

I sit up straighter, grinning at the still unfamiliar weight on my finger. "No way. The night was absolutely perfect, nothing could change my view of what happened."

Damek's face lights up and I know in that moment that when I look back at the night of our engagement, nothing could ruin it. It was absolutely perfect.

"Damek explained to us that engagements are really important to succubi," Tiffany says.

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yes, very important. I know every supernatural takes marriage seriously because of the mate bond, but for us, it's a cultural thing. A couple typically dates for many years before getting engaged. Before an engagement, you don't introduce your boyfriend or girlfriend to your family. So it's a really big deal. And there are a lot of parties to attend and introductions to be made."

"Are the weddings really a week long?" she asks.

I nod. "Yes. It's a huge celebration. Most weddings are destination weddings, which is a lot of fun. I've traveled to a lot of different places because of it. Succubi and incubi will take any excuse to celebrate, but weddings are over the top."

She rings her fingers together. "Is that something you want? A succubus wedding?"

"No," I say quickly. "I love my family, but the thought of spending an entire week with them…" I shiver. "I like how short vampire weddings are. There is no need to drag it out."

Her shoulders relax and I can tell she's relieved.

Talking about the wedding helped get my mind off the incident, but the moment I hear a vehicle pull up, my body stiffens.

We're about to be stuck on this plane for many hours while we fly back home. And the guy who tried to kidnap me will be mere feet away.

I take a deep breath through my nose and slowly exhale.

Damek squeezes my hand. "I won't let him come near you, Maddie."

"Thank you." I lean into his side, letting him take my weight.

I feel braver with Damek at my side. I know that he will do everything that he can to protect me. He's my home. The thought hits me and sends a jolt straight to my heart. I can't imagine life without him.

"Six months is too long," I mumble.

He chuckles. "Four and a half months now."

"Still too long."

I hear footsteps on the stairs and moments later, King Rune steps onto the plane. A bunch of guards follow him in. I stiffen as I spot the prisoner—he's slung over a guard's shoulder. But as he takes the prisoner to a room in the back of the plane, I let out a breath of relief.

Good, I won't have to physically see him on the way home. That will make things easier.

King Rune makes his way toward us. "Madeline, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I say again, feeling like I keep repeating myself. "Honestly, he didn't touch me."

"Good. It is a benefit to your hybrid blood that I never realized. I wonder if your children will be the same." He sits down across from Duncan at the table.

My heart skips a beat at the mention of ‘children.'

Before he can speak further, a guard approaches him. "We are ready to take off. The sooner we get the prisoner back on the mainland, the better."

"Very well." King Rune nods his head. "Let's get going."

We all buckle up and we're in the air within a minute.