Epilogue

The hairs on the back of Aralyn's neck stood on end as her office door opened. She didn't need to look up from her desk to know exactly who it was.

"The office is closed, vampire," she said as she closed the grimoire she had been studying.

"But the door was still open, vampire hunter. But I can remedy that." The vampire closed the door and clicked the lock into place.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, finally looking up to meet his piercing gaze.

He locked eyes with her, their color deepening from a pale violet to a deep amethyst as he stepped closer to her desk.

"I have a proposition for you," the vampire said, his voice smooth as silk. "One that I believe will be mutually beneficial."

"Is that right?" She stood up and slid around the desk to stand before him. "And what are you proposing?"

The vampire eyed the desk behind her and desire trickled through her veins.

"I believe I have some information you might find…interesting," he murmured, his gaze flickering to her lips before meeting her eyes again.

"Are you going to give me that information willingly, or am I going to have to force you to reveal…" She looked him up and down. "It."

His mouth twitched as he fought to keep the smile from his lips. "I do enjoy a good negotiation ," he replied, his voice a low rumble.

"I'm listening." Aralyn crossed her arms, leaning back slightly to appraise him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Get to the point, vampire. My patience is wearing thin."

"If you insist." He stepped closer, his breath cool on her heated skin.

"Oh, I do." She reached out and tugged at his belt buckle. "You have much to prove."

"I am ready and willing to prove myself to you, anytime, anywhere." He wrapped one strong arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and clung to him as he set her down on the edge of the desk. The vampire nudged her knees open and nestled between her thighs, his hardness pressed against her. Then he moved, teasing her as he inched up and down slowly, deliberately arousing her.

She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as he worked on the buttons of her shirt, his fingers leaving fire in their wake. As her senses slowly returned to, she unbuckled his belt and then tackled the buttons of his black pants, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as they slipped down his thighs and pooled at his feet.

Slowly he straightened and stepped out of his pants, before stripping his shirt off over his head.

She reached out, her hands skimming the cool contours of his body, as he leaned down, capturing her lips in a feverish kiss. His tongue danced with hers, igniting a fervor that seemed to burn from the core of her being. Aralyn's fingers curled into the sinewy muscles of his back, feeling the taut power coiled just beneath his skin.

Breaking the kiss, he traced a line from her lips down to her neck, his breath sending shivers along her spine. His fangs grazed her skin just enough to make her gasp, a thrill mingled with a tantalizing hint of danger.

"Tell me," he whispered against her neck, the urgency in his voice palpable. "What is it that you truly desire, Aralyn?"

She shivered at his words, her grip tightening around him as he spoke. His hands moved to her hips, pulling her closer with an intensity that made her heart race. "You," she whispered against his ear.

"That I can give you." He pushed her shirt from her shoulders and then unclasped her bra, before gazing at her naked flesh. He licked his lips, his tongue lingering on his fangs before he lowered his head and kissed her swollen flesh.

Aralyn gripped the edge of her desk as she leaned back, offering herself to him.

When his fangs grazed her nipples, she thought she might explode. But she fought and won control over her body. She wanted this so last.

She focused on her breathing as she curled her hand around his hardness and began to stroke with deliberate, measured movements. His reaction was immediate, a low growl reverberating from deep within his chest. She felt an intoxicating sense of power knowing she could elicit such a primal response from him.

But he had a power over her all his own. And he knew how to wield it.

He cupped her breast in his cool hand, and then licked it with a skillful tongue that sent shockwaves through her body. Then he continued his assault as he sucked the taut bud into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it. Each motion sent sparks of electricity coursing through her veins, igniting every nerve ending with pleasure. Aralyn's breathing became ragged, and she could feel the molten heat pooling in her core.

"Don't stop," she pleaded, her voice barely more than a whisper, but charged with unrestrained desire.

"I do not intend to," he responded with a smirk, a glint of mischief dancing in his eyes as he escalated his torture, alternating between soft kisses and gentle nips that left her trembling.

He moved from one breast to the other, ensuring that neither was left wanting. The rhythm of his tongue and the pressure of his lips were maddeningly perfect, each movement designed to draw out her pleasure and make her teeter on the edge of ecstasy. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as she arched against him, desperate for more.

Her senses were so consumed by him that she hardly noticed when his other hand started to trail lower, tracing a path down her abdomen. She gasped as cool fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her skirt, teasing the sensitive skin just above her hipbone. Her body quivered in anticipation as his hand continued its descent, each inch an agonizingly slow journey that left her craving more.

He paused for a moment, allowing the tension to build, and then with a deliberate slowness, he slid his fingers lower, hitching up her skirt until it was bunched up around her thighs.

Aralyn's breath hitched as his fingers found their destination, brushing lightly against her most intimate place. His touch was a blend of tenderness and possessiveness, a promise of the pleasure that awaited her.

A promise she knew he would fulfill.

Her body responded instinctively, as he rubbed his thumb against her most sensitive flesh, her hips lifting to meet his touch as her eyes fluttered shut. Each featherlight caress wound her tighter, drawing soft whimpers from her lips as he pushed her panties aside. He paused, making her wait, leaving her aching with need.

She had never begged a vampire for anything in her life. But in that moment, she found herself teetering on the brink of pleading for the release only he could grant her. "Please."

A low growl of satisfaction rumbled from his chest, and he finally relented, slipping a finger inside her with a slow, deliberate motion.

The sensation was overwhelming, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body. Aralyn's breath came in quick, shallow gasps as he began to move, his finger exploring her with a tantalizing precision that drove her wild. The intensity of it all made her head spin, and she clung to him as if he were the only solid thing in a world awash with sensation.

His finger moved with methodical expertise, each thrust, each withdrawal, brought her closer to the precipice. She was so close to the edge, but he was not done yet.

With a low growl, he sucked her nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the peak as his teeth grazed it lightly. The dual assault on her senses was a heady mix of pain and pleasure.

As his fingers grazed her inner walls, she tightened around him, and her orgasm crashed into her. He was unrelenting as he drew every last bit of pleasure from her until she was left completely spent, her head resting on his shoulder as she fought for breath.

When she finally returned to her senses, she was fully aware of his hardness pressed against her thigh. Sliding her hand down between their bodies, she wrapped her fingers around him. His intake of breath was sharp, and she reveled in the power she held over him in that singular moment.

Slowly, she began to stroke him, her touch echoing the same tender possessiveness he had shown her.

His eyes darkened with desire, and she could feel the tension building within him. Each movement of her hand elicited a guttural sound from his throat, and she knew she was driving him to the same edge he had so expertly brought her to.

But then he moved, swiftly. His hand around her waist as he lifted her from the desk and moved to bend her over it.

Lifting her skirt, he pressed one hand lightly on her back as he guided himself into her. She groaned as he entered her in one slow lunge, filling her, stretching her.

Aralyn pushed back against him, her body arching to meet his every thrust. The sensation of completeness was intoxicating; each measured stroke igniting the embers of her desire anew. She could feel the raw power behind his movements as he gripped her hips with his hands and drove deep into her.

In and out, he thrust, as he leaned forward and grazed his fangs lightly along her spine, before kissing her heated skin. She closed her eyes, losing herself to the sensations that engulfed her. Every nerve in her body seemed to ignite as he moved within her, his rhythm unwavering, pushing her closer to another peak.

He was close, she could feel the change in him as the tension grew. As his breathing grew ragged, he slipped a hand down her hip, and threaded it around her body, touching her sensitive flesh.

Skillfully, he rubbed her mound, pinching her flesh with a practiced precision that sent waves of unimaginable pleasure coursing through her. Aralyn's moans filled the room, as her senses heightened, and the edge of another orgasm approached faster than she anticipated. She felt herself teetering on the brink, her body trembling in anticipation. She tightened around him, her inner muscles gripping him with an urgency that matched the rapid pace of his thrusts.

"Come for me. Come with me," he growled into her ear, his voice thick with need. The command was all it took to send her spiraling over the edge.

As her inner muscles pulsed around him, he jerked into her, filling her with his essence.

Aralyn's legs trembled as she came down from her high, her breath still ragged. She could feel the vampire's cool body pressed against her back, his arms wrapped around her waist as they both caught their breath. For a moment, they stayed like that, connected and silent.

Finally, he slowly withdrew from her, his hands gently caressing her sides as he did so. Aralyn shivered at the loss of contact, her body still humming with residual pleasure. She turned to face him, leaning back against her desk for support.

"So, what information do you have for me?" she asked.

"Everything is ready for tomorrow's ceremony. Morwenna has exceeded my expectation at the decorations in The Lonely Tavern," Caldric told her.

"I can't wait to see it." And she could not wait to start her new life with Caldric as her husband. Her real husband. Unlike when they first met, there was nothing fake about their relationship.

"Tomorrow you will be my bride." He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lips.

"Uncle Burt is so excited to be giving me away," Aralyn said. "Even if it is to a vampire ."

Caldric's brow creased. "I believe I have won him over."

"That is because he is grateful you helped me get the Myasma Stone back, which led to my staying in Wishing Moon Bay, and getting a desk job."

"And I thought it was because I go night fishing with him," Caldric said in mock disappointment.

She chuckled. "Truthfully, he is just happy that I am happy. And you make me happy."

"I love you, vampire hunter," Caldric murmured as he lowered his head, his lips an inch away from hers.

"And I love you, vampire." And then she kissed him.