Cool, green, and lovely, the plants around me answered my call. The burn in my neck wasn’t extinguished, but I felt myself being wrapped in light, in power, in peace.
And sleep overtook me.Lucien
My eyes cracked open, and the world was green. Or rather, the afterlife was green. Right?
I tried to sit up and couldn’t. Olivia.
She was still in my arms, our bodies sticky with blood, and horror filled me. Had I not died with her? That wasn’t possible. I’d bitten her while her heart still beat. I’d felt the bond.
Panicked, my eyes flew up, and that was when I saw it.
A bower of flowers, vines, and stems interwoven around us like a living funeral pyre. Between it all, a thick green glow, her power pulsating with life as it cocooned us.
“Olivia? Hellcat, can you hear me?” I fumbled as I felt for her pulse, and nearly wept when I felt it. It was faint, but steady.
We were alive.
I’d bitten her, and somehow, we were alive.
I wept as I held her, unashamed of my tears. I would never be anything but grateful for any moment this woman spent in my arms, ever again.
She was my personal miracle, my light, my everything.
“Lucien?” My name was slurred on her lips, and still it was the best sound I’d ever heard in my whole, long, miserable life.
“I’m here, my love. I’m here.”
“My neck hurts.”
That was not what I expected her to say, and suddenly, I was very, very aware that I’d bonded us-partially-without her consent.
“I-I bit you.”
“You what?” Her shock was genuine, and I soldiered on.
“You were dying. Your heart was barely beating, and I didn’t want to go on without you. So I bit you so we’d be bonded, and I could go with you into the afterlife. I’m sorry. I know you should have consented, but I couldn’t- I just couldn’t let you go.”
Her fingertips brushed my cheek, settled over my lips. “It’s okay. I couldn’t bear to live without you either. You love me? Truly?”
“More than I’ve ever loved anyone.” It was a terrifying truth.
I loved and missed my sister, my sweet Lilliana. Her face was a distant memory now, after all these years, but still I loved her.
But Olivia… She held the other half of my soul. And every day I spent with her, I became a better man. And I loved her dearly, even if I’d lied to myself before.
It hadn’t saved her.
Pretending she wasn’t my everything hadn’t saved her. She had saved us both. With her own beautiful, gentle power.
I closed my eyes and held her close, thanking the Goddess and every star in the sky that my mate was a quiet badass and I got another chance with her that I didn’t deserve.
“Olivia!” A panicked voice startled us sometime later. “Oh my Goddess. How long has she been in there?” Elodie, on closer inspection.
“A while.” Valens.
“Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” I called back, trying not to disturb Olivia, who was sleeping on my chest. She stirred anyway, blinking up at me sleepily.
“Holy shit, they’re both in there? Why are you all just standing here!”
Their voices got farther away, too far to hear the conversation, and then Elodie returned a few minutes later. “Are you guys okay? What happened, and can you come out? Things are… weird out here.”
I looked down at Olivia. “I don’t know if you’re healed enough to come out yet. Are you?”
She frowned, considering. “I feel tired, but I think all my external wounds are gone? She lifted herself up with shaky limbs, and to my amazement, every mark she’d had before was gone, her skin healed cleanly.
“Can you let the power go safely? Or should we wait for Brielle?” I didn’t give a fuck what was happening outside our cocoon, as long as Olivia was safe.
“I think I just need clothes. And a nap. And food. I’m starving.” Her stomach rumbled, and I chuckled.
“You need energy after all that wound repair.”
“Probably, yes.” She blushed pink, finally realizing that we were both fully naked and pressed together like sardines.
“Hello? Did you pass out again?” The sound of leaves rustling reached us, and Elodie yelped as if something had zapped her.
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