He’d spent the past twenty years relentlessly searching for answers. It was what propelled him from bed on the mornings he could barely face another day alone. And now that he might finally have those answers, he dreaded them as much as anticipated them.
Maya was dead, but was he ready to see her body? Was he prepared to know how his sister died? Please let her death have been quick, he pleaded like he had thousands of other times over the years.
Even with the shouts of the students, the day was peaceful, but an air of sadness enshrouded it. He’d returned to this college dozens of times since his sister vanished in search of answers. Every time and everywhere he went, he sensed her ghost and the ghosts of his past haunting him.
Today wasn’t any different. He could feel a ghost from his past hovering over his shoulder; it was the one that appeared the most. The one that told him over and over again he should have put his books aside and gone with Maya to get ice cream.
Unlike her friends, he never would have let her walk back to her dorm alone. Sometimes, he could see that alternative reality playing out in his mind. In it, his parents were still alive as the loss of Maya hadn’t beaten them down so badly they had no fight left in them.
And they were alive because it was his fantasy, and he wanted them there when he and Maya had children. They were there for all the births, jobs, birthday parties, holidays, family cookouts, and graduations they’d celebrate over the years.
But, in that alternate reality, Cassidy didn’t exist because he never would have met Clora or her. That brought a screeching halt to his alternative world. While he would never be glad he didn’t go with Maya, for the first time, he was happy with the path his life took.
He lost his family, but he’d discovered a new one. Kyle and Julian weren’t thrilled about him in the beginning, but he would have been the same way if one of them was chasing after Maya, so he understood.
It had been nearly a week since he returned Julie to her home. Cassidy had spent the past few days moving into his place, but they spent a fair amount of time in her old apartment, and her brothers had accepted him. They bickered over video games and cheered on their favorite sports teams while trying not to piss off Aida and Cassidy.
Next week, they were going to Maine so he could meet the rest of her family. The prospect of meeting them all at once was a little daunting, but he was looking forward to it. His family was small, but they were close-knit, and he’d missed those bonds since they were severed.
And soon, he would make being a member of her family official. The ring tucked inside his jacket pocket had been burning a hole there for the past three days, but he hadn’t found the right time to propose.
He knew she wasn’t expecting a proposal; to her and her family, the mate bond was more than enough to unite them. But he wanted her to have his mother’s ring, and though he was a vampire, he still believed in some human customs—marriage was one of them.
When Cassidy slid her hand into his and squeezed, he smiled and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her forehead. Resting his fingers against her cheek, he relished the beauty and wonder of her.
If this didn’t work out, he would never give up his search for Maya. He vowed years ago to bring her home and bury her with his parents, but for the first time in years, he had something magnificent in his life, and he was excited about their future.
“I love you,” he said and kissed her forehead.
She beamed at him. “I love you too.”
Kyle took a couple of steps forward before walking away from them. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Cassidy asked.
Kyle didn’t look back as he waved a hand impatiently behind him. “I’ll be right back.”
Cassidy watched as he approached a young woman sitting on a blanket at the far edge of the lawn. Kyle’s step slowed, and he hesitated as if he were uncertain. She’d never seen her brother unsure about anything in his life.
Turning her attention to the woman, Cassidy studied the cinnamon-colored hair spilling over her shoulders. Her hair shielded her face and brushed against the blanket as she leaned forward over her book.
Kyle stopped for a second before striding toward the woman. He crouched at the edge of the blanket and rested his fingers on the ground. The woman lifted her head and stiffened when she spotted him. Most women melted when her brother smiled at him; this one stared at him like he was talking out his ass.
“He doesn’t quit, does he?” Abby asked as she came to stand beside her.
“It’s… it’s hard for him,” Cassidy said as Kyle extended his hand to the woman.
Abby rested her hand on Cassidy’s arm. “I know it is.”
The woman stared at Kyle’s hand, then at him, before tentatively clasping it. She released it almost as soon as they touched. Closing her book, she held it against her chest.
“I think I have something,” Brian said.
Dante’s head turned toward him. “I thought you couldn’t trace the dead.”
Brian’s ice blue eyes met his over the top of Abby’s head. “I’ve never traced the dead before, but age and my bond to Abby have strengthened my ability.”
He looked lovingly at Abby as he said this last part. Her pretty face glowed with vitality, and her emerald eyes shone with love as she beamed at him. Their fingers entwined, and Abby’s hand fluttered to her belly before falling away. It was a gesture he’d seen many pregnant women make before.
No one else noticed the gesture as Cassidy remained
