Wicked Love - Michelle Dare Page 0,65

pointing to my bleeding neck as we ran.

Once we reached the outside, Dani said, “Sorry about this.”

I looked over at her, confused and weak with blood loss, as she picked me up and ran with vampire speed across the vast lawns to the edge of the property. She opened the passenger door and deposited me in. Then she hopped into the driver’s seat, and we sped off.

Epilogue

Daniela

One year later…

I was right. Washington state wasn’t too bad this time of year.

I mean… it was still pretty damn gloomy, but these beaches, though! I had grown up in Colorado… I’d only been to the beach one time when my parents had taken me to Southern California to Disneyland and a trip to the ocean. But I had only been ten years old and barely remember it. These beaches in Washington weren’t as sunny, nor the sand as soft, but the view of the mountains combined with the water was simply breathtaking. And the best part? We could go out during the day without fear of the sun. I could see for miles, and if it looked like there’d be a break in the clouds to allow the sun, we’d simply just go home.

Unfortunately, Innubis had had to give Judson up, but they’d quickly hired the replacement guitarist they’d used when he’d been out for his bereavement period. They didn’t seem too broken up about losing him, and it made me sad that he seemed to be so replaceable. Judson didn’t seem to care, though. He knew he’d eventually find another band—one who took their careers more seriously. And he had. This part of the country had no shortage of start-up bands and he’d quickly found a job as a guitarist in a rock band that, in my opinion, was pretty damn talented.

As for myself… I told my parents I’d taken a job in Washington for a dot-com startup and they’d bought it. I hated being away from them, but video calls were a beautiful thing and I kept in contact with them regularly. For now, I was just waiting tables at a biker bar. The tips were amazing, but I was getting tired of the ass-smacks and cat-calls. But… it was temporary until something better came along. I wasn’t worried about it. All I knew was that bounty-hunting was definitely out for me. I half-considered joining the local police force. I’d have to think about that though. Night shift only for me.

“This place is breathtaking,” Judson said from behind me.

“Beautiful,” I agreed as we sat on the sand, wrapped up in a blanket against the chilly October wind, Judson’s fangs skimming my neck as we sat in silence.

Unfortunately, the bite he’d endured at the mansion almost killed him. He had lost so much blood by the time we got back to his apartment, I’d had to turn him to save him. I hadn’t even asked. I just did it. No way was I losing him. Guessed I was selfish like that.

“Thank you for saving me,” he murmured into my ear.

“Stop thanking me. I did it for myself,” I teased.

“I had no idea sex could be any better than it was when I was human. Boy, was I wrong,” he replied.

I turned around and straddled him where he sat on the sand, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled the blanket tight around to cocoon us in. “It’s so much more than sex to me. I knew from the moment I saw you in Bash that you were different. You were mine. You were my soulmate. It was why I wouldn’t kill you. Couldn’t kill you. I just wished I’d been able to take care of Ringo.”

He grinned and ran his finger down my cheek. “Fuck that guy. He’ll never find us. We can live our lives here. Be able to go out during the day. It’s the perfect place for us, beautiful.”

I laughed. “Yeah, us and a few hundred other vamps.”

We’d quickly discovered this part of the state was teeming with vampires. But that was all right. We all got along and seemed to live in harmony—for now. Unfortunately, there were a lot of wolves in this area too, but we both respected each other’s boundaries.

“I love you, Daniela Ariella Diaz,” he said to me.

I kissed his nose. “I love you, too, Judson Daniel Smith.”

THE END

Want More?

Want more of Michelle Dare’s paranormals? You can read about the characters you met in this story in The Ariane Trilogy and the Paranormals of