Their absence ached deep inside her heart, but she refused to show that to the others. They were happy for her and she was so grateful for them that words couldn't convey even an inkling of what she felt. So she sat there, choking back her tears while Vane and Bride broke out champagne and they all celebrated.
Even Fury when he returned was thrilled. He kissed her on the cheek and shook Fang's hand.
Aimee excused herself from them and went to the bathroom. The moment she was alone, she shut the door and flashed herself to the alley outside of Sanctuary. It was completely dark. Eerily so. She glanced up at the light that had always been moody on its best night.
When would Griffe get around to fixing it?
Missing her family, she went to the door to open it, then stopped.
They won't be happy. Tears gathered in her eyes as those words cut through her. She wanted to run inside and tell her parents. To have them laugh and congratulate her the way they'd done for her mated brothers. She wanted Dev and Remi and all the others to congratulate her too.
It would never happen.
Go home.
A single tear fled down her cheek. This was her home. . . .
But not anymore. This would never be her home again.
Her home was with Fang as his mate. Forcing herself to let go of the doorknob, she stepped back. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of pink from the corner of her eye.
She went over to it. Her heart sank as she realized it was the body of their waitress, Tara. Just like the other murders that the police had tried to blame on Fang, she was completely drained of blood.
But she still had her soul. . . .
Stumbling back, she realized in an instant what this was.
A demon kill.
Her breathing ragged, she started for the door only to feel an evil presence in the alley with her.
Someone tsked. "You didn't really think you'd be able to interrupt us and then go your own way, did you?"
Out of the darkness stepped not one, but an army of demons.
Fang was laughing with Vane as a rancid chill went straight down his spine. A chill that turned into shredding talons as every instinct inside him went on high alert.
In an instant, he knew what it was.
"Aimee's in trouble."
Fury arched one sarcastic brow as he scoffed. "In the bathroom? What'd she do? Eat the wrong thing?"
He gave Fury a fierce glare. "No. She's at Sanctuary."
Vane frowned at him. "What?"
"She must have flashed there to see her family." Unwilling to waste another second trying to explain it to his dense brothers, he teleported himself out to find her in the alley, surrounded by demons as she fought them back with her staff.
There were easily two dozen, with more appearing to attack as if someone had opened a portal to hell.
Fang met her determined gaze. He manifested his sword to fight them. "Get inside."
For once, she didn't argue. "I'll get help."
After making sure she got inside without harm, Fang raked the advancing demons with an arrogant sneer. "Ready to dance, punks? It's killin' time."
Aimee ran to the bar where Dev, Remi, Colt, and Wren were, along with her father. They all stared at her as if she were a ghost.