Forever (Fallen 3)

Jonathon sniffed the air and grinned. In the blink of an eye, he was opening the door and welcoming my brothers, Vivian, and Viola into the house.

Holy crap, my brothers were vampires!

They wore identical grins as they looked at me, dancing on the balls of their feet. Stunned, it took me a moment to stand.

I ran into their arms and hugged them close. It was so good to see them. I loved my older brothers, always had. They looked out for me, and the last few years of not having them around, had taken its toll on me.

“You’re vampires,” I said unnecessarily.

They chuckled. “So are you,” they replied simultaneously.

I shook my head back and forth and hugged them again.

“Mom?” Adam asked, looking over my shoulder.

“Boys,” she replied, and I heard her light steps as she came forward.

I let my brothers go and turned to Vivian and Viola so that my brothers could have time with my mom.

“We heard you might need some help,” Viola smiled, playing with the ends of her vibrant red hair.

“Some help? How about a lot of help?” I laughed, hugging each of them. I didn’t know them that well, but I knew enough to know that they were worthy of my brothers.

Vivian laughed. “I guess that’s true.”

“Let’s all sit down,” I waved them into the house and over to a free spot on the couch. “Did you know about this?” I asked Jonathon. There was no point whispering, everyone in the room would hear me anyway.

“Not at all,” Jonathon shook his head. “I’m as surprised as you.”

“Then how did you guys know to come?” I asked the four vampires.

“Gabriel,” Aiden pointed at the stoic vampire.

“Guilty,” Gabriel raised a hand. “I figured you wouldn’t tell them, to keep them safe, but we really need their help,” he shrugged, glancing at Jonathon and me.

Calling my brothers and the girls had never crossed my mind—there had been too much going on for me to think about them—but if I had, Gabriel was right. I wouldn’t have wanted to put them in danger.

“We need everybody,” Gabriel’s voice was soft.

We all became solemn. We needed numbers, because in the end, there wouldn’t be many of us left.

I had already experienced so much death and violence in a short amount of time. How much more could I handle before I snapped?

Chapter seventeen: Taken

Jonathon and I stood in the nursery, watching the babies sleep.

He massaged my shoulders, even though they didn’t ache. I realized now, being a vampire myself, that there were some human tendencies that stayed with us even in the afterlife.

“I’m sorry,” his voice was low as his lips touched my neck.

“For what?” I asked, turning to face him, and wrapping my arms around his neck. My fingers clasped the blond strands of his hair.

“That ever since you met me, your life has been plagued with nothing but death. I feel like we haven’t had a moment of peace. It’s always been something. Your mom. Selena. The miscarriages-”

“Shh,” I put a hand over his mouth. “It’s okay. I know things haven’t been…ideal, but I don’t want you to ever think for a second that I regret you. I love you, Jonathon, more than my next breath.”

“Good,” he kissed me soundly. “Because I love you too.”