That didn’t mean I wasn’t sad. Snake was gone and his loss weighed heavily on me. Chen and Jabber were hurt. Yesterday was extreme.

But I wasn’t freaked.

Given the opportunity to think, none of this surprised me. What I’d felt my whole life was not natural. The bond I was building with Abel wasn’t either, but it was strong and it was beautiful. The fact it was fate made sense.

And with who they were and what they could do, not to mention the fact that life was life, people were people, and evil existed, I could see some of the supernaturals thinking they should rule the world.

I didn’t like it. I didn’t particularly want to play a part in stopping them.

But I had no choice.

I’d gone to therapy when I had no choice, and I’d gotten through. I’d lived with Mom when I had no choice, and I’d gotten through. I’d existed with a hole in my soul until I met Abel, and I’d gotten through.

Now I had him and we faced this.

And we’d make it through.

“Will rest when Snake’s at rest,” Dad said, taking my thoughts back to him.

“Okay, Daddy,” I said gently.

“After that, I’ll worry about my little girl saving the world.”

I sighed.

Abel had told him and we could just say Dad was not all fired up about that particular adventure.

I heard the door open.

I shifted to peer around the side of the chair and saw Abel walking in.

He looked to me, then to Dad, and back to me.

I shook my head.

An expression of sweet understanding moved over his features and I gave him a small smile.

Then I watched him walk to me, also taking in the room around him as I watched him move.

It wasn’t very vampiric, which was kind of a letdown. No blood-red walls or black satin sheets or anything.

Actually, it looked like what I would guess a room in a mansion on the northwest coast would look like. Hunter-green walls. Lots of exposed wood. Accents of muted gold and burnished rust. Kickass paintings of seascapes. A headboard on the king-sized bed made of wood and scrolled iron. Attractive bed linens in greens, golds, and rusts. Lots of pillows. Furniture that was exceptionally attractive but bought and positioned around the room for ease and comfort.

I really didn’t take in much of anything last night, including this room. But right then, I liked it a whole lot.

That said, I kinda missed Abel’s dungeon, but only because that was the place where he and me became a we.

He stopped at the side of my chair and bent deep. Even though my head was tipped back for his kiss, he didn’t give it to me. He rubbed his temple against mine, then lifted away.