“Only if you do too,” I replied.

There was a smile in his voice when he said, “I will.”

I cuddled closer, wrapping my arms tight around him. “Good.”

“I love you, Leah.”

I closed my eyes and pressed a kiss to his chest.

Then I whispered, “I love you too, Mighty Vampire Lucien.”

It would turn out to be a boon from the fates that the last thing I heard before I fell asleep was my mate chuckling.

* * * * *

Sonia

After they’d finished making love, Sonia sat astride her handsome wolf, his cock still planted inside her, his knees angled, cocooning her, his torso up, his arms around her, big hands moving soothingly along the skin of her back, his face buried in her chest, his chin resting at the vee of her breasts.

Sonia slid her hand through his hair, her neck bent, lips to the hair on top of his head, allowing him his thoughts even though she knew they were not pleasant.

He proved her right when he spoke.

“I lost you once.”

She pressed her lips to his hair as she cupped the back of his head in both hands.

“You didn’t,” she whispered.

“I thought I did. And it was agony.”

Sonia flinched at the pain behind the truth buried in his words.

“I know, wolf,” she replied, lifted her head and fisted her hands in his hair, gently tugging it back. As she wanted, his head tilted so she could catch his eyes. “That won’t happen again.”

“If that witch is right, I understand now why the Oracles have not seen our future. Because it hasn’t been written yet. And our fates are in the hands of humanity. I don’t understand that. I also don’t like it.”

“Humans have the capacity for a great deal of love. Generosity. Kindness. Hope,” she told him.

“They also have the capacity for a great deal of hate. Judgment. Envy. Prejudice. And they’ve proven over centuries that they do not handle fear very well,” he returned.

She slid her hand to his jaw. “This is true, husband, but that’s the stuff that gets all the attention. You’ve lived long but not often close to humans. Trust me, the good stuff happens far more often, but it doesn’t make headlines.”

“I hope you’re right,” Callum murmured, dipping his chin and kissing her chest.

Sonia again rested her lips to the top of his head. “I do too. But you’ve lost so much already to the cause of keeping humans safe. I cannot believe that the fates, and more importantly God, would make you lose more.”

He pulled his face out of her chest and she lifted her head again when he tipped it back.