The other.
Something flared in my chest, like a tiny flame sparking to life. My senses were whirling to the forefront. I could feel something cool against my chest—stuck there. The beeping was starting to go crazy. And then I knew what it was.
A heart monitor.
And there were two separate beeps, one virtually on top of the other. Two. That had to mean . . . Surrounded by a familiar earthy scent, I willed my eyes to open and dragged in a deep breath.
Dee was hovering over me, her green eyes bright with relief. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to wake up.”
My mouth was dry from panic as I stared at her. She looked okay—maybe a little stressed. Her hair was a bit crazy-looking, her face a little pale, but she was smiling. Her hand squeezed mine again.
I took another breath and slowly turned my head to the left. My heart exploded in my chest as I gasped.
He lay there, his normal, deeply tanned skin a shade or two paler. I could only see half of his face, but it was a strong, beautiful profile—the cut jaw and straight nose.
I glanced back at Dee in confusion and then quickly looked back at the bed near mine, afraid to blink in fear he’d disappear. I was shaking as I pushed myself up. “I’m . . . I’m awake?”
“Yes.”
My breath caught, but not in that painful way. “I don’t understand.”
She eased away from the bed, giving me room to swing my legs off the side. “You should probably take it easy.”
I ignored her, pulling the sticky things off my chest as I placed my bare feet on the cold floor. It was then I realized I was in a hospital gown and we were in a hospital room. “I don’t understand,” I repeated.
Dee moved to the foot of his bed and smiled tiredly. “The bullet was normal, but it had this electric current in it, sort of like an encasing. If it had stayed in him longer, it would’ve killed him . . .” She trailed off, shaking her head. “It should’ve killed him, but he hung on.”
He hung on.
My legs were wobbly as I stumbled toward the bed, staring at the steady rise and fall of his chest. He was alive. He was breathing. My heart was pounding out of my chest.
I was beyond words as I reached out and placed my fingers on his arm. The skin was warm and dry. My breath caught once more.
“Archer called the general and told him what happened. There were still a lot of military nearby, and he sent a helicopter to pick you guys up.”
My hand trembled as I slid it up his arm.
“They flew him and you out. We’re at a military base in Maryland. They had doctors here,” she explained. “They were able to get the bullet out. They say . . . he’ll be okay, Katy.”
I lowered my head to his chest and I heard it—Daemon’s heartbeat moving as fast as mine. “Oh my God . . .” I sat on the edge of his bed, keeping my ear plastered to his chest. “Please . . . tell me this is real,” I whispered, eyes filling up with tears. “That I won’t wake up again and find this is a cruel dream. Please.”
“It isn’t a dream. I promise you.” She moved to where I sat and leaned down, hugging me gently. “This is real. He’s going to be okay, Katy.”
“Thank you,” I said, voice thick with emotion. “Tell Archer I said thank you.”
Dee responded, but I was focused on the sound of Daemon’s heart. I was only vaguely aware that after some time, Dee left the room. I stayed where I was and there was no stopping the tears. They kept coming, streaming down my face, dampening the thin blue blanket that was tucked under his arms.
Minutes passed. Maybe hours. I didn’t move—wasn’t capable of it and didn’t want to. My heart finally slowed. So did his, and then it thumped when a heavy arm settled over my waist. Startled and full of hope, I lifted my head.
My eyes locked with a pair of brilliant emerald ones.
“Daemon,” I breathed. The waterworks really picked up then, and his beautiful face blurred.
His lips slowly parted. “Don’t cry, Kitten.” As if it took great effort, he lifted his other arm, brushing the tears off my cheeks with the back of his hand. “Come on.”
My chest twisted. “I never thought . . . I’d hear you say that again. I thought you were gone and . . .” My throat closed off as I placed my hand over his, pulling it to my mouth. I kissed his knuckles.
He made a sound in the back of his throat. “Did you think I’d leave you?”
I shuddered.
“I heard you,” he said, and then he tried to sit up.
“Don’t,” I said, my eyes going wide.
He made that sound again, this time more frustrated. “I heard you out in the yard. I wouldn’t leave you, Kat. I’d never do that. Now . . . get down here and kiss me.”
“But you . . . you took a bullet for me, Daemon.” My breath hitched in my throat again. “She was going to shoot me and you . . . you could’ve died. I thought you had died.”
A moment passed as he stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “What else would I’ve done?”
Now I gaped at him through fresh tears.
“I love you,” he said, his eyes incredibly bright as he spoke those words. “If your life is in danger, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you’re safe. That’s what love makes you do. Right?”
“Right,” I whispered, still stunned somewhat. He spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“I’d do it again.”
Oh God. “Daemon, I . . . thank you.”
He frowned. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“I do.”
The corner of his lips tipped up. “Okay. Thank me by getting down here and kissing me.”
I did just that. I lowered my mouth to his and kissed him softly, reveling in his taste and the warmth of his lips. “I love you so very much, and I’m going to spend every waking moment proving it to you.”
“I like the sound of that.” He tugged on my hair as I lifted my head. “Where . . . are we?”
I gave him the quick version of what Dee had told me. “They’re not sure how you survived.” I sniffled, using my shoulder to wipe the tears off my cheek. “But you’re so stubborn.”
Daemon coughed out a dry laugh and the grip on my hand tightened. “You know how I love a challenge.”
My heart lurched as I remembered those words from the day we’d learned we were connected, and I’d shot him down when he suggested we should get together. I leaned over him, brushing my lips across his forehead. I closed my eyes, sent up as many thank-yous as I could to every God and deity and prophet I knew. “So do I, Daemon. So do I.”
EPILOGUE
Eleven months later . . .
{ Katy }
Bright sunlight streamed in through the bedroom window of the townhome at the foothills of the Flatirons. An early bout of October snow had capped the tips of the mountains, turning them white.
It really was beautiful here in Colorado—the air fresh and trees everywhere. It reminded me of home, my old home, but with easy access to a lot more cool stuff.
Like Starbucks.
Which had reopened two months earlier, just in time for the return of the pumpkin spice latte, a sure sign mankind would trek on. Humans were probably the most resilient and stubborn creatures in all the universes.
Something the invading Luxen, those who’d managed to escape the Arum, had learned quickly. Days after the battle, while our little group had holed up in Northern Virginia trying to decide how and where to move on, the remaining invading Luxen left.
It had been like a reverse D-Day.
Lights had flashed upward in steady streams, all across the world, for several hours. It had been a sight to see, just like it had been when they’d come. Something I would never forget.
But we all knew that there still could be some here, and there was no stopping them from coming back. Maybe one day they would, but if I’d learned anything in the last two years, it was that I could not look toward the future if I lived in the past.
&nb
sp; It was hard.
Not a day went by that I didn’t think of my mom. Like with my dad, it got a little easier, but there were days when something would happen or I’d just get bored or want to talk to her, and I’d reach for my phone, seconds away from calling her when I’d realize she wasn’t there, that she’d never be there.
Those days were rough, full of tears and anger. I wanted to resurrect Ethan just so I could kick him in his junk and kill him all over again. The fury and helplessness and, oh God, the hurt could be so raw some days. If it weren’t for Daemon and my friends—my new family—it would be unbearable.
I glanced over my shoulder.
Daemon rested against the headboard of the king-size bed—a bed big enough for half of my economics class. His arms were folded behind his head, one leg bent at the knee. No shirt. Just faded denim jeans, and I knew for a fact that that seriously was all. The corded biceps drew my gaze and I soaked in the naturally tan expanse of his chest and the tightly rolled muscles of his stomach. To this day, I had no idea how he got that dip on either side of his hips. Like what kind of sit-ups does one do for that? The only time I sat up from lying down was to get out of bed.
Or get some chocolate.
Or a book.
But yeah, Daemon Black . . . well, he totally made it bearable.
He winked one green eye, and somehow, when most guys would look all kinds of douchey, he made it look sexy. “Like what you see?”
I didn’t even dignify that with a response. Instead I faced my computer, my fingers hovering over the keys—the enter button to be exact. My heart was racing like it had been when Daemon and I had submitted our applications, the day the University of Colorado had finally opened their enrollment and resumed classes.
That had been major.
Still felt epic.
We both were doing something I thought we’d never be able to do. Going to college had seemed like a fantasy, but it had come true.
We were college students—Daemon and me.
Neither of us had declared a major yet. We had no idea what we wanted to do, but that was okay. We’d figure it out eventually.
“Just do it,” Daemon said, his voice closer than I expected, causing me to jump. His chuckle stirred loose strands of hair around my temple. He tugged my ponytail, tipping my head back. He kissed me softly, almost making me forget what I was doing, and when he lifted his head, he grinned down at me from behind. “You’ve been obsessing over it for weeks. Do it.”
I bit my lip, still tasting him.
“Come on.” He picked up a pen off my desk and tapped the tip of my nose with it. I swatted at his hand, and he laughed. “Your inner book nerd will have a book nerd orgasm.”
My brows knitted. “That just . . . sounds weird and kind of gross.”
He snickered as he let go of my ponytail. His gaze landed on the screen of my brand-spanking-new MacBook that I’d protect with my last dying breath. I’d even named her Brittany, because she had to be a girl, and she was shiny and red and perfect and she might not have ten toes and ten fingers, but she was my baby.
And I loved her.
Taking a deep breath, I flexed my fingers. Daemon dropped his hands onto the arms of my chair and leaned over me. The warmth that rolled off him and trailed down my back turned the corners of my mouth up.
I hit publish and then sucked in a sharp breath as everything on the screen refreshed into a brand-spanking-new blog.
“Katy’s Krazy Book Obsession is alive once more.” He kissed my cheek. “You nerd.”
I laughed as some kind of weight drifted off my shoulders. “I think the pink and brown go well together.”
He grunted some sort of reply as my smile grew into creepy proportions. I almost clapped. And I almost got up, knocked Daemon over, and raced into our extra bedroom, where all my books—all my pretties—were.
After everything had gone down, Daemon and I had traveled back to my house. Archer had shown up with Dee, and the four of us had packed up all of the stuff. We’d managed to get my books shipped to Colorado once we decided that was where we were going to try to put down some roots.
The blog was a big deal to me. It wasn’t just pretending everything was fine or grasping at normalcy, but grabbing it by the ears and making it my bitch. Blogging about books was something I’d loved to do and missed fiercely. Books were a part of me that I was going to get back, starting now.
“Hey.” Daemon pointed at the screen. “You already have a follower.” A dark eyebrow cocked up. “The YA Sisterhood? Hmm. That kind of sounds like fun.”
I rolled my eyes so far it actually hurt. “You’re so perverted.”
He nipped my ear, causing me to wiggle in my chair. Leaning forward, I closed my laptop so I didn’t obsessively start following every blogger out there. I’d leave that for another day when I had more time.
As Daemon backed off and I pushed out of the chair, my gaze danced over the stack of magazines piled on the corner of the desk, wedding gown after wedding gown staring back at me, stealing my breath a little.
My gaze dropped to my left hand.
The shimmery diamond on my ring finger drew some major attention. Some days when the light hit it the right way, it would literally dazzle me into staring at it for several minutes.
We were going to get married, the whole deal—white gown, ceremony, bridesmaids and groomsmen, reception, DJ, and most importantly, the wedding cake. For real this time, under our legit names. The fake IDs were left behind, though I kind of missed them a little.
Kaidan Rowe was a Hottie McHotters.
But General Eaton had kept his promise. The ARP—Alien Registration Program—did not affect us, and as of today, no one had recognized either of us from the brief time the Vegas videos had been up on the internet.
The ARP was General Eaton’s and the government’s answer to weeding out any Luxen and Origins who may be flying the unfriendly skies. All Luxen, hybrids, Origins, and Arum were required to register—all except us. Some days I wondered if that would change, and it always caused knots of unease to form in my belly.
Now that the alien was really out of the bag, and with all the terrible things the invading Luxen had done, aliens weren’t all that . . . accepted in communities. Every day, there was something in the news about an attack on a suspected Luxen or colony. Many innocent Luxen had been injured in the past months and some . . . they’d been killed just because of what they were.
That was scary, knowing that someone you saw every day, who thought you were a nice and normal human, could turn on you so quickly once he or she realized that wasn’t what you were. And God forbid if the general populace learned how onyx and diamond, or even a low-dose Taser, could affect us.
Things weren’t easy or perfect, and the future seemed shaky at times, but life wasn’t wrapped up in neat little bows.
I ran my fingers over the multicolored tabs poking out of the tops of the magazines that marked pages with the gowns, decorations, and cakes I liked.
Daemon wasn’t much of a planner when it came to the whole wedding thing, even though it had been his idea, but whenever I dragged out one of those thick magazines, he didn’t moan and complain as I thumbed through it.
Although he seemed disturbingly fascinated with the selection of garter belts.
When I lifted my gaze, he watched me intently, in that all-consuming way that always made me feel like I was stripped bare for him.
A rush of warmth flowed through my veins. I bit down on my lip as I glanced at the clock on the wall.
“We have time,” Daemon said, voice rough as sandpaper.
I arched my brow even as my heart skipped a beat. “Time for what?”
“Uh-huh. Don’t play coy with me.” He walked around my abandoned chair, causing my stomach to dip in the most pleasant way as he