I’ll bring her back. I’ll bring her back, he chanted.

His blood started to boil. So much heat filled him he swore he breathed steam.

Then a blinding light covered him like rays of sunlight on bare skin. It was so hot it hurt him from its burn but he gritted his teeth and pushed through it.

I will bring her back. I will bring her back!

The light shifted its beacon to shine on Abbigail. In his magical eye, he could see the beautiful white light encase her body. At the center of her chest where his hands were he saw a glowing orange light emit from his hands as if they were on fire.

That light swirled around his hands slowly at first, then moving faster and faster. Alrik shook above her like a weak little flower in a mighty storm. His muscles convulsed with pain. Burning agony filled him in every inch of his body. He just wanted it to end or for it to kill him. Anything for it to be over. He’d never felt anything so intense before.

Just as he was considering letting go, of quitting, the spiraling orange glow shot inside of Abbigail’s body.

His heart surged as if unchained from a heavy weight.

Her chest lurched up as if she’d been shocked by a great power. Then it snapped up again. And again.

A long ragged hiss of air sounded. He could almost see through her body to where her lungs expanded with air and then released it. His ears picked up on the most glorious sound of all.

Bum bum. Bum bum.

The beat grew faster and faster and then steadied out to a lovely cadence.

Her back arched deeply as her arms jerked and twitched.

“Huuuuuuungh!” she gasped as her lungs filled with air.

“Yes, my love. Come back to me please,” he begged raggedly.

Finally, she blinked. The blinding light started to fade as did the orange glow from his hands. Her chest rose and fell.

His arms still shook. He was terrified to lift his hands. What if it all stopped? What if when he took his hands away and she went back to that dead, spiritless woman she had been?

Her head moved and her gaze met his. Real shining eyes not glassy ones from death. His breath caught in his burning throat.

He let his hands move up to cup her face. Life didn’t leave her. She was really alive, breathing, and gazing up at him softly.

Her eyes searched over his face. A small smile turned up the corners of her lips.

“You’re beautiful,” she said. Her voice sounded torn and ragged.

It was the loveliest thing he’d ever heard. Something he thought he’d never hear again.

“I love you, Abbigail Krenshaw. I won’t let you go that easily.” He kissed her, this time feeling her kiss him back. Another dark chain released from around his heart, freeing him.

Pulling back from the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers. “You are mine now. There is no going back.”

She tugged on a lock of his hair weakly and whispered, “As if I’d want to. Now why don’t you take me home?”

Gently he lifted her into his arms. When he turned he stopped because all the demons stared at him with wonder in their eyes. Even Aidan’s eyes held respect in them.

Slowly the vampire knelt on one knee and the others follow suit.

“Hail the fallen king!” Aidan said, his voice commanding.

His men followed suit. “All hail the fallen king!”

Alrik stood straighter. Another strange feeling came over him. One he hadn’t felt in a long time—respect. Respect that he’d earned. As any true king would, he held his chin up high and nodded once in thanks.

The demons grinned up at him, even Aidan smiled though his was somewhat sadder.

Abbigail curled an arm around his shoulders and waved back to the group. “Bye everyone.”

Alrik used the last of his strength and magic and ported them home.

A few days later

Abby fidgeted like a kid who’d just stolen a cookie behind his mom’s back. It was the nerves, they were driving her straight up the wall. But, what could she do about it? Nothing, she just had to deal. Ha, yeah. Deal. Today was only one of the biggest days of her life. She was being mated to Alrik by his brother Telal and she was meeting her half-sisters Chloe, Willow, and Lily for the first time.

They were all going to be there. Of course her mom would be there too. She’d already talked with her. Sure it’d taken a lot of explaining as to where she was, what all had happened, and why she was getting married. Yeah, that’d been a long story.

Abby started to breathe hard.

“Slow down. Just breathe in and out,” she told herself.

It didn’t help. She sat on her old bed, and put her face between her knees.

Maybe meeting her family so soon wasn’t such a good idea after all. And where was Alrik? He was supposed to be back already. He had to go back to his old castle to make “arrangements” for the ceremony. Now that the curse had been broken, he and his brother seemed to be making amends.

Everything would be fine. She had healed up well, and Alrik had healed up gorgeously. The man had been sexy before but now she’d have to beat women away.

Suddenly the energy changed in the room as if all the atoms came together in one spot then exploded. Alrik stood in her living room looking wonderful and alive. She still had a difficult time adjusting to the golden skin, auburn hair, and violet eyes but she had no complaints. He looked so...angelic now. Okay, maybe that was exaggerating it a bit. He looked like a rugged good demon now and not one bent on world domination.

His eyes caught hers and she raced down the hallway and jumped into his arms. He caught her easily.

His mouth narrowed in and landed on hers. The kiss quickly swept her up. It was eager, wet, and a bit heady. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with just as much energy. It felt like they hadn’t been together in forever even though he’d left a few hours.

They’d both been recovering their energy for the better part of a week and neither had been able to be physically intimate, but now her blood spiked with arousal.

Apparently so did his because his tongue parted her lips with a sexy sweep and then dipped inside to lick her up. A ragged moan left her at the touch, and her hips rocked in response. He tasted delicious and felt so warm in her arms.

Yes, her body told her.

Strong hands walked down her spine to cup her ass. He held her like that with his hands kneading her through her jersey skirt as he walked with her. She didn’t care where he took her. She trusted him.

“I want you,” she whispered against his lips.

He tore his mouth away, his hot gaze colliding with hers. “We’re supposed to meet them for the ceremony in less than an hour.” He sounded pissed as if he wished he had hours with her instead. She had to agree.

Still…

She pressed her breasts against his chest. “An hour is more than enough time for us to both come...”

His hands clenched on her ass. She loved that little things she did could get some sort of a reaction out of him. His lungs expanded hard as he sucked in a sharp breath and then his mouth slammed down to hers.

Oh, yeeees!

Then they were walking backwards. Abby tightened her legs around his hips until her core lined up perfectly with the hard ridge tenting his pants. She rubbed herself against him and moaned. He rubbed her just right.

“Fuck,” he cursed.

Her back hit the wall in the hallway as if he couldn’t possibly make it all the way into the bedroom.

Hot lips and wet tongue kissed a path down her neck. An erotic shiver coursed through her body, pulling her nipples into hard points, making her sex dampen.

“I swear you wear these clothes just to torment me.” He tugged the strap of her spaghetti strap tank to the side then kissed over her shoulder, across her collarbone and worked his way down to her breast.