Page 65 of Phantom’s Mate

He gathered her into his arms, whispering his love into her ear, and giving her one last kiss with all his heart in it. Then he gently put her away from him. “Go,” he said. “They’re here for you. Go on.”

She looked in his eyes for a long moment, then turned away. Devastation swept through him. He knew she deserved this; he wanted it for her. He did.

But how was he ever going to make it without her?

Brittany began to walk faster, and then run. The people became clearer—an elderly couple, a younger woman standing apart from them, and a man separate from all of them, who looked barely older than Nick.

Brittany threw herself on the older couple, talking a mile a minute, though he couldn’t hear anything. They hugged each other and talked and hugged each other again.

Then she went shyly over to the man. Her father, Nick realized. He must have died young. They talked, and she hugged him too.

Her mother hung back, obviously hesitant to come forward. Brittany went over and spoke softly to her for a few moments, and then gave her a hug. Her mother stepped back, smiling through tears, with a look on her face that told Nick he’d just seen forgiveness.

He’d never been so proud of Brittany.

His woman. He watched her hungrily, knowing this was the last time he’d ever see her, wanting to hold on to every second of it.

Wanting to see her safe on the other side.

Finally, Brittany went back to her grandparents, looking more peaceful than he’d ever seen her. She spoke to them again, and gave each of them another hug and a kiss.

And then she turned away, her gaze searching—until it landed on Nick. Suddenly she was running, catapulting into his arms, and he caught her and lifted her off her feet.

He held onto her, his face buried in her hair, grateful for one more minute. Two minutes. The light dimmed. Her family, faded, waving. The doors closed.

And she was still here.

Nick dropped her to her feet, putting his hands on her shoulders. “What are you doing?” he demanded, incredulous. “The door closed.”

“I know,” she said. “I told them I can’t cross over right now. My mate needs me, and I can’t spend my afterlife without him.”

For a second he couldn’t even take it in. She’d chosen him. She’d had heaven in front of her, and she’d chosen to be his mate, his love, his forever.

His swept her up in his arms again, their lips meeting in a kiss that sealed their love until the end of time. Blue energy crackled around them, and Nick felt that place inside his chest where her heart lived expand with warmth, melting the last of his rage and thirst for vengeance.

He had everything.

From a few feet away he heard a loud, dramatic teenage sigh, and then DB’s voice penetrated their ecstatic haze.

“Are you guys going to boink now?”

They broke the kiss, laughing. “Yes,” Brittany said. “But not while you’re watching, you perverted little monster.”

DB grinned.

Nick added, “And watch your mouth. This is my mate.” He slung his arm around her. “My true mate.”

DB rolled his eyes. “Duh. Everybody knew that.” He moved them through the spirit world, until they could see the Wild Blood territory. As they exited his interdimensional doorway, he said, “Hey, since it’s Christmas Eve, I get to have eggnog, right? With rum in it?”

“Great,” Nick said. “Drunken dragon. It’s all fun and games until someone sets the Christmas tree on fire…”

And with his mate at his side, he stepped through the door to home.

Chapter 32

Very early Christmas morning, just as the sun was rising, the Wild Blood house lay quiet in the dim morning light.

Suddenly, there was a loud moaning, like souls in torment.