Sylvie thought the challenges were over. She fought through the hard, dangerous, and sad days; everything should have been easy. She deserved easy.
But dressing appropriately to meet with an estranged father and mentor, a horde of traumatised vampires, shifters who idolised her and people that may or may not still be upset with her was a challenge all on its own.
She settled on a comfortable pair of pants she bought from the op shop what felt like years ago and a silky long-sleeved blouse. Strangely and almost sadly, she hadn't shrunk back to her post 'shifter marking' size, so Elias' old wardrobe wasn't an option.
It was a real shame. She would've rocked a suit.
Slipping her feet into a pair of expensive canvas plimsolls, she wandered into the lounge where her mates waited for her, each of them looking fine as hell.
"That's it, I'm not going," she turned to hide in the bedroom when Elias appeared at her side, grabbing her wrist.
"You look beautiful."
Kian appeared at her other side. "You really do."
"Perfect," Rowan added eagerly.
Sylvie sighed and nodded for the door. "I guess we should do this then. Before I chicken out."
"Do you want us with you?" Elias asked as they walked together to the door.
"Yes. For now. But I'll stand on my own. Okay?"
"Of course," Kian said while pulling the door open for her. He grinned as she passed through, giving him a quick kiss. Rowan followed behind and stopped suddenly at the door, the silence making Sylvie turn back.
"What?" Rowan asked in mock offence. "Don't I get one too?"
Kian tipped his head back and laughed, the sound bringing a smile to Sylvie's lips. Elias even chuckled as Kian straightened. "You want a kiss."
"Yep. Right here, magic man." He pointed at his lips, and Sylvie doubled over in laughter. Why were they being such dorks?
With a suppressed smile, Kian leaned forward and placed his lips on Rowans. They held for a brief second, and Rowan pulled back with an impressed look.
"Your lips are soft."
"And yours are rough. Would it kill you to moisturise?"
Kian closed the door behind them as Sylvie continued to laugh until her eyes watered. When Kian and Rowan gave each other a knowing look, Sylvie realised their theatrics were for her benefit, and she appreciated it. After all the drama and sadness, laughter was sorely needed.
"That was cute," she said with a huge sigh as the tears and giggle fit subsided. They walked across the lawn to the edge of the forest and hopped onto the worn dirt path past the spattering of cabins. The shifters were out, though, which made her belly flip. She was probably going to see them all at once. Dammit. No low-key introductions, then.
As they approached the newest structure, the Nest, voices carried through the trees. Elias tensed at her side, and she wondered briefly if he was nervous too. He hadn't had a chance to take to Magnus since the rescue, but they obviously had history. A deep one too.
"I'm going to go ahead and talk with the shifters," Rowan said quietly.
"Of course," Sylvie whispered back, kissing his cheek. "See you soon."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
He jogged away, leaving Sylvie staring after him. Mmm. That ass.
"Kalina."
Well, the spell was broken.
"Magnus."
She turned to look at her father when she noticed his green eyes were locked on the man at her side.
"Prince."
"General."
A few seconds dragged between them as Sylvie and Kian stood awkwardly to the side. Well, only Sylvie was awkward. The bond between her husband and father was obvious and almost enviable. No. she didn't envy it. She appreciated it. It was a good thing Elias had someone now.
Magnus stepped close and pulled Elias into an embrace, squeezing him until his arms lifted, and they held each other.
"It's good to see you, son." Magnus patted his back and let go, looking him up and down.
"You're a man now."
"Have been for a while," Elias quipped.
"Still a smart arse."
Sylvie pressed her lips together to stop a laugh when he looked over at her.
"We clearly have a lot to talk about."
There was a vaguely familiar look in his eye which reminded her of the foster family she had as an older teen. The one that was generally given to a daughter's boyfriend. Elias even had the nerve to look slightly embarrassed.
"Uh uh. Don't look at me like that."
"Kalina-"
"Magnus!"
"I am your father."
"Sperm donor."
His eyebrow twitched. "We will remedy that belief."
She shrugged. "Eventually, maybe. But for now," She gestured between Elias and him, "you and my husband seem like you have some chatting to do. So I'll see myself off."
Elias leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, and she smiled. "I love you."
"And I, you kit- Sylvie."
She snorted and spun, taking Kian's hand and dragging him to the nest building. Their feet swished through the crispy autumn leaves, and a gentle wind caressed them.
"Are they all fed now? They're not gonna try to eat us, right?"
Kian grinned at her and narrowed his eyes like he was thinking hard. "Mmm, No. I believe we're safe."
She nudged him and squeezed his hand. "Great."
Once they reached the front doors, Kian and Sylvie took a handle and pulled. Why they had to be so obnoxiously heavy was beyond her, but they did look fancy. Maybe it was something to do with keeping the sun out? Straight through the doors, they appeared to be in an empty foyer space of some kind. The wall furthest from them looked to be made of shiny metal. Weird.
"They're fridges, Sylvie."
"Oh." Floor to ceiling and full of blood. Of course. No need for a kitchen for a vampire. Kian squeezed her hand and pulled her to a smaller doorway where a wall of faces stood stock still staring at her.
She smiled awkwardly and waved. "Hi."
No one moved.
Kian had better be sure they were fed cause they looked about ready to eat them.
"Queen Sylvie!" Mila elbowed her way through the crowd and ran over to embrace her. Sylvie squeezed her and smiled as she whispered in her ear.
"Don't mind them. They don't know what to make of you. Especially after that resurrection stuff."
"Not you too!" Sylvie groaned.
"Don't worry. I won't bring it up. Unless you want me to."
Mila's wide eyes made her look like an owl.
"Argh. Maybe later."
"Cool."
Shan and Brodi came over next while the others just stared silently. So fucking creepy. Fiction got it wrong. Sexy vampires were the exception, not the rule.
"How are you, Queen-"
"Just Sylvie."
"Just Sylvie," Shan finished with a smirk.
"I'm okay. You?"
Shan and Brodi nodded to one another. "We are glad to be free of it. And ready to make this place our home if you will allow it."
Allow it?
Sylvie turned to look over her shoulder at Kian, who leaned in the doorway. He offered her a shrug and a smile, and she returned her gaze to Shan.
"You are free, Shan—all of you. You don't need to protect me anymore. I'm not your Queen."
She raised her voice a little so everyone could hear her. "This has been a hard time for everyone. A lot of healing needs to happen, but the best part of all this is you all get to decide for yourselves."
Some Vampires looked a little concerned. They had probably never had the opportunity to choose their life path. Sylvie knew just how frightening that could be. What was scarier, though, was not having any choice at all. Fucking Fates.
"There is no monarchy here. I mean, there is, but it's all bullshit. Just do what you want." Then, when the Vampires started muttering nervously to each other, she added. "If you want Magnus to boss you around, then I'm sure hell be happy to. He is the closest thing you will have to a King." Finally, she turned to look at Kian.
"Right?" She was pretty confident Elias didn't want the burden. Kian nodded with a smile. She sighed and turned back again, taking Mila's hands.
"Or if you want to live your life freely, then go for it. Just don't kill people. Unless they're paedos or rapists, then go hard."
Mila grinned and squeezed her hands. "Thank you, Qu- Sylvie. We wish you the best."
"Keep in touch," Sylvie replied, kissing her cheek. She gave Shan and Brodi a hug and a smile. "Thank you. For everything."
"Our pleasure."
*
Kian opted to stay behind and help the vampires with their turbulent and distressed emotions while Syvie went searching for the shifters. They must've been exercising outside of the boundaries of their home because she couldn't see or hear them. She didn't pick the right outfit for meeting with them.
"Rowan?"
Nope. Pausing in the middle of the chirruping forest, she pursed her lips.
Mm mm, no.
She turned around and walked back towards home. She could just talk to them later. She was not about to put herself in a situation to get kidnapped and tortured again.
"Hey!"
Jumping out of her skin, she turned as Claudine and Rosie approached, coated in a light sheen of sweat.
"Where're you headed?"
Sylvie stopped and crossed her arms, rubbing the goosebumps along her biceps.
"Well, I was looking for you, actually."
"For me! How special." Claudine was only being slightly sarcastic from what she could tell, and Rosie nudged her to the side.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine, Rosie. I just- I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier when I thought-" her voice cracked. "When-"
"You don't have to explain. I can't imagine the pain you felt when you came back. We don't blame you."
Rosie wrapped her in a hug, and she melted into the touch. Claudine draped herself over the both of them, her sweat soaking into Sylvie's blouse.
"Argh, you guys!"
Sylvie pulled off the blouse and shook it. There was no way she would walk home feeling their sweat clinging to her skin. Ew. Luckily, her sports bra wasn't too risque, not that either woman would care.
Claudine chuckled and looked her up and down. "Still look pretty strong."
Sylvie subconsciously flexed. "I am strong."
"Yeah, but with you losing your lycan, it probably won't be a fair fight anymore."
Rosie's brows shot up, and her mouth dropped open. "Claude!"
But Sylvie just waved her away.
"Puh-lease. I'm still a better fighter than you."
Fighting words for sure, and not precisely accurate, but the mock horror on Claudine's face was worth it.
"I won during the tournament," Sylvie said with a smirk.
"You did not. I did!"
"You cheated!"
Claudine broke first, the hint of a smile on her lips. She got her punishment for her little tantrum during the tournament, and Sylvie crossed her arms for dramatic effect.
"How about a rematch!" Claudine leapt on top of her, and she squealed as they tumbled to the ground. Her pants were luckily stretchy and didn't rip as they rolled around, trying to grapple each other, but leaves got into places that leaves should never be.
"Come on!" Rosie grumbled from the sidelines somewhere. "I wanna hear more about the resurrection."
Claudine and Sylvie halted their playfight mid-movement, Sylvie's arm half wrapped around Claudine's neck while Claudine's arms wrapped around her leg. They panted and eyed Rosie as she pouted and tapped her foot impatiently.
"So?"
"Well, for one," Sylvie said, trying to catch her breath. It was so much harder grappling when laughing hysterically the whole time.
"I'm never doing any of that shit again, so stop looking at me like I'm Jesus."
Claudine cackled and spun, escaping the partial triangle hold and rolling out of reach.
"Speaking of that 'miracle', Amira wants to see you."
Immediately, guilt filled her stomach. She was so cruel to her too. Dammit. Why did she have to be such a bitch?
"Here." Rosie handed back her blouse, and luckily it had dried, but now Sylvie was the damp one and coated in leaves like a candy apple rolled through sprinkles.
Rosie brushed most of the debris off her, and they said goodbye as she trudged back to Amira's cottage.