Abruptly, everything became focused.

Below the inscription of his best friend Qhuinn’s name … was his own. John Matthew. In the symbols of the Old Language.

Pushing up against the marble floor, he started to smile as he reached out and traced the deep carving.

Clapping brought his head around.

The Brotherhood was standing behind him, re-robed, their hoods down. All of the fierce males were smiling as they cheered for him.

Tohr extended his dagger hand. “Let me help you up, my brother.”

John looked into the male’s face and was reminded of the first time he’d seen the one he would call “father.” As tears threatened, Tohr’s eyes became misty, too.

John stood up on his own, and the two embraced, holding each other tightly.

It had been a long road from that bus station where he’d been born and left for dead, so much of it full of terrible losses. But there had been amazing surprises, too, and blessings that had been both prayed for and unexpected. There had been laughs and sobs, illness and health, confusion and clarity.

Throughout all of it, John had questioned his path so many times. Had felt for sure he would never recover from countless problems. Had worried he would be alone for his days and nights.

But that was not how things had ended up, had they.

If he’d only known to put a little more faith in Fate.

Just before he broke away from the only father he had ever known, he caught Lassiter’s strange silver gaze. The fallen angel smiled at him.

And then pulled a Taylor Swift move, making a heart of his forefingers and thumbs over his pec.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, did anyone bring a tissue?” someone muttered.

As multiple brothers started to sniffle, somebody else said, “Use your robe. I did.”

“Goddamn it, I hate crying.”

“So why do you watch Grey’s Anatomy?”

“It’s the angel’s fault. Fucker is a glutton for punishment …”

As the Brotherhood talked and laughed, John and Tohr separated and then he was hugging Qhuinn. Murhder. Everyone.

John could not stop smiling. He was one of them for reals.

And wasn’t that awesome?

Sarah got out of the Mercedes slowly, rising from the warm interior without noticing the cold. At all.

The structure before her was more castle than house, a monolithic stone construction with gargoyles on its roofline, a thousand diamond-pane windows, and multi-story’d wings that went on forever. The magnificent expanse was anchored by a courtyard with a fountain that was shut down for winter, and there was also a carriage house off to one side and a lineup of very different cars and trucks across the way.

“So this is where we live.”

Sarah jumped as Xhex came around from the driver’s side. “You know … this is the kind of place I assumed the King of all vampires would live in.”

“Wait’ll you see the inside,” the female murmured. “You ready?”

Sarah nodded, but didn’t walk forward. She couldn’t seem to move.

Xhex took her arm. “Come on, they don’t bite—okay, maybe that’s not the best choice of words.”

Together, they started up a shoveled set of stone stairs toward an entrance that belonged on a cathedral. Overhead, the moon was full in a clear sky, and the night was still. Sarah’s breath left her lips in puffs of white, and she had to put her hands in the pockets of her parka because she didn’t have gloves.

Xhex opened a heavy door into a vestibule and looked down into a camera mounted next to a computer monitor. “Hey all, it’s us—”

The inner door was opened by a tall dark-haired woman—er, female—with a dark-haired baby on her hip. “You must be Sarah! This is so great! Hi!”

Before Sarah knew it, she was wrapped in an embrace, the baby going for her hair, a bunch of women—er, females—stepping in close.

And then Sarah lost track of everything. On account of the holy-shit-will-you-look-at-that.

The vast space on the far side of the double doors was so luxurious, so colorful, so overwhelming, she couldn’t take it all in. Everywhere she looked there were crystal chandeliers, and gold leafed mirrors and balustrades, and columns made of claret marble and—was that malachite? Glancing down, she found an intricate mosaic floor depicting an apple tree in full bloom and three stories up, there was a domed ceiling sporting a fresco of warriors on stallions.

The staircase made Tara’s look like a frickin’ step stool.

There was also a grand dining room off to one side and a pool room on the other, and in the latter, she could hear male voices …

Sarah shook herself as she realized all of the females were looking at her with indulgent smiles.

“It can be a little overwhelming,” the dark-haired female with the baby said. “But I promise you, you’ll get used to it. I’m Beth, by the way, and this is L.W.”

The baby looked at her with the clearest pale green eyes she’d ever seen—and reached for her.

“Oh, he wants to say hi. He likes you.”

And that was how she ended up with a baby in her arms.

The little one was warm, and he smelled like fresh soap and sweetness, and as he smiled at her, her eyes pricked with tears.

She had forgotten about her dream of having a family. Just left it behind after Gerry’s death. Decided it didn’t really suit a scientist anyway. But now, as she held this vital weight against her body, and felt him move, and saw him respond to her, she found the spark reigniting. Except …

“It’s okay,” the mom said gently. “You can have one with Murhder. My mother was human. It happens, if you try enough times, and somehow, I’m thinking your man is going to be up for practicing.”

Sarah looked at the female. “Really?”

“Yes, I promise.” She turned to the others. “Now, let me introduce you around. This is Bella and Nalla. Mary. Cormia and Autumn. Marissa … Payne. Ehlena. And of course, you know our Doc Jane well.”

Jane smiled and raised her wineglass. “You’re handling the future King very well over there.”

Sarah paled. “What?”

“He’s the King’s son. This is our queen.”

Sarah immediately held the baby back out to his mother. “Oh, God. Too much—too much responsibility. Nope, not going to be the one who drops him.”

Everyone laughed, and before she knew, she was talking to them all, answering questions about what she did, what she hoped to do, where she and Murhder wanted to look for a house. They were the most welcoming group of females, and then there were more people to meet in where the pool tables were.

It was a whole community.

Family, was more like it.

And after having lost her mother and father, and then Gerry, and being prepared to live her life alone, she couldn’t wait to get to know—

From around the base of the stairs, the old butler with the happy face brought someone very familiar into the grand space, and Sarah started to smile.

“Will you excuse me?” she said before all but running across the mosaic tile.

Nate seemed as shell-shocked as she was as he looked around at the grandeur. But the second he saw her, he exhaled in relief.

She wrapped the boy up in a hug so hard, she had to force herself to release him before he couldn’t breathe—except he didn’t let her go. He held on, dropping his head into her shoulder and sighing.

Stroking her hand up and down his back, she remembered finding him in that cage, in that lab. She couldn’t believe they were here now, standing in this awesome place, with a group of strangers that felt like family.

She inched back and took his face in her hands. His eyes were tired and his smile more determined than honest.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi.” His pseudo-happy expression lost some of its traction. “You came back.”

“I did. And I’m not leaving. Come here.”

She pulled him in again and had to get up on her tiptoes to hold more of him. “It’s okay,” she murmured.

“I did my mahmen’s Fade Ceremony tonight. I wish you’d been there.”

Sarah closed her eyes. “Oh, Nate. I’m so sorry I missed it.”

“It’s okay.”

“I didn’t know.”

“I maybe could have waited. But I just … I needed to get through it.”

“I was the same when my father died.”

Now Nate was the one easing back. “You lost a parent?”

“Both of them.” She smoothed his hair. “It’s hell. No matter when or how it happens. It just … sucks.”

As he nodded, he looked beyond lost.

And maybe she should have talked to Murhder first, maybe she should have thought things through better, but no. Some things, you just knew.

“Nate, Murhder and I are going to get a little house just outside of Caldwell. It’s going to have an extra bedroom. How’d you like to come live with us?”

The boy—male, that was—blinked a couple of times. “You mean it?”

“Yes. I want you to come … stay with us. And listen, if you don’t like it, or if you don’t like us, you can—”

Nate’s face lit up. “Really? You’re serious? I could … live in a house? With you guys?”

“Yes.” She started to smile. “We’d love it. We love … you.”

Now he hugged her hard enough to crush her, not that she minded in the slightest. And when he set her back, he said, “I don’t have any money. I don’t have a job. I can’t really read all that well—”

“Not to worry. We’ll figure it all out together.”

His smile became real, his eyes glowing with true happiness. “So you have a house already picked out?”

“No, we haven’t started looking yet.”

“But wait, how do you know it’ll have an extra bedroom.”

Sarah clasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Because we aren’t going to buy something that doesn’t have room for you.”