"You can't keep doing that," Raelyn complained.

Dominic raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Put my head on your shoulder?"

"No, PDA in church." She moved her shoulder away as the ushers passed, casting a wary eye at the two of them.

Dominic slid a arm around her shoulder and she winced. His eyes went wide. She smiled weakly. "Sorry. My body's still adjusting. My vampire healing hasn't quite kicked in full time."

Dominic picked up one of her wrists, examining the white scars. He gently kissed the lines. "I'm sorry."

She pulled her wrist back. "It's okay. We're okay." She looked over at Gabe, who sat with a new German Shepherd by his side, growling at every other passerby.

Her mom pulled through; the Capos—shortly after Rossi attacked her and stole her face—found her and brought her to a family doctor.

Raelyn had gone to a public hospital, but Dominic soon convinced everyone that he was allowed. She shook her head. Vampires. What a strange world to be living in.

She laced her fingers through Dominics. No artificial tingles raced down her arm. The bond was broken. She had well and truly died—albeit temporarily. She kissed his hand, and he grinned up at her.

"Don't forget I have class tonight."

"We have class tonight."

"You didn't sign up for another one, did you?"

Dominic shrugged. "I've never really given formal schooling on a schedule a chance. Someone has been convincing me otherwise."

"Will you continue after I graduate."

Dominic grinned. "I'm not that different now."

But he was—he was more relaxed, confident, and hopeful. And he allowed her to download a calendar to his phone. He kept a countdown to graduation. He didn't understand that it was a shared calendar, so she saw his plan to propose—both marriage and bonding. Re-bonding.

We squeezed his hand. She'd let him keep his secret.

He was busy trying to wrangle stray vampires who had stepped up to power now that there were only two families in Chicago.

Finally, the final chords faded into silence, and the couple stood up after the funeral mass. They left the cathedral and Dominic glanced behind him. "I can't say I miss him."

Raelyn nodded. "Me either." She glanced down at the ground. "I know I've said this a billion times, but thank you for saving me. I owe you...a great debt. A life debt."

Dominic slid his hand onto the small of her back. "You gave yourself up to stop my father. You owe me nothing."

She bit her lip. "But—"

Dominic leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He pulled back. "No 'buts.' No excuses. And no debts."

Raelyn finally relaxed against him. "No debts?"

He laughed and set his chin on her head. "No debts."

"Falling in love with you wasn't my plan," she confessed.

He smiled. "I love you, too."

The two of them walked away from the cathedral hand in hand. Dane trotted along behind them. They knew their journey ahead would be both planned and unexpected. If anything had proven true, it was this: they would walk the road together.

THE END