I know a lot of people on Wattpad like to skip to the end to see who the girl ends up with. If you are one of those people TURN BACK NOW! Please! It will ruin a lot of things in the book if you skip to this chapter.

Okay. So, I'd thought that I'd finished this book, but then I thought some of you might like this little peek into his head while he struggled with his decision after Ari's confession. So, here's a look at his thoughts, and how he came to his decision.

His POV

Dante and I enter AJ's bedroom just in time to see Lawrence press his lips to her forehead. The overwhelming relief I feel at seeing her eyes open for the first time in a week is staggering. The poison someone had slipped her had taken way too long to clear her system, and the situation had been touch and go for a while. It figures that the first time we leave her side is when she just happens to wake up.

"Bout time you got your lazy butt up," I say with a grin, trying to break the tension in the room. Dante sends me a glare, but I brush it off. The small snort of amusement from her is all I need to hear.

Sauntering over to the side of her bed opposite Lawrence, I scoop her free hand into mine like I've done a million times before. When I lean over to give her a peck on top of her head, I scrunch my face up in faux disgust, planning to get payback for her multiple comments to me when I first got back from the coven.

"Now who stinks?"

She tries to yank her hand from mine, but I just hold tighter. My amusement fades as I continue to look at her, and I drop the playful act.

"Seriously though, you scared the hell out of us," I say seriously, trying to hide just how scared I really was. I might have come into her life originally as nothing more than a favor to Dante, but I'd grown quite close to the girl over the years. She's become an integral part of my life, and I don't know what I would have done if the poison had succeeded.

She asks who poisoned her, and I hate to admit that we aren't sure. We'd been so focused on if she would make it or not that we hadn't really looked into it yet. I will find out though, and when I do, I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Suddenly her eyes widen, before darting to me. I don't have to be an empath to feel the nervousness and panic rolling off of her, but the look in her eyes shows something else. A shiver of unease races up my spine as I stare back in confusion. I can't put my finger on exactly what that emotion is that's shining in her lavender eyes, but I know it's not something I've seen in them before. Something about the look makes me shift on my feet uncomfortably.

Her breathing increases, and I can hear her heart racing. I can feel the fast flutter of her pulse through the hand still held in mine until she pulls it free. This time I let her, and she presses it to her chest as if that alone will get her heart back under control. When she reaches for the bottle of water on her bedside table, the vase beside it explodes, shattering, and sending slivers of glass in every direction.

Whatever's going on in that head of hers, clearly has her emotions out of control. Usually, I can read her like a book, but this time, I have no idea what's wrong. My body goes taut, not liking the unusual feeling of being in the dark.

"Oops," she whispers, and I bite my lip against the sudden urge to laugh. It's always so funny when she does something like that, and then follows it up with such a simple word as 'oops'. Like all she did was simply drop the vase and not destroy it with a mere glance.

"That's new," I mumble, never having seen her actually cause something to explode like that.

She realizes how close her ascent really is, and I see the fear flicker in her eyes. I can't blame her for that. She and Dante discuss the unusualness of her already gaining new powers before reaching her ascent, but I learned a long time ago not to be surprised by anything when it comes to this girl.

She bites her lip roughly, looking like she's about to cry, and it breaks my heart. She asks all of us to give her space, and we all reluctantly file out of the room. I follow behind Dante as he heads downstairs, and Everett and Lawrence go back to their house for the time being since it looks like AJ is out of the woods.

It's not long though before that strange look she'd given me creeps back into my mind. I can't stop wondering what it was about. The curiosity gets to me, and I leave Dante sitting on the couch watching TV to go back upstairs.

When I slip back into her room, I find her hugging her knees tightly to her chest. She raises her head to meet my eyes, and my steps falter at the sight of the tears running down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I ask gently, wanting to fix whatever it is.

"So many things," she mumbles with a groan.

As she stares at me, the tears stop flowing, and that same look enters her eyes again. I study her closely, and finally it hits me. Longing. That's what it is. I stumble back a step in surprise, wanting to put a little more distance between us.

I've been a part of her life for so long, and I've seen so many different expressions on her face. I've learned to decipher every single one, but she's never looked at me like this before today. I wonder briefly if the poison is still messing with her mind. That has to be it.

"Don't look at me like that," I whisper hesitantly, unsure of how else to respond to the look.

She takes a deep breath, and I watch her shoulders straighten as if bracing for something painful.

"I can't help it. My uncle was right. I've been in denial this whole time, but I'm not anymore. I know who I'm in love with," she say, licking her lips nervously.

The look she gives me makes it clear that she means me. I search her eyes to make sure this isn't some kind of joke. It has to be a joke.

"No. That can't happen," I say instinctively, but I continue to study her face. She can't be serious. There's just no way. The confident, unyielding look on her face tells a different story though.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I have no idea what to even say to this. I didn't see it coming. There was no warning at all, and the shock holds my mind hostage, not allowing me to formulate any kind of response.

Needing to escape this suffocating feeling that's building in my chest, I turn and walk out of her room. When I return to the living room, I drop back into the recliner I'd been sitting in before.

"What's up with you?" Dante asks, and I shake my head, avoiding his eyes. I can't even look at him. How do I tell him that his daughter- the only person in the world completely off limits to me- just declared that she's in love with me? I can't.

I catch Ben looking at me strangely, and I don't miss the slight smirk on his face. I don't know what he finds so amusing, but there's no way he actually knows what just transpired upstairs.

***********

I keep my eyes straight ahead, staring out the windshield at the deserted road ahead of us, trying to give Dante and AJ a semblance of privacy while they hug for the very first time.

"I'm riding with you guys," she says as she steps back.

"There's only two seats," I respond, feeling like dropping my forehead to the steering wheel I'm gripping so tightly I'm worried I might snap it in two. I've avoided her as much as I could since her confession, only interacting when it would seem strange if I didn't to the others. I don't want the others knowing what she'd told me. Especially Dante. I'm still hoping she's going to laugh and yell "GOTCHA" at any moment.

I've tried brushing it off as a teenage crush, but my mind won't stop replaying her words, and the look on her face. It won't let me just brush it off. So, I'm force to pretend everything is normal while others are around, while my mind continues to spin with the whole situation. Luckily, as a vampire, I have plenty of practice to pretend being something I'm not while blending in with the humans in the world.

She insists that she can't ride with the teenage boys anymore. Not with her new power of empathy. She squeezes in between Dante and the door, and I sigh in relief that she's not in the middle.

"Oh, that's so much better," she whispers to herself, and I can't help snorting in amusement.

"Was it really that bad?" I ask, effortlessly pulling on the façade that everything is normal. She tells us about driving down the road when lust suddenly hit her, and I laugh loudly, realizing why she was so desperate to escape the other car.

"I could have gone without that information," Dante groans, and I shake my head, wondering what he'd do if he found out about our talk the other day. A stake through my heart comes to mind.

"It wasn't mine!" AJ cries, referring to the lust she'd felt.

"Who was it?" I can't help asking.

She talks about not being able to tell which emotions were coming from who, but she figures it must be Micah since she was in the car with three guys.

"Could have been one of them lusting after you," I say without thinking, and the anger that flickers through me at the thought catches me off guard. Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, I keep my eyes on the road, beyond grateful that she can't tell the anger is coming from me. Dante says something, but I don't catch it, too busy trying to figure out where the anger came from.

"Hey now. I've fought a werewolf pack, and a coven together. Then a werewolf pack by itself. Then a coven by itself. This entire group of people depends on me to keep them safe. I'm about to ascend. I'm expected to save the entire supernatural world. I think at this point I should be considered grown, and should be allowed to do as I please," she says to Dante.

"She makes a good point," I mutter, trying to distract myself, but knowing it's not that simple. He's never had a chance to actually be a parent to her, and it's killing him that he can't now.

They spend the rest of the drive talking about the logistics of when she will be turned, and the dangers that could come along with it. She's worried about the new empathy forcing her back into an isolated life, but I'm convinced she'll get the hang of it. It'll just take a little time.

As soon as we reach Dante's house, she drops her bag just inside the door, and she takes off back outside. I assume she's trying to avoid being around so many people, and having to feel all of our emotions all at once. Grabbing her bag, I walk through the familiar house to put it in the room Dante tells me she'll be staying in.

I've been here a few times before. I was actually here visiting when I got the text from Ben that Sara had told AJ about Daniel not being her father. That day had been a nightmare for all of us. We all knew she'd have to be told one day, and it wouldn't be pleasant. She was never supposed to find out like she did though.

Heaving a sigh, I go back outside, treading through the snow to find her. It's been a few days, and we should probably talk about what she said. I find her sitting in the woods, her magic running free. She probably needed the release after all of the emotions she'd dealt with on the way here.

"You okay?" I ask, and the wind immediately stops. She'd pulled her magic back under control. She doesn't let it completely free around others. Not even me. She has this fear that she'll hurt someone with it. It's a valid fear.

She nods looking up at me. I'm not sure what she feels coming from me, but it causes a small smile to twitch onto lips. I walk towards her, planning to sit on the ground beside her, but I hesitate, choosing to sit a few yards away instead. That one small hesitation breaks my heart. Part of me wants to yell at her for her abrupt claim the other day. It changed everything.

We'd always been so comfortable, effortless. Now I find myself questioning every move I make, every word I say. Did I lead her on somehow? Is that what caused this? I think of all the innocent hugs we'd shared, all the times I'd thrown an arm around her shoulders, or grabbed her hand. It had all been innocent. Natural almost. Her claim has me questioning everything now though, and that pisses me off. What we'd had was special.

"Have you thought about what I said?" She asks, and I scoff.

"Honestly? I've thought of little else."

"And?"

"And I don't know what you expect me to say. I don't think you actually love me like that. I think you're still confused, but it doesn't matter anyway. We can't happen. We're off limits," I say as gently as I can. Off limits is the understatement of the century. I was her father's best friend for over a hundred years. I've been in her life since the day she was born. I watched her grow up. They named me her godfather for Christ's sake.

She rolls her eyes, and I have to take a deep breath to keep myself from losing it at such a flippant response.

"Even if I did want to be with you, I can't do that to him," I whisper honestly.

"Do you want to?" She asks, and my eyes fall to the ground, as I try to decipher an answer. I'd honestly never thought about it before. Never even considered the possibility. Because it's not possible.

"I honestly don't know what I want anymore. Now I'm the one confused. You claiming to love me threw everything our of whack," I respond. Talk about another massive understatement.

"Why do you say it like that? 'You claiming to love me'. Why don't you believe that I really love you?"

It's not that I don't believe she loves me. I know she loves me. Just as surely as I know that I love her. I always have. There's never been any doubt that I love her. I'd tear out my own heart and hand it to her if it would solve all of the problems she's been facing recently, but it won't. My only option is to stand beside her while she fights her way through all of them.

I just don't think she's in love with me. Not really.

"Look, we have some connection between us. I can't deny that, but we don't even know how we would work as a couple. That's a whole new dynamic that we've never tried. We could blow up our entire lives to give this a try, and then realize we don't work as a couple at all," I say, avoiding her eyes so she won't notice that I'm just spouting bullshit at this point. Grasping at straws.

I just want her to take back what she'd said. I want our relationship to go back to normal, and I'm not sure it can if she sticks to this idea that she loves me. "We could lose so much for nothing if we don't work. I don't know if I'm willing to take that chance."

"I'm confident that we'd work perfectly as a couple. It might take some work, and yes, it'll cause a lot of problems. I'm willing to fight for this though. I believe we could have that eternal love that everyone dreams about if you'd just give us the chance."

An unknown emotion courses through me at her words, and I lash out to try to cover it.

"We've never even kissed! We have no idea how any type of physical relationship would go between us. Yet, you want me to cause so many problems in my life on the chance of a what if," I say, not realizing my words until they're already out, and I grit my teeth, already knowing what's about to come out of her mouth. I'm just desperate to find a reason to make her realize we can't work, and I'm not thinking through my words. This whole situation has me off balance.

"I'm willing to give it a try now, if you are," she says with a smirk, and I shoot her an annoyed look.

"Well, you need to figure it out," she says, standing and preparing to leave. Obviously, she's not willing to listen to any more of my excuses. I shouldn't need an excuse. The fact that I was friends with her parents should be enough, but obviously it's not for her.

"I'd like to know if I'll be getting my happy ending, or if I'll be spending my life alone," she continues, and confusion wrinkles my forehead. That seems a little excessive.

"What do you mean? There's plenty of guys out there besides me," I say, and a spark of unexpected jealousy shoots through me, catching me off guard. I hadn't minded when she was dating Lawrence, or when she talked about being interested in someone else. So, what's changed? Her declaration of love is the only thing that's changed. Like I already knew, it really did change everything. Its got me so confused, I want to yank my hair out.

"I know that you're it for me. I've known it without a shred of doubt since the realization that I'm in love with you first hit me. I won't do what my mother did. I won't condemn a man to live his life as a second choice. My dad lived his life in constant competition with a man that wasn't even around. I can't do that to someone, and you will always be my first choice," she says, meeting my eye steadily. There's nothing but honesty, and a little bit of heartbreak showing in her unusual purple eyes.

My breath hitches, and something shifts gently in my chest. In that one instant that those words leave her mouth, I feel something change within me. I'm not so sure of anything anymore. I know in that moment that if I don't give us the chance she's asking for, I will lose her completely. I can see it in the depths of her eyes, and my nose tingles in response.

She walks away leaving me sitting in the snow, consumed by my own thoughts.

I can't believe that I'm even considering this, but I am. I'm thinking about the possibility. Really thinking about it. Before I can be sure if I can even try this though, I need to try to change my prospective on a few things.

I need to see if I'm even capable of looking at her differently. I've never looked at her as anything except Dante and Angela's daughter, and maybe my best friend. That's all I've ever seen. I never allowed myself to see anything else. Never allowed myself to notice the changes over the last year as she neared adulthood. 

I consider all of the aspects of an actual relationship. I have no experience in the matter, but I think I understand how it works. Can you even build a real lasting relationship with someone when you've never had a relationship before? I don't even know where to begin.

**********

Sitting at the kitchen table, I drum my fingers idly on the wood as AJ eats the meal I'd made for her birthday, and for her last meal as a human. While she eats, she talks to the wolves about what an ascent entails, completely oblivious to my eyes on her.

I rub my eyes tiredly. I've been unable to sleep properly for over a week. Her confession has been constantly churning in my mind. The possibility that I might lose her completely is enough to keep me from getting any sort of rest.

For the very first time, I take in her beauty. Her oval face, curved jawline, and prominent cheekbones. Her wavy black hair falls down her back to her waist. Her lavender colored eyes an eye-catching contrast to her pale skin and dark hair. My eyes follow the movement as she licks her plump bottom lip, and I shift in my chair, feeling guilty for my observations.

I push through the guilt though, continuing to watch her while she finishes her plate of food, none the wiser that my resistance is wavering. The guilt and the physical aspect of a relationship is all that's holding me back.

I've realized that she might just be right about one thing. We might very well be perfect if I can get past seeing her as Dante's daughter.

We've always had a strong emotional connection. We've always gotten along, having very few fights through the years, and most centered around the secrets her parents forced me to keep.  Communication had never been a problem. We talk about everything. When one of us has a bad day, we usually go to each other. Really, I'm not sure how much would even change if we were to be in a relationship. Besides the physical part, and that's what I'm worried about. I have zero experience aside from a few kisses when I was human, and that was over a hundred years ago.

As a vampire, it's not easy to be that close to a human. Dante was able to with Angela because of how much he loved her. But I was never in love with anyone, and it's not as if vampires have a nightclub we can go to meet up. The world is a big place, and it's not often that we run into any others of our kind. This group around AJ is definitely the biggest gathering of us I've ever heard of aside from the Locktons.

The fact that I'm even thinking about the slight possibility of entertaining any kind of physical intimacy with the girl I watched grow up makes me feel... gross. Guilt eats at me. It's wrong, but I'm working on getting past that. I'm not willing to lose her because I can't get past the guilt.

Before long, we're all gathered outside, watching AJ sit in the middle of a small clearing as lightning strikes the ground around her. If my heart was capable of moving, I think it would jump out of my chest when the next bolt slams violently into hers, sending her onto her back as her body convulses.

She rolls onto her side, looking like she's in pain. The lightning and wind all end immediately.

"That definitely was not anticlimactic," Micah mutters, and I shoot him a glare. As usual, the normal rules don't apply to AJ.

The wind picks up again, even harder this time. It picks snow up off the ground, spinning it through the air so thickly that I can't see my own hand in front of my face. A tree breaks, and Micah and Oliver dodge out of the way as it falls to the ground where they'd just stood moments before.

"It's me this time. It's too much," she says from somewhere in the snow storm.

"Now, Lucien ! You need to do it now!" Dante yells over the roaring sound of the wind, and I dart towards where we last saw AJ.

Even with my vampire strength, I struggle to stand against the winds. Finally, I see her still lying on the ground. Dropping to my knees beside her, I eye her while leaning over her prone form. The movement brings us face to face, and I don't think she notices my eyes dart down to her lips.

I have a strong urge to press mine to hers before I do this, but I fight it. I'm not sure if the urge stems from a need to apologize for what I'm about to do, the fact that I've finally noticed how undeniably appealing her lips are, or if it's fear that this won't go as planned.

If this goes wrong, I'll never forgive myself. Hell, I'm not sure I'd even survive the loss long enough to worry about trying to forgive myself.

I reign in the urge, and look into her eyes. "This is going to hurt," I say. With reluctance, I move forward, my fangs descending, and I bury them in her throat before I can second guess myself.

When she whimpers in pain, I feel the impact of the sound in my chest. I remember the pain of being changed like it was yesterday. It's not something you ever forget. It's pure torture to know that I'm the one responsible for the pain she's experiencing. I try to mumble an apology against her throat, but I'm sure she's unable to make out the words.

The pain in my chest increases right along with hers. Her pain has always caused me pain, and this time isn't any different. I physically feel it when she's hurting. And that thought is when it finally hits me that there might be much more to our connection than I'd ever realized.

All I've ever wanted is a love like Dante had with Angela. I never imagined I might find it in their daughter, but now I'm questioning everything. None of these new feelings change the fact that it's wrong though.

My mind races as my fangs stay firmly imbedded in her throat. I dig my fingers into the snow, trying to control my instinct to drink from her.

She wiggles under me, her hands fisting in my shirt, pressing against my abdomen, and my stomach tightens as desire slams into me. That one moment of distraction costs me. I'm not ready for it when an invisible force slams into me, sending me flying.

I grunt loudly as I collide with a tree, breaking the tree, and my arm in the process. Dante's there as soon as I hit the ground, yanking my arm back into place before it can heal wrong. I keep my eyes on the snow under our feet, unable to look at him knowing that desire for his daughter is what led to my distraction.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles.

"He's fine, Ari," Dante calls back.

Jesus. Even in indescribable agony, she was worried she'd hurt me. I remember all the stories I've heard since I got back. How many lines she crossed in her quest to get me back. How many lines am I willing to cross to keep her, I wonder, my eyes on Dante.

**************

Sitting in my living room, I tap my foot anxiously. It's been days since I changed her. Days since I came to the conclusion that I want to give this a try. Guilt is still holding me back from making a move though.

Dante has been with her ever since the battle with the Lockton, and I'm dying to get a moment alone with her. I need to check on her, and she tends to be more honest when it's just the two of us. The two of them went upstairs for something a few minutes ago, and I'm becoming impatient waiting for them to go their separate ways.

I can't hear what they're doing because most of the rooms of my house are soundproof. It comes in handy when you need to have a private conversation when there's supernaturals around, but in times like this, when I'm wondering what someone is doing, it's annoying.

Finally, she comes down the stairs alone, not even noticing me sitting in the dark living room, and heads back to the basement. I give her a minute's head start before following after her. Oliver's asleep on the couch in the basement, but he doesn't budge as I bypass him, slipping through AJ's door, and closing it behind me.

"I really don't have any room for any more hurt tonight," she says as soon as she sees me.

"You scared the crap out of me tonight. That fight could have gone wrong at any second," I say, crossing the room to wrap my arms around her waist, and pulling her to my chest. I sigh in relief when she presses her face into my chest, wrapping her arms around me.

I know the loss of Ben is hitting her hard. She's lost too much already. I just want to try to make it a tiny bit better.

"You can't hold me like this, and then tell me I can't have you. It's not fair," she mumbles into my chest, and I sigh. Her hands slip under my shirt, pressing into the skin of my back, and I suck in a sharp breath, a shiver running through me.

Clearly emboldened by my body's reaction to her touch, she rises onto her toes, pressing her face into my neck. When she drags her soft lips along my throat, I shiver again, and my breath gets caught in my throat.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble it would cause if I give in to you?" I ask, making sure she's fully aware of what we're getting into.

"Yes. I just don't care. Even for immortals... Life is too short," she mumbles against my neck, the feel of her breath causing desire to build in my stomach.

"I needed time to think. I never considered the possibilities of what we could have until you told me you were in love with me," I say, trying to explain my resistance to her. My hands slide down her sides gently, running along the soft curve of her waist before gripping her hips. I pull her tightly against me, her body molding perfectly to mine.

"And now that you've had a chance to consider it?" She asks, her fingers tangling in my hair, and her lips pressing gently to the bottom of my jaw.

She's trying to kill me. If she doesn't, Dante is definitely going to kill me.

"I... I want to give in so bad, but I can't," I whisper past the guilt. She presses her lips to the other side of my jaw in response, and I can't take it anymore.

I lean down, running my nose along her jaw. Gripping her long, soft hair, I pull her head back, forcing her to look at me. I need to make sure there's not a hint of doubt in her gorgeous eyes.

"This is so wrong," I whisper, searching her eyes.

"But it's also so right," she whispers back, just before she shocks me by pressing her lips to mine.

My body goes taut. I'm completely unprepared for the reaction I have to the simple act of her lips pressing against my own. I can literally feel her love through the kiss, and something deep inside of me shifts again, sliding into place with a resounding click that I actually hear echo inside my head.

Every shred of self control I thought I had evaporates, and I spin, slamming her back into the wall. A deep groan rumbles through my throat as our lips move against each other frantically. We move in perfect harmony, as if we've done this a million times before, and we know exactly what to do.

A tingling sensation races across my skin, and my heart that hasn't beaten in over one hundred years quivers in my chest.

I grip the back of her neck, knowing that the guilt will hit me when this ends, but I intend to enjoy it to the fullest until that happens. I know this is wrong, but I'm going with her on this one. I just don't care anymore. She's right. We are perfect together. This... right here, feels like exactly where I'm meant to be.

I lift her, and her legs wrap around me, the feeling almost bringing me to my knees. I groan again, unable to stop myself, and bite her bottom lip. When she moans, the sound seems to ricochet through my entire body.

If I don't stop this soon, it's going to go way further than it needs to. The need pumping through my veins is something I've never experienced before.

Yanking my lips from hers, I move down to her throat, scraping my teeth along the skin there, not anticipating her reaction to the movement. She arches her back, pressing more firmly into me, and I shudder.

"AJ," I whisper, in awe at the feelings she's evoking. There is no going back now. This is it. It's not going to be easy. Not by a long shot. But now that we're both aware of the potential of what we could have together, I don't see how there's any other choice. We're both immortal now. Can I really ignore a connection this strong for an eternity out of loyalty to a friend? No. No, I can't.

If it costs me his friendship, then it is what it is. I can live without him. The one person I can't live without is currently in my arms, her bright purple eyes full of love staring into mine.