Page 41 of French Quarter Heiress

"Elise?" a voice whispers, rough with emotion and fatigue. "Elise, my love, can you hear me?"

I turn my head, wincing at the bolt of agony that shoots down my spine, and meet a pair of piercing blue eyes, eyes that I would know anywhere.

"Beau," I rasp, my voice a thin, reedy whisper. "You're here."

He nods, his hand tightening around mine, his touch a lifeline in the sea of pain that threatens to pull me under. "I'm here, Elise. I'm not going anywhere. I'll never leave your side again."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, hot and stinging. "What happened?" I ask, my mind a jumble of fragmented memories and half-formed fears. "The last thing I remember..."

"Shh," Beau soothes, his free hand brushing a stray lock of hair from my forehead. "Don't try to talk too much. You're still healing."

He takes a deep breath, his eyes darkening with a mix of anger and grief. "Your father... he nearly killed you, Elise. He beat you within an inch of your life, all because you dared to love me, to stand up for what you believed in."

A sob catches in my throat, tears spilling down my cheeks. "My father... is he...?"

Beau nods, his jaw clenching with a savage satisfaction. "He's dead, Elise. I tore his throat out myself. He'll never hurt you again."

I close my eyes, a wave of relief washing over me, mingled with a strange, hollow sense of loss. My father, the man who had raised me, who had shaped me into the woman I am today... gone, in a moment of blood and fury.

"What do we do now?" I whisper, my voice small and lost in the vastness of the room. "Where do we go from here?"

Beau is silent for a long moment, his thumb rubbing slow, soothing circles on the back of my hand. "I don't know," he admits at last, his voice heavy with uncertainty. "The pack... I can't go back to them, not after everything that's happened. And the vampire world... It's in chaos now with your father gone."

He meets my gaze, his eyes burning with a fierce, unwavering love. "But one thing I do know, Elise. Whatever happens, wherever we go... we go together. I won't let anything separate us again."

I nod, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks. "Together," I echo, my voice gaining strength with each word. "We'll figure it out together. We'll make amends for my family's crimes, find a way to bring peace to this world."

Beau smiles, a soft, tender curve of his lips. "I like the sound of that," he murmurs, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. "But for now, my love, you need to rest. Heal. Gather your strength."

I shake my head, wincing at the stab of pain that lances through my skull. "I can't rest, Beau. Not while there's still so much to be done. We need to..."

"We will," he interrupts, his voice firm but gentle. "We'll do it all, Elise. We'll build a new world, a better world. But we can't do it if you're half-dead from exhaustion and pain."

He strokes my hair, his touch a soothing balm to my battered soul. "Let me take care of you, my love. Let me be your strength, your shield. Trust me to keep you safe."

I hesitate for a moment, my instincts warring with my desire to just let go, to surrender to the comfort of Beau's embrace. But in the end, love wins out over fear, and I nod, sinking back against the pillows with a sigh.

"Okay," I whisper, my eyes fluttering closed as exhaustion tugs at the edges of my consciousness. "Okay, Beau. I trust you. I love you."

"I love you, too, Elise. You’re my mate, my fated. I know it now to be true," he declares, his lips brushing against my forehead in a feather-light kiss.

29

BEAU

The sun dips low on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink as I lead Elise by the hand to the edge of the bayou. The air is thick with the scent of magnolias and honeysuckle, the chirping of crickets and the distant call of a fountain providing a gentle soundtrack to the moment.

Elise looks radiant in the fading light, her skin glowing with a soft, ethereal beauty that takes my breath away. She's wearing a simple white dress, the fabric flowing around her curves like water, and her hair is loose and unbound, cascading down her back in a river of silver gold.

"Beau," she whispers, her eyes shining with love and wonder as she takes in the sight before us. "What is all this?"

I smile, my heart swelling with a joy so fierce it almost hurts. "This, my love, is the beginning of our forever."

I lead her to the center of the clearing, where a circle of candles flickers and dances in the gentle breeze. In the middle of the circle, a small altar has been set up, draped in rich, dark velvet and adorned with sprigs of rosemary and sprigs of wild roses.

"Elise Delacroix," I begin, my voice trembling with emotion as I take her hands in mine. "From the moment I first saw you, I knew that you were the one, the missing piece of my soul that I had been searching for all my life."

Tears glisten in Elise's eyes, her lips curving into a soft, tender smile. "Beau," she breathes, her voice a whisper of silk and honey. "My love, my heart, my everything."

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