Page 81 of Born Free

“I’ll bring this bad-luck magnet anywhere with me,” she says as she presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I love you, Juliet. Bad luck and all.”

I lean my head on her shoulder and let out a sigh. “I love you, too. Thanks for picking me.”

Footsteps draw my eyes to the stairs, and a huge smile overtakes my face when I see Sigrid and Malcolm step into the room.

I cross the space, not hesitating even once as I wrap my favorite aunt in my arms. And I’m filled with the very best sense of peace and love when she embraces me right back.

“Damn, I’ve missed you,” I breathe out, realizing how painfully, physically, I feel it in my bones.

To protect the gifted, the vampires have kept their distance since the party that exposed us all to Orlando. I haven’t seen Sigrid in months, except for an hour at Sebastian’s funeral, and it’s been way too damn long.

“As I have missed you, my dearest Juliet,” she replies, her accent thick and comforting. “And I must say, you have never looked happier.”

“That’s because I’ve never been happier,” I confirm as I let go of her and look into those soft blue eyes. “No one has tried to kill me in months!”

She laughs at my dark joke and steps aside as Malcolm, the Historian who showed me my past and gave me answers I never had, steps up and embraces me next.

“Save some for the rest of us,” a timid but hopeful voice says from behind. Malcolm releases me, and I find Warren walking up the stairs.

“Get in here,” I say with a grin. I’m filled to the brim. These are the people I love, friends—family really—that I haven’t seen in far too long. Warren pulls me into a hug that’s tighter and stronger than I expected from my gifted cousin.

We all turn to the table, and just as we’re about to sit, Mason walks up the stairs, his fingers interlaced with Lily’s.

“You know, my brother was never late to anything before he met you,” Elena razzes with an arched eyebrow. “Nor was his hair ever out of place.”

Lily blushes so hard her brown skin turns red.

“Shut up, Elena,” Mason growls at his twin as he tries to tame his hair, which is indeed very out of place. The two of them make their way to the last seats at the table. He pulls out Lily’s chair for her before taking his own. “Eat your damn breakfast and mind your own business.”

“Not until you formally announce some news,” Elena says with a very pleased look on her face. Her eyes are fixed on Lily’s hand as she reaches for a pitcher of orange juice.

I suck in a breath when I see a truly, truly massive diamond ring on her finger.

If possible, Lily blushes even harder as she draws her hand back. She glances at Mason, who just looks at her as if the sun rises and sets in her eyes.

“Mason proposed last night,” she says with the sweetest, most blinding smile. She holds up her hand, looking slightly sheepish over the size of the diamond.

“Keep six weeks from today open,” Mason says, looking very smug and satisfied. “We’re not waiting.”

“Six weeks!” Elena exclaims as she takes the platter Jon hands over. “That doesn’t give me near enough time to plan everything!”

“Don’t take it personally, sister, but we’ve got a wedding planner all lined up,” Mason says with a teasing look. “All you have to do is relax and show up.”

“Pay up,” Roman says, and I was just waiting for it.

“You think I have any places to hide fifty bucks in this dress?” I ask him in mock annoyance.

Mason’s brows furrow. “You two made a bet on this?”

I smile, folding my arms on the table. “Yep, and Roman got me beat by about five months. Though it’s not really fair. He just called it before I could.”

Mason just chuckles, shaking his head.

And it’s so damn perfect. So normal.

Here I am, with everyone in the world I love most. Gathered in my future home. We’re all having brunch on a Saturday morning.

I’m so proud of this.

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