Page 24 of Fated for Dawn

Hades only shrugged. “You wanted him back. Now you have him.”

Alister groaned, clutching his chest as if something vital had been torn from him. His breath came in ragged bursts, his body trembling.

I dropped to my knees beside him, cradling his face. “Alister…Alister, look at me. What’s happening?”

He opened his eyes—they looked…different. Softer.

I turned back to the gods. “What did you do?”

Hecate’s voice was final. “He walks among mortals now.”

Before I could say anything more, the world around us shifted. The darkness of the Shadow Realm dissolved into light, and suddenly, we were back in the courtyard. The sun warmed my skin, but the sense of dread hadn’t left me.

I looked down at Alister, his breathing still uneven.

He was human.

No longer a vampire. No longer immortal. I could feel the absence of power that had always hummed beneath his skin. The supernatural edge that had always surrounded him was gone.

He blinked at me, and then a huge smile appeared on his face. “Evelyn, my love. This is the best day I could have ever wished for!”

I swallowed hard, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “You’re human,” I choked out, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry…they took your immortality.”

Alister’s smile widened. “That means we can have babies now.”

Wait. What?

I turned my attention to Zadkiel. “Hades was joking about the firstborn deal, right?”

8

Evelyn

Later that evening, we were all celebrating Alister’s return. The large dining table was laden with food, the air buzzing with laughter and chatter.

Zade—which I was now calling him because, like it or not, he’d helped me get Alister back (and in my book, that made him my friend)—had even joined us, mentioning he’d be staying until the Eris situation was dealt with. I was also eager to speak to him about Lia.

Chad had been refilling everyone’s glasses and set the wine bottle down with a loud thud. “Listen,” he said, pointing a finger at Zade. “You might be pretty, but don’t get any ideas. We’re at maximum capacity for dicks in this harem, so don’t even think about it. You’re not welcome to join.”

“Chad!” I groaned, wanting to disappear under the table.

Zade scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Relax. Evelyn isn’t my type.”

Chad’s face hardened, his brows furrowing. “Are you kidding me? Evelyn is the full package. You’d be lucky to have her.”

I could feel my cheeks burn; I was about to interject when a loud moaning interrupted me. I turned to see Alister practically inhaling his food, groaning loudly between bites.

“Take it easy,” Lucien said with a smirk. “You haven’t had real food in centuries.”

Alister paused, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. “You’re right,” he said, setting the fork down. “I’m starting to feel…” He grimaced. “Bloated.”

We all burst into laughter.

“So, how’s it been going with the gang?” Alister asked Ryker.

“It’s been tough trying to turn them away from their old ways,” he replied, sipping his drink. “But we’re making progress.”

I reached out and squeezed Ryker’s hand, feeling the rough warmth of his calloused fingers. “You’ll get there. I know you will.”

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