Page 27 of Fated for Dawn

Then, a loud gurgling sound erupted from his stomach, echoing across the room. Alister’s eyes widened, his face turning a shade paler.

Before anyone could respond, another, even louder gurgling noise sounded, and he bolted up from the table, his expression panicked.

“Excuse me,” he muttered, sprinting toward the nearest bathroom.

For a second, we all sat there, stunned.

Then Chad burst into laughter, pounding the table with his fist. “Oh my god, was that his stomach? This is priceless! The big, bad vampire is now at the mercy of his digestive system!”

And just like that, we all dissolved into laughter.

“Oh, I can’t breathe!” Chad gasped, clutching his sides. “Did you see his face?”

I was giggling, too, wiping tears from my eyes. “Poor Alister. The guy’s been undead for centuries; he probably hasn’t felt…that in ages.”

“Do you think he even knows how to use a toilet?” Chad asked, still laughing. “Did they have those back in his day?”

Rafe chuckled. “He’ll figure it out, eventually. Maybe we should leave some reading material outside the door if he’s in there for a while.”

When Alister returned, looking a little pale and embarrassed, he sat back down, and everyone tried to stifle their laughter.

“Well,” he said, straightening his collar. “That was undignified.”

“Oh, get used to it,” Chad said, giving him a playful slap on the back. “Welcome to the joys of humanity. You’re gonna be hungry, tired, and, well, you’ll be visiting the bathroom a lot more than you used to.”

Alister groaned, rubbing his temples. “I had forgotten how unpleasant that was.”

Chad leaned back, crossing his arms with a smug smile. “Well, honestly, I’m kinda happy you no longer have that bite-and-instant-orgasm trick. It was, uh, making me a little self-conscious. Hard to compete with that level of skill.”

Alister blinked before a wicked smile spread across his face. “It’s not a competition,” he said smoothly, then glanced at me with a playful glint in his eye. “But yes, I’ll miss that little perk. Guess I’ll just have to practice my skills a bit more.”

Chad snickered. “Oh, you’ll need a lot of practice. And coffee. Humans say they need it. Every single day. Welcome to the human struggle, my friend.”

Alister sighed, though he was all smiles. “Well, if it means sitting here with all of you and my mate.” He squeezed my hand under the table, warmth flooding through me. “I suppose it’s worth the adjustment.”

I returned the squeeze, smiling back.

The moment held a quiet reassurance that, for tonight at least, we could enjoy being together—no gods, no battles, just family.

* * *

Later that night, I made my way to Alister’s bedroom—now mine too, since Lucien was still sleeping in my room and Zade had taken over his. I wasn’t sure why Zade didn’t just take my room or why Lucien preferred mine over his own.

Maybe he had a secret obsession with unicorns?

I was still smiling at the thought when I opened the door to find Alister stepping out of the bathroom, a damp towel wrapped around his waist and looking utterly scrumptious.

“Evelyn,” he greeted me warmly.

I nodded, but the lightheartedness from dinner had faded, leaving me with a mix of emotions I couldn’t quite shake.Tonight was full of laughter, teasing Alister about being human—but I felt responsible underneath it all.

Always perceptive, Alister sat on the bed and patted the spot beside him. “What’s on your mind, little phoenix?”

I took a deep breath, sitting down next to him. “I’ve been thinking about what happened in the Shadow Realm. About the sacrifice you made for me.”

His eyes softened immediately. “Evelyn—”

“No, please, let me finish.” I held his gaze, my voice wavering slightly. “You gave up everything for me. Your immortality, your powers. I just…I need you to know how much that means to me.”

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