Page 72 of The Agent and the Outlaw
He is alive. He is a werewolf. And he is mine.
“I’ll leave you two to…ehm. Discussthings,” she said, pushing her spectacles up and smiling at me. “Try to take it easy, Lieutenant. Or should I sayCapitaine.”
Antoine stared at me in confusion as Van Helsing closed the door behind her. I was already disrobing, eager to feel him alive and warm beneath me.
“Capitaine?” he asked.
“Oui,” I said, tugging my skirts down over my hips. He smiled, his emerald eyes sparkling again and tracking me with green fire. “After the night at Sade’s, Daphne and I made a full report to the Order and the king. They believed you would soon leave this mortal realm and offered a posthumous commendation. I refused on your behalf since, of course, I knew you would recover, and I told them when you were healed, you would return for your official promotion in rank. Congratulations,Capitaine de Vaux.”
“De Valle,” he corrected. “I’ve heard enough ofde Vauxfor this lifetime, I think.”
“As you wish,” I replied. He tugged his nightshirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. I stared at him hungrily, admiring the muscles moving beneath his bronzed skin.
“What else has happened since then?” he asked, rising from the bed to approach me.
I bit my lip and pretended to think. “Oh, not much. Your father is dead, and his estate has passed to you, Sade’s crimes have become public knowledge, thebêtesare well and truly gone, Daphne and Étienne have finally set a wedding date—May 14th, by the way—and Gévaudan has seen nothing of the beast since we left. There are rumors that it has made its way to Paris, but no one truly knows.” I pulled my chemise over my head and threw it atop Antoine’s. “Christmas was rather dull, but I did get you some wonderful gifts, and Van Helsing, Daphne, and Étienne are here to celebrate the new year with me—withus—and…”
Before I could finish, Antoine swooped me up and carried me over to the bed. He dropped me onto the soft blankets and smiled, his dimples flashing. I pulled his face to mine for a heart-stopping kiss.
“And?” he pressed, while I wrapped my legs around his waist and sat astride him.
“And I’m going to make love to you until you need another two weeks to recover,” I said huskily, caressing his chest.
He sat up to kiss my breast and my breath caught in my throat.
“Marry me, Charlotte,” he murmured, dropping kisses along my collarbone.
“I thought that was a given,” I gasped, squirming with desire.
“It is for me, but I wanted to make sure. I love you, Charlotte. I don’t want to spend eternity without you by my side. Stay with the Order if you must, but be mine.Please,” he said.
Tears threatened again and I reasoned I’d cried enough lately, so I covered his lips with mine and slid him inside me. He moaned and gazed up at me, eyes bright with passion.
“So,” I gasped, pleasure dancing along my whole body. “A spring wedding?”
EPILOGUE
VAN HELSING
April 13, 1768
Van Helsing’s Clinic, Rue Ordener
“Takecare of that scraped knee, little one! You must keep it clean. We don’t want it to fester, now do we?” I handed the child, probably no more than five, an apple to soothe her tears. Her mother smiled gratefully, and I slipped a small loaf of bread in a bag and handed it to her. “No charge today, Madame. Just keep an eye on these children of yours and come see me if her knee doesn’t look improved in a few days.”
The woman ushered her three children out the door of my clinic and I sat down with a sigh. It had been a long day. Between my research into the blood plague, the house calls to newly turned vampires worrying over their bodily changes, and maintaining hours in the clinic for the less-fortunate families of Paris, I was exhausted. My days seemed to get longer and longer, and I felt stretched and threadbare. The lingering winter hadn’t helped, either. I longed for the warmth and freshness of spring.When was the last time I saw a field of wildflowers?
The bell chimed on my door again, and I put down my cup of tea without taking a sip. Weariness settled over me, and I tried to shuck it like a coat. When I looked up, though, I smiled.
“Charlotte!” I grinned. “My friend, what a delight to see you. It’s been a while, but I know you are busy with wedding preparations. You look well, Comtesse.”
She smiled, and some of the fatigue dissipated. Charlotte had a smile like sunshine, and as a shy, austere foreigner, I gravitated to her friendship like a bee to a flower.
“Thank you, doctor! My goodness, you do look exhausted. You simply must stop overextending yourself. I worry for your health,” she fussed, coming over to wrap me in a fierce hug.
I waved her concerns away. “You care for the people of France in your way, and I care for them in mine. Only, I think I got the better bargain. I don’t have to kill anyone.” I gestured for her to sit down and locked the front door for a moment of peace.
Comfortable in my clinic, she poured herself some tea, pulled a packet of pastries from her pockets, and placed them on the tea tray.Trust her to come bearing food.
