“You’re right about that.” Years of anger rise in me. “Do you know she still thinks she’s going to find you one day?”

  Dad closes his eyes and lets out a small grunt. “I know. That’s the unfortunate part of our soul-mate bond. Neither of us is supposed to be without the other, and I can’t tell her I’m still walking around as a vampire.”

  I say, “You could have done something, Dad. Maybe tell her you’d run off with your assistant or a cocktail waitress. Anything to give her closure so she could move on.”

  Pain flashes in his eyes as he looks at me. “Does she want to? Move on to another man?”

  I squint at him for a second as I realize he’s jealous, and I think the reason he didn’t give my mother closure was because he wanted to make sure she’d wait for him. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to have a mother who scans every public place we go with the hope of glimpsing you? Or running along with her as she chases down someone she’s sure is you?” It’s part of why I left home and didn’t see my mother as much as I should have. Her obsession made it hard to be around her.

  “I can imagine, Lyndsey.” His face is clouded with pain as he says, “I saw it with my own eyes.”

  Oh my god. Now my anger spikes as I realize that my mother did chase after my father for real. “You… how often did you stalk her?” I let out a huff as I clench my fists. I recall the way people would see us and get that look I knew was pity for the crazy woman who refused to accept her husband had run off and left her for someone else. “She won’t forgive you any time soon, and I won’t blame her one bit.”

  He stares at me for a moment in silence before he says, “That’s fair.” Dad turns his back to me and walks over to the window. His voice is soft as he asks, “Did you notice the gardens?” He turns back now, and sadness clouds his face. “I had all your mother’s favorites planted.”

  I cross my arms as I struggle to keep from saying something I’ll regret. It strikes me he’s talking about her with the same tone she uses to talk about him, and I believe he does love her. But I can’t get past his selfish behavior and say, “Mom could live for another fifty years, and now that I’m gone, she hasn’t got any family left. Since you won’t let her give up on you, she can’t let love or intimacy into her life. What do you think that does to a person?”

  My father stiffens. “She’s not happy?”

  I sigh as I wonder how he can be so dense. “She’s lonely, Dad.”

  He closes his eyes, and I see pain wash over his face. “Yes. As am I.”

  My heart softens a bit for him, because he’s just as obsessed with my mother as she is with him. I get that he doesn’t want her to forget him, but its not enough for me to let him off the hook. “You need to make it right. If you truly are soul mates, then Mom deserves better from you.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Really?” I shake my head and turn away in disappointment. “Some king you are.”

  I gasp when his fingers dig into my arm with an icy grip, and he whips me around to face him. He’s shifted into a vampire, and his fangs glisten with moisture as he hisses. “You will treat me with respect.”

  I know I should be afraid of his outburst, and I think about the fact I’m on my father’s island, surrounded by vampires who exist under his rule. Since I have nobody on my side, I can hardly afford to make him my enemy, but he’s managed to push all my authority-bucking buttons, and I snap back, “Do I have a choice?”

  His gaze is stone cold as he leans in closer. My father’s breath is hot on my neck, and his fangs are dangerously close when he says, “You do.” He shoves me away, and I stumble a bit before I catch myself. “Nobody here—” My father begins to morph back to human slowly. “Would ever hurt you,” he says, and he finishes his change with jerky movements. An evil smile covers his face as if he’s won. ”But you’re going to help rule this kingdom, and you won’t get much done if everyone thinks of you as a spoiled brat.”

  I glare at my father as I think about how I didn’t ask for this and that I was turned into a vampire before I was supposed to be. And someday I’ll take over the throne. “Fine.” I barely manage to keep my haughty tone at bay when I ask, “How much time do I have until I become queen?”

  My father’s chuckle is cold. “Another few hundred years if I have my way.” He tilts his head at me with amusement as he flashes his fangs. “But I suppose one can never be sure.”

  I glare at him, and the sound of footsteps makes me glance toward the door to find the taller vampire from earlier is carrying my bag. He says, “Princess Lyndsey’s surfboard is at the beach house, Your Majesty.” He drops his gaze as he waits for my father to reply.

  “Thank you, Rick,” says Dad. “Make sure our boards and wetsuits are set out for use.”

  “Of course,” Rick says, and my father dismisses him.

  Dad says to me, “I’ll leave you to get settled and meet you on the beach in an hour.”

  I suppose he thinks surfing might win me over, and I’m tempted to tell him I don’t want to go. My instincts don’t want me to let this go, but I’m eager to get in the water. It’s been a long time, so I force myself to smile instead. “See you then.”

  My door clicks shut behind him as he leaves, and I walk over to a window to gaze out past the gardens to the ocean. It hits me that I’m a princess in a tower. I’m under my father’s thumb in a dangerous world where disobeying him could have severe consequences. I strip off my shirt and step out of my pants as if I’m removing my chains.

  I know I should be grateful, because things could be much worse. I could have been left for dead. Or worse, turned and alone on the streets, struggling to survive as I passed through the cycles of change. Although I don’t think my life as royalty is going to be one of glamour and riches like the fairy tales. Instead of searching for my prince, I’ll probably be fighting to keep my kingdom safe. Or myself. I lift up the window. A cool breeze dances over my naked body, and I wrap my arms around myself. Perhaps the storybook version is a better deal after all.

  5

  Maggie

  I overestimated my ability to push through my low energy, because after a couple hours of browsing, I’m nearly asleep on my feet. Mom and I are at the coffee shop, and a chair creaks as I sink into it. I glance at Aiden behind the counter. He’s busy making someone’s drink and didn’t notice us come in. Mom’s brow is knit with concern as she says, “You really don’t look good, Maggie. I think we need to cut this trip short.”

  “I’m just tired. Besides, I haven’t bought you anything yet. We still have to go to the jewelry store and get you some fun earrings. Please?”

  “I don’t need things, honey. I never have. All I want is to spend time with you.” She touches my arm. “What do you want to drink?”

  I know she’s not comfortable with me wanting to do something nice for her, but I’m not going to back down. “I’d love a salted caramel decaf latte. And the reason we have to get you earrings is so you can tell all your friends at work I gave them to you so you can talk about how fabulous my new life is. Got it?”

  She chuckles. “Fine. But after that, we’re going back to the Harts’ so you can take a nap before dinner.”

  “Deal.” I recall what Aiden knows about me and grab my Mom’s hand before she can walk away. I whisper, “The guy working today thinks my name is Kitty.”

  She glances at him. “He’s a cutie—” She winks at me. “Kitty.”

  I roll my eyes at her before she leaves. When she gets to the counter, she must tell Aiden she’s my mother, because he glances over and gives me a big smile. I watch as he speaks to Mom and takes her money.

  She comes back to the table and says, “The adorable boy is going to deliver our drinks when they’re ready.” She leans forward to whisper, “He seemed happy to hear you were back in town. Something you want to tell me?”

  “You are the worst,” I say. “I had a crush on him, but his friends told me he’s kind of a player, so I decided not to start anything.”

  “Smart. Did you hear Kristi is in love?”

  I frown, because while I text my best friend once in a while, we haven’t talked much lately. And it’s my fault for not holding up my end. I really need to make an effort, so she doesn’t have regrets about our friendship after I die. “I did.”

  “You don’t like him.”

  “No. I mean that’s not it.” I let out a sigh. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t kept up with Kristi the way I should.”

  Mom reaches over and places her hand on mine. “I’m sure she understands. Being in two different places makes it hard. But you know, the great thing about true friends is that you’ll pick up right where you left off the next time you see her.”

  I wonder if I will ever see her again, and I’m filled with sadness. Before I can tear up, Aiden appears. “Kitty Cat, I’ve missed you.”

  I smile up at him. “Hi, Aiden.”

  “Are you back in town for a while?” When I nod, he cocks an eyebrow at me. “Tell me I’ll see you in the mornings again.” He places his hand on his chest and lets out a dramatic sigh. “I’m not sure my heart can handle another setback.”

  I chuckle. “Somehow I think you’ve managed fine without me.”

  “Not so. My two best girls left me. Did you hear Lyndsey went to the land down under for big waves?”

  I widen my eyes in an attempt to act surprised. “Wow. Good for her.”

  “Yeah. So you can see why I need you, Kitty.” He backs away as he keeps talking. “I’m a lonely man.”

  I shake my head as I laugh. As Aiden waits on another customer, I recall when I kissed him with the hope he could keep me distracted from my feelings for Alexander. It’s crazy to think that fate stepped in that night and made my attempt at finding friends in my new town so much more. I had no idea the danger I was putting them in. And now Lyndsey, who would have eventually moved on from her beach-bum lifestyle to have a family, will never get the chance because she’s immortalized as a vampire for a few hundred years instead. While I don’t regret coming to work for the Harts, I do feel bad about Lyndsey, and I hope she can find a way to forgive me for robbing her of her future.

  Mom pulls me from my thoughts. “He’s shameless. Guys like that get away with it, though. We’re suckers for a hard body and a sexy smile.”

  I flash to a vision of Alexander without his shirt on. “Truth.” I barely said hello to him when I got home from the book tour, and we have a lot to catch up on. The warmth of my love for him fills me as I picture his smile in my mind.

  Sweet caramel flavor fills my mouth as I sip on my drink. I say, “Tell me what you know about Kristi’s new guy.”

  Mom tells me about my friend’s relationship, and then we move on to me teasing her about the fact she’s online dating now that I’m gone. When we finish our drinks, I have more energy, and we make our way to the jewelry store. Metal chains jingle as I file through a necklace display. I say, “These are pretty. Maybe you need one for your next—” A big yawn escapes me. “Date.”

  My mother glances at me with concern, and I notice she has two pairs of earrings in her hands. She holds them both up. “Which ones?”

  “The dangly ones,” I say as I cover my mouth with my hand and try to suppress another yawn. I grab a necklace I was eying and walk over to her. “And you need this.” I drape the long chain over Mom’s head and hug her tightly as I whisper, “I love you so much, Mom.”

  She squeezes me back, and I feel her warmth and love. For an instant, I believe it can keep me alive. Mom asks, “Any chance you’ll let me drive your fancy car back?”

  “I only need a nap, Mom.”

  “I know, honey. But I really do want to drive your sports car.”

  I smile at her as I hand over the keys. After we buy her gifts, we make our way back to where I’d parked. Mom walks slowly and pauses to look at store window displays as she chatters on about the things she sees. I don’t recall her ever being this interested in shopping. Perhaps now that I’m gone she has more spending money, or maybe she’s just in vacation mode, so I don’t say anything.

  The engine of my car purrs when Mom starts it, and she lets out a sigh. “That’s such a pretty sound.” Her eyes twinkle with mischief that reminds me of when I was a little girl and she’d try to make something awful I had to do fun. “Would you mind terribly if I took the long way home? I’d like to get this car out on the open road.”

  I chuckle. “Have at it.” I let out another yawn as my eyelids grow heavy.

  Mom reaches over and pats my thigh. “Close your eyes, Maggie. A catnap would do you good.”

  “Just a short one,” I say as I let the weight of my exhaustion take over. The hum of the car’s tires over asphalt lulls me to sleep almost instantly.

  A siren blaring wakes me, and I open my eyes to discover we’ve stopped and we’re not at the Hart mansion. Cold fear fills my veins with ice, because we’re at a hospital. “Mom?”

  Her voice is stern when she says, “You may be able to fool your bosses, but you can’t trick me into thinking you’re all right.”

  “This is ridiculous. I was checked out the day before yesterday, and besides needing to take it easy for a few days with updated meds, I’m fine.”

  “Really? Then why don’t you tell me what your new meds are.”

  I open my mouth as my brain frantically searches for a medication that won’t give me away. But I realize it’s no use when a pill bottle rattles as my mother shakes it. She must have gone through my purse. “Your heart is failing, isn’t it, Maggie?”

  I snatch the medication out of her hand. “Yes. I’m dying. Okay?”

  “No. That’s not okay. We’re going inside to see what needs to be done.”

  “No. We’re not.” I glare at my mother, who returns it with a fierce look of her own. “I’m over eighteen and capable of making my own medical decisions, and I’ve decided I’m done fighting.”

  “Maggie. Why would you do that?”

  “Don’t. You know perfectly well why.” She knows I’d be put on the transplant list and have to wait for years to get a new heart. Years I don’t have. Unless a miracle happened, I’d spend the rest of my life in a hospital bed.

  Mom reaches over and strokes my cheek as her eyes glisten with moisture. “I can only imagine how hard this has been for you, but how am I supposed to live without you?” Her lower lip trembles as she tries to blink back her tears. “Mothers shouldn’t outlive their children. Please try. Stay alive for me, honey.”

  Now tears come to my eyes. “Mom. That’s not living.” A sob rises in my throat. I recall being attached to tubes, monitors beeping in the background. I think about being woken up just after I’ve managed to fall asleep so some nurse can check my vitals or for a doctor’s check-in. I imagine what it would be like to spend my final days in a hospital, playing board games with the people who love me, or binge-watching a show to pass the time as I struggled to breathe. I swallow hard to get my next words out. “I’m tired. So tired of fighting. Please let me spend my last few days living the most amazing time of my life.”

  “Maggie...” Tears stream down her face as she cries.

  When I got the news about my heart, I had already accepted I was going to die. At that point, I didn’t want to get the transplant, but my mother convinced me. And I made her promise that if my body rejected it, she’d let me die. I pull out my trump card. “You promised, Mom.”

  She lets out a wail as sobs take control of her body, and I reach over to hold her tightly. I cry too, but my tears are quickly depleted. I’m ready to die, and while I hate thinking about how much my mother will miss me, I know she’ll be okay. She’ll dote on Kristi instead. My best friend knows I’m counting on her to give my mother the grandchildren experience, and I have no doubt, considering how much my mother knows about Kristi’s love life, that it will happen. The truth is, I’ve lived far longer than anyone expected. It’s time to let go.

  When my mother stops crying and pulls herself together, she takes a deep breath and offers me a weak smile. “You’ve always been stubborn. I should have known this is how you’d want it to be.”

  I offer her a wry smile. “I’m sorry.”

  She shakes her head and places both hands firmly on the wheel of the car. “Let’s get back on the highway and see how fast this baby goes. Any ticket I get will be worth it.”

  I give her a dry chuckle and pull out an old running joke we used for anything from burning dinner to whenever she made me do something I didn’t want to do. “What are you trying to do? Kill me?”

  Mom’s smile becomes a grin. “Something like that.” My radio button clicks as she punches it with a finger, and she cranks up a rock station before she peels out of the hospital parking lot. The windows hum as she lowers them, and our hair whips around our faces as we both sing at the top of our lungs.

  When we hit the interstate, I glance over at Mom, and she winks at me. “I wasn’t joking.” She floors the gas pedal, and we speed away like a rocket. Adrenaline rushes through me as we fly, and I hang on to life for one more day.

  6

  Lyndsey

  Water splashes as I rise and fall with the swell of the ocean underneath me. Dad and I are waiting for good waves. I glance at my father and ask, “What exactly does a princess in a vampire kingdom do?”

  “Once you’ve mastered control of your bloodlust, learned to fight, and acclimated to vampire life, I hope to make you my right-hand woman.” A drop of water drips off his nose as I remember that Alexander said the first male born was the heir to the throne. But I suppose since I don’t have a brother, I’m it. He says, “The goal is to make sure you can run the kingdom easily without me in case of my untimely demise.”

  “Oh. Is that all?”

  “To be truthful, I should have turned you once I got my bearings. I came in cold because my father was terminated. It was tough.”