Upon the Midnight Clear (17 page)

He'd barely closed the door before another knock sounded. Frowning, Aidan saw Theresa and Robert on the porch, holding a small tree between them.

He'd hired Robert to be his manager two weeks before Donnie had started blackmailing him. Short and tiny with brown hair and bright blue eyes, Theresa was his publicist. “And again I say, no offense, but what are you doing here?”

“We couldn't stand the thought of you spending one more Christmas alone,” Robert said. “Mori called and asked if we could come out to make you a decent meal on Christmas Eve and we agreed. It's time you realized that there are people in this world who do love you, Aidan.”

Before Leta had come into his life, he would have tossed them out of his house and locked the door behind them.

Today, they were more than welcome.

“Come on in. Let me go get some clothes on.”

“I don't know,” Theresa said with a laugh. “I kind of like your Christmas suit.”

Shirley laughed. “You mean ‘birthday suit,' don't you?”

Theresa set the tree in the corner by his fireplace. “I'd like that even better, but he
is
dressed in holiday green. Christmas suit.”

Aidan smiled before he went to his bedroom and pulled on jeans and a sweater. By he time he returned, Shirley had poured eggnog for everyone while Robert and Mori decorated the tree with tinsel and Theresa unwrapped a HoneyBaked ham in the kitchen.

He was amazed by their actions. “You know you guys don't have to do this. I know all of you have family you'd rather be with.”

Robert scoffed. “Your surly butt or my klepto aunt Coco who always steals the silver by putting it in her purse when no one's looking … hard choice, buddy.”

Theresa chided him. “You're our family too, Aidan. And this year, I think you need us the most.”

She had no idea just how right she was. “Thank you, guys.”

Robert grinned. “You say thank you until we burn your house down with these Christmas lights.”

Aidan laughed at him as Shirley handed him a glass of eggnog.

“To Aidan,” she said cheerfully. “Which reminds me of an old toast my grandfather used to give.”

“And that is?” Aidan asked.

“To those who know and love me, I wish you well. All the rest may go to hell.”

“Here, here,” Mori said as he paused to lift his own cup.

Robert agreed. “Very fitting.”

Aidan nodded. “Yeah. I'll have to remember that.”

“I'm sure you will.”

Aidan took a sip before he realized something. “I don't have presents for any of you.”

Mori scoffed. “Don't worry. You're here with us and that's all the gift any of us need. We really are here for you, Aidan. Not because you pay us, but because we really do care about you.”

And for the first time in years, he believed that. “Thank you.
All
of you.” Then Aidan looked up at the ceiling and whispered “thank you” to it as well, hoping that somehow his words would get back to Leta. He was sure she'd had a hand in this.

The afternoon went by fast as Theresa warmed up the food she'd brought and they had a good lunch of ham, potatoes, gravy, and green beans, with pecan pie for dessert. Aidan could count the traditional Christmases like this that he'd had in his life on one hand.

And none of those had been nearly as special as this one. But all too soon, it was over and his guests were leaving.

He stood on the porch, watching them drive off with a lightness in his heart that had never been there before. Smiling, he picked up his phone and called Mori, who answered on the first ring.

“Did we forget something?”

“You can call the studio on Monday. I'll take the job.”

“Are you screwing with me?”

“No, Mori. I'm serious. I'll do it.”

The rented Town Car stopped in the driveway and Mori got out to look up at him. He pulled the phone from his ear. “I love you, man!” he shouted. “In a purely platonic kind of way.”

Aidan laughed as several birds took flight in fright. “Love you too, Mor. Definitely in a platonic way.”

Mori saluted him before he got back into the car and drove off.

Aidan hung up the phone and returned inside where the smell of pecan pie warmed him all the way to his toes. The day would have been perfect if only …

He couldn't finish that thought. It was too painful.

Yeah. There was also something to blight the happiest times of his life. But even so, he'd needed this and he was grateful to his friends for making this day special.

Sighing, he started for his den when he heard a light tapping on his door. He glanced into the kitchen to see if Theresa had forgotten something. She was always misplacing and leaving things behind. But he didn't see anything.

He opened the door, then froze.

It couldn't be.

Eyes so blue they didn't seem to be real stared up at him.

“Leta?”

Her smile dazzled him. “Can I come in?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

She launched herself into his arms.

Breathless, Aidan held her close, trying to make sense of this. “How can you be here?”

“Hades released me from the Underworld.”

“I don't understand. Wouldn't you need a sacrifice?”

“Not if he does it. Once I died, Zeus no longer had power over me. Only Hades.” She squeezed him so hard, his back popped. “Persephone was so touched by what you said that she told Hades I had to be with my loved one … You.”

“For how long?”

She shrugged. “I'm human now. Just like you.”

He couldn't believe it. More relieved than he'd ever been before, he scooped her up and closed the door with his foot.

She frowned at his actions. “Where are you taking me?”

“To my bedroom where I plan on nibbling on you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. I love you, Leta, and I intend to make sure you never doubt me.”

She brushed his hair back from his eyes. “I would never doubt you, Aidan. And you will never,
ever
have a reason to doubt me.”

EPILOGUE

One Year Later

 

Aidan smiled as he watched Leta finish decorating the tree. Her three-carat wedding ring sparkled in the candlelight—they'd gotten married on Valentine's Day. “You know it kills me that you celebrate my holidays with me when you used to be a Greek god.”

Leta shrugged. “All gods and traditions deserve respect.”

She was amazing and his life had been nothing short of a miracle since the moment she'd walked into it.

Her presence was breathtaking as she crossed the distance to him and handed him a small box. “For you.”

He was confused by her present. “I thought we weren't exchanging gifts until midnight?”

“I know, but this has been killing me for weeks now, and if you don't open it, I might die from it.”

He sucked his breath in sharply. “Don't joke about that. I've already lost you once. I'm not about to lose you again.” Ripping through the paper, he found a gold foil box that he opened.

It contained a single sheet of paper that had her handwriting on it. “July twenty-third. What's July twenty-third?”

“Look under it.”

He did and what he found there stole his breath. It was the sonogram of an infant. “Is this…?”

She beamed. “July twenty-third.”

“Oh, my God,” he breathed, staring at her as it sank in. He was going to be a father. Laughing, he scooped her up and twirled around with her. “I love you, Leta. Thank you so much for my life.”

“No, Aidan, thank you for reminding me of what it's like to feel again. To wake up every morning in the arms of someone who loves me.”

Aidan laughed as joy raced through his entire body. He was finally the last man standing. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't standing alone. He was standing stronger than ever before because he knew he had a person at his back who would never betray him. Someone who would and had died to keep him safe.

Life truly never got any better than this.

“Merry Christmas, Aidan.”

“Merry Christmas, Leta … and baby.”

A Special Holiday Word from Sherrilyn Kenyon

What on earth is this? See, I can read minds LOL. Hi, readers. For those of you used to my series, you will recognize the people in the following pages. For those of you who aren't, you may get a bit lost.

I tried my best to explain things for those new to my world, but I didn't want to bog down each scene for those who are familiar with the books. It's a delicate balance and it's one I hope I found.

I wanted to include the following vignettes as an extra treat for readers to catch them up on what the people in the previous books are doing before we head off into Xypher's book (
Dream Chaser
) and more importantly, Ash's book, both of which are coming out in 2008. It's a quick glimpse into their world, and it's one I hope you enjoy.

Happy Holidays to everyone! May your season be bright and I hope you'll return for Xypher's story in February which takes the series back to New Orleans where he's on the hunt for the escaped Dimme and exact some revenge on an old love. While there, he's going to meet Simone, a different kind of medical examiner who shares a few things with Talon and who has a ghost for a sidekick—one who is trapped in the early 1980s. Yeah … Jesse's a lot of fun and only Simone can corral him. For that matter, she's the only one who can semi-corral Xypher.

Until next time, take care!

Oh, and one quick caveat. There are spoilers ahead if you haven't read the previous books, including
Devil May Cry.

HOLIDAY GATHERINGS

New Orleans

Sanctuary Bar

Christmas 2007

Aimee Peltier paused as she watched the gathering around her. This was the one day a year when Sanctuary officially closed. Even though very few members of their extended family and staff were Christian, they still took time to honor the holiday. To remember their own beliefs and to think back on those they'd loved and lost.

As the bar's name implied, this was the haven for were-animals, shapeshifters who were hunted by each other and by the humans. Her parents had set up the bar over a hundred years ago after Aimee's older brothers had been killed in the senseless war that divided her people from each other.

It had been her mother's solemn vow that no other mother would ever weep over the loss of a child if she could help it. But since then, her mother's view of what was right and what was wrong had shifted a bit. And in order to keep the peace here at the bar, her mother had made decisions that Aimee didn't always agree with.

But then mother–daughter disagreements were even older than the were-animals themselves.

The bar was dim, lit only by candles. Her brother Dev was at the counter, pouring drinks. He'd pulled his long, curly blond hair back into a ponytail while he joked with Colt and Angel, who were in human form, sitting on the stools in front of the bar, drinking beers.

Aimee's mother, Nicolette, was off to the side in human form as she played with Zar's bear cubs. There were several tigers, a jaguar, and bears lounging about or playfully fighting while others were in their human forms as they played cards, pool, or just hung out for the night.

“You feeling okay?”

She turned at the deep voice behind her to find Maxis standing there. Tall and gorgeous, he had dark blond hair and silvery-green eyes that shimmered in the dim light. Stunned, she had to blink twice just to make sure she wasn't imagining his presence. Maxis had come to Sanctuary severely wounded. One of the rare dragon Katagaria, he didn't mix with other groups easily. He preferred to stay isolated in the attic where he could sleep in dragon form and not be disturbed.

“What are you doing downstairs?”

Max folded his arms over his chest. “I felt your pain and was wondering what caused it.”

His concern touched her deeply. It was true, watching the family around her made her ache for the one thing she wanted most.

Fang Kattalakis. A wolf who'd been half dead, he'd been brought here by his brother, and Aimee had nursed him back to health the same way she had Max. But unlike with Max, she'd fallen in love with Fang even though she knew there was no chance of there ever being anything between them.

If only she could convince her heart of that.

She offered Max a smile she knew was fake. “I'm okay.”

“You're not okay, Aimee. You haven't been okay since the night Fang left.”

She glanced about nervously. “Please keep your voice down…”

“Is this better?”

She could only hear his voice in her head. Nodding, she patted his arm.
“I'll be fine, Max. Thank you for your concern, but you know me.”

“I do know you, Aimee. And I know that solitude is a dungeon of spikes that pierces every layer of armor you try to build for it.”
He held his hand up so that she could see the tattoo he'd placed there in remembrance of his family.
“I lost what meant most to me. Don't make the same mistake.”

“But Fang and I aren't mates. There are no marks…”

“Neither were there marks for us. And still my heart is broken. Don't let the Fates rule your life. Sometimes we have to take responsibility for it ourselves.”

He stepped back and swept his gaze around the others. “I don't like being here with these people and animals. I'm going to retire, but remember, courage is doing what we know is dangerous. It's risking our safety for a chance at something better. Don't let your fears shape your reality because no matter how cautious you are, someone or something always sneaks in the back door to manifest that fear. Better to face it and defeat it than to let it attack you unawares.”