Page 48 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

"I don't want anything to interfere with your process of calming down, and I just know that if I leave it on, I'll get a call with some disturbing news that will ruin things for you."

Syssi frowned. "But what if someone urgently needs to reach you? I'll be worried about that, and it'll stress me out more. It's better if you leave it on."

Kian shook his head. "You are a strange woman, my love."

"I know." She leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. "But you love me anyway."

"I love you because of that, not despite that. My mate is unlike anyone else in the world."

That was true of every single individual on the face of the planet. Even identical twins had two separate souls and their own unique personalities. But Syssi didn't say any of that.

This wasn't a good time for a philosophical discussion.

She had a job to do, and the sooner the better.

Setting her now-empty cup on the coffee table, Syssi stretched her arms above her head. "Are you going to stay here and watch the baby monitor while I summon the vision in Allegra's room?"

Kian nodded, reaching for the monitor. "I've been thinking about Allegra's presence enhancing your precognition abilities. Maybe Allegra has Mia's talent, and that's why your visions are stronger and clearer when you summon them next to her?"

Syssi considered this for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I'm sure Allegra is a seer like me but stronger, and she lends me her strength when I'm near her. She might alsohave other talents." A smile spread across her face as she looked at Kian. "Maybe she also has your unnatural knack for business."

"I hope she does. If she's to become the leader of this clan, she needs to be a savvy businesswoman."

The future that awaited their daughter was not easy, and Syssi felt a twinge of anxiety every time she thought about it. But that was a concern for another day. Right now, she needed a few more moments in her husband's arms before she braved the mysteries of the universe.

34

MARINA

"Ihave to go, love." Peter leaned over Marina and took her lips in a sweet kiss.

She was still woozy from the venom bite, but thankfully, she no longer blacked out for as long as she had at the beginning.

"It’s been half an hour, more or less." Peter got up, giving her a wonderful view of his ass. "Your blackouts are getting shorter, which means that your euphoric trips have gotten shorter as well, and I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay." She turned on her side. "I think that the venom trips never took more than a few minutes. The rest was just sleeping off the effects."

He smiled and looked at her longingly. "I wish I could stay in bed with you."

"Yeah, I wish so, too, but you have places to go and people to save."

"True." He stepped into the bathroom but left the door open.

She couldn't see him from her side of the bed that was closer to the window, but every cell in her body was still infused with the warmth of their lovemaking.

It had been a good day, and Marina felt a surge of optimism. The earlier conversation with Bridget had opened possibilities beyond what she'd dared to imagine. If the test results proved their hypothesis, she might stay young and vibrant for much longer than she could have ever hoped for, and in that time, Kaia could find the secret key to turning ordinary humans immortal.

The prospect of an eternal life with Peter filled her with a giddy excitement.

She turned her gaze away from the window and swept it to the dresser, where she had arranged several framed photos of her and Peter. Some were from the cruise, others were from Safe Haven, and a couple were from the village. Each told a story, a moment in time, and now they might get to create so many more.

"I need a larger dresser," she murmured.

Peter emerged from the bathroom clad in his fatigues. "What for?"

Naturally, he'd heard her murmuring with his bat hearing.

"For all the framed photos of us that I'm going to put out."