Unseen Scene— Between Book 3 and 4 (Nat Version)

Knots of tension run down my back, squeezing my aching muscles. I rub out the throbbing pain, wondering if the hours of sitting for research was actually the Agency’s way of training me to deal with torture.

When I went into the facility this morning, the sky was awash in the dusky blue and muted gold of sunrise. When I leave tonight, the town has been plummeted into a murky darkness, a sliver of sharp silver moon hanging in the sky providing the only light.

Thankfully, at this time of night, there’s no one around, and I can drive to the Warehouse without worrying about needing to obscure my route from any curious eyes.

Parking my car by the wire fence, I head through the gate and trudge my tired body inside. The Warehouse’s interior is swept by the same night’s shadow as outside, along with a thick quiet permeating the foyer.

They all must be out on patrol…

Just as I’ve been going non-stop with my new agent training, Unit Bravo have been under pressure with increased patrols and watches. The term ‘ships passing in the night’ has never applied so accurately to us all lately.

Hauling myself up the stairs, I rub at my eyes, sore from the strain of reading the tiny cursive writing in so many of the old tomes I’ve been poring over.

I pass by the line of wooden doors, slowing down outside of Nat’s for a moment. If she is in, there’s no sound from inside, and as desperate as I am to see her, I don’t want to wake her if she’s managed to squeeze in some rest between shifts.

I force myself on, pushing open the door to my own room. It all glows under a gentle pool of light provided by the lamp on my side table. The light travels across the room, highlighting the familiar scene, except for one difference.

The armchair is occupied.

With her long legs spread out, and a book spread across her lap, Nat’s head is tipped back, her eyes closed. Her chest doesn’t rise or fall. Vampires don’t need to breathe much—if at all—while they sleep. It’s a fact I’m still getting accustomed to when I wake in the night to find Nat not breathing, giving me a near heart attack every time.

Although sleep helps add a gentleness to her resting features, it still seems like it’s covered by something tense. A defensive mask falls over any true vulnerability, even as she sleeps.

Ignoring my thought, I smile and move closer, amazed when she doesn’t wake up. I gaze down at her, tracing my fingertip in the air over the lines of her long features. She is beautiful, there’s no way anyone could deny it. But my hand continues its journey lower, coming to rest on her chest, feeling the thrum of her heartbeat. That’s where her true beauty lies.

Nat’s hand suddenly falls over mine, and she releases an adorably mewed breath as she stirs.

“[Name]?” she mumbles, her fingers wrapping around mine. “When did you get home?”

“Just a minute ago.” I use my free hand to brush through her tousled hair. “How long have you been waiting for me?”

She glances at the clock on my table. “A couple of hours. After I got back.” She yawns as she shifts to sit straighter. “I’m sorry you found me asleep.”

“I’m glad you managed to get some sleep. Even vampires can’t go forever without it.” I lean down to kiss her temple.

“To keep this town safe, I’ll go on as long as I can without it.” She reaches up to curl her hand around the back of my neck, encouraging me down for a true kiss. It’s quick, but gentle and warm.

She holds my gaze as we pull away. “For you, I would keep going for an eternity.”

I sigh, kissing her in return. It’s deeper this time, laced with a longing that’s impossible to keep buried. I drag my fingers through her hair again, strands of it falling in front of her deep brown eyes. “I believe you.”

Moving away, I begin to undress ready for bed. “Are you staying, or do you have to go back on patrol?”

“I have another due in a few of hours. Do you mind if I stay until then?” she asks.

Shirtless, I walk back to her, smiling as I wrap my arms around her. “Definitely ok with me. I need as much time with you as I can get.”

She reaches down to grab my nightshirt from the chair, tugging it carefully over my head and shifting it into place before cupping my cheek. “I know just how you feel.”

We both get ready for bed, climbing beneath the duvet and wrapping ourselves together.

“Do you think this will be our lives one day?” she murmurs, sleep catching at the edges of her voice and making her words slower. “Actually managing to spend time together?”

“Do you think about our life together in the future?” I ask.

Her hand smooths down my back, slipping beneath my shirt and spreading out against my lower back as she nuzzles into the crook of my neck sleepily. “I think of nothing else.”

Life’s been so hectic these past months, I’ve barely been able to think of anything but the present moment. But for some reason, hearing Nat’s words bathe me in a sense of comfort I didn’t know I’d been longing for.

“Thank you, Nat,” I whisper as I tuck in closer to our embrace.

“For what?”

I let out a long breath, feeling her shiver happily as my sigh washes across her. “…For being you.”

Not long after, her breathing slows to a stop, but her heart thumps a slow, familiar rhythm against my chest, lulling me into the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.