StelrLight

  Time sure flies when there is quite a bit going on. As I look back, I wonder what might have ged if this or that had not goly the way it had. If Linda had not chosen to feed me her blood would I have had the power to take on some of the challenges down the road? Probably not.

  While I didn’t have much time to mull over these thoughts or sarios whehing was going on, sitting here, surrounded by everyone as this year came to an end, I found my mind doing just that. As I looked over each person I found myself mentally thanking them for what they did for me. Barti for how much he pushed me to grow stronger. Mindi and Tindi for helping him as well as gettiarted on my path to power.

  Then there were the alchemists that I had grown close t the exploration of Timmy. I mean Intemerra. Fug corporations hate the niames everyo giving the pce. While they were not able to do all that much to us lest they lose their access, that didn’t mean they didn’t try time and time again.

  Speaking of corporations, Ytri and his aide looked cozy oher side of the fire. Turns out the Russian had some powerful ties. Powerful and rich. That money and those es had helped him grow into a corporate executive I didn’t mind w under.

  A hand softly brushed against my ears causing them to flick as I turo the culprit. Sitting there, ag like he had dohing, was Xander. My eyes narrowed yet the guy refused to look in my dire. Finally, I maniputed one of my tails around his body and poked at his arm.

  The fucker khat I was the culprit yet he turoward my tail. “Who poked me?” His voice shook as he stared into the darkhat surrounded us. To me, the sliver of moonlight lit the pce up enough that I could make out the shape of everything in the area. Seeing as the darkness was his natural element, I doubted he was hindered by the darkness in any way.

  With a roll of my eyes, I tapped his arm with my tail a sed time. His face tilted down to look at the appendage. “Well hello there.” With his face so close, it made too tempting a target. My tail flicked up and wiggled the hairs in his face.

  Quite a few ughs filled the air as Xander spluttered. I whipped my tail back just as he reached down for it. Still, I ended up caught but not by Xander. As I sat there, distracted with attempts to annoy the man, a hand mao snake around my waist until, just as I flung my tail out of Xander’s reach, it yanked me toward its owner.

  Between one moment and the , I went from sitting on the grass o the man I had known for years and trusted with my life, to the p of the man I could not live without. His breath brushed against the nape of my neck, sending shivers down my spine as he spoke. “Don’t you think you should let the guy have some pea a while?”

  I didn’t pause to think about my answer. “Only when I am asleep.” While this typically meant that he was safe when he was asleep, that wasn’t always the case. Ah, the memories. Let's just say we were typically partnered when we needed someone on watch.

  “Only because you are with me.” The man pointed out before kissing my neck. I rexed into his hold as I wondered just how far he would take this before our audience forced us to stop. One of his arms held me to the side as the other hand lightly guided my around. Our lips brushed against one another. My eyes rolled as the man pulled away. I was not going to let him half-ass a kiss. Either he was going to do it right or I was going to kick his ass – again.

  My mouth collided with his as I rotated around to get a better position. My lips parted as my tongue searched for its oppo. It didn’t take a moment before they went to war.

  “Oi, Kyren, Laop mouth fug each other or you might miss the fireworks!” The alchemy guru, and resident goblin, of roup called out from the other side of the clearing. Given who had been lying with her head in his p, I doubted we had been the only ones kissing.

  Still, I pulled away from Lance. His arms ed around me as we both looked up just in time to see the first firework unch from the top of the broken spire at the ter of the town. I flinched as the thing exploded in a shower of green and blue sparks. As the wolf's arms squeezed me to him, I rexed.

  While there was still dao be faced, pces to explore, creatures to kill, and the void to stop, here and now, I was safe. Here and now, I was with my friends and family. No matter what the New Year might bring, at least they would be there with me. They would help me get through and push me forward so that we might see the New Year together.