Blake, The Vampire King

"Ana," Blake called out as he reached the foyer and found it empty, save for her.

"Yes, dad?" She sounded so weary, it pained him. She must not have rested much. She was angsty, he could feel it.

"Your mom is fine," he announced proudly.

"For how long though?" She must have not understood him.

"No," he smiled genuinely, "I meant that your mom recovered her memories."

"Seriously?!" She exclaimed, rising to her feet. "How did you do it?"

"We just made love and exchanged blood," he saw the face she pulled at that and was quick to add, "I'll spare you the gory details sweetie." "Please do," she joked. "Where's mom?"

"Here," Maria said from right behind him, her tone light. "Right where I belong, by your dad's side."

"I'm so happy," Ana declared after some time, her eyes welling with tears.

The sky went from half clear to overly clouded in a nanosecond, and it started to rain at the exact same moment her tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"You really need to control your emotions if you don't want to flood the palace or kill someone with lightning," Blake observed.

"Very funny, dad," she rolled her eyes at him, and it thundered.

"I think your dad is pretty damn serious. He always is when it comes to training," Maria went to ruffle her hair.

"Maria?" Kelly called out as she entered the foyer. "You remember?"

"I do," she assured her with a soft smile -a smile Blake was awfully fond of and would die to protect.

And yet, his mate was adamant. She said that if push came to shove, she'd go to war with him. He tried to argue but there was no way for him to win the argument.

Soon enough, everybody knew and all of them came to congratulate her and Blake.

"You can't believe how happy I am," Kelly said. "I was so damn afraid I'd lose my best friend."

"And I my mother, you can imagine my worry," Ana hiccupped.

What was Blake supposed to say? He had been about to possibly lose the only love of his life, the light to his darkness, the reason he still breathed... nevertheless, he kept silent, and only listened to the exchange with mild amusement. Maria squeezed his hand in a silently comforting gesture, and he could only squeeze back and smile at her.

She was beautiful, sweet, loving, strong, fiercely independent, and yet so yielding.

He adored her, and could not - for the world – imagine his life without her. She was his mate. Enough said!