Kaden knew she would never be able to leave this world. He made a selfish decision. He knew this truth, but somehow his heart was untrusting. He was torn by the thought that something could steal her, that something could take her from him, that he would no longer be able to see her. Was it all an irrational fear? Was it just his imagination?

  No, it was not. It had happened before.

  "There was a time when I was all alone. Nowhere to go. No one to talk to. No one to care for, where every place never felt like home," Kaden admitted. "I was lonely. I wandered the earth, searching, probing for that feeling again. And up until 10 years ago, I didn't know what I was really doing or how I was even existing. What I was desperately seeking. Not until I saw you."

  "But 10 years ago, I was 16…" Lina whispered. "I—" she cut herself off. Did he meet her before?

  "I know," Kaden said with a grimace. "But I saw you. It was for a fleeting moment, but I recognized you right away. I still remember it like it was yesterday. The peach blossoms of your school fluttered in the wind, you were with Atlantis, but I saw your laughter clearly. Bright as day, a sound soft as spring rain, and everything fell into place."

  Kaden slid his fingers up the side of her neck. He cupped her face, wishing to burn this moment into his memories.

  "I was searching for a home, dove of mine. And home is wherever you are."

  Ah, Lina would rather be shot in the chest all over again. She'd rather feel the impact of her heart nearly stopping, the pain ricocheting throughout her entire body. She wished to feel the agony every millisecond when she tried to breathe. Maybe then, she wouldn't be crying so hard, her vision blurred.

  Lina had blinked once and the dam of her eyes broke. She felt one tear first, trickle down her face. And then, she was unable to control herself. She was a sobbing mess, her throat squeezed, and hiccups left her mouth.

  "I-I—ugh…" Lina couldn't even breathe. She was completely overwhelmed by his confession. She shattered on the spot.

  Everything that Lina had once held in, her hatred for his actions, his behavior towards her, and all the horrible moments they'd shared, all of it was just a faded memory. Lina was teary and hiccuping for god knows how long. All she smelled was the forest after heavy downfall, all she felt was his unyielding embrace, how strong his arms were, and how gentle his lips were on the tip of her head.

  They were two lonely souls who had found their forever homes——

  Kaden held Lina in her sleep. Even though vampires didn't need as much rest as humans, they still needed to let their body recover. Pure-Bloods could hold on for much longer, but not for the extent that Kaden had.

  By now, Kaden's eyes burned and twitched, bloodshot from his lack of slumber. He couldn't do it. Not even when he saw her wide awake and moving. He just could not doze off when he was this close to completely losing her. And even though he knew the possibility was never going to happen, Kaden couldn't trust himself to close his eyes.

  What if Kaden woke up and she was gone from the hospital bed? What if a meteor fell through the roof and he wasn't able to help her escape in time? What if the world ended in the next minute and he couldn't cherish her for a final time?

  Kaden didn't want to let go.

  "And to think I loved my wife," Holton muttered from the couch, thoroughly exhausted just by looking at the two of them.

  Holton had once lost the love of his life. He had never recovered from it, but bit by bit, his beloved Hazel was helping him. Through her tiny hands, she held onto his, and with her large grin, he was reminded that there was a reason to live again.

  But in all the centuries he'd lived through, in all the countries he'd walked in, Holton had never witnessed a love as heartbreaking as Kaden and Lina. The raven and the dove. They were never meant to last. Their love should've been short-lived. No more than three times.

  Three lives. Three heartbreaks. Funny that the words 'I love you' also came in three, just like 'I hate you'.

  The world worked strangely, and Holton wasn't going to unravel its mysteries.

  "How long are we going to stand outside?" Mia mumbled, leaning her shoulders against the wall. She rested her eyes and sighed in relief, finally glad that they had passed the most stressful part of this entire ordeal.

  Holton was the first to say, "let's give them privacy", the second he saw Kaden's immediate embrace. And that was a lot to demand coming from Holton who took his form of entertainment from Kaden's temper.

  Holton had risen to his feet, even though he would rather kill than disturb Hazel's nap time. Nonetheless, Hazel was dead asleep in his arms, her body slack, and her thumb in her mouth. He was trying to stop that habit, but it was difficult. They were both still suffering from the loss of a mother and wife.

  "We should return tomorrow," Holton decided. He gently swayed Hazel in his arms, rocking her back to sleep when she stirred briefly.

  "But—"

  "Let the man have a moment with his nearly-deceased lover. Heaven knows they deserve it." Holton brushed past Mia, but seeing her unmoving state, he paused.

  Then, Holton forced out a sigh. He gently grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. She struggled, but he narrowed his grip and pulled her down the hallway.

  "Why?" Mia interjected. "Is it because you would've wanted the same—ow!"

  Mia bumped straight into his back, hard as a rock. She was pretty sure her surgically-enhanced nose moved an inch from the impact.

  "Do not speak of my wife so carelessly."

  Mia froze. In all her years of knowing Holton, she had seldom seen him like this. His dull, yet threatening tone resembled the rocky grays of Arctic peaks, marking a neverending winter. His voice lacked the warmth she had always associated him with.

  "I'm sorry." Mia truly was. She meant it from the bottom of her heart. She was careless with her words. She had forgotten how tragic this man was. He would never see the love of his life again.

  Holton didn't bother to respond. He continued storming down the bleak hospital hallways. One arm supporting his slumbering daughter, the last memory of his wife. And the other hand gripping Mia's wrist.

  Silently, Holton crossed the white tiles that he once guided his tortured and injured wife through. There was a reason why one of the most frightening men in the world retired to be a household husband. He never wanted the same pain and kidnapping to occur with Hazel…… Ever.