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I bite down on my bottom lip and follow Bain into his bedroom.

'Your clothes have been put in here,' he says as he opens the doors to a walk-in closet.

True to his word, my clothing is hanging up on the opposite to his. I pull out a fresh pair of pyjamas; a satin short and vest set.

I turn my back to Bain and look at him over my shoulder.

'Please may you unzip my dress?'

Bain's dark eyes roam over my shoulders and upper back. He steps up behind me and runs his finger along the skin just above my dress.

Slowly, he undoes the zip, revealing my back to him. His rough finger trails up my spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I shiver and Bain leans down, pressing a kiss to my shoulder.

'Thank you,' I whisper, not trusting my voice right now.

I hold the dress to my chest so that it doesn't fall.

'You can use the bathroom first, I'll wait,' Bain tells me.

I gather my pyjamas and lock myself in the joining bathroom. After changing, I take off my make-up and clean my teeth.

Once I'm done, Bain goes in after me. I hang up my dress and then stand at the end of the four-poster bed.

His things are on the left-hand side, so I climb in on the right. I pull the duvet up to my chin and snuggle into the soft mattress.

All I can hear is my steady breathing as he gets ready for bed. My heart rate increases when he comes out, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

Dear Lord.

I was not expecting him to be half-naked!

My eyes don't leave his fine body as he approaches the bed. I take in every dip and ridge of his muscular form.

'Are all vampires ripped?' The words tumble from my mouth before I can stop them.

Bain smirks and gets under the covers, next to me.

'It's a common trait, yes,' he replies amusedly.

'And what about being heartbreakingly handsome?' I ask.

His lips twitch as he resists a smile.

'Obviously not all of us can be blessed with such handsome looks,' he replies jovially. 'But my kind is considered attractive by humans.'

Bain moves closer to me and our thighs brush against each other. He slides his hand up my leg to my side. My breathing hitches when he leans in and captures my lips with his.

I slide my hands up his bare chest, to his neck and into his hair. His arm winds around my waist and he pulls me against him.

The kiss turns heated quickly. His tongue nudges mine and I open my mouth to him, submitting completely. He lets out a low groan at the back of his throat and he kisses me harder, making me breathless.

I hold onto to him tightly, as if worried that he will stop. But he doesn't. Bain kisses me until we're both breathless. I gasp for air when he finally pulls back.

He runs his thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes hooded with desire. I lick my lips, aroused just by the way he is looking at me.

Like he wants to eat me.

'I am so happy you entered our silly competition,' he murmurs, tracing my face with his finger.

'So am I,' I reply honestly. 'Although, I'll admit that a soulmate and immortality weren't the kind of prizes I was expecting to win.'

Bain chuckles at that. 'I know, we chose not to advertise the supernatural element.'

I snort. 'Probably a good idea.'

We kiss again, using our lips to show our feelings for one another.

Bain pulls back and looks down at me thoughtfully. I wait patiently for him to share his thoughts. He takes me by surprise when he kisses my nose.

'Stay?' Bain asks as he peppers my face with kisses.

I close my eyes, giggling when he kisses my eyelids, my nose, my forehead.

'What?' I ask between giggles.

He pulls back and smiles down at me.

'Stay. Out here, with me. Please.'

It's strange to see such a powerful, handsome man, saying please with vulnerability showing on his face.

'I don't want you to leave or freak out or run home. I want you stay here and we can continue building a relationship,' he says passionately. 'I won't mark you until you want me to, I swear it. But I want to spend my life with you.'

I swallow hard, slightly intimidated by how certain he is about this how soulmate thing. Although, I feel it too. I feel how I'm drawn to him, how I look for him each time I enter a room, how I miss him when he's not around.

As intense and scary as this might be, there's no way to fight it, not when my heart isn't really in it. I don't want to fight it. All I want, is him.

'Okay,' I reply softly. 'I'll stay.'

Bain grins and kisses me. His lips move confidently over mine. He dominates the kiss, showing me how happy I've made him.

We stay up talking for a short while, before finally going to sleep. I dream of vampires and romance.

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Plans are made in the morning, over breakfast.

Saffron quits her job and makes plans to move over to Romania, to live with Spencer. It's so soon, but seeing as she's transitioning into a vampire, I agree with her that she should stay with Spencer at all times, until she's adjusted.

I'd love to know how she is going to explain this to Winnie.

Florie agrees to move into the castle with Ahmed, seeing as all of this belongs to him. Her face is flushed with happiness. She is quite literally living the dream of so many children, to grow up and live forever in a beautiful castle.

Lula and Fidel map out plans to travel the world. Fidel wants to show Lula the different flavours out there, and I know without asking, they are not talking about the cuisines. I have a feeling that Lula will share Fidel's bloodlust.

Bain and I? I sit on his lap, with my arms around his neck. He runs his hand up and down my back soothingly, whilst we watch the others make plans.

'I mostly spend my time in England or in Romania, where my family live.' Bain's lips brush my ear as he talks quietly, so that only I can hear. 'We can stay wherever you want, I just want to be with you.'

His other hand is on my thigh. I take it in my hands and play with his fingers, interlocking them with my own.

'I'd like to visit Romania,' I admit. 'I've never been before.'

Bain smiles. 'Perfect. I'd love for you to meet my family. They've been waiting years for me to bring my chosen home.'

I blush at that comment.

I hope I'm worth the wait.

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Bain and I stay at the castle for another week. I get to see Lula and Saffron go through their transition, which makes me feel less nervous about going through it myself.

Other than the initial bloodlust, which takes a few days to control, they are still their normal selves.

Saffron is overjoyed with her new immortality. She shows off her newfound strength and speed to me in the gardens, begging me to let Bain mark me so that I can join her.

It's the happiest I've ever seen her, and that makes me happy.

Although I'm ready for Bain to mark me and solidify our bond, I'm not quite ready to give my humanity yet. It's the thing I'm still holding on to.

I'm worried that I won't be afterwards, that I'll be a new me, perhaps a me I don't like as much as the old me. I know my fears are irrational and silly. After spending time with Lula and Saffron, I know that your personality doesn't change, but still, I'm hesitant.

Florie is in no rush either, which reassures me.

Bain, ever the supportive, perfect man, doesn't pressure me in the slightest.

Eventually, the day comes where we go our separate ways.

Fidel and Lula leave first, followed by Saff and Spencer.

I tear up a little as I say goodbye to my best friend. We'd FaceTimed Winnie together and she couldn't believe that we had both chosen to stay on and go back to Romania with our guys.

Luckily, Saffron didn't mention the V-word. I don't know if we will ever tell her, I guess we will have to eventually. When that day comes, Saffron can be the one to do it, and I think she should keep Spencer nearby, in case he has to compel Winnie to stay calm.

Bain and I pack up our things. Before I know it, the car is ready to take us to the airport.

Ahmed and Florie walk us to the front door.

Three weeks and my life has changed beyond belief. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the competition would take me here.

It's crazy how different my life is, compared to what it was like when we first pulled up in front of this castle.

I'm lost in thought as I stand on the front step, reflecting on how much has changed in less than a month.

Florie holds me tight when we hug. Tears pool in my eyes again. I'm going to miss her.

'Stay in touch, okay?' She says and quickly wipes her eyes.

Ahmed puts his arm around her shoulders.

'You know you two are welcome at any time. Come and back and visit, this place will be quiet without everyone here,' Ahmed offers warmly.

We say our goodbyes and watch from the window as we drive away. Ahmed kisses his mate's forehead and the two of them disappear back into the castle.

Bain squeezes my hand, breaking me out of my wistful thoughts. I lean my head against his shoulder and fall asleep to the gentle movement of the car.

Bain wakes me as he lifts me up. I blink open my eyes and look around. We're on an air strip, a private plane in front of us. He carries me up the steps and into the plane.

I thank him sleepily and he places me in one of the chairs. I buckle up and he sits down next to me. Less than ten minutes later, we're pulling onto the runway.

He takes my hand and kisses the back of it.

'Ready to start our future?' He asks me, his eyes glinting with adoration and excitement.

I smile at him, my heart thumping with adrenaline.

'I'm ready.'

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If you want to know how things end for Bain, Amity and the gang, you can read the full story on iReader. ❤️