Loving Merritt Forever

Loving Merritt After 30

Once Merritt was safely with Marisol, wherever it was that a vampire safe house had been found, Joy turned on Levi with fury. Her human fists slamming down, raining blow after blow on his head and his now raised arms. "You didn't tell her Asher escaped?" She shrieked at him. "You just had to love her Levi. " Joy admonished Levi. "You just couldn't." Joy's strikes grew weaker as she continued to cuss Levi out. He accepted every small blow, every curse on his name. Welcomed the ineffective blows, wishing they were harder. "I thought you were better." Joy said with such defeat in her voice.

He knew, Joy was telling the truth. No one else would punish him like he deserved. He accepted what Joy could do. Levi let Joy cry herself out. Accepting all the blame and punishment and rage that he could. Before taking an exhausted Joy to the best private mental health clinic in the city. One with mixed clientele that could handle her complicated issues. Checking her in for a brief inpatient stay. Levi of course paid the full cost, ensuring she would be well taken care of. Personally making certain that her preferred emergency contacts were all informed.

Then the night was done, and Levi was forced to retreat back to his home. To try and once again figure out where Merritt was, and how he could help keep her safe to prove his devotion to her. He knew he had wronged her, could see clearly in hindsight how his choices had been wrong. Relishing every moment that he could still feel Merritt. She had not separated herself from him. Not yet his demon lamented. Certain that they had already lost, full of rage and anger with no where to channel it. Levi went to rest, hoping for redemption in Merritt's heart with near pious devotion.

Merritt, far away on the other side of the country, had curled up on the small pallet that was more than large and long enough for her body when she had curled into the fetal position on her side. Laying a heavy, weighted blanket over herself. Thanking whoever had been thoughtful enough to provide it. Using the small stand for the tablet. Merritt began to watch a medical melodrama. Crying into her black pillow case as she let herself remember feelings. Letting the drama of the show carry her along with it. A chance to try and feel something when everything felt too wrong to cope with in her real life.

Several hours later, and now full of other people's imaginary heartache as well as her own. Merritt had no idea what to do with herself. Her mind and heart still trying to find the link that was Asher. Unable to accept the void vacant sense that was left where his link had been. Watching the main character yell at a man who never deserved her to "Pick me. Choose me." Was too much synergy. Merritt's sobs echoed loudly, even through the weight of the full wine bottles all around her. Her anguish all too apparent to the incubus standing guard to protect her.

Lux hated today. All he could feel was Merritt's misery, too much of it for a vampire. Asher the escaped vampire had once been Alpha Asher Fraser. A wolf of good breeding and strong family. A wolf who seemed a magnet for tragedy. Merritt had been his second chance mate. Fate sent by the Goddess herself. Only for the Master of Death from another universe to have forced fate to try and bend the universe to give Merritt a happy ending when she had been destined for a sad, miserable life and death.

Marisol had told him, fate and aura's ended at Merritt. The futures are dark and unreadable around her. She was outside the plan now. Merritt would need to find her own place. Lux listened to the woman below. Barely twenty six years alive, and a few short months dead. Lux had centuries and he did not think he could survive losing one of his mates. Or face betrayal like Merritt had known from either Wren or Erola. He knew what love was now, knowing the consuming, beautiful complete feeling in his heart. The new notion that it could be taken away, that love could betray you-

Lux tried to block out Merritt's anguish and his nightmares by planning for a spa, and spoiling day for his mates. Arranging menus and hiring chefs, and masseuse, and other spa technicians who would agree to come on site. The trouble was, that Lux had been a demon for many long centuries. Had met, encountered and killed more than a few vampires. He knew what a vampire was supposed to feel like, and Merritt was not right.

It wasn't just her newness. There was something off about her entirely. She looked like a vampire, needed blood like a vampire. Her blood inside her veins was thick and black same as all other vampires, no heartbeat. No breathing. Bright glowing red eyes like all freshly turned. She burned in the sun. There was an intangible aspect about her that was not the same as others of her kind. keeping her safe was the most important task in the world right now. Regardless of how hard it was.

Merritt sobbed, heart breaking full body sounds echoing up to Lux for over an hour. Erola came to join him, her brow furrowed. Hand over her bump protectively. Erola looked strong, but Lux could feel that she was even more heartbroken for Merritt than he himself was. Erola's voice was barely louder than a whisper, not wanting to disturb Merritt in her heartbreak, or make her feel embarrassed to learn she was being overheard.

"Her heart knows the Selkie songs, she could have been a sister." Erola said. Sad. Sad for Merritt. Sad that she had died before bonding to nature. Sad for everything the other woman had been through. Erola could feel Merritt's heart was one that knew the song of despair. The last one to unite the Selkie people. Both Erola and Lux ignoring the smell of blood and almost cloyingly scent of death in the air, knowing their trapped and protected vampire was crying enough blood tears to saturate the pillows they had left for her bed.

"Marisol said she was special, I wasn't expecting her emotions to be so-" Lux started to say before realizing he wasn't sure what he had expected.

Erola nodded her head. "Her heart is almost human. She feels, real feelings." One hand over their unborn child, the other over her heart. Erola looked at Lux, real tears building in her eyes. "She is so sad Lux." Her own heart feeling the pain of Merritt's suffering. Her mild gifts at being an empath were near drowning in the sea that was Merritt's heartbreak.

Lux kissed Erola's forehead. "Go back to Wren, cuddle up and watch something sweet. I will keep her safe." Erola had come to comfort Lux. Knowing he was struggling to cope with Merritt's pervasive and loud heart break. She wasn't able to stand against the storm. Retreating back to Wren, to indeed, snuggle and watch something happy on the big screen. Marisol was working on a new safe location for Merritt today. Once it was sundown and there was a new safe space for her, Merritt would be moved to another location. As long as Lux knew he could go back to his mates together tonight. To feel, his babies kicking against his hand inside each mother's belly, he could make it to sundown tonight. Feeling someone else's sadness could be endured, when Lux knew he could feast in happiness between two pairs of thighs tonight to find joy again.

*Wrote the ending for Merritt tonight. I cried.  Hope someone else enjoys Merritt's story. About 2/3 through the story now*