DARREN'S POV–Three Months Later
I watched Cole Van Helsing climb out of the Blackhawk helicopter, shielding his eyes as he moved toward me, shaking the snow from his heavy coat. The thunder of the blades still echoed across the mountain, sending violent gusts of wind tearing through the clearing, whipping snow into spirals around us. The cold bit deep, sharp and unforgiving, gnawing through layers like it had teeth. Tattooed fingers righted the collar of his jacket, and he smiled upon seeing me.
"Van Helsing," I announced, running my eyes over the tattoo that covered his brow and his temple to vanish into his hairline, the dark ink stark against his pale, wind‑bitten skin. "Darren, pleasure as always," Cole said in a heavily accented tone that most women would fawn over.
"You are caus
