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Bonus Chapter #3

Valentine's Day 2015

Tyler was silent the rest of the way to the store, and I was fine with that. I had a lot on my mind, after all. Tonight, Majestic was expecting me to show up and help them capture Stark. I also had Kimberly's first full moon to worry about, which seemed even scarier now that I wouldn't have Stark's help.

Those weren't the things I was thinking about, though. I had something else to do today, something much more important. When we got to the store, Tyler immediately went off in search of the things D.K. had put on his list.

"Meet me at the door in half an hour," he said over his shoulder.

"Okay," I said back. Half an hour. Thirty short minutes to do what I needed to do. I looked down at Kimberly. "Hey, why don't you go look at the toys for a little bit?"

"Can I get one?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Nope, sorry," I said back. "Maybe next time."

She didn't complain, which was a relief. She just turned and ran towards the toy section. She'd be all right on her own for a half hour. Such a good little girl, I thought. She deserved so much better than I could give her...

That wasn't what I'd come for, though. I squared my shoulders and scanned the aisles until I found what I needed.

Greeting Cards.

They were spread out across two separate aisles, but the ones I wanted were easy to spot, all clumped together in a huge stripe of pink, red, and white. I picked one out at random, shaking with barely contained emotion.

"How do I love you? Let me count the ways," it said in big, bubble letters. I opened it up. "Number One: I got you a card! Happy Valentine's Day!"

Nah,_I thought putting it back. _Too corny.

This would be it. He was here, somewhere. I was sure of it. He always showed up on Holidays, and this time I would be ready for him.

Well, not every holiday, I reminded myself. He'd missed New Year's Eve, but I could forgive him that. Christmas had only been a week before. He probably just didn't want to wear out his welcome.

Not that he ever could, I thought as I reached out and took another card. I want him by my side forever and ever!

"I wasn't sure whether to get you a funny monkey card, or one with a girl in a bikini," it said, but I put it back without opening it. It would have a chimp wearing a swimsuit. Funny, but I didn't want my chunky hunk looking at anything in a bikini except me. And since I was a werewolf, I included other animals in that as well.

"I am so blessed to have someone like you in my life," the next one said. "And I thank God for you every day. Happy Valentine's Day!"

That one went back on the shelf as well. It was nice, but I knew my sweetheart better than anyone else. He'd appreciate a funny card more than a mushy one. I picked up another.

"You're really smart, and full of sass. I respect your mind, but love your..."

NOPE!

This wasn't an easy task, but I'd known it wouldn't be from the start. Picking the perfect card for an even perfect-er man was impossible. But for him, my neckbearded gentleman, I would do anything, even if I had to sell my soul to Hendricks himself! If only there were a way I could put my own words into a card. That was the only way I could adequately express how I-

"Voice Recording Cards."

I sucked in an excited breath. Yes, that was perfect! I grabbed one off the shelf and opened it up.

"Press the button, wait for the beep, and record your message," it prompted me. I did as it said.

"I love you!" I said into it, holding it an inch away from my mouth. "I love you, I love you so much that I can't live without you. Please marry me, and we can have..."

"Hey," a voice said behind me.

I screamed a little, caught completely off guard. I had been so focused on my recording that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings. When I turned around, though, my shock immediately went away, and my cheeks flooded with heat.

"It's you!" I exclaimed, coming forward to give him a hug. He stepped backward, and I ended up falling on my face. That was okay. I'd happily kiss the floor he'd just been standing on if he, himself, weren't there to demand my attention.

"I knew you'd be here!" I said, standing back up. "You're always here for the holidays!"

He shrugged, grinning, and turned to look at the cards. "Don't mind me, I'm just..."

"Breaking the fourth wall, I know," I interrupted him. I paused, trying to organize my thoughts. Now that he was here, I could barely speak. I remembered the card in my hand, and held it up.

"I got you a card," I said, blushing so hard I thought my head would explode. "I hope you like it. I love you!"

"Really?" he asked, taking it from me. He opened it.

"I love you! I love you, I love you so much that I can't live without you. Please marry me, and we can have hey there AAAAAH!"

I stood there, motionless, trying to read his expression. There was a coffee stain on the corner of his mouth. Did he know? I would have loved to kiss it off of him. I bit my lip, fighting down the urge to jump into his arms and... oh wow, just thinking about it made me want to faint.

"That's really weird," he said, dropping it onto the floor.

My spirits fell. His words hurt, but I appreciated them anyway. He deserved better. Constructive criticism or something like that, right?

"Anyway," he went on, "I'm trying to pick out a card for someone myself."

"I'd love any card you got for me," I gushed, clutching my hands to my chest.

"It's not for you," he said, finally noticing the coffee on his mouth. He stuck his tongue out and licked it off.

I was supposed to do that! I protested internally, but kept quiet.

"Here's a good one," he said, taking one off the shelf and handing it to me. "What do you think?"

I looked at it. "Dear friends and fans, you're a really big deal. So for Valentine's Day, here's a Cover Reveal!"

"What the heck does that mean?" I asked, looking up. I found myself talking to an empty shopping aisle. He was gone again.

I held the card to my chest, wishing that it was enough to fill the hole in my heart.

"I'll treasure it forever," I whispered. Maybe he would hear it, wherever he was.

I looked at it again, and opened it up. He'd gone to so much trouble to pick it out- the least I could do was look at the inside...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: What's on the inside of Amber's card? Look below to find out! Because little does she know, but it's not for her... it's for you, friends and fans! And, as always, this is a spoof chapter. It did not really happen... obviously.