Page 14 of Luna Rising

Walter’s laughter carried down the hallway. “That’s by design.”

“There’s a tonic he takes. It’s very hard to come by and very expensive to acquire,” Ewan informed me. “While you get cleaned up, I’ll find you something decent to wear.”

“You’re leaving?” I asked, not loving the idea of being alone.

“All the exit doors are spelled, and Walter will be in the house if you need anything,” Ewan said.

I stared up at him wide-eyed. “You’re letting him babysit me, seriously? He’s a criminal.”

Walter snickered and called out, “People locked in glass houses, blah, blah—you know the rest.”

Ewan ignored the fae and cupped my cheeks. “I’ll be back soon.”

He stole a kiss and backed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I waited until I heard him leave the house and then tried the door handle, a little surprised when it didn’t send a current of electricity running through my body.

I took a long, hot bath, washing and conditioning my hair several times to get out all the knots. It was the most human I’d felt since rising, and I wanted to bask in the normalness of it all as long as possible.

Ewan returned long before I climbed out of the tub. He checked on me twice, first bringing a set of brushes and combs and a toothbrush and then delivering a silk robe and a folded stack of clothes.

My fingers and toes should’ve looked like prunes, but apparently that was an upside of vampirism. I took my time combing out the tangles in my dark hair and luxuriating in the feel of the silk against my skin.

Then, the steam cleared from the mirror, and I saw my crimson eyes and pale face. To say I found the sight alarming was an understatement. In the dreams, I never saw myself as a vampire, so this was definitely weird.

For the most part, I still looked like me, except more intense—colder, fiercer, fangier. My wolf stirred and rose, ready to make an appearance. I almost let her. Staring at my reflection was a reality check I needed, yet definitely didn’t want. Gold ribbons swirled in my red irises until I finally pushed my wolf down.

A knock sounded at the door, and then Ewan slipped inside. He met my gaze in the mirror, expression softening. He didn’t say a word as he crossed the room and pried the comb from my fingers, taking over where I’d left off.

No one had brushed my hair since I was a child. I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of the teeth against my scalp. A tear leaked from between my shut lids. Ewan ran his thumb across my cheek, wiping it away.

“I know it’s hard,” Ewan whispered. “It’ll get easier, in time. You have me.”

The weight of his emotions crashed down on me. I covered his hand with mine and pressed it against my face, reveling in his touch. His guilt over turning me was palpable. He worried I would grow to hate him over time.

“You didn’t have a choice,” I said, squeezing his fingers. “I have loved you since the day you entered my life. Nothing will ever change that.”

Ewan finished combing my hair and bent down and kissed my neck. “Remember you said that.” He ran one finger down my throat. “Come downstairs whenever you’re ready.”

I gave him a tight smile, not feeling great about his ominous comment. “Yeah, sure.”

Once he’d slipped into the hallway, I unfolded the stack of clothes he’d brought earlier–jeans and a soft pink sweater. They fit surprisingly well and appeared new, though they didn’t have tags. The boots were a little big, as if they were meant to be worn with more than one pair of socks.

I didn’t look in the mirror again, too afraid of my own reflection.

Two mortal heartbeats filled my ears as I started down the stairs. One, of course, belonged to Walter, and the other to Winter. Just like before, I sensed her presence before I saw her. She sat on a couch in the living room with her father, neither of them speaking.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall when they first met, I thought.

Winter turned as I entered the room, her smile too bright. “Feeling any better after your bath?”

“A little,” I admitted.

Walter’s keen gaze followed my every move, muscles tense as if ready for a fight. He’d been much more relaxed earlier, so I guessed this reaction had something to do with the fact his daughter was present.

Ewan wandered in from the kitchen with a cup of tea in one hand and a large, green plastic cup in the other. He brought both drinks to me.

“Essie brewed this for you.” He nodded toward the tea. “This is my blood mixed with a tonic, meant to dull your senses temporarily.”

My mouth salivated at the thought of his warm, rich blood. I drank that first, downing the entire cup like the sole participant in a chugging contest. The tea was hot, and I sipped the concoction while Ewan explained our afternoon plans.