Page 50 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Kiss

“That’s what family are for, right?” There was a slight undercurrent of uncertainty in Novalie’s voice and I reached for her at the same time as Emerson.

“Absolutely.”

Nobody knew how to party quite like vampires.

The shivery feeling I’d had all day hasn't faded, but crying my heart out for a few minutes had left me feeling surprisingly light.

I’d half-hoped to see Rath at the evening’s gathering but he’d been absent—notably, if his group of forlorn misfits were anything to go by.

Emerson and Novalie had opted to stay at the party, but I’d decided to leave instead of being a third wheel. Plus, who knew crying could be so physically exhausting?

The corridors were quiet, the air still, and I opened my door without hesitation. The door shut with a small click that suddenly felt too loud and I stopped just inside the doorway, senses alert. Something wasn’t right.

A hand shot out of the darkness and suddenly, my back was against the wall. His scent hit me a moment later and my body froze, a wave of emotions rolling through me so fast all I could do was gasp.

“Rowan.”

The hand at my throat didn’t ease and I found his face in the darkness. He looked the same. Untouched. But when our eyes met, there was something lurking there that hadn't been there before—a predator.

The dip in my stomach felt like despair and joy at the same time. He was alive! But he was alive. And suddenly the fears I’d had simmering about Hayes going AWOL didn't seem so unfounded.

“Leah.” Even his voice was the same. Smooth, deep. But the fangs in his mouth, gleaming in the dark, were larger than I was used to seeing on him.

I pushed the emotions down. I could deal with their messy tangle later. For now, I need to keep my head… and heart. “What did you do to him?”

“Hayes is fine.”

I scoffed. I didn't buy that for a minute. If Hayes was okay, he would already be here.

The arm at my throat fell away and my body tensed all over again when Rowan moved faster than I anticipated, grabbing my arms and… pulling me to his chest?

“What are you doing?” My voice was muffled by the fabric of his jumper and I jumped when he chuckled.

“It's called a hug.”

“I killed you.”

“I didn’t notice,” he said dryly and I pulled away from him, my brain moving in slow motion as I tried to process that he was really here. Really alive. “But you were only returning the favour.”

“Is that why you’re here? To re-return the favour?”

The bed creaked and I turned on the lamp on top of the dresser, closing the distance in half a blink. Rowan looked at me steadily, his face fully visible in the low-light.

“I came here because you’re my friend and I missed you.”

“I missed you.” The words slipped out, quiet enough that he might not have heard them as a living vampire but now that he was undead…

A beat of silence passed between us, static igniting the air as our eyes caught. It lasted only a moment before I looked away. “What do you want from me, Rowan? Things can’t go back to how they were before. I just—I can’t.”

“I know.” The light caught on his hair and I was entranced, drinking in every movement because I’d thought I might not ever see them again. “But the way we left things, Leah…”

The way we’d left things included his heart in my fist, but I got the feeling that wasn’t quite what he was referring to.

He shook his head. “I wanted to tell you so badly. But half the time I couldn’t remember exactly what I’d been doing, I’d wake up in strange places covered in blood and Elowen would always be there.”

I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t excuse what I did, but I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted. Ever.”

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