Page 37 of Sassy Embrace

And they had followed suit—the majority of them anyway. There were always going to be outliers and agitators, like Kim, who recoil at the idea of any kind of growth. Aria had stood her ground because of her love for Trevan. And they'd held on long enough for the Wolfe family to climb on board.

He wanted to divulge his epiphany to Leigh as soon as he could. He asked her to go to dinner with him after leaving the hospital, once agreeing to stay in the guest house on the Wolfefamily property. Leigh seemed thrilled by the idea of helping to care for Mai. She was also exuberant about the Wolfe family’s embrace of him, a lowly vampire.

“I don't have anything to wear,” Leigh said as they pulled out of the hospital parking lot. "I didn't realize I would be having a sleepover."

Her tone was playful and sultry. When he looked at her in the passenger's seat, she was biting her lip. Gold flecked through those delicious hazel eyes.

“I didn’t either,” Claude said, smirking. "How about we make a quick stop? Pick up a few things before having dinner.”

Leigh squeezed her legs together with unbridled enthusiasm, nodding like a bobblehead. They stopped at a local drug store for a few overnight supplies—toothbrushes, soap, skin cream, and a packet of granola bars for some snacks. Claude picked up some wine, as well, while Leigh hunted briefly for some overnight wear.

To the vampire's surprise, she also bought a rather fetching dress for their dinner date. She dazzled in a canary yellow wrap dress that she’d purchased for only ten bucks at a thrift store next to where he’d picked up a nightcap.

It hugged the contours of her frame deliciously. She dabbed on some makeup that she’d had in her purse, and they headed out to dine. Claude loved the way her hand had rested on his lap as they drove into the small town, gleams of city lights hovering like fireflies in the dim.

They went to a bar and pub-type establishment that served synthetic blood for Claude, as well as human food for Leigh. It was vampire-owned, but Claude wasn't sure if they were open to wolves. Not everyone could identify them, but he thought that the second anyone saw Leigh in her tight-fitted dress, her muscles rippling beneath the thin fabric, they would realize it in a second.

But when they arrived, no one made any remarks. Not even a snide look or comment.

The two took a seat out on the patio where torchlight burned and stars flooded over the velvet skyline. The air was cool and comfortable.

But most importantly, Leigh looked happy. That was really all the vampire needed.

“Leigh, I need to tell you something."

Leigh had ordered red wine with dinner while Claude was served synthetic blood in a similar-looking goblet. They had teased each other on the merits of wine versus blood drinking.

“Yes, Claude?”

Leigh's expression had dropped from the jovial carefreeness to somber and concerned. Claude leaned forward, grinning, stunned by her effortless beauty.

"No, no, it's nothing bad, I promise."

He reached across the table for her. His fingers looked long and ghostly white under the canopy of blazing starlight.

She reached back for him, entangling her warm fingers with his.

“Tell me," she said softly.

Claude's mouth ran dry, and for the first time in his incredibly long existence, he started to feel terror. It was as cold as he was, ice water surging through his veins and sinking into the ventricles of his heart.

But he said what he wanted to. He needed Leigh to hear the truth. She was far too vital to him. As vital as the synthetic blood he drank.

“I was foolish, Leigh. I'm sorry for everything I said to you back at Embraced. I was so concerned that my feelings for you were selfish. I thought that putting you before everyone else was going to harm my kind. But clearly, I was wrong."

Leigh nodded along, listening with all of her attention focused on him. He felt like trembling in the presence of it. He knew it was sacred and special.

She squeezed his hand tighter, and he went on, feeling his entire heart spilling out of his chest.

“I didn’t think that my feelings deserved to disrupt the natural order of things—my own perceived, selfish feelings. But holding Mai today made me realize that that problem doesn't exist at all. There are going to be a few who disagree, but all progress that has been made in history has been done with a few… roadblocks."

Leigh looked effervescent in the encroaching moonlight, her eyes as round as saucers, drinking in every word Claude was saying. He had never felt so seen in his entire life.

When she spoke, her timbre was whimsical and airy.

“I’m so glad you said that Claude, because I wanted to say something too.”

She leaned forward, still gripping his hand like a rider holding the reins of a horse. Claude was moved by the immensity of her smile.

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