Page 63 of Shut Up and Bite Me

“Shhh. It’s okay, baby. I’m right here,” he murmurs, his eyes red and wet with emotion. “I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Greyson carries us further into our room, turning around and sitting on the bed with me still wrapped around him. It is only in his arms that I am able to be weak, to be vulnerable and raw. Is that what love is? Finding strength in the embrace of another?

“I’ll give you guys some privacy,” Ava whispers before dismissing herself from the room, shutting the door behind her.

Our breathing syncs up, slowly calming down while we hold each other, just listening to the thump of our hearts.

“I was so scared…when I felt that poke in my neck as he bit you…I lost it.” I hold his stare through his glasses, the blues of his eyes brighter than ever. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to protect you.”

My gaze staggers to his chest, but he lifts it back up, wrapping his hand around the back of my head, threading his fingers into my messy hair. “Are you kidding me?”

“W-What?” I stutter.

“Vivian, you saved my life. Youdidprotect me. You got him off of me. You sucked the venom from my throat, even when it was killing you. You are the only reason I’m breathing right now.” His words are heated, burning with passion. “Fuck,Vivian. You are thereasonI breathe, the reason I exist.” He sucks in a breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his eyes softening with every word. “Vivian, I love you.”

My heart stops in my chest. “You do?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

He leans forward, his lips mere inches from mine. “You have no idea how much I love you. There isn’t a single thing in this world that I wouldn’t do for you. You became my life the moment you walked into it.”

All the air leaves my lungs, every beat of my heart pounding in my ears. Nothing

I lash out, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him forward, claiming his lips and kissing him deeply, sweeping my tongue into his mouth as I rock against him. Rolling my forehead against his, I murmur into his parted, panting lips, “I love you too.”

He grins from ear to ear as he pulls away, his cheeks turning a deep red. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me.”

“Forever?” I purse my lips, eyeing him playfully.

He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss against my forehead. “Forever.”

The thump of his heartbeat and the flow of blood racing through his veins fill my ears, sounds I never knew I could love so much.

His brows furrow as he asks, “About that…how does that work since, you know, I’m not a vampire?”

The fact that he wants to be with me for life means the world to me. “There is no pressure to give me forever. If you want to stay mortal and live your human life, I will happily take every year you have.”

His hands fall to my waist, his thumbs brushing back and forth. “And if I want to have forever with you?”

Sliding off his lap, I hold his stare. “Then there’s a way to do it.”

“Are you going to make me earn every word, or will you just tell me?” he asks, his gaze darkening as it drops to the opening of my pajama top.

“I mean, I like the idea of you earning the answer,” I chuckle. “I don’t want to freak you out.”

His head tips back as he cackles. “You know that sounds crazy, right? I unknowingly participated in an auction where vampires bid on me. I moved in with one and let her feed on me whenever she desired. I was attacked by a vampire, and one of my friends was nearly killed. I promise you, nothing could freak me out, Vivian.”

Swallowing hard, tears pool in my eyes at his words. “If you say so,” I tease, my nerves eating me alive. “It’s a ceremony calledVita et Mors. It would bind your soul to mine and link us eternally. Hypothetically, when we would merge our souls…you would become immortal.” I hesitate, worried that I’m going to scare him away. But he hasn’t run yet, and as I sense his feelings, all I find is…love and admiration with a hint of intrigue. “But there’s no going back once the ceremony is completed. No magical undo button. We would be tied to one another for eternity. Destined to live and die together.”

“How do we do it?” he asks casually, as if he is asking how to order takeout.

Resting my hands on his chest between us, I smile. “There’s no rush. We can do it anytime or never. The choice is completely up to you.”

He huffs, a cocky smirk lifting his lips.

“What?” I ask, my heart sinking.

His blue eyes burn into mine so intensely that I’m afraid I might burst into flames. “Viv, there is no doubt in my mind thatI want to spend it with you. Forever and a fucking day. I’m yours, always.”

He hands me his heart in his hands and seals his promise with a kiss.

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