Page 109 of Gift from the Nexus

“And you don’t believe I am as well? I’ve been a prisoner here for longer than you have even been alive. Now, instead of being able to live in peace at least some of the time, I must babysit a fragile girl.”

“Fragile girl? Are you serious?” she says in a lower, calmer voice. One I instantly can sense is hurt. “Do not belittle mytwo hundred years because from where I’m standing, your thousand has taught you nothing. I’m a grown woman who was kidnapped from her home and brought here against her will. Then forced to live with an ungrateful, detached brute who cares nothing for anyone or anything but himself.”

She walks away rather than standing there facing him any longer and I follow her to make sure she’s okay even though there’s absolutely nothing I can do for her. I watch in recognizable hurt as she pulls on her mask, silently screaming into the room before she starts up a feverish pace. She’s trying to fight off the panic, the anger, the pain.

Then she makes a crazy, emotion-driven decision.

She breaks a rule.

Shoving the window in her bedroom open quietly, she sneaks out and begins running the moment her feet touch the ground. It’s almost as if she senses the second she leaves his perimeter because her feet screech to a halt as she takes deep breaths, whirling around, scanning the darkness.

“It’s unlike the Lord to allow his pet out to play. Mysterious mask and all. What a treat,” a deep, sultry voice says from her right and she whips around, a shriek escaping her. Fast as lightning, he’s on her, pinning her to a tree, covering her mouth with his hand.

“Now, now, none of that. The others are already aware of you, and I’d like a little alone time before I must share,” he says, not giving her even a breath’s notice before sinking his fangs into her neck.

Her screams are piercing as she attempts to fight him off, but it’s useless. I see the energy draining from her. Unlike what I experienced, though, I know he isn’t forcing pain through her veins but pleasure. Her silent tears and begging of no tell me all I need to know.

Suddenly, the vampire’s jaw is ripped clean from his body, and he staggers back, bellowing in agony. Standing protectively and royally pissed off in front of her, Keeper clutches the torn half of the vampire’s face, breathing heavily as he glares at the crowd beginning to gather.

“This will be the only warning you receive. Leave now or die.”

Stupidly or maybe just blood crazed, his warning goes ignored.

And a slaughter ensues from there.

Faster than the sound of their screams can travel, Keeper tears through them like scissors cutting through paper. In a matter of seconds, headless bodies pile up and the silence of the forest is eerie. The only sound to be heard is the two of them panting.

“Keep—”

He has her over his shoulder, speeding back to the front of his house in mere milliseconds. Placing her on her feet, he crowds her into the door and uses his dagger-like nails to rip her mask right at her lips.

“You left me.” He growls.

His eyes are bleeding red. Either from the need to feed or from the adrenaline of what just happened, he’s preparing to devour her. In more ways than one.

“You don’t want me here,” she whispers.

“Incorrect. I don’t want something to happen to you. There’s a difference. To be close to me is a death sentence. I can’t allow that to happen to you.”

“So what? I’m just supposed to live out the rest of my life here as a guest kept at arm’s length?” she says tearfully.

“You are not a guest. When it is safe, you will be free again. For now, you are mine.”

Her gasp is cut off as he seals his lips to hers, devouring the sounds in the back of her throat. It isn’t long before he damn near tears the door down to get them inside.

And thank fuck, for the first time since the sight has emerged, it listens to my pleas not to have me watch what I know good and well is going on in there.

It spares me from watching every time this happens, which as the days pass by, is often. When there isn’t much else to do in a scary-ass forest, they’ve found a much more desirable way to spend their time.

“Where are you going?” she asks as time for me slows down again.

He’s yet to use her name and she’s yet to give it up. There’s a lingering knowledge between the two of them that this is all temporary. It’s honestly sad to watch because I’m firsthand witnessing two people fall in love but fight it tooth and nail.

“I’ve been summoned. Stay in while I’m gone, please.”

At her nod, he leaves, zooming through the forest, and my ghostly form follows right along with him until we stop feet in front of the Summum-Master.

“Keeper, you look well.”

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