Page 33 of Roaring Flames

I stare at him, unsure of what to say, unsure if words are even necessary, and he watches me with that cool intensity I’ve come to expect from him.

Slowly, giving me ample opportunity to pull away, his fingers travel up to my neck.

To the pendant he gave me for my birthday.

He tugs on it lightly, a strange expression crossing his features.

“Your heart is racing, Izzy. Are you…scared?” Disbelief is evident in his tone. Disbelief…and hurt.

His eyes shadow over, turning unreadable.

“You’re a vampire?” My voice is a breathy whisper. I’m not sure if he’s even able to hear it. It’s almost drowned out by the sound of the air conditioning unit kicking on overhead.

“I wanted to tell you for years.” He gently lowers the locket until it rests snugly between my breasts. There, his hand lingers, exacerbating the goose bumps that have sprouted on my arms. “But it wasn’t safe?—”

“I…I don’t know what to say.” I swallow around a sharp spike of bitter disappointment. “I’m so fucking sick of people keeping things from me and claiming it’s for my protection.”

“I know, baby, and I’m sorry.”

“How are you even here?” I demand, grasping my anger and holding tight. I’m afraid of what will happen if I let it go, if I give in to one of the dozen other emotions percolating inside of me. “Why did they take you away? What did youdo, Grayson? Why did you?—?”

Grayson cuts off my ramblings, but not with his words.

No, just like before, that night in the forest behind Hale and Gerry’s house, Grayson kisses me.

And my world explodes into fireworks.

Twelve

GRAYSON

This kiss is different from the last one we shared.

That one…

That one was fucking amazing.Shewas amazing. It was everything I never knew I wanted but now crave with the entirety of my being.

But this…

This is something else entirely.

I swear my soul claws its way out of my body in a desperate bid to merge itself with Izzy’s. I can feel her inside of me—her essence oozing through my veins, filling every part of me. Even without the necklace, I know I’d feel her heartbeat. Taste the sweetness of her desire mingled with the bitter flavor of her fear. Hear her shallow breaths as she pants against my mouth. Smell her desire.

I’m not just one person anymore. I’m me…but I’m also her.

Mate.

My mate.

My heart jackhammers in my chest as I deepen the kiss, tangling my tongue with hers.

I always knew Izzy was different, but never in my wildest fantasies did I expectthis.

Mates for vampires are immensely rare. So rare that most people think the bond is an urban legend. A myth.

Our Elders believe that all vampires have shifter blood in them—but the blood is diluted, having not been prevalent for generations. They claim that the first vampire was a product of two lone wolves mating. Their offspring became a creature that could only be satisfied by consuming blood.

I don’t know for sure if that’s true, but I do know that vampires used to experience a mating bond similar to the one shifters have with their Heart.

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