Page 41 of Eternally Yours

The ground felt cool between my toes and the wind swirled through my hair, hitting against my face as I ran full speed for the water. It was exhilarating to be outside during the first touches of night, flying through the forest faster than a normal person.

I reached the lake in seconds and undressed down to my birthday suit, dropping my clothes on the ground.

Cold shower and now a cold lake. If this didn’t extinguish my fire for Nic, nothing would.

I stepped into the water, but it wasn’t as cold as I’d expected. The chill was balming against the lingering heat from the day, and I wasted no more time before diving in.

As I surfaced, I slicked my wet hair back and wiped the water from my face. I stared at the looming full moon cradled in a sea of starlight, my eyes widening at the majesty of the night sky. So distant from civilization, the beauty here remained untouched by modern times. I blinked, my new eyesight refocusing, giving me the ability to see every detail of the world around me. Looking into the density of the forest, nothing could hide in the shadows—not from me.

A fox padded through the brush stalking a rabbit. Birds roosted in the trees, puffing their feathers as they nestled in for the night. Frogs croaked looking for a mate and fireflies twinkled over the water’s edge looking for a moist spot to lay their eggs.

Marveling at the well-choreographed sights and sounds of nature, my body tightened when I found a doe staring back at me across the lake. Something in its gaze made me shiver. Sentience. Like all prey, her instincts allowed her to sense danger, but it was more than that. She knew I was new here, and that soon I’d be joining the predators who prowled the shadows.

In the distance, an owl hooted, startling the doe and sending her running deeper into the forest. A touch of sadness settled over my heart. I knew she was running from me. How was this now my life? One minute I was Loren Stone, pediatric nurse and devoted daughter. The next, I was the creature other animals feared.

I let my body sink to the bottom of the lake, hoping my troubled thoughts would drown in its murky waters. As I sat on the rocky floor, I felt the weight of everything that had transpired briefly lift off me. As my last breath puffed out from my lungs and rose up through the water in hundreds of bubbles, I wondered how I’d survive this new life I was given. How I could go on knowing I’d never be able to see the sun again? Hang out at the beach or enjoy sunrise on a summer day. Or never be able to work in a hospital? Never see the joy in my patient’s eyes when they knew they were going home. Never be able to be around my father without fear of hurting him.

And never seeing Nic again.

That last thought slammed into me like a boulder. Why did it matter if we parted ways? Wasn’t that what I wanted? To be as far away as possible from the man who wanted nothing to do with me. Whose guilt had him anchored to me like a ball and chain. Whose very presence threatened to undo my dignity.

I’d told myself what I wanted from him was purely physical. It only existed because of some blood-induced lust triggered by the blood I’d taken from him. That the tether tying me to him was an illusion, some vampire voodoo conjured up to deceive me into thinking I wanted to be his mate. But then why couldn’t I let go of this sinking feeling in my gut at the sheer thought of separating from him?

The images from my dreams and from our time on the couch crashed through me like a churning vortex of pleasure and pain, forcing me to swim to the top as my body screamed for breath. Breaking the surface in a sharp exhale, I coughed before swimming back to the water’s edge.

And as if my thoughts had summoned him from thin air, Nic stood at the stony shoreline, arms crossed, jaw clenched, and eyebrows that seemed permanently stitched together.

“Enjoying yourself?” His voice was gruff, his tone a mix of calm and fury. “We agreed you wouldn’t go out into the woods alone.”

Slowly walking out of the water, my body dripping wet, I didn’t bother acknowledging his presence as I sauntered toward him, swaying my hips with a level of seduction I hadn’t intended. Or maybe I had. The chill in the air made my skin prickle and my nipples harden to pointy tips. My naked body was on full display for him and I didn’t even care anymore. Not like he hadn’t seen me partially naked already.

Oh God. The memory of how he’d swept his mouth across my chest earlier made me want to clench my thighs as I walked past him. I couldn’t help noticing his side glance. And the spark I saw ignite in his eyes as he took note of all my bare flesh didn’t help.

Jerk. I hated how a simple thought could fire up the furnace inside my belly.

“See something you like?” I teased, my gaze focused on my clothes laying on the ground, savoring the torture I was inflicting upon him as I bent down and gave him an eyeful of my naked ass. Because for some reason, I couldn’t stop this stupid game we both kept playing yet refused to finish. Because for some reason, I wanted him to want me as bad as I wanted him. Because for some reason, I yearned to know what it would be like for him to taste me as he fucked me.

And because for some reason, I knew I wouldn’t stop this game until I knew.

I heard his impatient growl behind me, and desire washed over me, making goosebumps traverse over my skin. It was amazing how the chill of the water hadn’t affected me this way, yet Nic could with a simple sound.

He passed me in two wide strides, his displeasure evident in the tightness of his muscles.

“Get dressed,” he gritted over his shoulder. “There’s a parcel of deer right across the lake in a small clearing. If we hurry, you might get your chance at one of the young does.”

What crawled up his ass?

I clutched my clothes, refusing to get dressed. He couldn’t just order me around. “You always such an asshole?” I asked.

That stopped him in his tracks. Turning around to face me, he said, “You always such a petulant child?” His gaze was hard, silently telling me his words were meant as a challenge.

I blinked and dropped my clothes. “Excuse me?”

Stepping closer, he smirked, but there was no humor in his expression. Every angle on his face was a sharp blade. “You heard me, Beastie. You always this bratty or you just like getting a rise out of me?”

I shrugged. “Youarequite amusing when you’re mad.”

A shadow of frustration darkened his features. “Put your clothes on,” he bit out every word through clenched teeth. “Now.”

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