Page 21 of Watch Me Burn

I glance over at her. She’s sitting next to me, her hands tucked in her lap, a defiant expression on her face. It’s as though she expects me to immediately refuse, and while that is my first instinct—just because I’m getting kicked out, doesn’t mean she has to leave her home for a woman she’s only known for six months out ofseventy-twoyears—I keep my trap closed for a moment as I take in her body language.

Her expression is defiant. The hands in her lap tells me she’s nervous.

What’s going on here?

Celeste clears her throat. “I’ll leave you two to discuss matters. Between Thorn and I, we’ll arrange it so that you’ll both be welcome in the sanctuary city. When you’re done, feel free to join us in his office so we can pass on the details to you both.”

It seems as though the head witch thinks that I’ll take Elise up on her offer to join me. That’s interesting.

I wait for her to stride out of the cell. It’s annoying that Jasper closes the cell door after she goes, but since the blond vampire disappears out of sight after he does, I figure this is only another temporary imprisonment. Once we’re done here, he’ll let me out and I’ll be halfway on my way to freaking Alaska.

Alaska.

I turn to Elise. “You don’t have to go.”

“I want to.”

A lump lodges in my throat. “Elise. You’ve already done so much for me. It’s fine. The last thing I want is for you to get mixed up in this mess because of me.”

What if the witch hunters do come after me? I don’t want to see Aunt Maureen hurt, but I feel the same about Elise.

I don’t wantanyonegetting caught in the crosshairs all because of what I am…

“Bridge—”

“I mean it. You should stay here. And who knows? They’ve gotta have cell service up there. Or… or internet. We can keep in touch?—”

She worries her bottom lip with her fang while I bubble before blurting out, “I requested sanctuary, too.”

What?

“You did? Why?”

Elise exhales. “It’s Peter.”

My hands fist at my side. “What about him?”

“Same old story, I’m afraid. Remember how I had to end our arrangement because of Delilah?”

I remember that she explained to me how Peter started seeing another woman while they had an exclusive ‘arrangement’. All along, I thought it meant that he started sleeping around when Elise wanted a monogamous relationship with him. And maybe that’s true, since she did admit that feeding is usually a precursor to sex, but now that I know she’s a vampire, there’s got to be more to it.

There is.

“Delilah is another vampire. In order for our kind to create a mate bond with our beloveds, there must be a blood exchange. I take a male’s blood inside of me. If I want to pledge myself to him for the rest of my nearly immortal existence, I give him mine. We mate?—”

“Fuck?” I ask, just making sure I’m on the same page.

She nods. “Yes. We had intercourse, and then an unbreakable, supernatural bond is created between us. Peter wants that bond with me. He’s given me his blood enough that he feels like he’s owed my affection. There was a time, too, when I thought he might be a worthy enough forever mate. But when I wouldn’t give him my fang, showing all of Clarity I consideredhim to bemine, he accepted Delilah’s. He was trying to make me jealous.”

I knew that part. “Yeah, and all he did was make it so that you dumped his sorry ass.”

“I had to. He wore another vampire’s fang on a gold chain around his neck. In our world, that’s like getting her name tattooed to his forehead for all of the Fang City to see.”

I wince. “Ouch. It’s that blatant?”

She nods. “There was no way I could accept him as my beloved again after that. My donor, either. But he refuses to accept that even now. He’s convinced himself that he’s my beloved, no matter how often or how firmly he’s forced me to reject him. He won’t stop, Bridge. I thought he would, and I kept it to myself because I know how you feel about him, but Peter… he’s ambushed my last three dinner dates. At this rate, I won’t have any willing donors left in Clarity. So why should I even stay? And if I can help you, too… I’m going. Please don’t try to stop me.”

How could I? When she just told me how Peter keeps fucking with her even after she told him to leave her the hell alone?

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