Page 77 of The Warlock's Kiss

Merrick was, too.

“Guys!” Danny sent a splash toward Merrick. “Knock it off! Let’s keep it family friendly!”

Smirking, Merrick halted his pursuit of Adalynn. That pause gave him enough time to ask himself a question more profound than he’d realized possible—was this what it was like to live a normal life alongside family and friends? He’d been younger than Adalynn when the last of his known blood kin had died, and he couldn’t recall any moments like this from before they were gone.

If he could’ve traded the thousand years he’d lived for the chance to have met Adalynn sooner, to have experiencedthissooner, to have lived one mortal lifetime in happiness with her, he would’ve done so without hesitation.

Realizing the fullness of his powers paled in comparison to this. He’d never known it, but Adalynn always would’ve been enough for him.

Chapter Fifteen

Adalynn lay against Merrick’s side with her eyes closed. Night had fallen a couple hours ago, Danny—who’d been yawning almost uncontrollably—had put himself to bed, and there was a warm, cozy fire crackling in the fireplace. The sofa she and Merrick were relaxing upon wasn’t the most comfortable seat in the house, but she wouldn’t have moved for anything. His arm was around her, strong and secure, and his soothing scent enveloped her. This was exactly where she wanted to be.

Today had been a good day. Today had been the best day Adalynn could ever have asked for.

She took in a deep breath, took in Merrick’s aroma, and released it slowly as she curled up against him.

“I never realized how empty this house felt before you and your brother came,” Merrick said, his voice deep but soft.

Adalynn opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look up at his face. He was staring into the fire, his eyes glowing a faint blue.

“You’ve reintroduced me to beingalive,” he continued, his words growing heavy with solemnity. “You’ve shown me that the Sundering wasn’t the end of the world. It was a new beginning.”

“Were things really that bad for you before all this?”

He turned his face toward her and offered a sad, understated smile. He shook his head slightly. “I didn’t think so. In hindsight, it wasn’tbad…justlonely. I never realized how much so before you. Mortals lived and died around me and I simply lingered. Even if I trusted them, what point was there to building relationships? What questions would I have had to answer as they grew old and I remained the same? Now I know what I’ve missed all this time…but I don’t think anyone other than you could’ve shown it to me.”

The sorrow in his tone washed through her, and she lowered her eyes before he could catch sight of it in them. What was she doing? She was being so…selfish. It was stupid to believe she could embrace these moments with Merrick while keeping everything between them purely physical, stupid to believe that no deeper, stronger connection would be forged between them.

She wasdying. She knew it, Merrick knew it—even if he refused to accept it—and it was just so…

Unfair.

Adalynn couldn’t regret their time together, couldn’t view it as wrong, no matter how selfish she thought she was being. Everything about Merrick feltright. But he…he would live on.Hewould have to carry the burden of grief and loss. Forever.

It felt like a knife twisting in her heart when she thought of what she was doing to Merrick and Danny. Every day, she made new memories with them, happy memories. But at the same time, it felt like she was just deepening the eventual wounds they would suffer.

What if…what if I left? Before it’s too late. Before he comes to…love me.

Could she leave? Her very soul screamedno. But to force them to watch her suffer when her next attack came on, to force them to watch her die? To force them watch her…changeinto one of those things knowing they’d have to kill her?

The thought made her sick.

She couldn’t let that happen. She didn’t want Danny and Merrick’s last memory of her to be of an undead monstrosity that was ravenous for their blood. Seeing her parents that way had already been too much.

I can’t stay.

It was a depressing, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking thought.

Merrick’s fingers squeezed Adalynn’s upper arm, calling her back into the moment.

“What’s wrong, Adalynn?” he asked. “I can sense your unease.”

Adalynn held him just a little tighter, rubbed her cheek against his chest, and shook her head. “Nothing. Tell me about your past.”

“I shouldn’t let you dodge my question that easily.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

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