Page 54 of Letters to the Lost

“Put those down to cool, then come here.”

“So?” she asks, the cookies cooling on the worktop behind her as she approaches me.

“Don’t be mad but I couldn’t help myself.”

“What did you do?”

“This,” I say, unwrapping the film from my wrist and exposing the freshly done tattoo that now is permanently on my skin.

“You got my bite mark tattooed on you?”

“Yup. You also have a slightly pissed-off boyfriend.”

“Who? You? Because I said I was sorry for biting you.”

“No, you idiot. Dominic. He’s upset that he doesn’t have one, the others don’t know yet,” I inform her, laughing.

“Oh.”

“Are you mad?” I ask.

“No, just confused. I thought you were mad when you rushed out.”

“Not mad Sunshine. I didn’t want the mark to disappear, and I had to rush to Dominic’s place before it faded.”

“I can’t believe you have my bite mark on your wrist,” she laughs, grabbing my wrist just above the ink, twisting and turning it as she stares at it.

“I wanted to be marked by you. This tells people I’m taken.”

“Or that you are a massive fan ofTwilight,” she laughs.

“Brat,” I laugh, pulling her into my chest, dipping my head, I kiss her hard and fast.

“Come on. Cookies should be cool by now.” She pulls away, a bright smile on her face as we walk towards the cookies that look and smell mouthwatering.

Chapter 22

Autumn

“Are you free?” Zander asks as he knocks his knuckles against the doorframe.

Nanook pops his head up, his nap disturbed by the man in front of me, his tail begins to thump happily against the mattress.

“I am, what’s up?” I ask, placing my e-reader down to the side as I take in Zander’s serious face.

He steps into the room, making his way over to the bed and stroking Nanook’s head lovingly as he takes a seat on the edge.

“I wanted to see if you would be up for trying to learn some self-defense,” he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, a light blush staining his cheeks.

“Really?!” I exclaim, unable to hide my excitement.

The feeling of being watched has grown over the last few weeks, the hair on the back of my neck prickling as if someone is following my every move whenever I leave the house.

I want to learn to fight and to defend myself. To never feel weak again.

To never allow someone to make me feel small, to take any power I felt away from me.

I want to be strong.

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