Page 12 of Embers in the Wind

“Destiny,” he scoffs. “She has done quite enough meddling of late.”

My hands find my hips, purely out of habit. “We are getting ready and are going to venture out and find out what’s going on. I can’t possibly sit inside this place knowing gramma is out there somewhere. Besides, look at these clothes.”

He gives them a once over but does not seem impressed in the slightest, shrugging his shoulders at the colorful assortment of organized mess.

“The only reason clothes would wind up in my closet is if she wanted me to put them to good use. And she brought me my clothes. Don’t you see, it’s a subliminal message that I’m supposed to find myself again. Not change anything, just find the real me. I wasn’t dreaming.”

The vampire is far less enthused than I, not that I blame him. But it’s not like I’m asking the cranky grump to stay. I point to the door. “You don’t have to stay. You know the saying. If you want to go, don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”

My heart almost leaps out of my chest when he flies across the room, hovering right in my face, causing me to take a few steps back and lean into the coolness of the wall behind me unsure of what to think. “Don’t do that! You scared the bejesus out of me, vampire.”

Corvinus leans down, invading every bit of my personal space, twisting a long strand of hair that has fallen over my face before whispering in my ear. “You and I are going to come to a very clear understanding of just what I’m willing to put up with, and what I most definitely will not tolerate. Do I make myself clear?”

The big arrogant bully thinks he can intimidate me with his size, but it’s not like other larger vampires haven’t tried, and some of them with long-ass scary swords.

“I’m not scared of you…” I whisper, having difficulty getting the words past the lump forming in the back of my throat.

His voice is gravelly and sends shivers of the unknown slinking down my spine as his warm breath brushes my ear. “Then clearly your gramma has not taught you well. I have far better things to do than to go tramping around in the forest, the same forest I might add, that is split right down the middle in terms of alliances to the vampires and witches.”

“It’s been that way forever. It’s certainly not my fault.”

His breath caresses the sensitive shell of my ear. One or two more inches and his mouth will be right over that sensitive and throbbing spot on the side of my neck. That pulse that beats with a desire to have him plunge his fangs into its delicate flesh, taking what he wants while ravaging me to death.

My body may be in a frenzy of unreleased turmoil. The dark-hearted vampire could take me right here, right now. I don’t want or need a relationship, but him, he is sex on a stick and I want to lick every ounce of this mouthwatering treat.

But he raises his head. The passion may be flaring in his eyes, but instead of taking what I would so eagerly give right now, and releasing me from worry, stress and fear all at the same time, he puts just a few inches of distance between the two of us.

“Both sides of which we now seem to be. My enemies will now be your friends, my friends will now be your enemies if they are to learn the secret you’ve just told.”

I sigh heavily, my heart heavy with sadness as what he says resonates in my mind and then my very soul. I love being a vampire with all of my dark-hearted soul. It’s given me a peace and calm that before turning I never thought would come. It wasn’t my intent to bring strife.

And walking in the transition ceremony was one of the best days of my life. But they are the same vampires who whispered in the streets, in the woods and in the skies calling me a traitor. I don’t do tears, but yet one falls from my eye.The vampires cast me away, as though I never meant one damn thing.

His finger lifts my chin. “You mean a lot to many people, or they would not have sent me to find you.”

I feel like I’m choking with emotion. “You heard me again?”

His dark black eyes seem to soften. “You already knew, Embry. You doubted it was real? Just a figment of your imagination? We can connect. It’s not unusual for vampires to be able to communicate in this way, it’s just unusual for me. I fear destiny is up to her little games, but we have no time to deal with her today.”

“I’ve always been able to connect with some of my vampire friends, and well, Lucas, but never really outside of my friend group.”

He nods. “It’s new to me as well.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused, but in my heart, I know I was meant to go on this self-reflective journey, to find me again. I used to be a good person, a fun person, and I was never a traitor like they say.”

His finger tips my chin again, and my heart beats so hard I think it’s going to come out of my chest. “I believe you. Now let’s go and explore this Mystic Forest and see if you can learn something that will allow you to return home. I’m growing weary of this game.”

“I’m not going home, vampire.”

“We’ll see, Embry.”

Chapter 11

Corvinus

If she was in a rush to leave, all thought of that went out the door as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Annoyed with myself for this feeling, I watch the minutes of the clock on the kitchen stove tick away. A quick glance at my phone tells me it may as well be dead for all the good it will do me in the cavern, or many places in the Mystic Forest to be honest.

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