Page 50 of Red

“Yes. This time I’m certain.”

“Good!” She grins at me.

“My love,” I start, gently, “you were badly hurt. You wouldn’t have made it… I couldn’t let you go.”

I wait for her to connect the dots. When she does, her pupils dilate and she touches the mark on the side of her throat. “Oh!”

“This may not be what you wanted. But to watch you die and do nothing, I wasn’t strong enough to endure. Julia, you’re my entire world. I can’t even imagine my life without you.”

“I feel the same for you,” she tells me. “And this is exactly what I wanted. Alex, I’m yours.”

I’m convinced she was gone. If she didn’t feel this way, she wouldn’t have returned to me. All the doubts I ever had about her feelings are long gone. But hearing her utter these words…

Fuck.

This made my entire existence worth it.

“Say it again.”

“I’m yours,” she whispers with a coquettish smile playing on her lips.

“Again.”

She giggles, her hands running through the fur on my head. “Kiss me.”

I do, losing myself in her completely. “I’m yours.” I breathe heavily, looking into her eyes.

“Damn right you are!”

I place my palms on either side of her face, and we kiss again as I ravish her mouth.

Julia breaks it off too soon for my liking. “Um, I feel disgusting. Do you think we can go back to the cottage?”

“No, it’s too risky. Although I doubt it, he might have called for backup. We can rest in the lair I’ve stayed at. It’s right by the lake so we can wash off there.”

She nods. And despite her objections about me being injured, I carry her to the spot that’s become my shelter for the past weeks.

Meanwhile, I have an entire conversation with Edwin, who’s been trying to get through to me this whole time. So I quickly bring him up to speed, and he decides to stay close until I get my strength back since he’s already on his way.

I put Julia down on the small beach before I undress her. She shivers as soon as the air hits her body, getting goosebumps all over her skin. It’s the middle of the night in October, a time I realize can’t be the most comfortable for her to bathe in the lake. But her clothes are soaked in blood, and so is her hair. Not to even mention I have Dean’s guts splashed over myself.

I go in first and dunk down, trying to get rid of the vampire stink and cleaning my wounds.

“Uh, it’s fucking freezing!” Julia complains immediately after only dipping her toes.

“Come here.” I smile from the distance. “I’ll keep you warm.”

With many high-pitched squeals and cuss words, she swims to me. I then take her into my arms, knowing my body heat will raise up the temperature of the water surrounding us soon.

She clings to me, circling her legs around my waist and arms around my neck. As I hold her tightly, she bends backwards to submerge her hair. I help her get rid of all the gunk.

“Silly, little human, putting herself at risk so recklessly.” I still can’t believe she did that.

“Hey, I saved your ass!”

“Yes, you did.”She died for me.

Her nipples are as hard as little rocks, and I can’t help but lick. I bury my snout between her breasts, loving how soft they are.