Page 86 of Hot Blooded
I lower my gaze. “I’m sorry.”
He lifts my chin with two fingers, forcing me to meet his eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He clears his throat. “In fact, I’m the one who should apologize.” Alastair stands suddenly and begins pacing the room. “I came here to try and mend some bridges. To see if I could talk you into coming back to my idiot brother. And now…” He shakes his head, almost in disbelief.
“And now what?” I ask, genuinely curious.
His blue eyes meet mine, and I’m struck, not for the first time at what a brilliant shade of blue they are.
“And now, I’m half tempted to say fuck Reign and keep you all to myself.” His normally playful tone is gone. His expression is serious, as is his posture. Alastair is being serious. Huh.
“But…” I begin, and then snap my mouth closed, because what does one say to that? Fuck Reign? Could I ever really be anyone else’s? The offer is kind, almost too kind.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he says with a tone of finality.
Alastair crosses the room again, back to where I’m still sitting on the worn second-hand sofa and he sinks to his knees in front of me. I’m still slightly dizzy, slightly disoriented from him feeding from me. That has to be it. I’m imagining things. He takes my hands in his and pleads at me with an earnest expression—a more somber look than I’ve possibly ever seen from him.
“Tressa.” He says my name like a prayer, and I want to weep at how sad he looks. He touches my face, stroking my cheek with his knuckles. “Think of it. We could be together. Me and you. You could come back with me, right now. Today. Forget my brother. I could make you happy.”
His look is so tender that for a moment, I’m speechless. My heart is still pumping like crazy and I seem uncapable of gathering my thoughts.
Alastair continues. He places another sweet, chaste kiss to my mouth and strokes his thumb over the spot where he bit my neck moments ago. “Tressa, say something,” he begs.
“And you would turn me?”
“Of course. If that’s what you wanted.”
I blink up at him, stunned that I’m actually considering this. Am I considering this? It’s what I wanted, right?
“Right now?”
His brows push together, and he strokes my cheek again. “Not right now. Some preparations would need to be made. I would want to make the process as painless and easy on you as possible. But soon, yes.”
My throat feels tight with emotion. It’s all I’ve wanted—to be turned, but it was because I wanted to be with Reign. But now, with this new option? I don’t know anymore. Things have gotten so confusing.
“You need to think it over, I understand,” Alastair says finally, seeming to sense my inner turmoil.
“Yes,” I say simply.
I have a lot to think about.
“Pack your bags. You can stay with me while you’re thinking,” Alastair says.
“Won’t that piss Reign off?”
Alastair grins, wickedly. “Oh, absolutely.”
Chapter 45
Tressa
I had packed my bags, penned a quick note to Connor telling him we’re over (which I slipped under his door), and texted my sister to tell her I’m going on a vacation to unwind. Then I had hopped in Alastair’s car and drove off with him.
What the actual fuck am I doing? I don’t want to be with Alastair. I could never do that to Reign. And for some odd reason, I don’t think he means it either. But he does mean to change me. That much I’m sure of. He’s gone so far as to begin preparations when we arrived back at his own mansion just down the street from Reign’s.
Being back here though… that part feels right. Even if I wish I was in Reigns’ arms.
Alastair carries out a tray of food to the patio where we sit and eat. While I eat, he watches me, amusement dancing on his face.
“Is it good?” he asks as I pop a bite of steak into my mouth.
