Page 99 of Marked By the Pack
“Right.”
Right.I bit the inside of my lip. “So we just don’t know.”
He nodded. “But that’s something you want?”
“I never really thought much about it. I was so focused on finding you again. But now that we found our way back to each other? Yeah. I want us to have a family.”
“I don’t know what a combination of us would mean,” Callum said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
I knew that would be his concern. It was the same reason he wouldn’t change me. But maybe that would fix everything. “So you could change me.”
“Emma…”
“Or you could change back.”
“Well, that’s one thing I know isn’t possible.”
“Zoey and I were talking and she said she knows someone who may have information on a cure…”
“Who? Otto? He’s probably trying to kill me.”
I laughed. “No, just some friend.” What Zoey did at night wasn’t something she wanted everyone to know about. “I don’t know if she’s talked to him yet. But maybe he’ll know something. Maybe…”
“Emma, what do you think I’ve been doing for the past 200 years? There is no cure. If there was, I would have found it already.”
“But…”
“There’s a reason why I crossed paths with Otto and his friends ten years ago. We were both looking for a solution to our problems. The only difference is, I’m older than them. And I already know there is no cure. For me or for them. If there was, I would have found it.”
“Well, where have you looked? There are so many…”
“Every continent. Every country. I’ve been all over the world searching, Emma. There is no cure. And no one else like me.”
“How is that possible? In just this one town, there’s a vampire and werecats.”
“I think we were both drawn here. I wanted to protect the town from them. And they wanted to protect the town from me. If there were more of us…I think they’d be here too. Someone would have found me.”
“But someone changed you.”
“Almost 300 years ago now. It’s just me, Emma. And I can’t change back. Even if I could…I wouldn’t know what that meant. My body shouldn’t be alive anymore. It might just kill me. Which was fine when I was searching years ago. I didn’t have anything left to live for until I met you.”
“Then I’ll change…”
“No.” His fingers tightened on my waist. “You’re going to live a long, full life. A human life.”
“And what about you?”
“I’ll figure out a way to end my life when yours ends.”
Was he trying to break my heart? I felt my tears slide down my cheeks. “Callum, you can’t…”
“I won’t be able to keep living without you. I couldn’t possibly. Emma.” He reached up and brushed my tears away with his thumbs.
“You’re talking like you’ve already decided all this. And I’m not agreeing to any of it. I need to talk to Zoey. To see if she’s talked to her friend yet. If you won’t change me, I’m not giving up on a cure.”
“And I’m not going to let you waste away your whole life looking for a cure that doesn’t exist.”
We were at a stalemate.Again.Callum wouldn’t change me into a vampire. And he didn’t want me to go chasing after a pipe dream of changing him back into a human.
