Page 39 of Shift in the Blood
“Why? Because we had sex?” I felt like this must be a joke, that there was something I was missing.
“No.”
“How?”
“It’s only ever beat for you.” His words were quiet, but the weight of them fell around me.
“I don’t understand.”
He turned his head to look at me, his hand coming up to stroke my cheek. “When I met you, and you were hurt in front of me, I smelled your blood. It remains the sweetest scent I’ve ever smelled. Because it’s your blood. Your scent. And when I inhaled the coppery tang of your blood, I nearly fell over.”
“Why?”
“Immediately after managing to keep myself upright, although just barely, my heart thumped. Then it kept thumping, drumming along until it was completely in sync with yours.”
“Why?” I asked again.
“You are my soulmate. This only happens when a vampire meets the one he or she is destined to be with. You’re my person.”
“You’ve known this since the beginning?”
He nodded. “I couldn’t tell you. The whole thing—how we met, our patronage agreement—was crazy enough and then to add my beating heart into it?” Didier shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you until you wanted to hear it.”
“So what does this mean?”
“It means I’m yours. You are mine. Forever, if you want.”
“Forever?” I didn’t understand.
“I will be with you until the end of your life, or until the end of mine. Or, if you wish, we can be together forever. It’s completely up to you.”
“Oh, Didier.” I couldn’t speak anything other than his name. My eyes were blurry as I tried not to cry all over his chest.
“There’s no need to make a decision now. My heart is yours. It’s always been yours.” He kissed my hand. “Come back to bed with me. Sleep. I won’t let you go.”
I didn’t hesitate as I laid my head down on his chest once more. The beat of his heart thumped softly in my ear, filling my own heart, healing my soul.
“I love you.” He whispered in my ear. “I love you, Clara Manning.”
“I love you.” I snuggled closer.
I was home.
I was home.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Clara
“You’re sure?” Didier’s eyes were worried as he hovered over me.
“Stop being such a helicopter.” I stroked his cheek lightly. “I’m going to be fine.”
“If you’re not…” He didn’t finish his sentence.
I knew what he meant. He’d follow me. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He’d consulted all the vampire doctors he could find. There was one here now, probably twiddling his fingers and sneaking down to the cellar to snatch blood from the freezer. A waste of money, in my opinion. But it wasn’t about me, when it came to the worrying. At least not this time.
