Page 64 of Night Wedding
I loved her.
The drumbeat of her heart slowed.
More shouts. “It’s too much!” “Stop him!”
Arms attempted to pull me away, but I braced myself on top of her. Not now, not when I was so close.
I held on to our connection, refusing to pull away. A memory took form, a happy one in a bookstore. I was nervous, about to propose, and could barely sit still. I gave her a book where I hid the ring. She said yes.
It was the happiest moment I could remember. We were in love, we were happy. We celebrated with friends. Their faces remained fuzzy while hers sharpened with vivid detail to match the one of the woman in my arms.
Her name… her name was…
Nova.
Yes, I remembered it now. The moment that broke through, all sorts of memories dislodged from some hidden recess in the back of my mind. They rushed to the forefront, as if barreling in with a tidal wave, and I came out of the mind fog like waking from the strangest dream.
The scents of others sharpened. Sebastian, Lucas, Gianna, and Zoe. Those were the voices shouting at me. They shouted even louder now, yanked harder.
Sudden awareness what I’d done to Nova slammed into me, and I pulled my fangs from her throat. Her body remained heavy against my arms. Limp.
I blinked through the haze, focusing on her silhouette until the vision of her sharpened. She was limp, her eyes closed.
Gianna screamed and slapped me across the face. “You monster!”
Sebastian and Lucas dragged me away from Nova.
“Nova!” I shouted, trying to escape their hold.
Gianna bent over her. “Wake up, Nova. Wake up.” Her frantic tone shook me to the core. Gianna straightened upright and shouted, “Somebody help her!”
“Let me go to her!” I said.
“No way, dude,” Lucas said.
“You need to calm down,” Sebastian added.
“You did this!” Gianna glared at me with accusation burning in her eyes and pointed at my chest.
No. My heart lurched. How could I have done this to Nova? The unmistakable taste of her blood lingered on my tongue like a guilty plea.
Shit. I pressed my finger to my lips.
“You goddamn monster. What were you trying to do?” Gianna asked with a dismissive wave. “Drain her dry?”
“No, of course not. I’d never hurt her. Never.” I searched around the room, seeking answers. People were rushing to leave, both vamps and humans. What the hell was going on? Why was I here?
Desperate, I turned to Sebastian and then Lucas. “What should I do?” I attempted to raise my wrist to my fangs, but they held me like two gargoyle statues with an iron grip. “I can give her blood.”
“Don’t you dare turn her without her consent,” Gianna shouted. “If you even attempt it, I’ll take you to the beach at high noon and watch you sizzle down to ashes!”
Right, right, I couldn’t turn Nova. But what could I do?
Sebastian said, “Let’s all stay calm, Gianna. We all want what’s best for Nova.”
“No, you stay calm!” She snapped.
“Cassandra went to get an infusion,” Lucas said.
