Page 43 of To Save a Vampire
The wordphysicallyis branded in my mind. Physically Micah was human… He appeared human. But he wasn’t. Not entirely.
“We failed their mother so much, we had to try something different with them. It broke our hearts but we found a couple in the neighboring village that had lost three babies in one year. If they filed for another birthing permit and lost another pregnancy, they wouldn’t be given another chance.” Shae braces her hands tightly against the edge of the counter, her eyes fixed on the now empty sink. “So they happily took Micah in. We didn’t tell them what his father was; God knows they wouldn’t have accepted him. But Micah was practically human, that sweet boy didn’t have an evil bone in his body.”
My gaze drifts over my shoulder to Asher. His dark hair hangs low, shadowing his eyes as he looks at the gray tile floor. His previously confident stature is nowhere to be found, and I want nothing more than to hold him. To erase the pain that’s etched into his perfect face.
“We kept Asher. We raised him the best we could, considering our differences,” she says, her voice filled with a mixture of pride and pain. “He’s the best thing that ever came out of a bad situation. He’s a good man.” Shae looks me in the eye.
I brush my hand over hers. Her frail hand is cold despite the thick sweater she’s wearing. I want to hug her. She’s had such a long, hard life. She could have chosen differently. If given a second chance would she have chosen the easy road in her youth?
Asher clears his throat, making Shae jump. Her hand still rests under mine, against the sink. We both turn toward Asher. He stands with his hands in his pocket, a big smile on his lips like he didn’t hear our conversation at all.
I guess I’m not the only eavesdropper here tonight.
“Got a surprise for you in the living room,” he says, nodding his head toward the adjoining room.
Shae gives him a wide grin like she’s already received a perfect gift.
Maybe she has.
Fourteen
Where Fate Led
After everyone settlesinto the small living room, Jim pulls the instrument out from beside his creaking chair. The instrument is dirty with mud, and sand stains the glossy surface, but it’s intact.
Shae gasps at the sight of wood and strings. Asher’s face breaks into a wide, triumphant grin. Dimples I rarely ever see crease his smile.
“He found your guitar? I haven’t seen this in years,” Shae says settling in on the floor next to Jim’s feet. “Do you remember how to play?” she asks, a ramble of excited words spilling out of her mouth.
“You can’t be any worse than you were when I was a kid,” Asher tells him with a laugh, gaining himself a glare from Jim.
Jim shrugs, looking from Asher to Shae before settling back in the chair and placing the guitar on his lap. His fingers trail silently down the strings, but he doesn’t touch them.
My fingers twitch with the memory of holding the instrument in my hands, the melody already strumming within me. The memory of Asher’s hands on me. My face flames at the thought and I look up to find Asher smirking down at me, probably reading my thoughts that are written in red all over my face.
Jim’s fingers fumble over a few strings, a faint resemblance of music hidden under misplaced chords. He’s patient with his faults in the way only an elderly man can be. Asher’s eyes never leave his grandfather and neither do Shae’s.
I’m here. I’m present in this moment. Finally. I feel the love and emotion filling this room as memories and laughter pass between us. And I’m a part of it. In a strange way, I fit here. I’ve never felt that before.
Within minutes, a song is strummed under confident but worn hands. Shae hums softly to the music. Jim’s eyes drift from his steady fingers to Shae. An adoring look passes between them.
The slow melody ties together and fills my body. I sway lightly on my feet until I’m pulled into Asher’s side. His hard body halts the trance I found in the music. He moves to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, holding me against his chest. His head tilts down and leans against mine.
A warm feeling spreads over me. A safe but frantic feeling buzzes through my body. I’ve never felt like this before. No one has ever held me like this before. No one has ever looked at me the way Asher is looking down at me right now, his lids lowered and his gaze searching mine, searching for something deeper than the surface. His hands trail down my arms lightly. A tingle breaks out over my skin at this touch. His hands slip easily into mine at my sides. His thumb brushes back and forth against my knuckles, in time with the music.
He pulls me with him as he walks backward slowly. The two of us slip quietly from the room, the melody following us up the stairs.
Ripper has taken notice of our little getaway and prances at my feet. He seems eager to get outside. As soon as Asher opens the refrigerator door, the dog shoots off like a shadow in the night. I’m not worried about him. Not here. Everything is so peaceful here, not even my thoughts are threatening anymore.
Asher leads me through the decaying house. I pause when he turns to walk up the stairs, his hand resting on the broken railing.
“You’re sure we should be walking around up here?” I ask, glancing at multiple broken boards on the stairs.
He leans toward me, lowering his eyes to mine. The moonlight reflects in his gray eyes. His body is so close to mine I can feel his warmth through my thin shirt.
“I’d never let anything happen to you,” he says in a whisper, his forehead leaning against mine.
I close my eyes and breathe him in. His clean scent fills me, and I’m reminded how different we both are here. How much we’ve both changed since that first day I sat across from him at the compound. How much I truly do trust him. He’s not the pike, and I’m not that glaring girl who’s unsure if she hates him or not.
