Page 38 of To Kill a Vampire
He takes a single unsure step closer to me, a soft whine drifting from his tiny snout.
His white tail begins to wag just slightly, his head still dipping low, uncertain if he should trust the vampire before him. With his head still low, he scurries closer to me, his dark eyes flinching as my fingers run lightly over his soft hair.
A long tongue slips out, happily licking at my hand, his shoulders still hunched as if I might turn on him at any moment. Yet, he’s here anyway, trusting me when he isn’t sure he should.
“I’m really sorry, Luca.”
She blinks, staring at the floor for a moment.
“I guess, in the back of my mind, I didn’t think you’d do it even as you were doing it.” She breathes out a shaky laugh.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”
Declan’s words about fate twirl through my mind.If I hadn’t went into the Red Hills this never would have happened.
Or would it?
“Let’s go.”
It only takes a few minutes to realize how hard it is to trample through the forest in heels and a skirt. The grace I was just starting to get used to is nowhere to be seen. I trip over a log, skinning my knee against the rough bark before healing instantly. Only the clinging scuff of dirt blemishes my skin.
Luca helps me up, and we make it to the clearing in one piece.
The open space is the same area where Declan trained me so long ago. In the center is a small candlelit table, and Asher and Gabriel stand the moment I come tumbling out of the forest.
Gabriel laughs as I fight a vine for my shoe. They’re the only pair of heels I own.
When I turn, Asher’s there taking the shoe from me and slipping it on my foot, his palm warm against my ankle.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers as he stands, his hand running up my arm, sending a shiver across my skin.
I push my hair back from my face before telling him thank you.
He takes my hand and leads me to the table. Subtly I lean into him, clinging to the warmth he seems to radiate.
“I want you to know I’m not responsible for anything that happens tonight,” he says in a rush against my hair as he pulls out my chair. I throw him a weird look that he promptly ignores and takes a seat at my side.
“This looks perfect,” Luca says, a smile like I’ve never seen before fills her face as she looks at Gabriel.
A pang vibrates through my stomach as I realize he can’t see how happy he makes her. He’s always made her happy without even trying, and he can’t even see it.
“I made your favorite.” Gabriel lifts a silver covering from her plate, revealing what appears to be … fried sausage links.
My stomach turns at the sight of the greasy food, my lip curling slightly.
Whose favorite food is fried sausage?
Luca squeals with delight as she picks up the meat with her hands and begins digging in. Asher shoots me a queasy look, his lip curling before taking a long drink from his glass. I follow suit and take a drink as well. Looks like we’re going to need it tonight.
The drink fizzles over my tongue all the way to my stomach.
“What is this? It’s good,” I tell them before downing the rest of the sweet tingling drink.
“It’s champagne,” Asher says, his arm slipping around my shoulders, brushing his fingers back and forth along my arm.
His silver eyes sparkle, absorbing the clear light of the moon. His crisp, button down shirt reminds me of the shirt he wore on our wedding day.
