Page 17 of His True Beloved

“You got my number.” He sighed. Turning, I didn’t look back. I didn’t have time to deal with him. I was older, watched so many mates come together in my time, and needed her. We needed our hearts to beat in sync with one another.

Patience.I don’t have any. I’ve waited too long.

The sun had set, the much smaller moon of Earth rising above the tree line. Lamp posts came to life while I walked on the path to her home.

The lights were off in the house, but the television flickers of light radiated through the window. Looking inside, I see the other humans watching a movie and eating. Christine sat on the stool in the kitchen, eating something from a flat box. My eyes narrowed, watching a taller human male come up behind her with a beer bottle in his hand. Gripping the windowpane with my hands, I watched as he put his arm around her shoulder while she threw her head back and laughed.

The pane cracked, causing splinters to rise through the window. The television was too loud for them to notice me staring inside and the fury building in my gut. This human was touching something that wasn’t his, and all I could imagine was watching his beating heart ripped from his chest as I stomped on it until it squashed beneath my toes.

He pulled away when she stood. Shaking her head, she smiled, thanking him for the food. Her body turned straight toward the window. Ducking away in time, I watched like the stalker I had become. She climbed the stairs. Her back now to me, my heart hitting the drums in my ears how loudly it sounded.

Can she feel it?

I needed her to turn around so I could know that she felt this same bond that so powerfully affected me. That was my biggest problem. I didn’t know how much she could feel. Was her heart hardened so much being whisked away here by her mother and stepfather that she wouldn’t give me the time of day? Or would she fall? Fall for the pull? Let it carry her to new heights as we got lost in each other? Either way, I knew I had a mission. She wasn’t going to get away that easily from me because she was deemed mine by the goddess.

I’ll watch her, protect her from the shadows by night. By day I will find ways to be in her life. I’ll have her fall in love with me.

My body shifted, making sure I stayed out of sight. My heart leaped from my chest once more as I saw her stop halfway up the stairs.

Look, just look. Give me hope.

And look she did, right to the window where I sat hidden in the shadows.

Chapter 9

Christine

Myhandslidupthe rail, trying to force myself up the stairs and into my room. For a reason unknown to me, my body wanted to walk out the door and find that handsome vampire. Which could not happen. Today had been too much and way embarrassing.

Not only did I let someone sneak up on me while I let my walls down, but on top of it all, it was some handsome vampire with danger written all over him. He had fangs, ashen skin, nails that could lengthen into claws, and worst of all, I was damn attracted to him.

Holy hell.

He was completely different from Suron. I didn’t find that goofball as a threat. Suron had this childlike innocence to him, which could be a ploy to get close to me and be the best of buddies to keep me away from Mom. The way children seemed so keen on the vampire made me doubt that. Maybe he did want to be friends.

Sebastian, though, was something else. There had to be an ulterior motive. No one that good-looking ever talked to me. The ruffled dark hair, the slim pants that outlined his muscles. That damn white dress shirt with his first few buttons unbuttoned showed off his white skin. He didn’t look like he was prepared to meet anyone out on his walk, but there he was, talking to a red-faced, crying human.

Ugh, embarrassing. Can’t even make a good first impression. Then again, do I want to make a good impression?

Humans had to give willingly if a vampire wanted to eat. They had those bags full of blood, but Justin mentioned how much better blood tasted straight from the source. Maybe he wanted to drink from me? The feeling was supposed to feel euphoric as they used their venom. A different kind of high that could send you into erotic bliss.

He must have sensed my vulnerability, and that was why he approached. Trying to get a lick of the goods. He couldn’t be interested in me, and that would not happen anyway. Why am I even entertaining the idea?

Because you think he is hella hot, and your insides are twisting at the idea of touching him.

I could never let anyone take my blood, not ever. I mean, hello, I was bleeding out at the bite of a hangnail earlier that was a bitch to stop. It was the end of the day, close to my second dose of medication, and I knew I had to get home rather than go to the cafeteria. Not that I would have entertained the idea of going back to that place. Passing out in front of everyone was not on the agenda.

When I returned home, after sassing Mr. Hottie, I took a syringe of meds to make it work faster than the oral ones. Once the bleeding was under control, I skipped downstairs to find something to eat in the fridge. Of course, it was always fully stocked, along with the large walk-in pantry. Never having to step foot in the cafeteria was going to be easy.

As I pushed around the hoards of beer bottles in the fridge, a tap on my shoulder startled me as I stood up, hitting my head on the freezer’s handle.

“Owie.” I rubbed my head as I stood up. The all too touchy alpha male of the house chuckled, grabbing a bag of frozen peas and placing it on my head.

“Sorry bout that.” He chuckled. “Didn’t realize you were so jumpy.”

Funny, me either, but once you have a hot vampire make a sneak attack on my social meter, one is going to be jumpy.

Ashton held up several boxes of pizza with the other hand. My mouth watered, smelling delicious pepperoni and sausage. “Did you change your mind? Want to join us?” The pizza beckoned me, and my stomach decided to rumble, giving him the perfect cliché answer.

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