“The energy inside your body is building,” Jaxon explained. “Try not to focus your hearing on the distant sounds. I remember my mind would become obsessed with the smallest of noises. It can be maddening until you learn to control it.”
Olivia nodded, listening briefly to the sound of shuffling footsteps on a sidewalk before forcing her attention back to Jaxon. “Vladamir gave me fear the first night I met him. He wanted me to carry it. He wanted to see what I would become with it growing inside of me.”
“I am the nightmare you will carry with you from this life into the next,” the Moroi elder had told her that night long ago. “Now I know you, curious little one, more than you know yourself. And you will mean something to me.”
“I don’t understand why.” Jaxon shifted his legs to allow her more space. “When he came to me, he acted more like an overprotective father than a torturer.”
“You will be my missed chance,” Vladamir’s voice whispered through her thoughts. “You will be a memory I can carry for a few hundred years until you fade.”
“Vladamir killed his daughter the night he turned.” Olivia’s feet pushed against the bottom of the coffin, and she absently rubbed her palms against the cushioned lid. “I saw glimpses of it over the years. But last night, when I died and felt his blood enter me as he fed me Vincent’s, it became clear. Something about me reminded him of her, and he wanted to see what her life would have turned out like had he spared her and protected her. It was his daughter’s fear that he gave me in an attempt to alleviate his guilt and his shame. I’m not sure if he received the answer he wanted, but he now has an answer. I don’t think he’ll be coming back to me anytime soon.”
“I will watch you and then I will mourn you.” She trembled, remembering the grave-like brush of Vladamir’s fingers. “Even death becomes tired, little one. Things cannot stay as they are.”
“I think Vladamir might have been right. From the moment I stepped out of my parents’ house the morning of the Vampire Club massacre, this was my fate.” Olivia tried to turn to face him, but couldn’t. She settled for lifting his hand to her mouth. “But that same fate brought me here, to you. I know I am not what I once was. I feel the dullness to my emotions. I feel the hunger. I know how vampires dine. But I am not scared because I also felt how you love me. And if you can love me that much, I know my own feelings will come back to me as strong as they were before. For I have loved you too, Jaxon, longer than I thought I deserved.”
“You are my forever, Olivia. You have been since the first moment. You are what steadies me. You are my balance. I love you.” He brushed her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her lips in a semblance of a kiss. “Now try to rest. Tomorrow I will have to show you how to survive without becoming a monster.”
Olivia closed her eyes. “And tomorrow I have something to show you.”
“What?”
“That there are much bigger coffins out there,” she said. “This tight fit will never do.”
The End
Keep Reading!
More fun awaits with one of Michelle’s fan favorite series, Warlocks MacGregor®!
Love Potions
Magic, Mischief, and Kilts!
A modern-day Scottish paranormal romance by NYT Bestselling Author Michelle M. Pillow.
"A mesmerizing and magical read!"
From the Highlands of Scotland to the valleys of Wisconsin...
Erik MacGregor is from a line of ancient (and mischievous) Scottish warlocks. He isn’t looking for love. After centuries of bachelorhood, it’s not even a consideration… until he moves in next door to Lydia Barratt. It’s clear the beauty wants nothing to do with him, but he’s drawn to her and determined to win her over.
The last thing Lydia needs is an alpha male type meddling in her private life. Just because he’s gorgeous, wealthy, and totally rocks a kilt doesn’t mean she’s going to fall for his seductive charms.
Humans aren't supposed to know about his family's magic or the fact he's a cat shifter. It's better if mortals don't know the paranormal exists. But when a family prank goes terribly wrong, causing Erik to succumb to a love potion, Lydia becomes the target of his sudden and embarrassingly obsessive behavior.
They’ll have to find a way to pull Erik out of the spell fast when it becomes clear that Lydia has more than a lovesick warlock to worry about.
2015 Virginia Romance Writers HOLT Medallion Award of Merit recipient for outstanding literary fiction in Paranormal
Warning: Contains yummy, hot, mischievous MacGregors who may or may not be wielding love potion magic in an effort to prank their older brother, and who are almost certainly up to no good on their quest to find true love.
Love Potions
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About Michelle M. Pillow
New York Times & USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Michelle loves to travel and try new things, whether it's a paranormal investigation of an old Vaudeville Theatre or climbing Mayan temples in Belize. She believes life is an adventure fueled by copious amounts of coffee.
Newly relocated to the American South, Michelle is involved in various film and documentary projects with her talented director husband. She is mom to a fantastic artist. And she's managed by a dog and cat who make sure she's meeting her deadlines.
For the most part she can be found wearing pajama pants and working in her office. There may or may not be dancing. It’s all part of the creative process.
www.michellepillow.com
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