“It didn’t work, did it?”
“No, dear, it didn’t. We both tried and had no success. I can sense something different about him.”
I go over and sit next to my Mom.
“I felt it too. What do you think it is? How can he be immune to us?”
“I don’t know, but we have been grilling him all night. All we know is that his Mom died of cancer six months ago and he doesn’t know his father. That is the only lead we have. I’m afraid it just isn’t enough. If we go digging, we have to involve people to do that. Then this gets out.”
“So what are we going to do now, Mom?”
“The only thing we can do. We have to involve the council. I’m sorry, honey.”
Tears form in my eyes and I feel them leak out. “No, this can’t happen. I love Cody and he’s my true mate. I can’t do this to him. What if he stops loving me because I betrayed him?”
“I can’t speak for Cody, but if he is your true mate, nothing will stop him from loving you. The council will take that into consideration. Of course, they will test your blood to be sure your blood has really bonded together, but they won’t break up true mates. That is the one thing you have in your favor. The downside is it looks pretty grim for Chase.”
“They can’t kill him. He’s innocent. He didn’t ask for this. I did this to him.”
“True, but the council won’t care. They will only be concerned with keeping our secret. If he’s lucky, they’ll turn him. If he’s not, they’ll kill him. We can only tell them the facts and hope for the best possible outcome.”
I lean on her shoulder and cry. She wraps her arms around me and lets me. After my tears slow, Mom gently pulls me up.
“It’s going to be a long couple of days. I suggest you go to bed early and get some rest. Your Dad and I will give you tomorrow with Cody before we tell the council. Use your time with him. It can only strengthen your blood bond as well as your mating.”
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure, honey. What is it?”
“Can we tell Cody first? I don’t want him to hear it from someone else or worse, the council. I want to have the chance to say goodbye, you know, just in case.”
“I will talk to your father, but I think that will be okay since the council will take a little while to assemble and get here. The only caveat is that you can’t tell him until after we’ve told the council. If it gets out before they know, your life will be in jeopardy.”
I stand up and turn towards Mom one last time.
“Goodnight, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I watch my Mom walk away and then I climb the stairs. I throw myself face first into my bed and continue sobbing. I’m miserable. How will Cody ever forgive me? I have not only brought shame to my family, but his as well.
I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I take a deep calming breath and pull it out. It’s a text message from Cody.
Hey princess, are you okay? Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. I can feel how sad you are. I’m sorry for whatever you’re going through. I love you –Cody
Trying to be calm, I respond.
Meet me at my house at eight. I was just having a little fight with my Mom about our mating details. It’s nothing I want to worry you with. I love you too <3 –Callie
I drop my phone to the floor and continue to cry. It seems like forever before I can breathe enough to change. I leave my clothes in a pile on the floor, not even bothering to put them where they belong. Then I throw on my soft, emerald green tee.
I pull the covers down and slide in between them. Then I wrap myself in misery.
When I wake up, I feel numb. At least the sadness has subsided and I’m no longer inflicting it on Cody. He must think he’s mated to an emotional mess.
There’s no time to feel like this tonight. I want to make the best of my time with Cody. This could be the last night of true happiness. That idea darkens my thoughts and my mood turns grim.
I take a deep breath and shake it off. Looking at the clock, I realize I have only forty-five minutes until Cody gets here. Without another thought, I rush to get ready.
Thirty minutes later, I’m dressed in a long, black, flowing skirt and a sparkling, magenta tank top. I wear my sequined flip flops again and my hair is tied up in a loose, messy bun. I look the best I can under my time constraints.
I rush to the kitchen for my blood cocktail. I don’t think I will be exchanging blood with Cody tonight since we will be in public for our date. Anticipation seeps into me as I realize this will be our first real date. Who’d have thought Cody and I would be on a date together?
The roses sit on the counter in a clear vase and my heart beats a little bit faster. They are beautiful and I make my way over to smell them. I have my eyes closed and am indulging my sense of smell when I hear someone clear their throat.
Dad is standing in the doorway. He smiles at me and I grin back. I can’t help but be excited about tonight. I let all the other worries melt into the background and put myself in the here and now.
Dad must sense my unwillingness to talk and just nods to me before making his way to the fridge. He pulls out the carafe of blood and pours us each a glass. We say nothing and enjoy the silence as we drink our blood.
As soon as I finish, I’m pulled out of my reverie by the doorbell. I head out of the kitchen as I hear Finn and Cody exchanging pleasantries.
Bounding into the foyer, I rush Cody. He looks up and smiles just before I crush my lips to his. His arms go around me and I faintly hear Finn’s footsteps recede. Our kiss becomes light and playful before we both pull back altogether.
“Hey, princess. How’re you feeling tonight? I missed you so much last night; I wished I was here to comfort you. I felt so helpless. Soon, you won’t be able to stop me from cheering you up,” he says with a mischievous grin on his face.
He’s feeling lighthearted and flirty tonight and I’m excited to spend some time with him. I interlace my fingers in his and tug him towards the door. I’m ready to get out of here before my parents change their mind and call the council tonight.
I shake off a shiver at that thought and look back to smile at Cody. His golden blonde hair is curling around his ears tonight and I crave the feel of it between my fingers. Gah! My brain is turning into lusty mush.
Opening the door, I finally respond to Cody’s declaration.
“I can’t wait for that time to come. I’m having a hard time keeping my thoughts off you and we aren’t even fully mated yet. What are you doing to me, Cody Gregoria?”
He shows me a lopsided grin and guides me out of my house. “Trust me; it’s no more than what you do to me. I’m obsessed with you and I crave being with you all night. I go to bed thinking of you and I wake up thinking of you. You have me wrapped around your little finger, Callie.”
“I have you wrapped around my finger, huh? Let’s test that theory. I want to go see a chick flick tonight,” I say, testing the waters.
He lets out a sigh and I know I’ve won. I wink at him and wait next to the truck for him to open the door and let me in. I feel his hands casually lift up the fabric of my tank top around my waist as he prepares to lift me up and into the seat.
I shoot him a knowing look but he just shrugs and sets me into the truck. When his hands are gone, I feel the loss against my skin.
Cody holds my hand as we leave. It’s a comforting gesture that I’m definitely happy to get used to. He turns on the radio and I’m instantly fascinated by his choice in music. I love punk music. I had Cody pegged for more of a country kind of guy.
We get past the gate and out of the community easily enough. I know there is a car behind us. My Dad put a security detail on us, just to be safe. I didn’t argue with that, especially with everything going on.
I don’t feel the need to fill our silence with constant chatter. The quiet between us is a comfort with all that’s floating around in this head of mine. I take advantage and turn up the upbeat
song. The music takes over and I can feel the beat of the drums vibrating through the truck.
Since we’re vampires, we don’t eat. Well not food anyways. That kind of cancels dinner out unless we want to hunt together. Unfortunately, we can’t. The thought of him doing something so intimate with a girl, even if she’s human, is unbearable.
He winks at me and a brilliant smile spreads across his face. I can tell he knows what I am thinking. This bond thing is intense. I can’t imagine how strange it will be once we’ve fully bonded.
Knowing the effect my moods have on him, I try to push my worries of Chase out of my mind. Things are totally out of control and I know tomorrow will be a scary day. I don’t have any idea how Cody’s going to take everything. I can’t lose him. I won’t lose him.
“What’re you thinking about over there, princess? You seem a million miles away.”
“Hmm, oh, I’m just thinking about how hard it’s going to be to wait until Saturday for our bonding. It feels so far away.”
I know I’m lying my butt off, but it’s still a truth. I wish our bonding would just get here already. Being with Cody is so magical. He makes me think about things I’ve never even considered before. With him, I want to experience everything.
Just the thought of another blood exchange has goose bumps cropping up across my exposed flesh. I tighten my grip on his hand and he pulls our hands up to kiss mine.
I just want to swoon when I’m around him. Our kisses are the magical kind you always see in movies, but never really thought were real. That’s one myth I’ve managed to dispel.
We pull into the movie theater and park. Cody comes around and helps me out, but doesn’t elicit anything more. He must be on his best behavior. I’m not sure if I like that or not. I’m growing used to the attention.
Cody buys us tickets to the girly movie of my choice and I’m grinning from ear to ear. I’m stoked to see this movie and it’ll be even better with him.
We make our way through the theatre and find ourselves a cozy spot in the back. This way we can canoodle all we want. The security detail will sit by the doors, so I know we’re covered.
As the previews start, I pull myself closer to Cody and snuggle into his arms. I can smell the scent of cinnamon and man that is unique to Cody. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of that smell.
I make it most of the way through the movie without shedding tears. Damn, I didn’t even think of that. It’s a particularly emotional part of the movie and I sniffle. Cody leans into me and lifts my chin to meet his eyes.
Tears are forming and have begun to stream down my cheeks. Cody takes the pads of his thumbs and softly brushes the tears away. My eyes flutter closed for a minute at the feel of his hands touching me so intimately.
I finally get ahold of myself and let out a deep breath. I can’t think of a more perfect movie Moment. I am growing to cherish every minute we have together. If we are with each other for five more minutes or five hundred more years, I will always be grateful for the time I have with him.
I’m so wrapped up in my own sappy thoughts that I don’t even realize the movie is over. Cody stands and gently pulls me up. I thank him and we make our way out of the row of seats and into the main aisle. The guards nod to us and I smile back at them.
“Thank you for taking me here tonight.”
“No problem, princess. It was worth it to see you happy.”
I don’t say anything to that, just quietly follow Cody’s lead as we walk out of the theater and to the truck.
Worry settles over me like a blanket as my thoughts stray to Chase. I quickly divert my attention and force myself to focus on anything else I can grasp at. I look over and sag in relief that Cody didn’t notice my almost panic.
I’m so busy warding off my unwanted thoughts that I don’t even realize we have turned off the main road and are heading to parts unknown. When I finally realize it, my brows furrow and I peer at Cody skeptically.
He sees the look on my face and flashes me a crooked grin. “We’re just taking a detour. I have a small surprise for you.”
“A surprise, huh? I’m not big on surprises. You better just tell me now,” I reply, only half joking.
“Relax, princess. We’re almost there.”
I like how he calls me princess. When anyone else says it, it feels stiff and formal. When he says it, it’s full of affection and warmth.
We finally pull onto a gravel road and Cody cuts the engine. This is my surprise? I think he must be delusional, because all I can see is a field. Huh.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I promise you’ll like this.”
“Okay,” I say skeptically.
Cody gently pulls me out of the truck and then reaches back behind the seat for something. I don’t have to wait long to see what he’s after. He pulls out a folded up quilt and shuts the door.
I don’t say anything, just look at him quizzically. He grasps my hand and tugs me gently forward. We walk through the field and I’m thankful that it’s been mowed down recently. I didn’t want chiggers. I like being the predator, not the prey.
Soon, we stop and Cody lays out the blanket. Ever so gently, he pulls me down next to him. I slip off my flip flops and then look over at him.
“Lie down and look at the stars with me. It’s an amazing view out here. I come out here when I want to think or just be alone. I know it’s not much, but I wanted to share it with you.”
My heart swells with joy. He took me to the one place that meant something to him. Suddenly the field didn’t feel like a strange place anymore. I lie on my back with my legs folded and look up.
It’s a clear night and the sky is bright with stars. The view is more amazing than I would have imagined. I reach for Cody’s hand and he folds mine into his. We scoot closer to each other and soak up the peaceful Moment.
I don’t even care that there is a security detail somewhere nearby. This Moment is perfect. It becomes even better when Cody shifts to his side. He brings his mouth down to mine and entices me into an earth shattering kiss.
I could stay here all night like this. Being with Cody is truly special. He has such a big heart and I’m so happy I found him. I don’t know how I could have missed him up until this point. Maybe it was just fate because the time wasn’t right. I guess we’ll never know.
Finally, after being locked in a passionate embrace, Cody sits up and the Moment cracks a bit. It shatters altogether when I see our security detail sitting on the hood of their car, just behind Cody’s truck.
“I guess this means we have to leave.”
“I think so, princess. It’s getting late anyways. I’m sure your parents are going to worry about you if you don’t come home soon.”
“Fine, but we’re coming back here one day soon.”
“You can count on it. Now let’s fold up this blanket and head back to the truck.”
I grumble a bit at our Moment being over as I slide my flip flops back on. Cody folds up the blanket and we walk, hand in hand, back to the truck.
Our security detail has gotten back in their car and pulled to the end of the gravel drive. I’m glad for a little privacy. This time, when Cody lifts me up into the truck, he makes no show of behaving.
He kisses me until I’m breathless. Stars dance in my vision and I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt anything like this before. Everything just feels so different with Cody. He is definitely like a drug to me. The more of him I have, the more I want.
I feel his fingers dancing at the hem of my shirt, pleasure racking me as they brush across my flesh. I let out a strangled sound and throw my head back. I feel my fangs descending and know his must be too. I turn my neck and revel in the points of his fangs piercing my skin. Euphoria settles in as he drinks. Tingling has flooded my entire body and a fire has ignited from within.
Once he finishes, I make haste kissing my way from his mouth down to the spot just below his ear. It’s such a strangely erotic spot for me. I bite down and feel his skin
yield like butter. The taste of metal and honey fill my mouth as I take his blood. When I’m finished, I gently lick the wound and pull away from him.
I look at his glowing, amber eyes and know he enjoyed that as much as I did. My vision is crystal clear in this Moment and I know the violet halo in my pupils is flaring. Slowly, I breathe deeply and close my eyes to get ahold of myself. It’s getting harder to do as the days go forward.
With a groan, Cody pulls back and shuts my door. He comes around and soon we are back on the paved road. I don’t say anything and I don’t have to. He’s riding the blood high as much as I am.
As soon as we pull into my driveway, dread fills me. This night has been so perfect. I’m not ready to leave it and face the harsh reality waiting inside for me.
Cody lifts me out of the truck and we walk, with our hands entwined, to the porch. The light is on, but I don’t let that stop me from pulling myself into Cody’s arms. I kiss him to wash away the horrible thoughts and it works for a minute. When he breaks the kiss, the thoughts creep back in.
He is showing excellent restraint considering that I am like putty in his hands. I feel like a slave to his every whim. He holds so much power over me.
“Goodnight, princess. I love you.”
“Goodnight, Cody. I love you too.”
I watch him turn away and get back in his truck. As soon as he vanishes, I take a Moment to compose myself before I step inside and back into my nightmare.
I set my alarm last night for seven thirty, but I still spend thirty minutes banging snooze on my alarm. By the time I actually get up, I only have a half hour until Cody gets here. Fluttery butterflies fill my stomach, threatening to burst free. I have to tell Cody. My nerves are completely frayed at this point.
After a hot, calming shower, I throw my hair up in a bun. I don’t have time to dry it so that will have to do. I know I’m seeing Cody, but I decide to forgo the makeup. I don’t want it all over from the crying I know will happen tonight.
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