“Nicolas,” she whispered against his mouth. “I have to tell you something.”
He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “You can tell me anything.”
She molded her body into his. “When I was dying, I had all these strange thoughts. I wished I could’ve had more time with Evie and my aunt, wished I would’ve taken more time to enjoy life. When we were together last night, I wished I had told you that I love you. I know you might not feel the same way, but it’s important to me that you know.”
“Annabelle, when you were dead last night, I went crazy. I didn’t know anyone had given you blood, but I was convinced you would wake up. If you were still dead, I’d be lying in this bed with you for who knows how long before I’d ever accept that you were dead.”
“Is that your really creepy way of saying you love me too?”
“I do love you,” he said. “This week without you has been torture.”
“I never wanted to leave.”
He pressed his lips to her temple. “I know. But for my sanity and the safety of everyone around me, could you try really hard to never leave me again?”
Anna laughed and leaned up to kiss him. “Do I have to drink your blood now?” She felt as if she were in the middle of a desert and hadn’t had any water for days.
“I don’t think that will be an issue,” he said. “You’re a biter in bed anyway.”
She laughed as he flipped her on her back and got to proving his point.
~~~~~
When Anna finally emerged from her room, the night was almost gone. She walked all around the palace, trying to absorb all of her new abilities and gain control of her heightened senses.
Evie and she had their second emotional reunion in a week. She told Anna all about how Nicolas could’ve killed Aleksander but saved her instead. She talked to Anna about the facts of being a new vampire ruled by old ones and tips on how to be in love with an alpha male.
Nicolas was never far behind, and Aleksander seemed to be trailing Evie. It had been too close of a call last night. The men were spooked.
It wasn’t until about an hour before dawn that Anna and Nicolas ran into Marcus. He acted just as arrogant as he always had as he passed the two of them in the hallway.
Anna signaled Nicolas to wait for her and walked after Marcus. “Can I talk to you?” she asked.
“I don’t really have time now,” he said in his posh accent.
She tightened her lips and glared at his retreating back as she kept up with his long strides. “I thought you wanted me dead.”
“I never said that.” He started to walk faster, and her arm shot out to stop him.
As a human, she would’ve had no effect on him, but her new strength made him stop in his tracks. He turned around and stepped close to her. “I know you’re new at this, but I’m still much older than you and a hell of a lot stronger.”
“You wanted to make me sorry and you hate Nicolas. What changed?”
One of his hands came to her face and picked up a lock of hair. He gently ran it through his fingers and let it fall back to her cheek. “It would be nice for the prince to owe me a favor,” he said.
“That’s it?”
He clenched his jaw as he looked down at her. “The last time I saw a strong, beautiful human stabbed through, I didn’t make it in time,” he said. “It doesn’t mean I like you and it doesn’t mean that I’m your fucking friend.” He turned and walked away.
When she found Nicolas and she told him about her conversation with Marcus, Nicolas was just as shocked as her. “He was right about that favor. I owe him a debt that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay,” he’d said.
While the sun was out, they passed the time in her room at the palace. She had a lot of things to work out. She couldn’t finish her classes this semester because so many of them were during the day. She and Nicolas both agreed that she needed to finish her dissertation and get her PhD, which would be a challenge with her newly limited hours, but at least they had plenty of time. They would also have to decide what to tell Abigail, but they could handle that as it came to them.
Right now, Anna was in bed with a vampire who she was madly in love with, and she could think of nothing better to do than spend the whole day memorizing every inch of his body.
~~~THE END~~~
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Read on to hear about Marcus's story: DARING FIRE
AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
Her life was a lie.
Her murder taught her that.
Now, she must uncover the truth.
After Gena is brutally murdered and mysteriously resurrected, she sets out to discover the truth about her supernatural background. But when she crosses paths with a sexy and vengeful vampire, she realizes that there is more to her past than she ever realized.
Suspected vampire traitor, Marcus's goal is to infiltrate the Vampire rebellion, destroying them once and for all. But his plans might take on a new path as he grows closer to a mortal, who can't--or won't--die. With time running out, Gena and Marcus search for answers to her past, while going head-to-head with their enemies. Will it end the same way it began--with Gena's death?
AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
Finding Fire: Paranormal Romance (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 1) Page 24