by Vicki Cross
Sebastian is pacing in the background. His heavy footsteps let me know he frustrated. Something happened between him and Lou. I can sense it. He doesn’t have to stay, but he wants to. I can’t help but think back to Sebastian and our first meeting. I thought the worst of him, and he has proved me wrong in many ways. He won’t go after Lou, because of me. The guilt of that brings a heavy sensation in the pit of my stomach.
“Go after her,”
He doesn’t say anything. Instead he stops just short of the edge of the bed and shakes his head.
“Go after her,” I repeat a lot louder than before.
“You need me,” he retorts as he circles the bed to stand near me. I push myself up to my feet and stand up to him.
“Why did you try and save him?” He looks me over and eyes Jude’s still body. I search his eyes for an answer but he says nothing. “Damn you!” I shout shoving my fist into his chest. He doesn’t try to stop me, instead he takes every blow. “Why?!” I needed to know. With Jude out the way, he would get exactly what he wanted from me. Was there some hidden motive?
He caught my fist before I could deliver another blow and pulls me closer to meet his gaze. “Because you love him…and whatever I offer you would never be enough. I told you every part of you reminds me of her. When I found out he took you, all I could think of Lou. I can’t allow the same thing to happen to her.”
He lets me go, and I rub my wrist to ease the slight pain for his grasp.
Just as I was about respond Jude’s heart monitor starts to go off. I spin around and he’s shaking violently. His heart beat is raising every second and the machine go off in a panic. He’s transitioning. I race to his side and now understand why Lou had to tie him down. He’s convulsing and I wonder if it’s too much.
Lou runs into the room and pushes me out of the way.
“His heart is beating too fast,” she shouts
“W-what does that mean?"
She doesn’t respond instead she places her head down to his chest.
I ask again watching Jude struggle.
She eyes Sebastian and before I can say another word Sebastian is pulling me out of the room.
I fight him with all the energy I have left. “He needs me! He needs me!” Sebastian doesn’t release me until we’re outside of the room.
“You can’t go inside,” he says blocking the entrance. I let out a frustrating scream and start to cry.
“I need to be by his side.”
“Let Lou do her job. She’s seen this a lot of times. If there is any hope to bring his heart rate down, it is her.”
I slide down the wall with my head in my hands. I needed to be there with him. I wanted to be inside that room holding his hand and letting him know that I was there. I fucked up everything between us by going with Sebastian. I chose duty over my heart and he would never know how much it hurt me to do so.
Before I know it, Sebastian is on the ground with me, pulling me into his arms. I don’t fight his hold anymore. I just cry into his chest wanting Jude alive more than anything. We stay like this for a few minutes.
“What will I do without him?” I cry.
“You will have me,” Sebastian promises.
I break the embrace to look up at him through wet lashes. Sebastian’s promise weakened me. His willingness to sacrifice his love for Lou made me feel selfish.
“No, you need her. I know that you love her, and I cannot replace her for you.”
“Your child will need a father,” he reminds me.
“Then let me deal with the consequences of my decision.”
“No. I won’t let anything happen to you. Jude wouldn’t want that.”
He was right, Jude wouldn’t want to know that our child was in danger.
“I won’t let you be without her. What will happen if he lives?” I retort.
“Then I will find another way without binding you to me.”
“Do you believe that there is another way?”
“I will die trying to find it.”
He looks up as Lou opens the door and I quickly separate myself from his hold.
“How is he?” I say standing back up on my feet.
Lou’s eyes travel briefly between us before she responds.
“He’s alive and he wants to see you.”
I don’t stop to think, instead I race to be by his side.
Jude’s eyes are glossy with confusion. He watches me stand over him. Lou has taken off the restraints and from his wrist I can see the imprints of them.
“Shay,” he replies in low and weak voice. I grab his hand instantly and nod a yes. His color is back, and all his vitals seem normal again.
“How do you feel?”
“Stronger,”
A little laugh escapes me and I bend down to kiss his cold forehead. “Do you know what happened?”
He shakes his head no and I wipe away a tear.
“You were shot, by a human hunter after you saved me. The wound was too bad and we had to do what we thought was best.”
He was even more confused and I turned to look at Sebastian through the glass as he watched us closely.
“What did you do?” My gaze falls back on Jude as I swallow hard.
“Sebastian made you a vampire.” His eyes widen with shock.
“I’m like you?”
“Yes. Sebastian saved you.”
He slowly pulls his hand from mine and places it on my stomach, then looks up at me and there are tears in his eyes. “Shay Dansfield, never leave me again”
“I won’t,” I say kissing his lips “Sebastian thinks there is another way.” I smile then kiss him again. I’m shaking as his hand finds the back of my neck deepening the kiss. When he stops he tilts my chin up so he could meet my gaze.
“Bind yourself to me, and I will never stop loving and protecting you”
“There is no other, I would want to bind myself to but my guardian.”
This is the end of part 1…