Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1)
Page 18
Chapter Thirteen
Ashleigh rode on the plane with the band, pretending to sleep on Caleb the entire time. As she lay in Caleb’s arms she could feel his heavy breath. He was upset and held her tighter than he normally would. They didn’t speak, but words weren’t needed to understand each other’s feelings. The pair was very close, and even though they were lost and far away in their own thoughts, they still felt connected, and Ashleigh wanted to cling to him forever.
But no matter how much she loved him, no matter how much he loved her, it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t stay in this dream forever, live like a monster alongside her love like in one of her stories. Spencer was dead, and for the first time, she realized this was not a game. Caleb was a killer and deep inside him, that cold, angry man she had seen kill Spencer, resided.
Their light conversation about marriage and other things had faded, replaced by a severe tension. Then, she said something to break the silence.
Her voice was low as she lay in his arms. "I saw what you did." She could feel his breath deepen and could tell what she had said had made him angry. When he didn’t answer, she traced slow circles around the front of his shirt. "Caleb?"
"What?" He let out a nervous laugh, not letting her look up, pulling her closer to him. She had caught him in his lies, and he struggled to blow off the whole thing. "I needed to use the internet, so I borrowed your laptop. I just changed the background for fun. Is that what this is about? Cause—"
"That’s not what I’m talking about. Is he really dead?" Her tone didn’t change. She closed her eyes as she felt him rub her back in slow, soothing circles. He was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn’t working.
"Who?" His voice got softer, a serious tone lining it. Leaning his head on hers, he rubbed his chin on her soft curls.
"Spencer." She heard an annoyed groan escape Caleb’s tightly closed lips. "Caleb?"
"It’s nothing. Killing is just a part of life. I do it all the time." He kissed the top of her hair, his voice very low as he spoke. "He was going to hurt you babe. I’d do anything to protect you."
"What was he going to do?"
Caleb let out another sigh, his face twisting into an annoyed frown. "What does it matter? Do we really have talk about it?"
"Yes, we do." She picked her head up and looked at him angrily. He sent her a scowl back, and she could tell that inside he was still fuming from what happened earlier. "How did Spencer deserve that? What did he do that was so terrible?"
"It doesn’t matter." Caleb tried to grab her and have her lay in his arms again, but she pulled away. "Come on, Ash." Shaking his head, he let out an annoyed exhale. "Forget about it. I did it to protect you. Why can’t you understand that? Why can’t you trust me?"
Her voice took on a more desperate tone, and although she was afraid of losing Caleb and hated fighting with him, she had to know the truth. "Because you lied, Caleb. You lied, and I want to know why. Why did you do it?"
"I told you already." He took out his phone and pretended to be texting on it.
"You did not!" She yanked his phone away from him. "Tell me right now!"
Caleb’s voice was low, his face downcast. The words seethed from his lips as if they were steam rising from the fiery anger that raged inside him. "He deserved it."
Ashleigh’s was speechless for a few seconds because she wasn’t expecting that answer. There was a great evil in Caleb’s expression, one he had shown to others, but never to her.
"Fuck him." Caleb ripped his phone from her hand, his eyes narrowing on her like she was his enemy. "And I’m not explaining myself to someone who fucks around with hunters behind my back."
Ashleigh tried to open her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t find the words. "You were mine, and he knew it. Mine. Not his." When she went to leave, he grabbed her arm and made her stay. "I wanted to show you how I live. I wanted to be your first…in everything. But he ruined that. He had no right to touch you."
She whispered her next words. "You killed him because I slept with him?"
"No." Caleb pulled her close to him, his face now inches from hers. "Because he disobeyed me, and no one disrespects an Elder. No one." He wrapped his arm around her waist, yanking her body closer. "Don’t forget that. Hunters obey their Masters. Always."
His angry expression quickly melted, and he sent her a playful smile as if nothing was sour between them. He leaned in and kissed her flabbergasted face. "I love you, babe. That's all that matters. Don't question me on this. It was the right thing to do. I promise."
She didn’t know what to say and just let him move her into the spot they had been in before. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she buried her face in his chest. After that, he began a conversation about something else, and Ashleigh reluctantly joined in. She pretended to be happy, but inside she was scared. He had never snapped at her like that, and he had never threatened her before.
Would he kill her if she made him angry? The thought made her want to cry, but she held it in.
When the time to say goodbye came, Caleb walked off the jet and said his goodbyes to Ashleigh near the steps. Looking down at her hands, Ashleigh was trying to hold back her tears. Her fingers fidgeted with the tags on her bag as Caleb spoke.
"Call me when you get to the house. I want to make sure you’re all right." His voice was low and filled with sadness as he watched her nod her head quickly. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her lips gently. He heard her sniffle, her eyes not looking up to meet his. "I—" Letting out a deep sigh, Caleb watched her movements closely. "I’m sorry, Ash."
"I know you are." A sad smile erased her frown, lighting up her tender features. Her cheeks were reddened, a few tears escaped her eyes. She gave him a hug, her arms wrapped around him loosely as she rested her head on his shoulder. "So am I."
She slowly pulled away from him, her hand reaching up and stroking his face. "Goodbye, Caleb." Pushing her lips together as tightly as she could, Ashleigh tried to hold back her tears.
"It’s never goodbye." He put his hand over hers on his cheek, desperation in his words. Shaking his head, he didn’t want to let her go, the emotions inside him raging. "It’s ‘I’ll see you later.’ ’Cause I’m going to see you again. I love you, and I know you know you love me, too."
“I do…” Biting her bottom lip, Ashleigh removed his hand and quickly turned her eyes from him. “I’ll see you later, Caleb.” She took a step back before picking up her luggage.
Watching him standing there was like a perfect storybook ending—her lover leaving on a plane, this being the last time she would ever see him. The sky was cloudy, his cheeks slightly flushed from the chill in the air, his hands jumping into his pockets.
His expression was perfect. His frown showed his strength, his eyes filled with so much love it could make even the most hardened heart weep. She studied him for a few seconds, trying to memorize his face. That handsome, wonderful face.
She forced a smile as she sniffled, her words so soft only she could hear them. "Goodbye, Caleb." Letting out a tearful laugh, she quickly walked away and left him standing alone. "Thanks for the inspiration."
A small smile started on her reddened cheeks. A warm, devious smile that continued to grow with each step. "I'll see you in the sequel…" Her expression brightened as she gazed up at the sun. Even when she closed her eyes she could feel its gentle heat, which made her shiver with happiness. "My sun."
THE END
About the Author
H.N. Sieverding is the author of over thirty novels, and writes in the Paranormal Romance and Horror genres. Her obsession with writing began when she got fed up with endings she couldn't control. She started writing her own stories, all with her own 'perfect' ending. She is also known to favor her handsome villains, which is a trait that can be found in most of her books. Seeing her stories in print has been one of her greatest achievements besides her son, whom she is most proud of. Aside from writing, she's an avid artis
t and graphic designer.
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Other Books by H.N. Sieverding
Initiation (Christian’s Kisses Book 1)
Seed of the Master (Christian’s Kisses Book 2)
Secret Scarlet
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com