by Lizzy Ford
* * *
Yully slept deeply until the next morning and awoke rested. The bedroom in the cottage was chilly with the door to the living room closed. The first thing she felt was the bond to Jule, who was in the next room. It was warm and sweet, like a summer rain. Their lovemaking seemed to cement what was between them. Without touching him, she still felt the ebb and flow of energy.
Her father would notice her absence.
Yully rose and dressed herself, preparing herself mentally to tell Jule she had to leave him. Her hand rested on the doorknob. Their bond felt permanent, and she had no idea what to do about it. She opened the door. He reclined on the couch, shirtless. Her eyes fell to his frame, and she took him in with hunger and appreciation. He looked up as she exited the bedroom. His gaze was calm and intense, and she flushed beneath his scrutiny.
“You’re leaving,” he said before she could speak.
“I’m afraid I must.”
“I brought your car.”
A heavy silence fell, and she met his gaze finally. She wasn’t sure what she expected from him, but she was relieved to see he was neither angry nor sad. Desire rose within her, and she suppressed it with effort. Her body ached to feel whole again, as she had last night in his arms. She felt the sense of being centered for the first time in her life and knew it was because of the man before her.
“It wasn’t the last time,” he said with a small smile.
“Jule …” she said with a frown.
“I told you once, sweetheart. I’ll always come for you.”
“Yully. My name is Yully Hughes.”
“Nice to meet you finally, Yully Hughes.” He rose with feline grace from the couch and approached, hand outstretched.
She took it, and he pulled her in for a hug that made her sigh.
“Run where you will, Yully. I’ll find you.”
“I don’t know what to think about that,” she admitted.
“Consider it a fact.”
“And when my father finds you lurking in the bushes beneath my window?”
He released her and pulled free the necklace around his neck. Yully eased away as he placed it around her neck. She touched it, as thrilled to wear his symbol as she had been her father’s. She lifted both coins and looked down.
“The stars in the center mark the generation of an immortal’s bloodline. One being the first.”
“You’re third generation,” she said.
“The oldest. The first two generations are extinct, from a time before time. Admittedly, I’m the youngest of the oldest immortals and the only immortal on Earth of my generation.”
“My father is fifth generation,” she mused.
“Another ancient bloodline. There are few of us. Anyway, this is to remind you there’s always a safe place for you, whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed the coins in her hand. “I have to go.”
He kissed her forehead and stepped away.
Yully left him in the cottage, tugging the door closed behind her. She turned and gasped, staring at the large man before her. He was dressed in black, and his chiseled features and striking blue eyes were perfect enough to have been sculptured. For a long moment, she thought he was there to kill her, with his severe look and the ready stance.
His gaze dropped to the necklaces at her neck before he stepped aside. She fled around him and into the car, locking the doors and speeding away from the cottage.