Chapter 8 #3
I tease the sharp point of my fangs over her delicate throat.
“Good?” I scoff at the word. “Good doesn’t justify how your blood speaks to me.
It calls to me. You call to me.” With more restraint than I thought possible, I press a kiss where I’ll leave my mark and lean back to memorize every angle of her beautiful face.
Her arms wrap around my neck, and she has to tilt her head back just to look at me.
“Why?” she asks. “Why do you call to me too?”
“I don’t know if you’re ready for that answer, Nariko.”
“I can handle more than you think I can.” She trips over my boots, a sharp hiss escaping her. The pain seeps into me and becomes my own.
My hands steady her, pressing against her hips so she doesn’t fall. “What’s wrong?” I inhale the air again, and the slightest hint of blood threatens my fangs to drop.
She giggles, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “There you go again. Sniffing me.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“It’s my feet. From stepping on the glass earlier. They still hurt. I thought I could walk around or do something as simple as dancing, but I guess not.”
Not wanting the night to end yet, I swing her into my arms, carrying her as if she’s my bride.
A growl of approval thunders in my chest. I know vampires don’t really care about human weddings.
Being fated to someone means so much more than a wedding band, but I’d marry Nariko right now.
Once I claim her with my bite, every paranormal will know she’s mine.
The human world won’t, and I’m not okay with that. I need everyone to know. The entire world.
The entire universe.
“What are you doing, Oklahoma? You can put me down.”
“Ain’t no way I’m putting you down when you’re in pain. We can dance like this.” I tilt my head back to look up at the night sky. “You look beautiful under them.”
“Under what?”
“The stars. I could look at you all night, every night, and continue to be awestruck.”
She dips her chin, peeking those brown eyes up at me.
“Oklahoma!” Jazz shouts, interrupting a perfect fucking moment.
I groan, debating if I want to give him the time of day. Nariko buries her face in my chest, laughing, and I cup the back of her head to keep her there.
Now that I’ve been so close, I’ll never want to be too far ever again.
“What, Jazz?”
“How do you feel?”
I spin to him, noticing Jazz and Westin are the only ones outside, besides Ruka, who is snoring in the chair. The ladies must have gone to bed. The fire isn’t as big as it was earlier. New logs haven’t been added, and the embers glow within the smoke, ash flowing into the air with every crackle.
“How do you feel compared to earlier?” Westin clarifies.
“What happened earlier?” Nariko asks, batting worried lashes at me.
I kiss her forehead. “Nothing, Sugar. I’m fine. I wasn’t feeling well, but I’m feeling pretty good right now. Much better with you in my arms.”
“I feel better too.” She draws something on my chest, her finger trailing over my shirt.
I have to tell her the truth. Soon. It isn’t fair to her to be tied to me and not know the reason why.
Nariko is curious and kind. I have a feeling she’d take the news that I’m a vampire in stride.
I truly don’t think she will care. She’ll want to ask questions so she can learn and understand.
My red eyes and fangs haven’t scared her away yet.
I’m nervous. I never thought I’d have this opportunity. I was fine being alone, damning myself to a lonely lifetime. I wallowed in my sadness and guilt.
In my arms, I have a new chance at life, but there’s also risk.
“We’re going to call it a night,” Westin announces, gripping the back of Jazz’s shirt to lift him to his feet.
“What? No. I wasn’t—”
Westin scuffs him on the back of his head.
“Oh, right. Right,” Jazz mumbles. “Fine. Give the lovebirds some privacy. What about him?” He points his thumb at Ruka.
Ruka snores so loud that it reminds me of the chainsaw I have in the barn.
“I think he’s fine,” I say just as the can in Ruka’s grasp falls to the ground and rolls away, clinging to the pebbles. It comes to a stop at the bricks that surround the fire pit.
“He’s a lightweight. Don’t mind him,” Nariko informs. “It doesn’t take much. He will be out all night. Nothing will wake him up except for a good twelve hours of sleep.”
Westin tilts his hat at us. “I’m glad everyone was okay today, Nari. It would have been a bad day for that guy if you weren’t. Have a good night.”
“Goodnight,” her sweet voice chirps at my two best friends.
With a finger wave, Westin allows his irises to turn red, blurring away with Jazz. Their cackles can be heard all over the pastures, I’m sure.
Nariko points at where they used to stand, then at me, then at them again. The way she continues to look back and forth from me to the empty space where Jazz and Westin were standing would be comical if I weren’t so nervous.
They did that on purpose—the fuckers.
I’m closer to having to tell her the truth. All I want to do is spend time with her. I want to get to know her, yes, but the truth is, I want her to get to know me.
When I push into her emotions, I expect to find fear or confusion. Instead, I find excitement.
“Put me down and tell me right now, Oklahoma. Tell me the truth.”
The truth.
The easiest to know and the hardest to tell.