Chapter Seventeen #2
I stared at where my father had disappeared, Lucien’s words not bringing comfort.
Why was there such a disgusted look from him?
The image of it replayed in my mind, increasing my depleting mood.
Lucien seemed to notice and proceeded to spin me outward before spinning me back to his chest where he dipped me.
The movement was quick, but remained within the tempo of the music.
“What was that for?”
“Another perk of being mates,” he answered while bringing me to a standing position. “The males can always sense the female’s emotions. It also helps that you can’t hide your emotions very well. Relax, Mel. Breathe and focus on now.”
I tried. I really tried. However, my heart still hurt from what transpired and I needed to ask my dad about it.
Isadora swept me into the next dance, her hand gently placed on my waist as she waltzed around the other dancers.
Her style was different compared to her brother.
She was slow and graceful while he preferred intense and fast. She handled me with style and grace that only Isadora could manage to pull off.
When the dance was over, she stopped near the entrance.
“Go do what you need to,” she urged me. “I’ll entertain my brother in your stead. Shouldn’t be hard since he’s taken an interest in the townies. He’s stumped about who your killer is and believes with his charm he can unveil them.”
“Thank you,” I said before taking her advice and heading outside to my truck. With my mind set, I headed home. I pulled out my phone to dial my dad’s number, but it went straight to voicemail.
With what happened and a killer on the loose, I was growing more and more nervous.
My first stop sign came and as I tried to press the brake, nothing happened.
The car only increased in speed as I flew past the stop sign.
Moving the steering wheel did nothing as the steering suddenly became obsolete.
My eyes searched for the emergency brake, but as I stared down at the missing handle, I realized what was happening.
Rolling down my windows, I spotted a lake in front of me.
Before I could remove my seat belt, the truck made impact with the white picket fence that served as a barricade.
Within the next second, I was thrown against the steering wheel as the truck dove into the water.
Cold water began to fill the cabin from the windows, sinking the truck further.
I struggled to remain calm and tried to unbuckle the seat belt, but it was jammed.
My lungs began to burn from the lack of air, notifying me that I had limited time before I lost consciousness or took a breath of water.
I grabbed my knife from my middle console, not caring as the other items from inside began floating inside the cabin.
Wasting no time, I cut through the seat belt and pulled myself through the opening of the window.
With my lungs working against me, dark spots began taking over my vision.
My hand reached up to the surface, desperate for air and safety.
Taking an involuntary breath of water, I began choking and only managed to fill myself with more water.
Was I going to die?
No. I can’t die, not yet.
I haven’t had enough time with Lucien. I haven’t gotten to see Shadowhaven with Isa or the twins.
I haven’t lived a full life yet. I pushed myself beyond the limit as I started blindly swimming towards the surface and as I felt the water grow warmer, I finally burst into fresh air.
Coughing up water, my vision returned and I started to swim to shore.
“Melinda,” I heard Isadora shout before arms wrapped around me from behind. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but I found I was in no danger when the familiar outline of a jeweled cross pressed into my back.
“I thought I lost you,” Lucien said against my skin. His lips pressed kisses where they could while his arms held me tighter. The kisses were not passionate or knee weakening, they felt as though it was a way of him ensuring that I was indeed alive in his arms. “What happened?”
“My brakes stopped working,” I answered without much emotion. The shock of what had happened was still settling while he held me. His hands rubbed my arms, trying to keep me warm in the cooler water.
“Melinda Hardgrave,” another voice called out and I looked up to find Dorian there with another policeman. “Bring a medic! She’s alive!”
The next half hour passed in a blur as I was pulled from the water and sat in the back of an ambulance with paramedics checking over my vitals.
Water caused the dress to cling to me even tighter, forcing me to loosen the zipper. Lucien placed his jacket around my shoulders, never straying more than a couple steps from my side. Isadora was sent to the twins to explain what happened.
“I bet you it was that hunter. I knew I shouldn’t have let you leave alone. I almost lost you when I only just found you,” Lucien spoke with growing intensity. I could only nod mutely. I avoided death today.
“Are you going to ride with her to the hospital?” the paramedic asked Lucien. “She needs to be checked by a doctor just to ensure that she didn’t sustain any internal injuries.”
Hospitals sounded like the last thing I wanted to endure. I looked at Lucien, I don’t want to go to the hospital. Any vampiric tricks to getting me out of this? Reading my thoughts, his lips twitched into an amused smirk before he quickly covered it with a cough.
“She’s not a fan of doctors. Perhaps she could sign some type of refusal document instead? Save both of us the headache of trying to coax her.”
The paramedic nodded before going into the front of the vehicle to retrieve such a form.
As he went over the details of what it meant to sign the paper, I wanted to pull out my hair and scream.
I had nearly died and all I wanted was to go home where I was safe and able to freak out properly over the ordeal I had endured.
Once he was done explaining, I signed the paper and handed it back to him.
“Promise me that if you feel anything out of the ordinary that you will at least talk to your doctor,” the man pressed, worry etched in his face. He was truly concerned and it threw me off for a second as I expected him to hightail it from here once the paper was signed.
I blinked at the paramedic’s words before they registered.
“Oh, um, yeah,” I muttered while Lucien’s hand was held out to me.
I began to slip down from the ambulance, ready to leave.
I took his hand and he waited until I was on my feet before sweeping them from under me, tucking his arms under my knees and back.
He walked away from prying eyes before zipping away.
When we got to his house, Isadora tried to take me from Lucien, but he refused.
There was a desperation in his grip on me.
He reacted in a similar way when Hugo attacked me.
For a big bad powerful vampire, Lucien still had a weakness and that was being abandoned by someone he loved.
He had only just come into my life and already he almost lost me twice.
Guilt ate at me for that, but in this case, I had no warning until it was too late.
Had I already mastered my powers, I could have defended myself against Hugo and probably could have stopped the truck before it ended up in the lake.
I was weak and I was tired of feeling weak.