My body shudders…again. My heartbeat slows to match hers—two rhythms syncing into one.
Holy hell.
Holyfuck.
I open my eyes, and I know I look insane. Because Iam.
“You’re not leaving me,” I repeat, just so we clear, in a voice hoarse and raw and carved from the center of my chest. “Do you hear me, Ruby? I’m never letting you go.”
She swallows, eyes wide, legs trembling.
Behind us, I hear a sharp inhalation.
“Holy shit,” Jude murmurs from a few feet away. “Did anyone else see that?”
“Bro,” the bassist whispers, “he looks like he just… ascended.”
“Or snapped,” the drummer offers.
I don’t care. I don’t hear anything but her breath.
Freddie finally appears, pale and sweating like he sprinted across three counties.
“Okay, okay,” he mutters, attempting to slide between us like he’s trying to prevent a landmine explosion. “Why don’t we…Ruby, honey…come here. Just for a second.”
My head snaps toward him and I growl.
He blanches. “I’m just—I’m just talking to her, man. No touching.”
Ruby shoots me a look of half warning, half plea, and lets Freddie usher her a few steps away.
I can’t breathe, can’t move.
Everything inside me is clawing in the same direction.Toward her.
I hear it loud and clear when Freddie whispers urgently, “He’s… never like this. You…whatever you just did—he’s not built to handle it. You need to?—”
“I know what I need,” I snap, stepping forward so fast the band flinches.
Ruby stiffens.
I suck in a breath and lower my voice, eyes locked to hers. “I’m done pretending this is temporary. I’m done pretending this is just a video. I’m done pretending I can let you walk away.”
Her lips part and she shakes her head once.
I take another step…close enough to inhale the hum off her skin. “Accept this now. You’re not going anywhere, Ruby Lane.” My voice drops, dark and final. “Or ever.”
Her breath catches, right before a gurgling noise erupts from her throat.
The crew goes silent.
Freddie mutters, “Oh fucking hell, we’re screwed,” under his breath.
Again… I don’t care. Agitation spikes beneath my skin and I’m primed to pace. To rip and rain mayhem.
Shehumsagain, barely, involuntarily…like she’s testing it out, testingme, and my whole goddamn world tilts into place.
Sweet heavenly saints. I don’t know where this creature came from. Don’t know how I lived before this.
