She grins, looking at me as she places the box back on the top shelf. “I’m not Seraphine. Don’t worry, you’re safe with me.”
“Sorry,” I mumble my apology.
“Don’t be. I know what it’s like being human around vampires,” she confesses.
I look at her, my lips parting in shock. “How long? When did you?” I stutter my questions.
“Twenty-seven years ago. Let’s say I gave my heart to someone who didn’t deserve it,” she says, sadness in her eyes.
“Silas.” I blurt, gasping as I cover my mouth with my hand.
She lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “No, not Silas. But you picked up on that, huh?” she asks.
I nod. “Yeah, it’s a bit hard to miss.” I wince.
She nods, swallowing. “That’s a story for another day.” She clears her throat. “Come on, before Lucian rips the office door off the hinges looking for you.” She leads me back out to the bar while she makes my gin. Bending down, she grabs a large plain black bottle sealed with melted red wax. “Grab those glasses for me, would you?” She points to the stack of tumblers. I grab them and follow her back to our table.
I can feel Lucian’s gaze on me as we make our way through the crowd. I give him a playful wink, making his lips twitch in amusement. As I’m about to swerve around a group of men laughing and joking with each other, one of them steps in front of me, smiling, his breath stinking of beer. “Hey, I’ve not seen you in here before,” he slurs.
I can’t hide my disdain. He’s young, maybe college age, good-looking in that boy-next-door way. “That’s because I’ve not come in here before. I’m with my…” I pause, thinking. What do I call him? Boyfriend seems too casual for what we have. We aren’t married. He’s more than a lover. “Er, life partner?” I say it as a question, but it doesn’t sound right.
His eyes spark. “Oh really, where is she?” he asks, looking over my shoulder.
I shake my head. “No, not life partner as in I’m a lesbian, life partner as in he’s mine for life,” I ramble,my mind working a mile a minute, trying to think of what I mean. “Soul mate!” I blurt. “He’s my soul mate?” I add, smiling to myself. I got there in the end.
“Oh, I see.” He mutters, disappointment etching across his face.
“Yeah… anyway, have a good night.” I force a smile and step past him.
His hand closes around my elbow. “Wait.” I gasp, caught off guard. He releases me almost instantly, his face draining of color. I don’t need to turn around to know Lucian is standing behind me.
“My soulmate.” I grin up at the drunken student. He nods stiffly and backs away. I turn, still holding the tumblers, and tilt my head to meet Lucian’s gaze. His amber eyes blaze down at me, furious for half a second before they soften, melting into something dangerously tender. “I had it handled,” I murmur.
“He touched you,” he breathes. The words vibrate with restrained rage.
I smirk. “If you behave, I might let you touch me in more intimate places later.”
That finally breaks through his anger. His lips curve faintly, desire burning in his stare.
“Tonight,” he says with a quiet intensity, “I won’t stop touching you. I want to memorize every soft curve of your body. Every sound you make. Everybreath. I want you carved into me so deeply that when I meet my fate tomorrow…” He pauses, his fingers delicately brushing over my cheek. “My last thoughts will be of you.” My throat tightens and my nose stings. I fight the tears threatening to spill as I cling to the smallest, most fragile thread of hope that somehow, I can still save him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
LUCIAN
Her soft breathsand her warm, soft body curl into me as she sleeps. Her dark, silken hair is splayed behind her as I trail my fingers lazily through it. I don’t look away, my gaze solely fixed on her, not wanting to forget a single part of her. I curse the world, curse those in charge of fate for not bringing her to me sooner. Why couldn’t we have met hundreds of years ago? Even ten years ago. Instead, I’m given mere weeks, days of knowing her, loving her.
Needing a drink, I carefully slide out from beside her, placing a soft kiss on her temple. Her soft moans of protest bring a smile to my lips. I slide on a pair of sweats and head out to the bar. I pause when I see Silassitting there, nursing a bottle and staring intently into the burning fire. He doesn’t turn around, simply holds out the bottle for me to take. I grab it, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. “Unable to slumber?” I ask, although the answer is obvious.
His blackened gaze flicks to mine. “I don’t see the point if it could all be over tomorrow,” he shrugs.
I take a long pull from the bottle, the alcohol-infused blood warming my throat. “No, I guess not,” I agree.
He sighs. “Look, I need to apologize for what I said to Evelynn. It caused a world of shit, and I was way out of line.”
I stare at him. “It gave us answers, so I cannot be mad,” I tell him truthfully.
He shifts awkwardly in his seat. “And the fact I wanted to fuck her.” He pauses.
