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  “Grayson,” I protested. He held up his hand to motion for me to stop talking. I shot a glance at Elijah, who tilted his head toward the floor and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “I’ll uh... let you guys talk,” he said and shot a glance from Grayson back to me. My mind was racing. I had no idea how to fix this situation. Grayson’s eyes searched my face and waited for an explanation. I didn’t have one.

  “I’m waiting, Eva,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

  “I can’t do this now, Grayson. I’m dealing with a freaking dead body.” I didn’t know what had come over me. I had enough on my plate right now and I didn’t have room for a jealous ex-boyfriend. It wasn’t like he was sitting at home, waiting for me to come around. He had been out with plenty of other girls and he was oblivious to how that had made me feel.

  He threw his hands up in defeat and stormed off toward the door. “Grayson, wait,” I called after him as he pushed through the police and emergency workers entering my apartment. Elijah walked up behind me and tucked his arm around my waist and kissed me on the top of my head, letting his lips linger as he inhaled deeply.

  “So that’s your past,” he asked recalling Grayson’s first intrusion in the woods. I nodded my head in response hoping that Grayson hadn’t just walked out of my life forever.

  ***

  We stepped back into the kitchen as emergency workers removed the intruder on a gurney. I turned around to bury my face in Elijah’s chest so I didn’t have to see his bloody remains. He answered a few questions by the police and they slowly began to file out. I sighed in relief when the last person was gone as he pulled me back from his body and placed his hands on either side of my head as he inspected my expression.

  “You okay?” he asked. I felt myself begin to relax as he stroked my cheek with his thumb.

  “I’ll manage,” I said, turning the corners of my mouth up into the beginning of a smile. He pulled my head toward him and placed a hard lingering kiss on my forehead. The truth was, I would be completely losing control if it weren't for him. I slipped my arms around him and gripped his shirt in my hands. Thunder began to rumble from outside as the rain started to pelt the side of the building violently.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said with a weak smile.

  “It’s storming out,” I replied and he pulled me in to give me a soft kiss. I couldn’t stop my body from melting against him. After a moment, he pulled me back and took my hands in his, lacing our fingers together.

  “It’s not safe for you here.”

  “Where would we go? There is no safe place anymore.”

  “You’re right,” He said in defeat because we both knew it was only a matter of time. You couldn’t win in this world. “Let’s, at least, get out of here for a few hours.”

  “Alright. I love the rain,” I agreed and grabbed my sandals from my room, pausing to look at the spot on the floor that recently held a dead body. I shook the thought from my head and picked up my cell phone out of habit. I turned it around in my hand and set it back down on the dresser. I didn’t need any more drama from Grayson tonight. I spun around and flashed a smile at Elijah, who stood in my doorway, grabbing his hand as I passed and pulling him behind me.

  Chapter six

  Monster Within

  The rain was warm as it coated us in big heavy drops. We were soaked in minutes. Something about a storm made you feel alone even if the streets were crowded with others and I didn’t mind the intimate moment with Elijah. I struggled to hear him talk over the rumbles of thunder and the music that spilled into the streets from the local bars and clubs.

  “My parents are originally from Ireland, but I was raised in the south,” he explained in a hushed tone.

  “Where are your parents now?” I asked trying to unravel the mystery that was Elijah. He furrowed his brow and looked down at the sidewalk.

  “Long gone,” he replied in a flat tone. I didn’t probe any further. I could tell it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about and I immediately regretted asking.

  “I see,” I said looking out toward the street as headlights streamed by. The sun hadn’t set yet, but thanks to the clouds it could have passed for night. We stopped in front of a stand on the sidewalk selling ice cream and he ordered us each a cone, handing me mine with a wink.

  “You?” he asked back. I sighed when I realized I hadn’t completely ruined the moment.

  “They’re around. I don’t see much of my mother, but my father comes by every now and again to check up on me,” I replied with a nod.

  “How come?”

  Now it was my turn to feel uncomfortable. I pushed out a massive breath and decided to tell him about Marcus.

  “My brother, Marcus, was killed a little while back. Murdered.”

  His face turned to stone and neither of us spoke for a moment.

  “I just don’t like to see the disappointment in their eyes when I walk through the door and he doesn’t,” I admitted feeling sorry for myself. I absent-mindedly licked my ice cream waiting for him to respond.

  “That explains a lot,” he finally said. I wasn’t sure what he meant. He took my hand again and we began to walk. Drunks spilled from the bar in front of us, crashing into pedestrians that lingered on the sidewalk. Elijah instinctively pulled me behind him, placing himself between the rowdy crowd and me. The inebriated partiers staggered and shoved anyone around them.

  “Hey,” Elijah yelled in a dark, frightening tone and the crowd froze in place. The drunks staggered and laughed making their way toward us.

  “Got a problem, Friend?” A man called as he stepped out from the middle of the action. My body immediately tensed as I recognized the voice. A chill shot up my spine.

  “That’s one of the vampires from the pool hall,” I whispered behind Elijah.

  “You guys need to take your party elsewhere. You’re scaring people.”

  “Is that right?” The designated drunk leader asked with a smirk. He inched closer to Elijah with his mouth gaping open, exposing his fangs. “Who’s your girl?” He asked, shooting me a smile. “Oh, I remember you. From the pool hall, right?” Elijah stepped to the right, blocking him from my view. “Real shame about your friends. You can never be too careful these days.”

  “You son of a bitch,” I yelled as Elijah held me back.

  “You need to leave now,” Elijah growled. The man laughed and turned around to his merry band of misfits.

  “I guess it’s time to go,” he said in a mocking tone. He turned back around to get the final word. “We’ll be seeing you, Elijah.” And with one last sinister chuckle they headed across the street to their car and hopped in. They howled and hollered all the way down the road until they were out of sight. I breathed a sigh of relief as they disappeared under the railroad bridge into the hollow. Elijah spun around and gripped both of my arms just below the shoulders.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I'm okay,” I reassured him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He squeezed me tightly as I struggled not to break down right there in the steady drizzle of the rain.

  “Elijah? How did they know your name?” I asked replaying what the vampire had said in my head now that my fear had subsided.

  “They come into my cousin’s club from time to time and try to cause trouble.”

  “Aren’t you worried?” I asked, pulling back from him and looking him in the eye. He tugged me back against him, squeezing me tighter than before.

  “Not for me,” He answered quietly. “Come on.” Shooting me a grin he pulled me by the hand into the bar as I tossed my half-eaten cone into the trash.

  “I’m not really in the mood for fun now.”

  “Then you need a beer more than ever.”

  The song When the Sun Goes Down blared from the jukebox in the corner. We weaved our way through the crowd of people on the dance floor and sat on two stools at the end of the bar. The bartender made her way down to us and flashed Elijah a big smile. She had blonde hai
r that seemed to radiate its own light and all eyes were on her.

  “What are ya’ havin’?” she asked, not acknowledging my existence. I sighed deliberately and rolled my eyes.

  “We would like two beers,” he replied as he winked at me.

  “She looks a little young,” she quipped.

  “I use a lot of moisturizers,” I deadpanned.

  The barmaid glanced in my direction before walking down the bar to get our drinks. I let out an awkward laugh as he tucked a strand of my long, brown hair behind my ear causing my skin to heat. “She’s not my type.” Lifting my chin with his fingers, he looked me in the eye. “You are.”

  The barmaid brought our drinks and sat them down in front of us with a touch of force, trying to get his attention, but his eyes never left mine. We grabbed our drinks and took a sip as Radar Love began to play. Elijah’s eyes lit up.

  “Oh no,” I said, knowing what he was thinking. He nodded his head and laughed. I set my beer down as he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the dance floor. “I can’t dance,” I muttered. He furrowed his brow in mock confusion.

  “You can’t or you won’t?” he said looking utterly mischievous. I shook my head no as he pulled me in against him and began moving his hips to the rhythm. I couldn’t help but break into laughter. He pushed me backward, still gripping my hand and tugged me back, spinning me on the floor and catching me in his arms.

  I glanced behind me at him and caught him winking out of the corner of my eye as he pushed against me again, sending me twirling. He grabbed my other hand and pulled me back. This time, I swung my hips to his. I was dancing and actually enjoying it. My father would never believe this. As the song neared its end, he pulled me close and kissed me. The drunken crowd cheered and I felt the blush burn across my cheeks. I didn’t care. I kept my lips pressed against his. There was nowhere else I wanted to be but in the middle of the dance floor with Elijah.

  A thunderous bang rang out through the bar as the power flickered out from the storm. The crowd screamed and hollered all around us as Elijah pulled me in for another kiss. The inebriated patrons shoved passed us as he held me tight in his arms. He rested his forehead against mine for a moment, peaceful in the center of chaos.

  “Come on.”

  I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear the smile behind his words. He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out of the building making sure we didn’t bump into any tables. We made it to the sidewalk where all of the other locals had congregated, their drinks still in hand. We snaked through and headed back toward my place. The rain poured onto us in sheets. He grabbed my hand and we began to run down the road and onto my street. Tugging at my arm, we crossed the road in between the sporadic traffic.

  Cutting across Cherry Street, we headed toward the secret path to his favorite spot next to the creek. He pushed me back against a tree and brushed the wet strands of hair from my face. I leaned in to kiss him, sending a chill through my entire body.

  He slid his tongue between my lips as I ran my hands up his back, feeling his muscles flex beneath my fingers. He pushed his weight against me causing the bark from the tree to dig into my flesh, the pain fading almost as fast as it came, drowning under my desires. He slid his hand down my side, and grabbed my thigh from underneath, yanking it up and wrapped it behind his waist.

  “Being a gentleman around you is proving difficult.”

  I kissed him hungrily as he slipped his hand under my shirt and jerked it up over my head with one quick motion, leaving behind my beige lace bra. He pulled back as his eyes roamed over my body before he leaned back in kissing his way down my neck. I ran my hands through his wet hair as his mouth slipped lower, making his way down my chest and slowly undoing my shorts.

  I pushed back against the tree and angled my hips toward him as he slid them off, leaving a trail of kisses down my thigh. I pulled him up toward me and began to undress him. We locked eyes as I lifted his shirt. His body glistened in the rain. I bit my lip and took in the view for a moment before pushing off of the tree and undoing his pants.

  Kissing his neck, I made my way up to his earlobe. He let out a quiet moan as his hands slid over my soaking wet body. He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bank of the creek in nothing but our underwear. It sloped perfectly down into the water. I laughed as he turned around and lifted me effortlessly by the waist and lowered me in. I gripped my arms around his neck as he picked my legs up and placed me around him. He wrapped his hand in my hair and pulled my face against his, breathing raggedly as we kissed.

  I was consumed by his passion and the terrible events of the day melted under his touch. I let out a moan into his ear as he kissed along my jaw, our bodies moved with the rhythm of the current. I nibbled on his earlobe as his tongue trailed down my neck. He slid his hand from my hair and pushed it off my shoulder.

  Elijah’s body froze in place, his arms gripping me like a vice. I opened my eyes and turned to meet his gaze that was fixated on his own hand. The rain ran off it mixing with a dark crimson substance. My mind went to the vampires we’d seen tonight but I quickly dismissed any danger because I felt safer in Elijah’s arms than I’d ever felt before.

  “Oh… I must have cut my back against that tree.”

  His expression never changed. He didn’t look up at me as I spoke.

  “It’s okay, I'm all right. I didn’t even realize I was hurt.” I continued not wanting this moment to end because he was concerned for my safety.

  My words trailed off as he slowly raised his eyes to meet mine, expressionless. “I’m fine,” I repeated and flashed him a smile to ease his worry, pulling him back to me for a kiss. His body relaxed slightly and he returned my advances. He was much rougher than he had been before. Our bodies began to move hard against each other as his mouth made its way down my neck.

  A sharp, stabbing pain shot through me, radiating from my throat and down to my fingertips. My mind raced, pleading with my body to do something, anything to save myself as I struggled to comprehend what was happening.

  This was the very place he’d assured me I was safe.

  I was safe because I was with him.

  I gasped and let out an animalistic scream that felt like it was ripping itself from my soul. A pushed at Elijah’s chest with all of my strength, but his body did not budge an inch. He was too strong. Too determined. He wasn’t a he at all, but an it. A thing that could not be reasoned with or feel sympathy. He caught my wrists and squeezed harshly as his teeth penetrated deeper into my flesh. If I tried to pull away, my skin and muscle would surely be ripped away with his bite. My throat quickly became raw and my screams became raspy, lost among the sounds of the falling rain and the rush of the creek.

  “Please,” I sobbed, more pleading to myself to be strong than for mercy that I knew wouldn’t come. He let out a muffled growl against my skin as he twisted my arms behind my back. “Elijah,” I choked out as my head began to spin, dizzy from the blood loss. I relaxed my weight against him, unable to fight anymore. It felt as if my body was tumbling from that ledge of the hotel, weightless and fading. My head rolled to the side as he retracted his fangs but the pain didn’t ebb. He let go of my wrists and put his hand on my back to keep me from slipping beneath the surface of the murky water. I was barely clinging to consciousness and I was begging myself to just let go so I wouldn’t have to feel this betrayal that hurt much worse than the flesh wound. I kept my eyes closed and hoped that he would think I was dead.

  His breathing began to normalize and he gripped my body tighter against his. “Eva, I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear in a hushed panic. “Eva, I know you can hear me. I can feel you heart beating.” He gently tucked my hair behind my ear. He was fighting a battle against his monster within him and it felt like the human side of him was losing.

  ***

  Elijah lowered me onto the creek bank, his body coming to rest on top of mine. The image of his blood stained smile morphing into the one I’d known before, He presse
d his lips to mine and I welcomed his touch, hungrily sliding my hands down his body.

  “I want you,” he groaned.

  “In your dreams,” I shot back with a giggle.

  “This isn’t my dream, Eva. It’s yours.

  Chapter seven

  Preparation

  I awoke and shot up into a sitting position as fear washed over me. I glanced around, catching the alarm clock that read 8:43 am. I was in my bed, alone. It was just a nightmare.

  I shoved the covers down, my body, overheated from being under the heavy fabric. I was wearing a silk nightgown that I had bought several years ago and never worn. I slid my hand down the slippery material. “How?” I mumbled to myself. A sound from the kitchen startled me and I gasp. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I tiptoed to the doorway, holding my breath. It squeaked as I slowly pulled it open and was assaulted by the bright light that poured in. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

  “We need to talk,” Grayson called from the kitchen. I flung the door open the rest of the way and peeked out. Grayson sat at my table eating a bowl of cereal as if it were just another ordinary day.

  “H-hey,” I stammered. I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and a spoon out of the dishwasher. I sat in the seat across from him and poured a bowl for myself, glancing up to see his expression, but trying to avoid eye contact.

  “Glad to see you’re alone this morning,” he said coldly as he glanced up and looked me in the eye. “You are alone, aren’t you?” His face read of disgust and I rolled my eyes.

  “Grayson, you have no idea the night I had.” I started, but he quickly interrupted.

  “Spare me the hangover sob story,” he replied.

  I have had about enough. I slammed my spoon into my bowl and crossed my arms.

  “Look, Grayson, we aren’t together. I’m getting really sick of these double standards.” I shoved away from the table and got up to put my bowl in the sink. I had lost my appetite. I rinsed it out as I heard his chair slide back and he stomped down the hall and walked out the door. I felt the tears stream down my cheeks and slammed the bowl, watching it crack into shards.