~Rory~
This year’s Seattle Hope Foundation fundraising event is a lot different from their traditional organized party. It’s a scavenger hunt theme held on Senator Richardson’s Washington estate. There will be a party later in the night of course, for the oldies, rich and influential people who’d find this hunt somewhat unfitting for their age and status.
It was a nice change.
The Senator’s daughter, Gail, had a different perspective than her parents. I’ve met her a few times at formal events when Dad dragged me as his plus-one when Mom wasn’t available.
Gail Richardson is a law student, but instead of diving into politics like her parents and older brother Keat, she is tackling a path in social work. It is still in line with ser
~Rory~ I hoped to have a normal day, spend this weekend with my friends without the strange troubles of Salvatore Hills looming over my head. Was that too much to ask? Jace’s hands dropped to his side when I stepped back, creating a safe distance between us. “Nothing,” I lied. The quirk in his brows says he’s unconvinced. “Uhm, I just needed to make a phone call. What are you doing here?” Giving him a once-over, I noticed the number 173 pin attached to his flannel shirt. The first few buttons were undone, a gray shirt peeking underneath, and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows stretched to accommodate his sinewy biceps. He wore dark fitted jeans and biker boots, his rich brown hair tumbling over his forehead. “To hunt, o
~Rory~I stood there, cold and confused. I’m not sure what happened, or if there was even a reason for it. If it was even real in the first place.It’s like he took a part of me with him, leaving a black hole in my chest that sucked all the air from my body. And right now, there’s a huge jackhammer digging it deeper and deeper. It’s fucking painful.A tear rolled down my cheek, followed by another and another. And as soon as he disappeared through the corner leading to the garden, the fucking damn broke. I gave in, allowing the ache I felt when I saw him smiling down at Nolani to overpower me.I can’t hold myself upright. I took a few steps to the side, needing something to hold on to, dropping on the wet wooden bench, not minding that it wa
~Rory~“You’re doubting my abilities now, mio principe?” It was Nolani who answered Elijah. [my prince]I couldn’t put a finger on that certain edge of her voice, but it was different from the sultry tone she had as she spoke with him at the parlor before.“How many times did I tell you never to call me that?” was Elijah’s stone-cold response.Movements followed his statement, and soon their voices sounded closer to one another. The dome shape of the atrium enhanced even the smallest sound. I was afraid they would hear the pounding in my chest.Jace hasn’t moved an inch, his face so close to mine, which also meant that he could see straight into my eyes. His creased brows indica
~Rory~ I pushed Jace by the chest the moment my eyes locked with the wolf’s reflection. I am certain that we were breathless for an entirely different reason. Jace’s blue eyes were dilated and wild with lust, while mine were surely wide with confusion. The quick worry that washed over his face was proof of that. “Rory,” he reached for my face, I flinched before he could touch me again. Jace stepped back, giving me the space that I can’t get on my own, since I’m still unable to move with the shelf on my back. I wasn’t even worried that he kissed me. Even without my verbal consent, I allowed him to kiss me. But what the hell was that? It wasn’t a snippet from my dreams. I know this because I relived them repeatedly in my h
~Elijah~ Mental and physical torture was nothing new to me, but the despair in my heart is something I can never overcome. As ironic as it may seem, even a creature of the night like me wasn’t invulnerable to heartache. Aurora. My light. My better half. I’ve tried so hard to get her out of my mind, but a stubborn heart can ruin even an immortal being like me. “We should go.” Henry stood beside me while I watched Rory’s car leave the Richardson estate’s premises. “We got everything we came for.” “Go and take Nolani before she kills her playmate,” I instructed. Henry replied with a sigh, not moving an inch. We can smell it, the bl
~Rory~Hidden in the dark and harsh beating pellet of rain, my heart stilled, and so did every part of my body. I hardly took a gasp before another lightning strike. The man - not human, whatever he was - audibly sniffed my neck, appraising, evaluating me. For what? I’m not sure I want to know.Surprisingly, knowing he isn’t human didn’t cite fear in me.“You’re not afraid,” he murmured, a whisper in my ear in duet with the roar of angry thunder slicing through the storm’s holler.Both hands fencing me by the car, he inhaled and exhaled, not for breathing but to sniff me like a wild animal nosing its food. Another lightning and I caught a glimpse of his tongue running over his protruded teeth.
~Rory~With the ongoing state of my mind, I can’t be certain how long it took for Elijah to reach the Vitale estate. It could have been minutes, but what I am sure of was his inhuman speed, his agility, the feel of his muscles with each movement, and the warmth of his body that kept me from getting hypothermia.How the hell is he so warm? If he’s a vampire, shouldn’t he be cold? Undead? A practical walking corpse?If there are vampires and werewolves, what other creatures are out there?The world I grew up knowing is not what it seems. I wanted to know more, and I got what I wanted, but I’m not sure where to go from here.All these thoughts bouncing all over my head turned my stomach into knots. It&rsq
~Rory~Bathed in darkness, I remained curled in a fetal position, hugging myself. It’s cold; everything around me provides no comfort or warmth. But I was afraid to open my eyes, knowing that everything I knew would not be the same.The throbbing pain in my neck reminded me of the vampire who bit me. The stabbing ache in my ribs and the numbness of my toes and fingers, everything... It reminded me it was not a dream, but unlike before, I’d rather stay in the darkness's comfort than wake up.I shivered as sudden warmth blanketed me. A hand looped around my waist, breaking through the safety cage I surrounded myself with.“Cara mia...” Elijah whispered, “I’m here. You don’t have to be afraid.”