~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.”
~Rory~“What do you mean?”Elijah pulled his lower lip between his teeth, contemplating on whether to answer me truthfully. I watched him collect and pile the utensils I used in the middle of the tray warily. Then he stood and set the silver tray on the desk before walking back to the bed, sitting closer to me this time.With conscious movement, he unscrewed the cap of the pain reliever from the bedside table, took out two, and handed them to me with open palms. I downed both with water. Elijah handed over the ice pack; the cool packet instantly eased the discomfort on my left ribs as I pressed it there, holding it with one hand.“Are you warm enough?” He reached for the duvet, draped it over my crossed legs, fixed the pillows behind me so I&rsquo
~Rory~Without the pain medication’s help, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep last night.How can I? Elijah dropped the soulmate bomb and bolted out of the room. I’m really despising the fact that he was fast. I chase and hunt criminals for a living, but I know this particular chase my mind was pushing me to take will only end in disappointment.If he doesn’t want to talk to me, if he wants to leave me in the dark, I will find my own way.How? I’m devising schemes at the moment.It was still dark when I woke up. I lay on the bed, lost in my thoughts, staring at the ceiling for some time until I realized it's morning already. The dark gave way to a new day. The weather was kinder compared to the storm
~Rory~ A sound caught between choking and chortling slipped past my lips. “Is that even real?” What I asked sounded stupid even to my own ears. Just a month ago, I would laugh at anyone who says vampires and werewolves exist. But in light of the events I witnessed since moving to Salvatore Hills, the possibility that what Elijah told me is true sent shivers down my spine. Worry flowered on the pit of my belly, but I swatted it before it bloomed to a full-grown fright. Nolani tilted her pretty head to the side. “Destiny? Fate? For us, yes.” She reached for the clothes scattered on the bed, lifting one after the other in front of her. “We are cursed, blessed; however you want to put it, to have a mate, soulmate, one true love, as humans like to call it. Some find their
~Elijah~Rory’s heartbeat lulled. Her continuous turning and flipping on my bed five rooms away from my study stopped, and she had fallen into a dreamless sleep.It was a mistake, coming here in Salvatore Hills, revealing what she is to me… all of it. My fucking existence is a bane.“So, she is your soulmate.” Jace, dressed decently in his borrowed clothes from Henry, approached me as I stared at the billowing storm.He wasn’t asking, but my reply validated his statement. “Yes.” I tipped my glass of Macallan Peter Blake 1926, taking a gulp.Jace stood beside me with a huff, hands shoved in his jeans pocket. Our reflection on my study’s glass wall was both solemn. I can feel his
~Elijah~“My God,” Tayen murmured as soon as I stepped inside their humble abode. “I never thought we’d cross paths again.” She wrapped me in the cocoon of her familiar embrace.I tightened my hold on her as her shoulder trembled, sobbing silently against my chest.Jace stood on the side, regarding Tayen and me with a look that could form an encyclopedia of questions. Even now that we’ve formed a bond, his thoughts are still shielded from my abilities, just like Tayen.~~It was a gloomy day. The lake reflects the clouds looming over the treeline. The evidence of the storm surrounds Salvatore Lake. Tree logs that didn’t withstand the punishing gale fell to the ground. Leaves swept by
~Elijah~If it were up to me, I’d rather fight alone than have people like Tayen, Nolani, and even my best friend Henry put their lives in danger for me. But as Mingan told me long ago, a commander could have a thousand soldiers under his command, but he is nothing unless he learns to accept that he is not a one-man army. And I understand this is a war I can’t win on my own.To keep things low-key, Tayen and I agreed to only meet when necessary. We put to good use what technology this generation offers. We don’t need to use magic anymore, unlike we did before. But I knew all too well that there’s always a loophole in these advances.She also took it upon herself to tell Jace what he needed to know but kept him in the shadows of who I truly am. It might not stop Jace from searching for the tru