Joseph’s POVIt felt good to finally allow myself time to rest. But I was woken early in the evening by the sound of hard knocking on my door. I groaned as I got myself out of bed and left my room. Tessa was back in the hospital with Connor watching over her, so I knew she was safe.She was also doing a lot better when I left her; I was relieved that she was going to be okay. I made a decision that as soon as she was on her feet again, I would take her far away from this village and bring her home. I never wanted her to return here again; not after what had happened with Ryan.That loud knocking continued, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. When I opened the door, I saw a very anxious Bernard standing before me with a couple of warriors on either side of him.I furrowed my brows together, confused.“What’s going on?” I asked, staring between all of them.“Ryan is back,” Bernard seethed. “He had the nerve to return to the village. I sense him going to his home.”I clenched my fists
Tessa’s POV“So, you knew Joseph was a vampire this entire time?” Ruby asked, peering over at me with an alarmed and yet curious look.My face warmed as she continued to stare daggers at me, and I found myself lowering my head before answering.“Yes,” I finally said after a short pause. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I promised him I wouldn’t say anything…”“This entire time we’ve had a vampire as a professor…” she breathed; it wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. “And it’s safe to be around him?”I couldn’t help but smile at my best friend; it was nice to have someone to talk to about this now.“There’s a lot of stereotypes when it comes to vampires,” I told her. “Like they don’t need blood to survive. Joseph doesn’t drink blood like that.”She rose her brows.“If that’s the case then what happened to you? How’d you get hurt? They said you suffered from severe blood loss.”I met her eyes and bit onto my bottom lip almost nervously as she assessed my face and every bruise tha
Tessa’s POV“Forget everything?” I asked hoarsely, glancing at Ruby who looked pale before looking back at Joseph. “Why do you have to make her forget?”“Ruby having any knowledge of this place, or our kind is dangerous, Tessa,” Joseph said, narrowing his eyes at me. “The minute we decided to bring her here, we always had the plan to wipe her memory afterward.”“What about me? Isn't it dangerous for me to know any of this information too?”He didn’t say anything, which only made my heart grow incredibly heavy. I found myself wondering what was wandering through his mind at that moment. But I kept my mouth shut because I was completely speechless.“I won’t say anything if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ruby said with a deep frown.Joseph sighed and looked at her.“That’s not all I’m worried about,” he told her gently. “It’s easier this way. I’m sorry, but it’s already been decided.”I wanted to protest some more, but before I could, the door of the infirmary opened, and Anna ran in
Tessa’s POVI stared at Joseph with shock; his face had gone expressionless. I must have looked extremely confused to him because he sighed and met my eyes.“It’s for the best,” he told me, keeping his eyes rested on mine. “I don’t want to take any chances…”“Because of one bad vampire?” I argued, trying to keep my emotions under control. But the longer I stared into his eyes, the more hurt I was becoming.“It’s not just one bad vampire, Tessa,” Joseph argued but he kept his tone level. “ There are rogue vampires lurking in our forests that we don’t know on which day they will crave for human blood again. There are other creatures. I don’t know if I can even trust everyone in my tribe at this point. It’s not safe for you here and I’m not going to argue with you about it.”“Don’t I have a say in—”“No,” he said flatly. “You don’t have a say in anything. This is my decision and I’m not going to let you stay here any longer. As soon as Dr. Cornelia gives me the okay, I’m bringing you hom
Tessa’s POVWar is coming?What did that even mean?Could Ryan’s words really be taken seriously after everything he had done and lied about? Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who was questioning this. Joseph asked the same question and Bernard replied with, “It’s not something I’m chancing.”I also didn’t know what that meant.What was Bernard going to do?I was consumed with worry and had to step away from the door. Joseph wanted me to pack my things so he could take me home, but it almost sounded like we might need to stay and figure out how to protect this village.I certainly didn’t want anything happening to it.Soon, Joseph was walking back into the house, and I was whipping around to face him. He raised his brows, but that frown never left his lips.“It’s not polite to eavesdrop,” he muttered.“Do we need to stay to take care of business?” I asked; I didn’t even bother trying to defend myself.He began to walk past me and toward his bedroom.“No,” he answered over his shoulder
Tessa’s POVThe words that have been making a nest in my heart for what felt like an eternity have finally been spoken out loud. I couldn’t stop them once they filled my heart and escaped my lips. Joseph was still breathing hard after his climax, and he remained on top of me.I said those words between his lips as he kissed me and then once the words registered in his mind, I felt his entire body freezing.“You don’t have to say it back,” I said quickly, running my fingers through his hair. “I just thought you should know how I was feeling.”For a moment, I thought I saw pain flashing through his eyes, and I wondered what that was about. I ran my fingers down the side of his face, and he closed his eyes, leaning into my touch. I leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips.To my surprise he deepened the kiss; his tongue explored my mouth curiously and I loved every feeling of it. Even though he didn’t say it back, I felt lighter now that he knew how I felt. I was glad he knew how I wa
Joseph’s POVI love you.Those words hung in the air like poison. I haven’t heard those words since my late wife. Words I never desired to hear again. Until I met Tessa, and my heart rapidly began to beat only for her. It was an issue because she was a human, and it was already proved that our relationship wasn’t a good idea.Because of what I am, because of what I subjected her to, Tessa nearly died. She was acting stronger than ever like it didn’t bother her what she went through. But I knew it buttered her and I knew she needed to get her mind off things. I wanted to be there for her in a way that no one else could. I wanted to hold her in my arms and take away her worries and fears.But I felt a lot of fear myself. I feared for her safety, and I feared for her future.When she told me she loved me those fears disappeared for only a moment and a new set of fears began to crowd my mind. She was in love with a monster; she had to know that. But looking in her eyes, I didn’t see any f
Tessa’s POVBack to the same routine. The vacation was finally over, and reality was setting back in. It was time to return to school and pretend that I wasn’t completely head over heels in love with Joseph. I didn’t even care that he hadn’t said it back. Like Ruby said, he was probably afraid to take that next step.But over the next few weeks, I’m going to prove to him that I’m worth loving and that he can trust me. I’m going to prove to him that I’m okay with his lifestyle and I’ll be more than okay in the village in the mountains.I had a minor freakout with those asshole men the other night, but Joseph was there to protect me and he got me home safely. I have a feeling I won't be bothered for a very long time. Joseph certainly made an impression on them, and word will get around quickly.I smiled at the thought of Joseph standing up for me. He might not tell me that he loves me with words, but he shows me with his actions and that’s more than enough for me.I spent most of last n