“You think I’m gorgeous?” he asks.
I clench my fist and pull back to punch him squarely in the face.
Admittedly, I didn’t use much of my Vampire strength, but clearly, I should have, the man is built like a brick shithouse.
“Fuck!” I yell at him, shaking out my hand as he rubs his jaw in mirth.
“Is that all you’ve got? I’d have pegged you for a much a harder hit than that.”
“Oh, let me try again and you won’t even see me, you’ll be so far into that forest,” I snarl and he laughs at me. I step forward, while he steps to the side, turning us in a circle away from the windows almost as if he is goading me. My three, now silent boys, back up as they see the change go over me and none of them particularly wants to intervene. Flexing my fist again, I advance on him and using all of my Vampire strength, I punch him again in his face and this time, to my satisfaction, he goes flying into the door behind him. Well, through it, into the main corridor. We are just busting doors all over the place tonight. Not bad going, really. Okay, maybe I used a bit of my Dragon Power as well. Shaking it off as I step through the gaping hole, I find him still conscious, barely, slumped up against the opposite wall.
“Better?” I say to him as I help him up.
“Much,” he says as he stands shakily. “You are truly worthy.”
“Humph, I should think so. You won’t find anyone better,” I say, with no false modesty here.
“No, I won’t. I chose well.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Chose what?” CK snaps at us as he, too, steps through the gaping hole. Although he is furious with me, I see the pride as well for the damage I caused.
Aww crap, I think, as Lincoln beams at me adoringly. “I marked her. We are Paired. She is now my Alpha mate.”
EPILOGUE
Tuscany, Italy, 1277 - Aefre
T hree. It had to be three. I didn’t know why. It was how I liked it. He knew as he came in to find me lying on the floor in the last patch of sunlight before it disappeared, leaving me in the dark again. I didn’t have much energy to move, so I just stayed there. He placed the candles on the side by the bed and quietly came over to pick me up, cradling me in his arms and whispering to me. I relaxed as his voice washed over me, pulling me under his spell. He placed me gently on the bed and I turned away from him. He sighed and lit the other two candles from the one already burning. Three. It had to be three. He crawled onto the bed behind me and held me close. He loosely draped his arm around me, careful not to hold too tight, in our nightly ritual. He waited with me until I fell asleep and stayed with me to comfort me as I cried in my sleep.
“Please, come back to me, Aefre,” he whispered as he did every night. “I am sorry I left you there. If I had known, I would have come for you.”
I didn’t say anything. I never said anything to him or anyone anymore. I knew he wanted me to be well again, but I didn’t think I could do it. I knew at least a dozen years, more even, had passed since I was held in capture, but I was broken. I was so tired because I didn’t drink enough. Having been starved of blood for twelve years, I drank so much when I was rescued that I killed the human. I drained him dry and it made me physically ill. I didn’t drink from humans anymore and barely partook of Vampire blood and then, only his.
“Aefre, please drink.” He picked up on my weak thoughts and placed his wrist to my mouth. I wanted to. I wanted to make him happy. I was doing nothing to please him and I was afraid he was going to leave me. Take me somewhere and just leave me there to be rid of this burden I was for him. That thought scared me so much, I dropped my fangs and pulled his wrist into my mouth. He hissed as I bit down on him and he whispered, “Good girl. Drink. Take your fill.”
I did as he asked, now desperate to keep him happy with me. I could feel the power of his blood giving me strength and I
took more as my thoughts became clearer. As the haze started to fade, I pulled back and I knew I had to respond to him. I didn’t want him to leave me. I turned in his arms to his surprise and I looked into his beautiful dark eyes that went darker as he saw signs of life in mine. I closed them as he stroked my face.
“Oh, Aefre. Are you coming back to me? I have waited for this day for so long. Please speak to me. Tell me you are coming back to me.”
I tried to speak, but no sound came out. I tried again, but it only came out as a whisper, “I love you, Constantine. Please don’t leave me.”
His eyes lit up at my words. “I love you, Aefre. I will not leave you. Not ever again. Not ever again. I will be by your side forever,” he said fiercely, and I knew I would be well again.
The End
Carry on with the story in Choices: The Forever Series, Book 4
Join my Facebook Reader Group for more info on my latest books and backlist: Forever Eve's Reader Group
Join my newsletter for exclusive news, giveaways and competitions: https://emailoctopus.com/lists/a0f1e6a3-7a21-11e9-9307-06b4694bee2a/forms/subscribe
CHOICES: THE FOREVER SERIES, BOOK 4
Choices