mine and know what love’s first kiss was all about.
Just when I had gathered my courage to face my husband, I felt the bed dip as he moved.
My body froze, my breath caught in my lungs, and my eyelids squeezed shut as I feigned sleep. But Xander didn’t move closer. Instead, he got out of bed. Immediately a chill came over me as I felt his absence. His footsteps moved away, and I heard the door of the cabin open and close.
Prince Xander had left, taking his chances out in the cold of night rather than with the cold woman in his bed.
I sighed, momentarily relieved and at the same time depressed that he ran away from me.
Chapter Eighteen
I was running through the woods, the moonlight easily lighting my way as I searched for my prey that kept trying to elude me. His pitiful cries led me right to him. It was a young man, not more than twenty, his hair a russet brown that was cropped short, his boots splattered with mud. His scent wafted in front of me and I changed course, wondering briefly if his skin would taste as sweet in my mouth, if his blood would be infused with fear. I hoped it would.
In a few long strides, he was within my grasp. The crossbow fell empty into the mud, having spent his arrows wastefully on my shadow. I raised my clawed hand to strike and quickly ended his whimpers.
I was going to be sick.
Rolling over and tumbling from the bed, I rushed for the basin and emptied my stomach. Shaking, tears falling down my face, I crumpled to the ground and began to cry hysterically. The dreams had returned in full force. I even preferred my blackouts to these vivid nightmares.
Pressing my back to the wall, my knees pulled up to my chest, I stared into the dark room and tried to calm myself. His scent—the victim’s scent…. I could still smell it in my nostrils, and my mouth was filled with a bitter iron taste. His blood.
Crawling back to my knees, I was sick a second time before crumpling to the floor and crying, praying for the vivid dreams to go away. I couldn’t bring myself to look down at my feet; I didn’t want to see the mud that would be splattered across my legs. I knew it was there. It was always there.
Eventually I did fall asleep, because I awoke to Xander touching my arm.
“Rosalie,” he whispered, but I didn’t answer. “It’s time to go. We’re safe now.” He took off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders, properly covering my ruined dress. His kindness was melting my cold heart. Finally I looked up at him with my red and exhausted eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“No, I’m not,” I answered truthfully, but didn’t elaborate even when he pressed. Instead, I tried to turn the blame onto him. “You left me,” I said stiffly, pulling the cloak closer around my neck, covering myself and standing up to face him. My eyes were drawn to his lips before glancing up into his own sleep-deprived eyes.
His breath caught and he looked away, avoiding eye contact. “I had to leave. You wouldn’t be safe.”
“You said we were safe here,” I reminded him.
“Yes, from the outside, but you weren’t safe from me.” He looked down at the ground. “I had to leave for fear I would do something I would later regret.”
His words were a sharpened dagger into my already fragile heart. Regret? He was already regretting being close to me. My throat constricted, and swallowing became difficult.
“I see.” Stepping around him, I headed for the door. Pulling it open, I was blinded by sunlight pouring through the treetops. The tiny cottage was nestled among a grove of trees. Two thrushes sang proudly, and I paused to listen to the melody of the birds, the whisper of the wind, and the call of the rushing creek a stone’s throw away.
It was beautiful. This cottage had at one time been someone’s home, and I was hesitant to leave.
Xander brought Nova around. “You ready?”
Nodding, I reached up for the saddle horn, put my foot in the stirrup and tried to mount on my own, but I slipped. My shoulder screamed in agony, and white flashes danced across my vision as I came crashing down into Xander’s arm.
He caught me, pressing me close to his chest, and I heard the worry in his voice when I couldn’t immediately open