Survivor - By Kaye Draper Page 0,55

had ever felt. Peter gasped and lifted his head, feeling the echo of my pleasure through our blood connection. We shed the rest of our clothes and he reclined against the headboard again, pulling me on top. He pulled me down hard, sheathing himself deep inside me with a satisfied groan. I laughed softly as I realized I didn’t need his help to carry the rhythm this time. I took him deep while he nuzzled my neck, planting soft kisses there.

“Please,” he said softly. “Please. I promise I won’t take much, but please let me taste you.” His voice was filled with a barely restrained urgency that lit through me like fire. I nodded assent and he sank his fangs deep into my neck as he lifted his hips to press inside me. The pleasure doubled and we both cried out together.

We spent the rest of the day getting used to each other again. I was the same person I had always been, and yet I wasn’t. Peter was careful of me. He seemed hesitant, even after our uh… reunion.

I helped him make breakfast, thrilled at the chance to move about freely, even if I did tire easily. I jokingly juggled the eggs, catching them just before they hit the floor. Peter smiled in response to my exuberance, but his eyes looked sad.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I stopped flipping the pancakes into the air and set the frying pan down. “Do you wish you hadn’t saved me?” I forced myself to meet his eyes, searching for emotion in those deep green pools.

He was silent for a moment. Then he moved to take the frying pan, sliding the pancake onto a plate. “You sure you still want these?” He asked lightly. “I’m telling you, they won’t taste the same.”

I shrugged. “It’s breakfast time, and I want to eat breakfast.” Taking the plate, I drizzled syrup onto the warm, golden circle of heaven. “Are you going to answer my question?”

He sighed. “Of course I don’t wish that. It’s just…well, aren’t you angry?”

I shook my head and stuffed a bite of pancake into my mouth. Peter watched with a raised eyebrow. My joy died and I hastily spit out the soft dough. “Oh God….” Now I knew what he meant. The pancake didn’t taste like a pancake. It tasted like eggs, baking powder, and flour. I reached for a glass of orange juice to rinse out my mouth. The juice didn’t taste like juice either, but it wasn’t bad. It just tasted like oranges, water, and sunshine.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and Peter smothered a smile. “I did warn you.”

I shrugged. “Why would I be angry? It’s not your fault your coven mates are ruthless assholes.”

He snorted. “True.” Taking my plate, he scraped the pancake into the trash. He handed me an apple. “Try this.” He levered himself up to sit next to me on the island. “I almost let you die,” he said seriously. I glanced at him in surprise and he shrugged. “By turning you, I risked trapping you in an immortal body that was inferior to the rest of our kind. You could end up being targeted if you are weak…we’re kind of like animals that way.”

I bit into the apple. It was sweet and crisp. The crunch was amazing. “Well,” I said slowly. “I suppose I might be pissed if I was permanently crippled…but then again, I’m used to being weak and different.” I bumped my shoulder into his. “It turned out fine. I’m not angry.” I sighed, losing my playful mood. “I’m sorry to be a burden. I know you didn’t want a … child.”

He ruffled my hair affectionately. “I’m happy to have you by my side.”

I batted his hand away and regarded him seriously. “What was it,” I said curiously. “You said you almost let me go… why did you change your mind?”

He looked down at his hands. “It’s hard to explain. You are so strong- I thought maybe you would want to survive, no matter what.” He shrugged. “It’s what you’ve been doing for years. Surviving.”

I laughed. He was right. Being stubborn and bull-headed had gotten me a long way in life. Peter met my eyes. “Besides,” he said lightly, “I’ve been lonely.” I didn’t think he was joking.

Chapter 14

I turned back the covers and slipped into bed. From what Peter had told me, vampires don’t sleep. Sometimes they slip into a state kind of like deep meditation, where