Crave - Teresa Mummert Page 0,39

my finger as his gaze turned lustful.

I could feel his passion wash through every fiber of my being and it sent a chill up my spine. He slowly inched his face closer to mine and I parted my lips waiting for his kiss. His lips lightly grazed mine and the taste of metallic blood coated my taste buds.

He moaned and his mouth violently crashed into mine. The thrill of the hunt had turned his emotions into overdrive. It was a more accurate definition to the word bloodlust. I stumbled back a step as his arms locked around my lower back and pulled me tightly against him. My heart was racing from a combination of fear of who was in the kitchen and my overwhelming desire for Elijah. Panic ultimately won over sex and I broke free from our passionate embrace, struggling to slow my breathing.

“What do we do with him?” I asked quietly, looking over Elijah’s shoulder to the lifeless body on the floor. Elijah’s expression became very sober as he thought of what to do. The sun was up and he couldn’t leave the apartment. “We could call the police?” I suggested.

“No. It would be too suspicious. Look at his neck, Eva. It has already been all over the news that two vamps had died here.” He gestured down at the body. I sighed with frustration. How did I get myself into this?

“I’ll call Grayson.” I rifled through my purse for my cell phone. Elijah grabbed my hand to stop me.

“I don’t need a human’s help,” he snarled through clenched teeth, his jaw muscles flexed under his skin.

“Oh, so you don’t need my help then?” I asked angrily and wriggled my hand free from him, storming off into my bedroom and slamming the door. I heard Elijah let out a frightened growl and a slam as if he had punched the wall. I sank down to the floor and began to sob. I scanned through my memories trying to pinpoint the exact moment my life had fallen apart but I had no one to blame but myself.

Chapter fifteen

Save You

I jumped at the sound of a loud, urgent knock at the front door. I quickly wiped my cheeks and opened the bedroom door, scanning for Elijah. He was nowhere in sight and neither was the bloodied body. Another knock rang out and I used my fingers to straighten my hair and took a deep breath before cracking the door open.

“Hello?” I called through the crack. Grayson stepped in front of my view.

“Eva, Jesus Christ, where did you go?” He asked, pushing through the doorway and walking past me. His eyes scanned the apartment before he turned back to me and grabbing my face with his hands. “I was so worried. Are you okay? Have you been crying?” He bombarded me with questions I couldn’t begin to answer. I pulled his hands from my face.

“I'm alright. I didn’t want to put you in any more danger,” I explained.

“Where have you been?” he asked, his voice laced with irritation now that he knew I wasn’t chained in a dungeon somewhere. “And why didn’t you call me? It’s not safe for you here.” He grabbed me, hugging me tightly.

“She is safe with me,” Elijah called from the bathroom doorway as he stepped into the hall, closing the door tightly behind him. Grayson looked over his shoulder and relaxed his grip on my waist. He shot me a look of confusion that soon twisted into a rage. I eyed them both anxiously.

“I can explain,” I began, racking my brain for an explanation that made sense.

“Don’t bother,” Grayson cut me off with a sneer. “I’ve been worried sick about you and I find you here with the very animal that wants you dead,” he continued angrily, his eyes filled with disgust.

“He saved me from them,” I shot back, trying to defend myself, but there was nothing I could say. He was right.

“I could have saved you, Eva! I would have protected you,” he yelled, making me jump. Elijah took a step toward us and I shook my head, silently letting him know not to intervene.

Grayson noticed the exchange and shot Elijah an angry glare. “Screw this and screw you,” he yelled, inches from my face and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard I thought it would fall off of the hinges. I sighed heavily and glanced toward Elijah. I thought of running after him for a moment, but Elijah interrupted my