Save her or she will be my next meal.”
“How do I save her?” Elijah begged.
“The same way I have saved you, given you eternal life. That is if you maintain self-control.” He explained. “Take a little, give a little, and find her another to take from. It’s really very simple,” he continued with apparent boredom.
***
“What did you choose?”
“There was no real choice. He knew I was too young, too hungry to let her live. The urge to feed was… overwhelming. It takes many years of practice not to kill the ones you feed on,” Elijah replied with anger, his jaw muscles flexing in the moonlight. “I failed her.”
We stood in silence for a moment. I could feel myself suffocating from his grief.
“I won’t fail you too.”
“You are not a new vampire anymore. You’ve resisted my blood when I was injured. I trust you. You have to trust yourself,” I reassured him, not sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.
Elijah slowly leaned closer, inhaling the scent of my hair deeply and nuzzling my neck. I closed my eyes and let my head fall to the side. I heard his fangs protrude and my breath quickened with anticipation. He gently kissed my throat and traced my jugular with the tip of his tongue as his hand slid across my stomach. “I’ll return soon,” he whispered in my ear as the air from his sudden departure blew around me.
Chapter twenty
Innocent Bystander
I sighed heavily and stared at the passing wafts of clouds in the sky. The inside of the fort felt incredibly safe. The same way I felt with Elijah. I wish he trusted himself with me as much as I trusted him not to harm me.
The idea of him out feeding on some innocent bystander should have made me scared, but oddly enough all I felt was a pang of jealousy.
I processed that thought as I pushed myself up from the grass and brushed myself off. I spun around, eying the large stone walls that surrounded me and headed off toward one of the doorways.
I pushed on one of the old wooden doors that stood ajar and scanned the room. It was dimly lit by the moonlight, but I could make out some wooden benches and cabinets. I hesitantly stepped inside and ran my hands along the dusty shelves, taking in the history. I could only imagine the thousands of souls who had passed through these walls. I picked up a pamphlet from one of the tables and walked back into the grassy courtyard to read it by the light of the moon.
Laying on my belly in the open space, I scanned through the pamphlet, not registering the words I was reading. All I could think about was Elijah. Where was he? Who was he with? A sudden wave of panic washed over me, but it was not my emotions I was feeling. It was Elijah’s and he was unable to control his influence. I knew something bad must have happened.
I quickly rolled over and jumped to my feet as he came to a halt in front of me.
“What is it? Did someone catch you?” I blurted out in a panic. Realizing he had let his emotions run ramped, he took a deep breath, more for my comfort than out of necessity. I relaxed as his mood shifted even if I knew it was for my own benefit.
“Everything is fine. I believe I may have been spotted by one of Reid’s allies, but I was able to lose him. We need to leave the area, just to be safe,” Elijah explained, placing his hands on either side of my face. I nodded and he took my hand as we walked rapidly across the courtyard. I was barely able to keep up with his relentless pace.
“Have you fed?” I asked breathlessly as I began running to keep up. He stopped suddenly and I rocked forward. He turned and caught my shoulders with his hands, keeping me from tipping off balance.
“Your safety is what matters right now. The fact that you are worrying about me,” he snapped angrily. I could tell he was completely frustrated and confused by my concern for him over myself. He ran his hands through his hair and turned away from me again, grabbing my wrist harshly as he began dragging me along toward the wall.
My arm ached from the pressure of his grip. I didn’t say a word. He slid his hands around my waist and guiding