Crave - Teresa Mummert Page 0,58

my shoulders as my eyes locked onto Grayson’s. His filled with sadness and hunger. His fangs gleamed next to his bloodied face. I clenched my eyes tightly, preparing for the violent end. His hands ripped free from my shoulders as I was hoisted up into Elijah’s arms. The world flew by in a flash of night time scenery. I sighed, but was anything but relieved. I knew Grayson would not be able to stop until he found me if it is the last thing he did. I also knew that Elijah would die trying to stop him.

My head swam as Elijah kissed my sore bloodied lips tenderly and stroked my bruised face.

“You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you weren’t going to bring me back. You knew about Grayson,” I rambled as I searched Elijah’s eyes for the truth. He leaned his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes, letting a moment pass before responding.

“I will do anything it takes to protect you, Eva. No matter what it takes.” He finally whispered. This time, I believed him. I nodded and pushed my mouth back against his, kissing him hungrily as he resisted the taste of my blood. He must have fed and I was glad because he would need his strength. War had begun and it was Elijah and me against the world.

Chapter twenty-six

Waves

I laced my fingers in the grass and squeezed as I sat hunched over on my knees. Tears involuntarily poured down my sore, swollen face. The emotional rollercoaster of finding out my brother was alive, only to lose him again had taken its toll on me. I wept for what seemed like an eternity. With each breath, my body grew heavy and I soon struggled to feel anything at all. I was thankful for Elijah’s bond that once seemed like the cruelest talent a human could possess, but Elijah was not human. He was the mere shell of what one should be.

The last thing I remembered as I drifted off into sleep was Elijah sliding me into the passenger side of a large, dark car.

***

I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs engulfing the air around me. I smiled before letting my eyes flutter open. A brief moment of panic washed over me as I struggled to place my surroundings. The room painted in a honey-gold color with a deep gold filigree overlay. The drapes were silk, adorned with hand-stitched blue flowers. The furniture was oversized ornately carved mahogany with a dark leather inlay that looked like dollhouse props in the massive room.

My eyes danced over the strange surroundings in complete awe. Nothing was familiar except for him. Elijah stood in the doorway of the bedroom with a plate full of food and a grin on his face. I couldn’t contain my smile at the sight of him. His dark-wash jeans hung low on his hips and his chest was bare and toned. The light danced off his rippled abs giving him the appearance of a chiseled stone sculpture. I was learning to understand the difference in real emotions and being under Elijah’s influence. This was definitely real.

“Hungry?” he asked as he made his way to the side of the bed. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, groaning. “It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked anything,” he said, making a face and causing me to laugh.

“I’m starving. I feel like I haven’t eaten in days,” I said as I took the plate from his hand. It could have been fine china. It was white with wistful paisley flowers adorning the edge accented with gold accents. He sat on the bed next to me and brushed the hair back from my face. I suddenly felt self-conscience of my disheveled appearance. He looked like a Greek god with no effort. I, on the other hand, could spend hours in front of a mirror and come out looking worse than I had when I’d gone in.

“It’s been two days,” He replied nonchalantly. He ran his hands through his dark chestnut hair.

“What?” I replied, nearly choking on a bite of toast. “How is that even possible?” I asked, gulping down some orange juice, wiping a wayward drop from my chin. I smiled thinking he would reveal it was just a joke, but his expression remained unchanged.

“You were emotionally and physically drained. You needed your rest,” he replied, taking the glass from my hand and sitting it on the dark wooden stand beside the bed.