To Love a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,24

of loneliness for the rest of your days,” the harsh murmur says, crawling like a spider over my skin, weaving a web of whispers through my mind.

My heart starts to pound and I worry the voice can hear it in the silence. I steal a glance at the window Ayden climbed through countless times. The black sky outside is moonless and provides no lighting to soothe my fear.

Red eyes blink back at me within the dark and depthless room. Deep and unhelpful breaths fill my lungs as I heave for air, frantic heartbeats fill my chests. A sudden light appears across the red eyed monster within the room and a gasp is all I can manage when the thing looks back at me with a face identical to my own.

Unblinkingly I stare into the fiery eyes as I trace the sunken and deathly features of my own face. A chill runs over my body and I can feel the whisper crawl across my damp, clammy skin when it speaks again.

“Fallon-”

I flinch awake. My heart still hammering in my chest as the whisper drifts through my mind over and over again.

A deep breath fills my lungs but my body is constricted. A strong arm is wrapped around me and a warm breath flutters across my sweating neck.

I’m surprised at first, my muscles tensing in place, but warm familiarity drifts through me.

Asher.

My heart calms, my breathing returns to normal in the safety of his arms.

I wonder how long he’s been here. Luca walked me to my bunk after everything happened last night but I refused to let her babysit me. Even though I almost died climbing the rope up to my bed in my drunken state. It’s still very dark out. Possibly only an hour or two has passed.

My mind has sobered since the celebration. Embarrassment washes over me at the memory of dancing in Declan’s arms. Kaino saw me, which is mortifying enough, but the whole community saw me, too, I suppose. Even though I was annoyed at Asher’s interest in Nerissa, I don’t want him to think there is anything between Declan and I. I think further and remember touching Asher like a cat with a new ball of yarn and embarrassment flames my face.

How will I ever look anyone in the eye after last night?

“I’m sorry,” Asher says in a remorseful voice against my neck, fanning his breath over my body in an agonizingly slow sigh.

His words bring hesitation into my mind, taking me by surprise that he’s awake. My body tingles against his breath. My heart racing back to life.

I wait for him to say more—what he’s sorry for—but his words never come. He’s sorry for tonight? For the last year? That he couldn’t find me? That he couldn’t save my mother?

“You’re avoiding me.”

His statement hangs in the air around us and I’m just not sure what to say. My chest feels heavy, overcrowded with too many emotions. Instead of speaking, I shift closer to him under my blanket, the boards sounding with my every move. The solace I find in his arms, in just being held, almost dissolves the pain that’s building within me.

The wooden pallet barely supplies enough room for myself, so the space around us is limited. I’m amazed the frame holds both of our weight without crumbling to the ground below.

“You’re different now.” The simple statement seems to be clouded with confusion against his lips. “You’re…sronger.” His fingers trace my lean sides. “You’re…who you’ve always been on the inside.”

My chest aches being so close to him. My emotions are a storm of confusion. The pain I’ve held in for the past year is building within me and I release a shuddering breath into the night.

“A little quieter than I remember...”

“Where were you?” I ask almost accusingly, trying to catch my breath. Always trying to keep calm around Asher.

Seconds tick by, stolen in the silence by the night breeze. I start to wonder if he heard me at all. His arm that’s folded comfortably over me drifts down to rest over my hip. Pulling me impossibly closer to him. A deep inhale is heard over my shoulder like he’s about to relive a life long lost.

“After everything at the Burrow. After I told you to run, more veil came in. You,” Another deep sigh, his warm breath falling down my spine. “You don’t know how many nights I’ve lost sleep wondering if one of them found you. The veil infested the forest, Gabriel and I