One Immortal - Tia Louise Page 0,6

I’ll never escape this.

Oh, how is it possible I’ve met this man now, at the darkest point in my life? Or is it because I’m at this point I found him? I’m the huntress, seeking the dominant alphas, the ones who radiate power and control, the oversized mountains of sex, with their rich blood pumping strong in their veins. It’s what I should be…

Yet, for all of Derek’s masculinity and aggression, he was gentle and attentive to my needs. He held me all the way to the end, and then he thanked me. My cheeks flush as I remember our parting words, his steel-blue eyes holding mine.

He’ll be at Mr. B’s tonight, waiting. Only, I’ll never appear. He won’t understand, but I can’t allow myself to explain, not that it would make sense if I tried.

Ultimately it’s for the best—even if he never knows it. I’ve been brought so low. I have to stay away from him. I’ve never felt so sad in my life.

I didn’t ask for this! The cry echoes through my brain again, but I have to shove it aside. Self-pity and wallowing in my tragedy won’t help me. Only action can save me now, and it has to be fast action. Before it’s too late.

Elaine breaks my musings. “What time did you get in last night?” She’s wrapped in one of the thick, terrycloth robes from the hotel, and her light blonde hair is damp. “I didn’t hear you.”

I look down at my clasped hands. “It was after two.”

My clairvoyant friend has always been so sure of everything. Now she watches me like I’m a riddle she can’t solve. “What did you do after I left?”

“Nothing much,” I lie. “I finished my drink, people-watched for a little while, then I came here.”

She drops onto the bed beside me, her pretty face lined with worry. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. I was just so tired.”

I manage a smile. “I’m not a child, Lainey. You were exhausted. And… I don’t sleep so well anymore. Not at night anyway.”

Taking my hands, she studies them. “Has he tried to contact you?”

I decide not to tell her about the message waiting on my phone last night. His voice was so cold and calm, telling me to return to him.

I can still hear his words when I told him I was leaving: Go ahead and have your fun, your final moments of humanity. You’ll be back. You’re mine now.

My stomach cramps the harder I fight him. The distance helps some, but burning pain drags through my insides the more I resist.

I won’t go back. I will break his power over me. These words have become my mantra, yet, at the same time, fear chills my insides. What if he’s right? What if I can never escape his power?

My eyes heat with unshed tears at the thought. His voice echoes in my mind as surely as his blood mixes in my veins, and I shiver at the idea he can see me.

I don’t know how to say any of these things out loud, so I don’t.

“I left messages with everyone,” I deflect. “We’re having a girls’ weekend in New Orleans. That should satisfy them.”

“This silence between us is killing me.” Her green eyes mist as she squeezes my hand. “I’ve always known you were safe. Now I’m afraid whenever we’re apart.”

We move together in a hug, and her body stiffens. She pulls back quickly, lifting a lock of my hair and inhaling deeply.

“What’s this?” Her eyes narrow as my cheeks heat. “That’s a very sexy man scent!”

I hop off the bed moving quickly around the room. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do! Tell me more about your people watching.”

“I only danced with someone, that’s all.” I grab fresh panties and the other robe from the closet before dashing into the bathroom. She’s right behind me.

“Must’ve been dirty dancing if he left his scent all over you. You had sex!”

Flashing her a glance, I press my lips together before turning to the shower. “It’s really nobody’s business what I did.”

She dances around me, pulling my arm, forcing me to look at her. “You had sex, and from the way you’re responding, it was damn good sex. Did you…?”

She leans forward peering into my eyes. I want to pull away, but I know what she’s looking for. Her expression brightens, and her voice drops to a whisper.

“It was fucking great sex, and you were able to control it.” Her eyes