Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,79

I urged when he trailed off.

His arms tightened around me and he swallowed thickly, making his Adam’s apple bob. “Inamorata.”

“In-am-a who?” I blurted, totally confused.

“It’s like a paramour,” he explained, still looking extremely nervous.

This word seemed familiar, but I still couldn’t place its meaning. “English, please,” I said.

“I am speaking English,” he hedged.

“Levi!”

“Lover!” he bit out. “It means you’re under my protection because you’re my lover, and no other vampire can lay claim to you.”

I felt the blood drain from my face as understanding flooded through me. “Everyone thinks… you and I…”

“No. No, Piper,” he said, cupping my face in his hands. “No one that matters thinks it. Dean Purty knows I only made the official claim to protect you. So do the other counselors, Barbara, and Sasha. They all know why it was necessary.”

“Why was it necessary?” I asked, my voice still weak from shock.

“Because Warren Thornberry was showing too much interest in you.”

“But… he’s the leader of The Society. He helped us.”

“He’s still a vampire, Piper. We all are. Never forget that.”

I nodded. Even though it still weirded me out that Levi had basically proclaimed to The Shadow Lake Vampire Society that I was sleeping with him, I understood why he did it. I just didn’t know when I’d be able to show my face there again.

Probably never.

“Do you forgive me?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“There’s nothing to forgive. How can I be mad when you were protecting me?”

“Thank you,” he said, dipping his head.

The rest of the world disappeared as his mouth pressed against mine. He nibbled at my lips before brushing his tongue across them. My mouth fell open, granting him access as my hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders to tangle in his hair.

His mouth was magic, and my heart raced as his hands slipped over my butt and gently kneaded the flesh. Gripping me tightly, he lifted me up like I was made of cotton. My legs wrapped around his waist, bringing me much closer to being his Inamorata in truth.

“Piper! You out here?”

Like an icy rain shower, True’s voice startled us apart. Levi steadied me as I stumbled trying to get my feet back on the ground, and I was tugging down the cuffs of my jean shorts as she appeared through a thicket of trees.

“Oh, hey,” she said, spotting us. Her eyes traveled over my hair and rumpled clothes before a devilish grin lit up her features. “What are you guys doing out here, all alone in the woods?”

She punctuated the question with a waggle of her eyebrows, making me blush. I tried to murder her with my eyes, and she took the hint, clearing her throat.

“Oh, ahem, right. Dean Purty is back, and he wants to see you. Both of you.”

Shooting me one last mischievous wink, she spun around and disappeared back through the trees. I opened my mouth to speak, but a musical chime cut me off. Levi dug into his back pocket, pulling out his cellphone.

“It’s Charles,” he said. “He wants us to hurry.”

I took a step forward, then froze as my vision tunneled. Everything went black, and I waved my arms wildly, calling Levi’s name as I fell backwards into a vortex.

I landed with an oomph on my back, but something wasn’t right.

I was lying on a floor made of smooth boards. I could feel the grain of the wood beneath my fingers, smell the oil used to make it shine. A weight landed on top of me. I couldn’t push it off.

I tried to fight, to buck my attacker off. I couldn’t make out a face, but I scratched at it anyway. My eyes focused on my own hand, and I froze, holding it up in front of my face as I stared at it in confusion.

“Piper!”

I snapped back to consciousness to see Levi hovering over me, a worried look on his face. He helped me back to my feet, and I clenched his hands like a lifeline.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“The vision,” I breathed as chills raced all over my body. “I had the same one again.” My eyes snagged on his, and I swallowed thickly. “But it wasn’t me.”

Before he could question me further, I took off, racing back toward the camp. I needed to get to Dean Purty. I needed to tell him that someone else was going to be attacked by a vampire.

The vision played over in my head as I ran. Everything was exactly the same as