Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
I don’t want to just exist anymore. I want to thrive. To be useful to my new family. To be free. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like it’s possible. I know I have my new family to thank for that—the friendships I’ve made here—but most of it has to do with Saint.
I turn down another carved pathway in the shrubbery, focusing as best I can on the power thrumming through my soul. It’s been easier to access since I fed from Saint.
I reach up, grazing the petal of a white rose. The flower perks up, blooming brighter. I can feel its life through the strings of my power, can feel all the threads working together to make it stronger. Right next to it is the opposite of life, the strings I’d have to pull to kill it.
I avoid those strings. Doing as I practiced with Gabriel earlier in the evening, I focus solely on the life-bringing sensations that make up half of my power. Separating the two certainly helps, and I can sense them more than I could the week prior.
Maybe there really is more to feeding than I thought. It’s more than sustenance, more than taking from another. It’s life and growth and passion. And I want more. I want more of Saint. More of his blood, his body, him. I want more of the glimpses he’s given me, in those rare times when we share vulnerable moments, bonding over our pasts. I want more of his madness that matches mine. The way we can walk together in our uncertainty without fear of judgment. I just want him.
After another hour, and more grown and strengthened plants, I feel like I could touch the moon if I wanted. I’ve never felt so optimistic about my new life before. Never thought I’d make it this far.
“Aurora,” Saint’s voice cuts through the darkness.
I whirl around, gasping at the sight of him right behind me. “I didn’t hear you come up.”
“You were preoccupied.” He smirks a little, nodding toward the fully blooming flowers next to me. “Rightly so.”
I smile, pride washing through me. His scent joins the floral smells of the garden, and my mouth instantly waters. The thirst I’ve ignored for the last couple nights pulses in the back of my throat, hot and demanding.
Swallowing hard, I do my best to hide it. “How are you?”
“I’m…” He trails off, the previous soft features turning hard. “I need to speak with you.”
The switch in his tone has all my senses firing, and not in a good way. Foreboding swirls in my stomach, like I can sense the energy radiating from him.
“What happened last week,” he says. “It can’t happen again.”
I flinch like he’s given me a physical blow.
“I thought I could handle it, but from the vision I sent you, and what happened after, it’s clear that I can’t.”
“What?” I take a step toward him, and he takes a step away from me. “Everything went great. I thought?” Had I misinterpreted the feeding? Was that not how it normally occurred? I kissed him, yes, but he’d let me see inside his mind for once. And what I’d seen, it gave me every indication that he wanted me to kiss him. That he wanted much more than my kiss.
Mortification races through me. Oh, God, had I imagined all of that?
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I furrow my brow. “Did I say all that out loud?” I hate that sometimes I don’t know. After everything Samuel did…my mind isn’t always the sturdiest. Though, I’ve been getting so much better.
“No,” he answers. “I can tell where your mind wandered. You didn’t do anything wrong. I did. I lost control. I can’t allow myself to do that with you. Ever. Again.” He takes another step away from me. “I need you to promise me you’ll feed from a volunteer.”
“You know the reasons I don’t want to do that.” I gape at him. “I thought you understood?”
“I understand them, but your survival comes first.”
“I want to do more than survive, Saint.” I wave an arm toward the flowers. “After drinking your blood, I was finally able to bring something to life instead of destroy it. You’re the key—”
“I’m not,” he cuts me off. “You are. It’s all you. You have the power. You have the talent. It has nothing to do with my blood.”
I shake my head, irrational anger spearing through me. It’s not like I can force him to feed me. I would never demand it. I just thought he enjoyed it. Wanted it. Wanted me.
“Is this because I didn’t offer to return the favor?” I hurry to ask. “Because I totally will. I’d love to, actually.” Hot tendrils curl beneath my skin with just the thought of feeding him.
“Goddammit, don’t even say that.” He takes another massive step away from me, and I swear I feel my heart break. “Aurora, I’m trying to protect you.”