She was mine, and I had to make her see that.
But the future looked bleak even if she was the briefest shining light of my existence. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure what she would think of our coupling. Mortals were sensitive about aging in contrast to the immovable nature of gods.
Maybe there was a solution. An eternity with Miranda, one where we were bound together for all time. Like Grim and Vivien. A god and his sekhor.
My palm slammed into my temple several times with rapid blows.
No. I could not think of asking her to become a vampire when she didn’t even believe we belonged together. Still, my thoughts jumbled into muddled spirals, causing anxiety to rise in every strand of muscle until I was sure I’d explode. I had to get out of here. I had to collect myself or things would get messy.
Just when I’d been about to turn and head back to where I’d been retreating during most of my days, she strode through the door.
Miranda stole the breath from my lungs before ripping my beating heart out. Maybe it was my madness, but I swear I could feel my brain drip out of my ears as my eyes devoured her lithe figure dressed in dark, form fitting combat clothes.
The sleek material clung to every curve and muscle of her body, accentuating her toned arms and legs. Her tank top revealed the defined lines of her shoulders and the dips between her biceps and triceps. Even as her dark eyes bore into me with hard scrutiny, they were the most mesmerizing feature I had ever seen.
Not to mention they were a perfect juxtaposition to the soft near over-fullness of her mouth.
Fuck. That mouth.
Every aspect of her being exuded a raw violence and sexuality that left me reeling. Her expression always broadcasted that she’d suffer no fools and not even the strongest god or man could tame her.
In that moment, I wanted to beg her to kick my ass because it would give me a sick kind of satisfaction to have her unleash all of that strength on me.
Apparently, the long torturous years of seclusion had turned me into a masochist.
Walking right up to me, Miranda had no clue I was crumbling before her.
“Ready?” she asked.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and gave her a mute nod.
With a cool glance down at my feet, she gave another sharp nod. “Better.”
I followed her gaze to the heavy boots I now wore that were far more practical than the sandals. Miranda scanned back upto my chest where my bright turquoise Hawaiian shirt was only fastened by one button, since I still felt claustrophobic wearing shirts.
Miranda whirled around and I had to take several long strides to catch up to her quick pace as we walked out into the evening, the sun quickly setting with fiery oranges shooting into the sky as the day died before us. Instantly, we were both shining with sweat from the baking heat.
“That color looks good on you. Brings out your eyes,” Miranda said, keeping her focus forward.
The lump in my throat doubled in size.
A normal person would say something like, “Thank you,” but all my brain could pound out beat after beat was,I’ll make you mine, I’ll make you mine, I’ll make you mine.
So I kept my mouth shut and matched her pace. Perhaps a little hunting would clear my mind. And if I was very lucky, a little violence would work off this extra energy before I took it out on Miranda.
The heat was a tangible weight,pressing down on us as we moved through the streets. It felt like the city was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. We were on the hunt for Sheshem, but the massive cat god remained elusive, slipping through our fingers like smoke.
We’d hear rummaging in dumpsters around the corner, but once we got there, the devastation had been done, leaving rotting food exposed and used napkins rolling around free.
Miranda coiled like a spring, pulling in tighter with each missed encounter. She moved with a predator's grace, her eyesconstantly scanning the alleys and shadows. Despite the odds stacked against her, her determination only grew.
While I only became crankier, unhappy I couldn’t work out the extra energy thrumming through me.
I should be grateful. Not that long ago, this level of agitation would have power ripping me apart, turning me into my monstrous god-likeness, out of my mind with violence and pain.
I wouldn’t do it again though. I’d managed to keep myself from turning into the beast for weeks now. I had to make sure it was safe before I approached Miranda.
While my power had normalized, I was anything but balanced. It had taken brutal hours, days, weeks of pushing the jumbled parts of my mind into a working lump of control.
