But then I had to wonder, did it really matter? I thought about that for a minute. Really thought about it. Was that what I wanted? Honestly, sometimes the thought was tempting. But...FUCK. I just wanted my own life. My own choices. I grew up in chains, and I felt like no matter what I did, I couldn't escape them, although they changed over time. Sometimes they were shorter. Sometimes longer. Sometimes the links were easier to break than others, but they were always fucking there. Maybe they weren't always made of iron, but they were there, nonetheless.
And a blood bond between a vampire and his or her mate? That was the strongest fucking chain of all. More unbreakable than the one that bound me to Killian.
It made me feel weak. And I fucking despised that feeling.
"Jamal?"
The moment I heard her voice, my entire body shot to attention. A second later, her scent washed over me like a waterfall. My nostrils flared, her sweet and spicy blood gaining my attention first and foremost, and my gums burned as my fangs descended. A deep growl intensified within my chest as I turned to look at her, and I couldn't quite contain it as I asked, "What are you doing here, Leeloo?"
She was pale, and still looked a little shaky, but her eyebrows rose at the sound, and she held her ground. I was glad to see she hadn't lost her sass. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. And tell you thank you." She twisted to the side, pointing toward the gate, which I just noticed was open. "Killian said I could come in, and to tell you to sleep well and call if you need anything."
It came to my attention that my body wasn't upright anymore. Instead, it was swaying toward her, sheer stubbornness the only thing keeping my boots rooted to the ground. I forcibly straightened, denying myself the pleasure of her nearness. "There's no need for that."
She didn't say anything for a long moment. "So, are you? Okay?"
I assumed she was talking about my injuries. Honestly, I hadn't bothered to check. But I didn't have any intestines hanging out and I didn't hurt, so I guess everything had healed up fine. "I'm good."
She glanced up at the sky where the first streaks of dawn were starting to appear. "Should we go inside?"
I shook my head. "Nah. There's nothing else for us to discuss."
"But there is," she protested. "And I want to explain--"
"You don't have to explain anything to me, Leeloo." Although her hazel eyes shot fire, her hands twisted together nervously in front of her, and my eyes dropped down to her blood-stained sleeve. I pointed at it with my chin. "How's your arm?"
She gave a nervous laugh. "Uh...I don't really know. I haven't checked it."
"Don't you think maybe you should do that?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "I will. I just wanted to talk to you first."
Taking a deep breath, I ignored the thirst that burned the back of my throat and rubbed my forehead with one hand, trying to ease the sharp pain that had suddenly sprung up there. It didn't help, so I stuck my hands in my pockets and tried taking some more deep breaths. "Look, you don't have to explain anything to me. You got yourself into some shit. But he's gone. Just...don't wander around alone anymore."
She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's not quite that simple."
"Why not?"
The smirk fell from her face. "We both know why, Jamal."
Gods, I loved the way her lips wrapped around my name. I wondered if they'd look as good wrapped around my cock. Blood rushed to my groin, every muscle hardening along with my sex. Clenching my fists at my sides, I tried and failed to calm the hell down as the lies came out of my mouth. "No. I don't think we do."
Her gaze dropped from my face to my throat, taking in the strained tendons before going lower to my clenched fists and the bulge in my jeans. I gritted my teeth together, hiding my fangs from her sharp eyes. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and throaty, "Are you hungry?"
Fuck, yes. I was fucking starving. And not just for blood, but for flesh. Specifically, hers. Even covered in jeans and a hoodie, I could still make out the shape of her body, and my palms burned to feel that soft, pale skin covering all of those curves. "No," I ground out.
After a moment's hesitation, she took a step towards me. "I think you're lying."
"Why are you fucking doing this?" I burst out. "You got a death wish? Is that what this is?" My skin prickled in warning of the coming sunrise, and yet I couldn't get my feet to move from this spot and take me inside. Hell, maybe she came here to murder me. To hold me captive in her witch's spell as the sun rose and she could watch me burn to ash. After all, I was the only witness to what had actually happened back there in the cemetery. She could've told them anything after I'd left.
"I don't want to hurt you," she said softly. "Just the opposite."
I stared at her hard. "What?" I asked. "Ya gonna save me, Angel?"
"I don't want to see you die because you're being too damn stubborn to admit what happened between us."
"Nothing happened," I told her. "Except you throwing your magic all at me."
She laughed. Like threw back her head and laughed out loud. I glanced up at the sky. I didn't have time for this shit. Lifting my upper lip, I bared my fangs at her and forced my feet to move. This secret rendezvous she'd trapped me into was gonna have to come to an end. My skin was gonna start sizzling any second now. I only made it a few steps before my body took on a will of its own, my steps slowing as I glanced back over my shoulder at her. The pull to run back there and scoop her up into my arms to bring with me was so strong, I nearly acted on it without thinking.
