“You should be,” he growls, dragging his lips to my jaw. “I’m the one thing you should be terrified of.”
“Why? Are you going to kill me?”
“Kill you? No, never. You’re the safest with me.”
“Then why should I be afraid of you?”
The truth is right there. All he needs to do is admit it.
He is a vampire. Somehow, someway, he is the creature people dress up as on Halloween or the scary stories people tell one another.
“Can we have tonight? Tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything. Tonight, I only want to talk to you, be close to you, then tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
I spin around in his arms, staring into bright crimson eyes that enamor me. They remind me of rubies, polished and glimmering with promises of another world.
“Tomorrow, then.” I scoot out from between his legs and lie down next to him.
He does the same, mirroring me, then takes his hat off and places it on his stomach. We’re left looking up at the stars. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s one thing I love about storms. The skies always seem clearer after bringing havoc.
“To the right, in a few pastures that you can’t see from here, are a herd of wild mustangs I rescued. I’ll need to move them to another pasture soon, but I leave them be. They are used to the wild, and I want them to have that space.”
“What made you start rescuing animals? What made you decide, “Oklahoma Rescues: Bringing Love To Where Storms Are” was what you needed to do?” I paint the air with my palm as if I’m creating a rainbow.
“I always loved animals, but the biggest motivator was my brother. He loved animals and storms. I wanted his legacy to live on somehow. We were supposed to do the rescue together. All of this was supposed to be a family business. The house I’m in, it was my parents’. They had some of the property, but not all. Eventually, the surrounding land went up for sale, and I knew it would be perfect for the rescue. My friend, Kentucky, he owns Dead Man’s Ranch. He’s based in Kentucky.”
“Wait, but your name…”
He snorts. “Yeah, I know. Funny how that works, right? Well, Kentucky liked my pitch and bought the land. The rescue is bigger than ever now. I’m known across the country, but I’m mostly popular in the Midwest area.”
“What happened? To your brother?” Somehow, the complicated webs that are tangled inside Oklahoma start there.
I know he feels deeply. That much is apparent. With how he moves, speaks, and even looks at people. He wears so many emotions, and they play like movies in his eyes, his soul open to every harsh critic in the world. He’s constantly bare.
I slip my hand into his, intertwining our fingers. When he tightens his palm against mine, his black claws slightly scratch against my knuckles.
Oklahoma settles with a big exhale, tucking an arm behind his head. I glance over at him, his attention locked on the onyx sky. From this angle, I can see how long and curly his lashes are.
He’s beautiful, no matter how I look at him, no matter which form he allows to show.
“Banks was my best friend. He was the better part of me. I’m sure you can understand, with Ruka.”
I nod, not wanting to even think about what life would be like without my brother.
“Banks…” he shakes his head with a grin. “He was the life of the party. He was loud and happy. He loved chasing. He was always so careful. Smart too. Smarter than me. He was meant to domore. I wasn’t a risk taker, and I’m not now. I’m happy with a slow-paced life. I don’t need adrenaline. Especially now.” He flips on his side, leaning his arm against the roof to prop himself up. “I’ll never forget that day. The day he died. I remember what the wind felt like, what the wheat sounded like, what the air held. I remember it all. The wheat was static, the air was thick, the wind was warm.”
I scoot closer to Oklahoma, wanting to comfort him. I press my hand flat against his chest, and he covers it with his.
“He was a storm chaser.”
“What?” That was the last thing I expected, and it explains so much about Oklahoma.
“Mmhmm,” he says with a nod. “He loved weather, like you.” He smiles at me. “You’re a hell of a lot prettier, though.” He skims my jaw again, touching me like he can’t get enough. “This storm was a bad one. I wasn’t a chaser, but I knew that. I picked up a lot of things hanging with my brother and his crew.”
“The skies were black in the distance, and the thunder was so powerful, it shook the ground. He wanted to chase it, and I told him it was a bad idea. He loved bad ideas.” A sad smile twitches his lips before it turns into a frown. “Back then, we didn’t have the technology available today. Tracking was a little harder.”
“Back then? How old are you? You can’t be over thirty or thirty-five?”
A small amount of cockiness overtakes him. He scratches the scruff on his face, and if I’m not mistaken, he blushes. Even with how dark it is, I’m close enough to see the changes. Including the fangs he hasn’t hidden yet and the scarlet hue in his eyes.
