Page 22 of Venom Within Her

“I’ve lived in the Cutwood Forest for a little over a hundred years. When the humans attacked our kind, they thought they killed us all, but a few of us remained. The rest have all since died off, it's only me now.” I sighed, pushing away the painful memories. “But it’s not me who attacks anyone. I mostly keep to myself out there.”

“Hmm,” her brow scrunched in thought, “out there…where exactly do you live…in the forest, I mean?”

“I do have a house, it's deep in the forest, though. Far back and out of the way. I’ll take you there sometime.”

“I would like that.” She looked at me again, her big eyes sparkling. Everything about her pulled me in. I was ready to change everything for her.

“Last question, because I can barely keep my eyes open. How did you heal yourself? Those wounds, especially the one on your shoulder, it was so deep. I tried to stop the bleeding, but it just wouldn’t stop, and you just stitched it back together like it was nothing.”

“Everything I can do, shifting, healing, anything else, is all derived from the magic of the forest. Mother Earth attempts to preserve our kind. ”

“That’s amazing. I wish I could do that…Nature has always been my happy place. That’s partly why I chose this town. This house. I wanted to be able to just walk out my back door and be surrounded by the trees, dip my feet in a stream. But to live there permanently, that would be a dream.”

She trailed off, her cheeks tinged a gorgeous shade of red, like she was embarrassed she’d shared one of her biggest dreams. I had to bite my tongue. I wanted to tell her that soon, very soon, she would be able to do that. That she would be exactly where she wanted to be, at peace in the woods. That she would be mine, I’d claim her, and she’d become just like me.

But it was clear she had learned enough for the night. Her blinks slowed, eyelids growing heavier as she settled back on my chest. I rubbed aimless circles on her back, watching her as she succumbed to sleep, thankful I had finally found something worth coming out of the shadows for.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered into my skin.

“Never,” I kissed her still slightly damp hair, “I’m right here. I’ll always be right here.”

16

Ilona

Waking up to the smell of bacon was the only thing that made me not smash my alarm clock into pieces. The thought of Larz being the one cooking it downstairs was the only thing that coaxed me out of bed.

The last 24 hours had been a dream and a nightmare wrapped in one. Through the haze of after-sex bliss, I hadn’t really gotten to process any of it. But one thing was clear: I was already falling for Larz.

I may not have understood what she was, or how it worked, but something in my bones knew she was the one for me. The aching pull I’d felt in my chest since the moment I got to Cutwood only got worse and worse until there was no space left between me and her. When I was in Larz’s arms, the pull morphed into a protective warmth, and I knew I was where I was meant to be.

Going to work and listening to Bev talk was the last thing I wanted to do, but I also didn’t want to change up my routine. I believed Larz when she told me I had nothing to worry about regarding what happened with Stellan, but I wanted to do my part to make everything seem normal and not bring any extra attention to myself.

I reluctantly slid out of bed and down the stairs. Even fresh out of bed, Larz looked fucking amazing. Her hair was up in a messy bun on top of her head and she wore nothing but a sports bra and boxers. I wanted to drop to my knees and taste her again. The idea of calling out sick was looking better and better.

“Good morning, beautiful.” I wrapped my arms around her waist, rubbing my lips over the rippling muscles of her back as she plated our breakfast. I could feel her skin heat, her cheeks tinting pink.

“Good morning, sleepy.” She turned to kiss my forehead before placing our food on the kitchen table.

I examined the smooth wood, completely free and clear from the blood Larz had spilled the night before. It was almost like it didn’t even happen. If Larz wasn’t standing in my kitchen with the shiny, puckering skin of a forming scar, I would’ve believed it was all just a dream.

Larz pulled me gently onto her lap, knocking the traumatic thoughts of the night before from my mind. Everything felt instantly better in her arms. She kissed my shoulders between bites and fed me bits of her bacon, which was much crispier than mine, and successfully melted all the worries from my body.

She walked me all the way to work and promised to pick me up right after. With a few more forehead kisses and parting affirmations, I was feeling confident to take on the day. Until I decided to follow my routine and get some afternoon coffee.

I knew Stellan wouldn’t be there, and I needed a pick-me-up after my late night. But the second I stepped foot inside Roasterz, my heart stopped beating in my chest when I spotted two cops at the register.

I sucked in a breath, trying not to freak out. I couldn’t freak out. I walked slowly, taking my time to stand in line behind them. I stopped just a few feet back, far enough to be unnoticed, but close enough to hear what they were discussing.

“No,” one of the baristas said as they punched in the order, “she didn’t call in. But, I don’t think she was supposed to work today anyway.”

“Hmm,” the larger cop grunted, “well, she didn’t come home last night. Didn’t call. It’s not like her.”

What the fuck? Was this cop her father?

“Sorry, Deputy James, but we will have her call you if she comes in or if we hear anything. She probably just had a long night,” the barista winked and slid across the floor to the espresso machines.

The officers turned around, the one who I assumed was her father looked me up and down before flashing a surprisingly warm smile.