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“You all remember so much more than me, but for me, this isn’t remembering someone I loved in the past, it’s falling in love with someone new. I guess I want to feel like it’s me you want, not some goddess from thousands of years ago.” Her eyes brightened, and she turned away from me.
I didn’t force her to look back at me, I just lowered my head so my lips brushed her ear. “Tory, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I love your luscious hair and your expressive eyes. I love the way your mouth turns up ever so slightly at the sides when you’re trying to hide a smile. I love the way your eyes flash when you’re angry or passionate about something.” She turned and looked at me, and I began to move again. Her mouth fell open as I thrust into her. “I love your graceful hands and your long legs. I love how tiny you are and how I feel so protective of you. I love eating Chinese with you, and I love talking dig sites and relics with you. I love how your eyes light up when we discuss Egyptian quarrying techniques. I love it when you look up at West and tell him where he can stick it.”
Her breathing was heavy and fast now, her breasts rising and falling against my chest. I reached down to cup one in my hand, rubbing my thumb around her nipple. She moaned, arching her back as she pushed her breast into my palm.
“I love how responsive you are. I love that you get wet for me. I love that we fit together so well and that your touch sets me on fire. I love the way you moan my name like you’re doing now, and I want to hear you scream it.” I thrust harder, faster, raising myself on my arms so I could see her gazing up at me, her eyes shining, her mouth open as she gasped for air.
“Oh, Wesley, please... please...”
I stopped talking then, unable to concentrate on anything except the feel of her around me. She wrapped her legs around my waist, crossing her ankles behind my back, urging me on. Her pussy tightened, and I felt the oncoming storm as I took her with me, both of us surging through it and over the crest into our own heaven. Collapsing onto her, wanting every inch of us to be touching, I panted as my climax tore through my soul, bringing with it a rush of memories and emotions. She felt it too, I saw it in her eyes, and she tilted her head to the side.
“Take me, Wes. Take everything.” I didn’t hesitate, my reservations gone in her arms. My teeth pierced her skin, and fire and sunshine burned through my veins as her blood flowed into me. I felt a short, sharp pain and her fangs were in my wrist, taking as she gave. When we were both finally sated, I rolled over onto my back, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her in close. She sighed and I smiled, smoothing her wild hair back out of her face.
“How could you even start to think I wasn’t falling in love with you?” I whispered. “You’re becoming my world, Tory, just for being you.” She didn’t reply, but she cuddled closer, closing her eyes and smiling. As she drifted off to sleep, a quiet, deep rumbling sound vibrated through her body, and I grinned. She was purring.
Eighteen
TORY
Whetheritwastheanxiety and the stress of the last few, well, months really, or just much needed rest after our time together, Wesley and I slept well into the evening. I felt him move away and pull the duvet over me before heading to the door. I opened one eye and glanced around the bedroom. The sky outside was pink and lilac, and I estimated it to be around nine at night. I wondered briefly if the others had got back yet, then decided I didn’t care as I snuggled farther down into the warm spot Wesley had left behind. I drifted back off to the sound of the shower in the bathroom just down the hall.
When I woke again, the room was dark and the house was silent. Needing the loo, I unwillingly dragged myself out of the warm bed. Pulling my jeans and jumper back on in case I ran into one of the guys in the hallway, I opened the door quietly and padded down the hall to the bathroom. I took the opportunity to quickly wash, deciding to leave the shower until the morning, and splashed some water on my face.
I looked in the mirror, reaching up to push my hair out of my face. Jabari’s bracelet glinted on my wrist, and I wondered briefly if the guys minded me wearing jewellery from another man—maybe I shouldn’t wear it. The Eye of Ra hung on its golden chain between my breasts. Who’d have thought that a necklace would lead to a life so different, yet one that was starting to feel so right? I smiled at my reflection. I looked tired but I was glowing, and I had a good idea why. Love does that to a girl.
I headed back down the hallway, wondering if Wesley had slipped into one of the guest rooms to sleep. There was no way he’d have driven back to London, surely. I wondered why he hadn’t climbed back into bed with me. The main room and kitchen were dark, and I stuck my head into each room as I came back down the hall.
Jack’s room was a mess with clothes everywhere and a set of weights in the corner. There was also an Xbox with a curved screen in one corner. We’d spent some time messing about on it over the last couple of weeks. It wasn’t my thing, but he’d enjoyed it. The bed was a mess, but empty.
Zayn’s was next door. His room was immaculate, unlike Jack’s. I’d spent the night there a couple of times, and I was fairly convinced I’d caught him folding his underwear. I fought the urge to go in and move some stuff around. I wasn’t sure if trained killer went well with OCD and decided not to chance it.
Next was the main bathroom and my room, and then at the end was a guest room and West’s bedroom, which I had never been in. I tried the guest room first. It was empty, and the bed hadn’t been slept in by the looks of it. My stomach began to curl with anxiety. Where was everybody? Wes wouldn’t have left me here alone. Taking a deep breath, I tried the handle of West’s bedroom. I half expected it to be locked, so I was a little surprised when it swung open easily.
The room was empty. I stepped inside and looked around. His bed was made, though not quite as perfect as Zayn’s, and yesterday’s shirt and jeans were slung over the back of the chair. As I moved around the door, I stopped. The moonlight shone through the huge ceiling to floor window, lighting up the back wall, and I gaped at it. It was covered in hundreds of photos and newspaper clippings, some connected by coloured string. There were photos of both men and women, most of whom I didn’t recognise, with labels next to the bearing names with question marks. Were they possibilities for my stalker or my priests? I couldn’t tell.
Pictures of West and Jack from their days in the military had a patch of their own. My heart constricted a little to see them so young and carefree. Jack was still fun loving, but West looked completely different. Happy. I swallowed, blinking away tears as I realised the constraints this life had on him. I picked up a photo of them larking about, hugging each other with huge grins on their faces. He was happy before he remembered me. No wonder he can’t stand me.
Realisation came crashing down like a ten-ton weight, and I sank onto his bed. I’d screamed at him and criticised him so many times. I’d called him my jailer and told him he wanted to keep me in a cage. The truth hurt, and it hurt my pride more than I wanted to admit. I was his jailer. I kept them all in a cage. Whatever oath I had made them swear, I had imprisoned them, tied them to a life of servitude, unable to ever choose something different or someone different. Could they choose someone else? What if they’d met someone before they remembered me? Did they just turn their back on that person and walk out of their life? Wesley said he’d never been with anyone else, but Jack had implied there had been other women before he’d remembered me. Had he had a girlfriend? A wife?
And West. What had he given up to suddenly devote his life to guarding me, even when I fought fang and claw to escape him? Had he had someone? Guilt and shame washed through me as I sat alone in an empty house. I needed to find them. Any of them. I needed to know. I fought back tears, placing my hands on the edges of the bed to push myself up. Something slid out from under the pillow and brushed against my hand. I picked it up, looking at it without thinking.
It was a polaroid, one of those old-fashioned pictures that print directly out of the camera, and it was of me. I recognised it instantly. It had been taken the night of my twenty-first birthday. A group of us had rented a villa in Italy for the week. We’d been booked to go to a Michelin star restaurant for the evening, followed by cocktails. We’d all got dressed up in our finery and were having a couple of drinks before we left. Hattie had brought out her father’s old polaroid camera, and I’d been taking pictures of everyone. I could see the villa in my mind with those pictures scattered everywhere. Jasper had insisted on taking one of me, but I was a little drunk, and I’d run away down onto the private beach. He’d chased me, snapping the picture as I turned. I looked at it now, my hair coming down from an elaborate hairstyle, the strap of my dress hanging down my arm, a half full glass of champagne in my hand, my silk skirt swirling in the sand. I was laughing. I looked up at the picture of Jack and West. Happy. We’d all been happy.
My head swirled with thoughts, wondering why he’d kept the picture, but a sound from the front room made my head snap up. I slipped the picture back where it had been and padded silently down the hallway. The living area still looked empty. I moved out of the hallway then froze as someone grabbed me from behind, clapping their hand over my mouth. The scream became more of a smothered squeak.
“Shh, Tory, it’s me,” Zayn whispered into my ear. I relaxed against him, and he released me.
I turned and slid my arms around his waist, tears of relief welling up. “Oh, thank God. I thought... I don’t know what I thought.”
“Hey, it’s fine, I’m here, my shining one,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Where’s Wesley?”
“I don’t know,” I murmured. “I woke up and he was gone. I’ve searched nearly every room.”
Zayn frowned. “That’s strange. Did he leave a note?”
“Oh...” I felt daft. “I didn’t think to look, I just... panicked.” I walked over to the coffee table. “His books are still here, but I don’t see a note.”
Zayn looked worried, which worried me.
