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I reach the lake’s edge, but the car is fully submerged. My little bird is nowhere to be seen on the bank. I scan the depths of the dark lake, and I see her. Arms extended above her head, eyes closed, as she slowly sinks deeper into the water.
No!
Have I lost her so soon?
Fear carves a hole in my chest at the thought of losing her. I can feel madness creeping into my brain. If she is gone, my entire reason for being is gone with her. I will devolve into a creature that can only feed and wander the shadows. I will embrace my baser instincts and everything that ever made me a person will be gone. I will be nothing more than an animal.
Shaking off the darkness working its way into my mind, I drop her bag, dive in, and quickly close the fifteen-foot distance. Grasping hold of her tightly, I swim upward, breaking the surface in no time.
Propping her head against my chest, I swim back to shore, taking great care with her delicate human form. I lay her body on the ground and listen for a heartbeat that isn’t there, and the darkness threatens me again. I push it away because she’s not gone for good, not yet.
She is beautiful, even in death.
She ismine.
And I refuse to let her go.
I’ve never been drawn to anyone like this, let alone a human.
What a strange way to find my mate.
I place my hands on her chest, pushing down and pumping her heart for her. I stop and lower my lips to hers. I can taste her blood… It is unlike any blood I’ve had before.
Blowing into her lungs, I give her the air I don’t need and draw in only for her. I alternate between the two, pumping her heart and giving her rescue breaths. I place my lips on her for the third breath when I hear the first beat.
Pulling back, I watch as the woman who has claimed my soul sputters water. I assess her injuries as best as I can.
Her arm is broken, she is concussed, and I can smell the internal bleeding. Her face is battered and bruised, her nose broken. Likely the airbag. She’s lucky it didn’t break her neck. I push her hair away from her face. Even running at full speed, she won’t survive long enough for a doctor to help her. My blood could heal her.
Stuttering, her heart grows weaker. There isn’t enough fucking time. I run my hand through my hair, desperation growing as my mate’s life fades before my eyes. It took me over seven centuries to find her, and I will lose her in less than a day.
I could turn her…
I have to turn her.
My very existence is tied to her life.
I never had another option, no other decision to make.
I am already hers.
Time isn’t on my side, and if I am going to do this, it has to be now. It pains me to force it on her like this. We usually meet our mates out in the world, and they choose to join us for eternity. She has no such choice because I have to decide for her.
She stirs with a soft groan of pain. Her eyes open, and she struggles to focus before finding me.
“I’ve got you,” I say in a hushed tone. “I’m going to make sure you’re okay.” I pull her into my arms, cradling her. “You’re safe with me.”
The voice that answers is weak and strained. “You...” Her eyes flutter and then go still again.
I nuzzle my face against the side of her neck. Christ, she smells divine. Slowly my teeth sink into Wren’s flesh.
Fuck, she tastes like heaven.
I drink deeply, pulling her essence into me, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of her soul dancing through me. It is unlike any experience I’ve ever had before when drinking from a human. Her heart begins to slow, but it happens quickly, much too quickly. Wren is definitely on the brink of death.
Taking great care, I bite into my wrist and hold it to her mouth.
“Drink,” I say. Firm. Commanding.
