“More? Could there possibly be more? If I tell you how I feel, then what?”
If he was going to make a decision, he had to have all the facts. I twisted my hands in front of me and took a deep breath. Standing there in front of him fully clothed, I felt more naked than I ever had.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Well?” he snapped.
“If you feel the same way I do, and I think you do, I need to turn you before anyone else finds out. If they think we are starting to bond and you are still human, they will come for us both and kill us.”
“How can they do that?” he asked.
“Vampires mate for life. It’s like your wedding ceremonies, but we take them more seriously than humans. I only know of two other vampires that have switched mates.”
“So, what you’re saying is you would have to make me a vampire too?”
“Yes. There’s more to it though.”
“Of course there is. What else? Do I have to find a virgin to sacrifice?”
“No. We’re not witches or anything like that. It’s something I would have to do and it’s permanent, so I have to know where we stand before I do it.”
“I don’t know where we stand yet. You are throwing a lot at me and most of it I don’t believe in.”
“Dylan, look,” I said and got down on my knees in front of him. Looking at him level, I pulled back my lips and showed him my beautiful white fangs. My face changed as I did it and the vampire side of me started to emerge. As my brow got thicker and my eyes changed to accommodate the bright light in the room, I watched his face.
“You’re...you’re beautiful,” he finally said as his hand reached for my face. “Is this what you really look like?”
“Yes. It isn’t much of a change from how I let humans see me, but I couldn’t go around like this everywhere. They would stare, be frightened, or hunt me down like wild game. There isn’t much that separates us, but the things that do, humans have never accepted.”
“Because they are dumb.”
“Dylan, I think I love you. I have held back because of what I am, but I can’t fight it any longer. I need to know how you feel about me, please.”
“I love you too, Alyssa.”
There was a long pause after he said my name, but he didn’t go on. I sat there in silence waiting for him to finish. When he didn’t, I dropped my head to my chest and started to stand. I had to tell Regan what I had done, and we would need to get out of there that night. If he couldn’t commit to me, I knew he would tell others and it wouldn’t be long before a bunch of renegade vampire hunters were after us. Regan would be furious, and I could be facing my own death after I told him.
“Where are you going?” he asked and grabbed my hand as I went to turn toward the door.
“Leaving. I can see this is too much for you. Can you give me a few hours before you call out the hunting party?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“The look on your face tells me all I need to know. This isn’t going to work between us, and I know what comes next.”
“You didn’t even let me answer. You gave me a lot to think about tonight. I need time to process it. Or I thought I did.”
“What does that mean?” I asked and wrinkled my brow at him.
“It means, I can’t believe I’m saying this, I love you too. If turning me means being with you, then I want that.”
“Dylan, you have to be sure. Like really sure. Once I turn you, there is no going back. This isn’t a temporary thing.”
“Are you trying to talk me out of it?”
“No, but I want you to know what it is you are signing up for. I wasn’t given much of a chance, but I didn’t need it. Regan was my lifeline back then and when he threw out the rope to me as I was sinking, I grabbed on and let him drop me in a different ocean. I want to know you are completely alright with this before anything happens.”
“All I want is to be with you. When you’re not here, all I think about is you and the next time I will get to be near you. When I see you, my heart jumps harder than I’ve ever felt it. Vampire or not, you’re the one for me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Are you seriously trying to talk me out of it?”
“No, but you do know what I have to do to you if we are going to be together, right?”
“Yes. You have to make me like you.”
“And that’s what you want?” I asked.
“If it means having you, yes.”
“I have one more thing I need to do before I can make that happen. If I’m not back here by the time the sun comes up, I need you to promise me something.”
“What?” he asked and reached for my hand. I gave it to him and then made sure I had his attention again.
“If I’m not back it means Regan fought me and won. If he does that, he will come for you. The second the sun peeks above the horizon and I’m not here, I need you to run as far and as fast as you can. I need you to promise me you will stay safe if I don’t make it.”
“Wait, what?”
“In order to be free to be with you, I have to kill Regan. I’ve only heard of a few vampires that have turned on their makers. If Regan is still alive, I am still his and being with you can never happen.”
“And you’re okay with this?”
“No. As much as I love you, I still love him too. It’s not going to be easy to do, but it’s the only way for us.”
“What can I do to help you?” he asked.
“Pack a bag and be ready to run. If I’m not here, do that and never look back.”
“There has to be more I can do. What if I helped you?”
“No. You will get dirty doing that and you aren’t changed yet. There are only a few ways you humans can kill us and it usually ends up killing you too. Stay here and wait for me to come back to you.”
“I hate that plan. What if he hurts you? I could be there to stop it.”
“Or you could die for no reason. I know Regan better than anyone else. I have to do this, and you have to let me. If I choose to leave him like I am, I have to do it the right way. It won’t be easy at all and I need you to understand if I cry over him once in a while. I have been with him for over a hundred years and he was the one who made me. Know it isn’t anything about you or how I feel about you, but I will grieve him like anyone would when they lose somebody.”
“I’ll be right here for you when those days come. Alyssa, make sure this is what you really want before you start something you can’t back out of. It seems like you are risking more than anyone doing this. Make sure I’m worth it first.”
“I know you are. I’ve never felt the way I do about you with anyone else. I want to be with you forever.”
“Forever is a long time.”
“I know. I’ve already lived two lifetimes and have many more to go, I hope.”
“You will,” he said suddenly standing and turning my face to look at him. “And I will be right beside you for it.”
His lips landed firmly on mine and he pulled me in close. I felt all of him on me and it gave me the last burst I needed to go face what waited for me back home. Pushing away from him, I ran my hand down his cheek before turning and walking out of his house. I wasn’t sure if it would be the last time I would see him or not, so I wanted the last memory of us to be a good one.