Chapter 51
Chapter 51
“Honey, both your mom and your sister were young–maybe too young–and they trusted the wrong people. You missed warning signs you maybe should have picked up on. It happens to the best of us. But age brings wisdom. And you’re not exactly a puppy anymore
Have a little faith in yourself p>
The sound of their voices, so low and steady, lulled Tessa in and out
of sleep. As soon as she heard the words, she forgot what was said.
She drifted off again, unsettled and confused, but mostly just
exhausted.
“I miss you, Tessa p>
She opened her eyes to see Alex sitting on the railing outside her
window, staring at her glumly.
She sat up, fighting her way from beneath a mound of blankets. “I
told you to leave me alone.” There was an embarrassing quaver in
her voice.
“Don’t say that. You never even gave me a chance. I was going to
give you something wonderful, Tessa. And you just threw it away p>
“I don’t want anything from you p>
“I want to give you eternity. I want to be with you forever p>
She shook her head. She tried to look away from the piercing
intensity of his beautiful eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Alex p>
“Come with me, Tessa. I’ll take care of you p>
Chapter 51
She tried to tell him no, but she couldn’t make a noise. Her entire body trembled with the need to get out of bed, to go outside, to find
Alex.
“Come on, love,” Alex coaxed.
Tessa slid her legs out of bed but clung to the edge of the mattress
with white–knuckled fists.
“That’s it. Now stand up p>
She tried to scream, but all that emerged was a whimper. She
pushed off of the bed.
“There’s my girl. Come on, Tessa. Out the door. Come out to me p>
On shaking legs, she walked to the door. Screams died in her throat as pathetic whines. She fought to turn back, to resist his command, but her legs carried her into the hall.
“Please no,” she begged, but the words emerged only as hissed breaths. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She reached the top of
the stairs. Her feet shuffled on the hardwood planks as she fought
not to descend. But her will was no match for Alex’s. She took one
wobbly step, and then another.
She tried to take a third step, but she was trapped in place. Her feet
slid uselessly over the smooth floorboards, bringing her nowhere.
“Come outside, Tessa. Come to me.” Alex’s voice echoed in her mind
at the same time as another man’s voice sounded in her ear.
“Wake up. Tessa. Stop fighting me–ouch! Tessa, wake up. Tessa.
Tessa p>
She blinked and, suddenly, there was Declan. His big hands had her shoulders pinned against the stairwell wall.
Chapter 51
“Declan?” The tension immediately ebbed from her body, the compulsion releasing her.
Declan loomed over her, holding her in place. His face, so starkly, ruggedly appealing, was close enough to hers that she could see each individual eyelash framing his dark, hooded eyes.
She reached up and pressed her palm to his cheek, reassuring herself that he was actually there, that she wasn’t still trapped dream. He sighed, his eyes falling shut.
“You’re here,” she rasped through a throat sore from trying to
scream. His skin was hot against her palm, his beard coarse.
His eyes opened. They were pale as amber.
“Are you a werewolf?” she asked.
Declan said nothing, just watched her.
“Tell me I’m imagining things,” Tessa pleaded. “There’s no such thing
as werewolves. Tell me I’m recovering from a traumatic p>
He kissed her. His mouth was hot and hard. His beard scraped
against her skin. Tessa slid her hand from his cheek to clutch the
back of his neck. His arms encircled her, hauling her body flush against his.
“You’re imagining things,” he growled against her mouth. His tongue
traced the seam of her lips, and she opened for him, tasted him.
After a long, deep kiss, he broke away. “You’re recovering from a
traumatic experience.” And then he was kissing her again. His lips
trailed hotly along her jaw, her neck, her throat. “There’s no such
thing as werewolves,” he said, before taking her mouth again, using
his big body to pin her against the wall.
Once again, his heat sank into her, melting the ice, turning it into
Chapter 51
steam. Tessa clutched him, pressing her body against his. She
needed that heat, needed him to burn away the cold forever. He nipped her bottom lip, her jaw, her throat. He bit down on the muscle between her shoulder and her neck, the pressure just shy of
really hurting.
“Wait-” Tessa gasped.
His teeth released her, and she felt the touch of his tongue
the spot he’d bitten.
“Hang on-” she pushed at his shoulders.
He drew back, watching her with that unusual golden gaze.
Tessa frowned. “You don’t like me p>
Declan grinned. “Aw, Gracie, come on. You can figure out werewolves, but you can’t figure this out p>
“You were a jerk tonight p>
His smile faded. “I-” He hesitated. His jaw clenched with resolve. “I was jealous,” he said flatly. “You were dancing with every man in the room, but you ran from me like- ”
“ You make me nervous,” she blurted.
His wicked grin returned. “Oh, really?” He bent forward suddenly, catching her behind the knees, and scooped her up into his arms.
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