"We should probably—"
Isabelle's words were drowned out by the deluge of rain suddenly unleashing upon them. The force of the rain stung her skin, Emma threw her arms over her head, but it did nothing to block the water pelting against her. Ethan's arms encircled her and lifted her against him.
"Go to the mall!" Isabelle shouted.
"Make sure Jill and Mandy are safe!" Ethan yelled at her over the rain and the people squealing around them as they scrambled for cover. "I have to get Emma out of here!"
Terror trickled through her as she realized more than rain may have come in with the clouds. Ethan kept one arm around her waist and one over her head to keep her sheltered as he ran with her toward the road and the group of buildings across the way. She was soaked through by the time they made it to the street.
"The clouds," she panted as they raced across the steaming asphalt. "It was cloudy when I saw Tristan the first time."
"They'll part soon," he said, but his head moved constantly about as he searched the darkened day. They made it to the overhang in the doorway of the mall and took shelter from the rain with a group of at least ten other people. Ethan turned her into a corner and pressed himself against her. Her body instantly began to heat as she rested her hands against his chest.
His head dropped down a little, and she found herself staring into the reflective black lenses of his glasses. Her breath froze in her lungs as she stared up at him; her nipples tingled as his chest brushed against hers. Her mouth went dry as her fingers involuntarily curled into his shirt. It was impossible to control her body, impossible not to react to him when they were in such proximity to each other. Her gaze drifted to his full mouth and the raindrops lingering there like drops of dew.
Laughter and excited chatter filled the little alcove as more people crowded in around them, she didn't notice any of them though as she remained riveted on him. She longed so badly to taste his lips, to kiss the water from them. It was taking everything she had to keep herself restrained. Death Emma, he'd told her. That's what her life with him would entail, her death, but there would also be so much love and joy for more years than she'd ever imagined having. Her mind spun at the realization; her fingers pressed more firmly against him as she savored in the heat coming off his body.
A muscle in his jaw twitched as a vein in his forehead stood out and sweat beaded across his upper lip. "Ethan—"
"Too much," he grated out as he moved closer to her to avoid the people pressing against them. Even with her there, he was having a difficult time shutting them out. All he could think about was placing his lips against her throat, and tasting the blood flowing through her veins. "It's all too much."
People jostled and pushed against them as even more tried to take shelter under the overhang. Her back was brought up firmly against the brick wall. She glanced rapidly around as she sensed a pending meltdown within the man standing against her. Grabbing his hand, she edged along the wall to the doorway of the mall. A growl escaped him as someone bumped into his back and shoved him forward. Emma's eyes widened as she glimpsed the tip of a deadly fang when his upper lip curled into a sneer.
Concern for him blazed to the forefront, if she didn't get him out of here soon, something horrible would happen. He would hate himself if he lost control and killed someone, and there would be no way for her to cover it up and keep him safe if something bad happened. She knew it was because of her he was so unstable, and she had to do something to help him, now.
Forgetting about trying to be polite about their escape from the alcove, she threw an elbow into the back of a girl too busy moaning about her wet bathing suit to notice her. Apparently, this ridiculous complaint was the worst thing in the world, if her bitching was to be believed, but right now Emma was willing to rip the thing off her if it got the girl out of her way.
Emma elbowed her more vehemently again before lowering her shoulder and shoving the girl aside. The girl cursed at her, but Emma didn't pause to apologize as she grabbed the door and pulled it open.
Cold air blasted against her. Her wet skin immediately broke out in goosebumps as she stepped into the entryway of the small mall. Normally, in her soaked condition, she wouldn't enter the building, but it was the only way to escape the crowd.
A few people passing by shot them dirty looks as water dripped from them in soft plops on the stone floor. She didn't pay them any attention though as she searched for somewhere they could hide and regroup for a few minutes. There was no way anyone would let them into one of the stores, and it was probably best to get Ethan completely away from people.
Her feet squished on the floor as she moved further into the building. Before they made it into the main hallway, she spotted a solid wood door with a Do Not Enter sign on it. Grabbing the handle, she pushed it open and stepped into the small closet crowded with mops, brooms, some feather dusters, and shelves of bottles filled with cleaning supplies. Shutting the door of the janitor's closet, she flicked on the light switch next to it and pushed in the lock on the handle.
Ethan kept his back to her, his head was down and his shoulders hunched forward. He flinched away from her when she rested her fingers on his back. "Don't," he snarled.
Feeling as if she’d been slapped, Emma's hand fell back to her side. A sense of helplessness encased her as she leaned against the door to watch him. She should be scared after what she'd seen outside, she could sense the instability within him, but even though he'd been on the verge of destroying those people out there, she felt no concern over her safety when it came to him.
"This is because of me, isn't it?" she inquired.
"This is because of me, of what I am, even before you I was a monster," Ethan told her.
She was taken aback by his words. "No, you weren't."
He turned on her so quickly, she didn't see him move before his hands were beside her head on the door. Though she wasn't scared of him, her breath still hitched as he lowered his face to the same height as hers. At some point in time, he had taken his glasses off to reveal the burning red eyes hidden beneath them all day. Eyes that showed his continued spiral out of control.
"You don't know what I am, Emma, what I’m capable of, or the thoughts I have." He leaned closer to her, his nose and mouth practically touched her neck as he inhaled deeply. "The things I want to do to you, if you knew what they were, you would run screaming."
Perhaps she would, but she couldn't help but feel oddly titillated by his words and his breath as it tickled her neck and ear. She was a train wreck, but it was because of him, she’d gone off the rails. Her palms pressed against the door as he pulled away to look at her.
"I stayed away from humans because I knew their blood and life force was a temptation I might not be able to resist one day, and then I met you. You made it all better. With you, the incessant clamoring for blood wasn't as loud, and I found I could face the world again."
"Thoughts don't make you a monster, Ethan, actions do."
"If you knew my thoughts right now, Emma, you wouldn't be so certain of that."
"And what are they?" she whispered.
He leaned so close their noses nearly touched. "What I wouldn't give for just a taste of you."
Her breath caught in her chest, she bit her bottom lip as her heart raced with excitement and apprehension. She was trapped in this tiny closet-sized room, with a man who was talking about drinking her blood, and instead of fleeing she found herself saying words she'd never expected to say, "Taste me, then."
His eyes became a more vivid shade of red; she knew if there had been actual flames within his eyes, she would have been burned by them. It wasn't his eyes that would hurt her but the fangs extending over his bottom lip at her words.
"If I'm what you need to help you be stable and to face the world, then do it," she said.
Ethan's jaw clenched; the scent of rain on her skin, mixed with the honeysuckle scent of her intensified as she unwaveringly held his gaze. Those scents were even more enticing than
her words. His hand brushed the wet tendrils of hair away from her neck to expose the vein running through there, pulsing with life and begging for him to taste it. It was the vein he wanted the most, the one that would ease and satisfy him, but it would also be the beginning of the end. If he did this, there would never be any turning back for him.
"You don't know what you're asking for," he said from between his clenched teeth. "I can't."
"It will help you—"
"It will intensify what I feel for you. If I ever taste you, that will be the end of me. It could only be us afterward."
Those words echoed in her mind, and the sane part of her was saying this was all moving too fast. A commitment such as this took years of getting to know each other, of dating, meeting the parents, and fights. Then, if all those things were withstood, and there was still love, a ring and the promise of another fifty or so years were exchanged. There wasn't a bonding ritual that would end her life and last for eternity.
The insane part of her was screaming, just do it.
The prospect of spending forever with him wasn't as frightening anymore. It was intriguing and exciting; it was something she wanted as badly as he seemed to want her blood right now. This magnificent, powerful man standing before her loved her, and he was offering to share his life with her.
He had no doubts about her; he was willing to do anything for her, even die. When she asked for space, he stepped aside and risked himself to make her happy. Before everything was revealed to her, she’d been falling in love with him, and now, after all this, she realized she was in love with him.
Emma's heart raced, even with the cold air caressing her skin, her body was on fire as the heat of him burned against her. Weren't vampires supposed to be cold? Instead, he had the same effect on her as the summer sun on an August day.
"Then let it be us," she whispered.
"Emma," he groaned, and for the first time, some of his anger and stress eased as his head bowed. "You don't know what you're asking for."
"You said I can still see my parents."
"Yes, but it's your death."
She rested her hand against his cheek; the stubble lining his jaw was rough against her palm as she leaned forward to press a brief kiss against his lips. "And it's a whole new life. I'm not thrilled about the prospect of having my heart stop beating, but I am thrilled about you. You've given me time to figure all this out, and what I've realized is I want you; I want to help you and to be a part of your life. I thought you would be happy."
The look in his eyes made her realize it was too much for him to hope for right now, and he didn't know how to handle her words. Taking his cheeks with her hands, she stared at him for a few seconds before pulling him closer and kissing him again. At first, he didn't respond to her, but then his lips eased against hers and his body relaxed.
A feeling of contentment slid through her as she pressed closer to him. His hands slipped away from the door and settled on her hips. The thin, wet material of her purple cover-up pressed against her skin, but all she felt was the heat of his hands burning into her flesh. There was no fear here; there was only love and trust as his tongue slid over hers. She had handed herself over to this man, and all she felt was a soul-deep certainty it had been the truest decision of her life.
Ethan's heart raced, it took everything he had not to tear the clothes from her body and bury himself inside her, but he found touching her helped to ease the raging monster shredding his insides. She was everything to him, and she was finally agreeing to be his. His hands slid over her silken thighs as he pushed up the hem of her wet cover-up. His fingers brushed against the edge of the bikini bottom hanging low on her hips.
His body vibrated with need, but he was aware of everything he desired from her, he couldn't do within this small room, he didn't even want to try. She deserved better than this, and he was going to make sure she had it.
A small mewl of protest escaped her when he pulled his mouth away from hers. He caught her hands pressing against his chest, lifted them above her head, and flattened them against the door. Her breath came in rapid pants that caused her breasts to push temptingly against him. A seductive smile curved her mouth as she pressed her hips invitingly against his.
She would be the death of him, but he would welcome that death if she smiled at him. Unable to resist her, he brought his mouth back to hers and kissed her with a deliberate slowness which allowed him to savor the honeyed taste of her. Her hands jerked in his grasp but he didn't release her, and she didn't try to pull away as he left a trail of kisses across her neck and down to her collarbone. His tongue swirled over her rain-dampened skin as he tasted her. He could hear and feel the rapid beat of her heart, but he stayed away from the tempting vein beckoning to him.
"Ethan," she gasped when she felt the press of his fangs against her flesh. The sensation of his fangs scraping over her skin caused her to quiver with anticipation. It was then she knew she'd completely lost her mind, and she didn't care. His eyes were burning embers when they came back to hers, his fangs visible as he stared at her. "I want this."
He released her hands and seized her face between his palms; he stared at her as he waited for her to change her mind, but she had no intention of doing that. When she didn't tell him to stop, he kissed her so ardently he stole the breath from her completely. She jerked a little when one of his fangs pricked her lower lip but it wasn't an entirely unpleasant sensation, and he kissed away the sting of the bite.
A rumble of satisfaction escaped him as his tongue licked up the trickle of blood flowing into her mouth. Blood as deliciously sweet and magnificent as he'd known it would be. Even that small bit of blood caused strength to seep through his system as it filled him in ways no other's blood could. He almost bit on her lip to get more, but he knew it would hurt her, and though he would cause her future pain, he was going to do everything he could to minimize it now.
Her fingers curled into his back when he broke the kiss, but before she could protest his heated mouth was on her neck, and his fangs were pressing against her skin. The breath she'd just managed to take rushed out of her again when his fangs sank deep into her flesh. Her body jerked against him when he pierced her vein. The sensation of his teeth piercing her skin was like a pinprick. It was gone almost as soon as she felt it, and once it was gone, there were only endless waves of delight as he held her more firmly against him.
At first, she thought it was only her pleasure from sustaining him, by being in his arms again, she was feeling. Then, she realized she was also experiencing his emotions. Her mind was growing overwhelmed with joy and a feeling of becoming one with each other. She'd never realized she was searching for something in her life, but she knew now this was what she'd always been waiting for.
She belonged here, with him, and as he fed from her, she realized he felt it as strongly as she did. Tears of happiness burned her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. The passion she'd been experiencing was dampened by the sensation of completion swelling within her. She couldn't stop crying as her fingers slid through his hair, and her head fell back against the door to offer him better access to her vein.
Ethan clung to her as the monster inside him retreated, and everything within him became centered on this woman in his arms and the gift she was giving him. The rest of the world faded away as her blissful emotions took possession of him. He'd grown up with his parents’ close relationship, witnessed what unraveled between Isabelle and Stefan, but nothing could have prepared him for the feelings unfurling within him now. It took everything he had to pull away from her before he took too much, not because he wanted more of her blood but because he never wanted the connection to end.
Disappointment filled her when he pulled away but then his fingers were gently wiping away her tears. His kiss was nowhere near as demanding this time as his mouth slanted over hers. She could taste her blood on his lips, but it wasn't as unpleasant, or repulsive, as she'd thought it would be. Her heart swelled with love as he pulled
back to look at her.
There was such affection in his green eyes, she found herself unable to breathe as she searched a gaze she hadn't seen in days. "It will be us," he said in a hoarse voice.
She nodded her agreement as she rested her head on his chest and held him against her. "It will be," she vowed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
"There you are!" Isabelle cried when they emerged from the mall. The rain had stopped, and the sky was cleared. The air seemed cleaner, though it was more humid. Emma blinked against the sunlight and spotted Isabelle across the street from them with Stefan at her side. "Where have you been?" she demanded as she stalked across the street toward them.
"Getting out of the rain," Ethan replied.
Isabelle's brow furrowed as her gaze slid back and forth between them. Ethan's glasses were back in place, but Emma could feel the more relaxed posture of his body as he stood beside her.
"We've been looking all over for you,” Isabelle said.
Though the only place Isabelle was looking right now was at her neck, but Emma knew her dampened hair covered Ethan's bite mark on her.
"You've found us," Ethan said.
"Are Jill and Mandy ok?" Emma asked anxiously.
"Mandy's fine; we were separated from Jill. Aiden and Ian are looking for her now."
Emma took an abrupt step forward. "Separated, how?"
"There were a lot of people on the beach," Isabelle said. "Everyone started running at once. Aiden lost her when she hopped on one of the buses."
"I'm sure she's fine," Ethan assured her. "It was a quick storm. Come on; let's get you back to the house."
"Not until we find Jill," she insisted.
Ethan's jaw clenched, he was about to start arguing with her when he spotted Aiden jogging toward them from the beach. His brother was barely breathing hard when he reached them. "We found her; she just got off the bus again. It took her a little while to get back to here on the bus. Ian's taking her to the house now."
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