Read Online Blood Crave 2 by Jennifer Knight - Free Book Online

like he’d oiled all of his joints; they moved without any hint of effort. His body was more toned than ever, and it looked as if he’d grown a few inches too.
    As frightening as he was, and as different, I had to say: being a hybrid agreed with him. His skin, though unearthly pale, was smooth as untouched snow and his platinum hair fell across his forehead, grazing the very edges of those ice-blue eyes. The lips I’d once kissed when he was human were petal-pink and puckered out just slightly where his fangs hit them.
    Even though I’d practically lived by his bedside for the past month, I felt like I hadn’t seen him in years. I’d never been so nervous around him. His vibe, which I was finally able to read now that his transformation was complete, revealed that he was equally apprehensive.
    Derek stood close to me, just a foot away.
    “I can feel the warmth of your body,” he said. “Even from right here.” He held his hand out in front of my chest, not even coming close to touching me, yet burning me nonetheless.
    “Are you cold?” I asked shakily. Another dumb thing to say, but anything to break the silence.
    Derek shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine for an instant.
    “Can they hear us?” he whispered, nodding to the door where Lucas and the others stood, probably poised to storm in at any moment.
    “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Can you hear them?”
    “Yes. They’re talking about someone named Rolf.” Derek’s pupils dilated just slightly, and his voice came out cracked when he spoke next. “I can hear your blood pounding, too.”
    I swallowed hard, wishing that I could somehow muffle the sound of my heart throbbing. No need to tempt the poor guy.
    “Well,” I said, ignoring the comment about my blood, “then, I guess maybe they can hear us too.” I paused. “Why? Is there something you don’t want them to hear?”
    “I don’t think the boyfriend would appreciate it,” Derek said, “but I don’t care.” His faced melted into a sad little smile. “I missed you.”
    My heart was careening off my rib cage by now, and Derek had to hear it, which made my cheeks flush—another temptation. I looked away, trying to hide it. I felt like a flashing neon sign that said, eat me!
    Something icy touched my chin and pulled it up. It was Derek’s fingers. The fact that he was touching me, especially against Lucas’s wishes, was about all I could take. Tears began to form and clog my throat. Reluctantly, I met his eyes.
    “What do you feel now?” I asked. “Anything?”
    Derek put his hands over mine and I shivered. “I feel scared,” he murmured. “I feel ... alone. I feel like I’m dreaming, mostly, but overall I’m just happy you’re here. I want to keep you with me, Faith. I don’t know if I can take this if I don’t have you around, even if it means watching you with ... with him.” He clamped his jaw shut.
    Mine clamped shut, too. I had been ready to tell Derek how this was all my fault. To apologize and tell him how bad I felt, how much I wanted to take everything back. But I looked into those crystal eyes, so different from the ones I was used to seeing on his baby-face, yet somehow still shining with that everlasting warmth and love.
    I couldn’t tell him this was my fault. It would crush the last little bit of hope and humanity out of him. He was standing there telling me I was all he had left and that he’d lose it without me. How could I tell him the truth? That I had done this to him?
    It would destroy him.
    So instead, I sidetracked to the second most important thing and asked, “You feel all of that? Really feel it?”
    “Yeah,” he said. “You sound like you don’t believe me.”
    “It’s just that vampires don’t feel things, regular human things. They lose their humanity over time. I was scared you wouldn’t be the same—that you wouldn’t be my Derek anymore.”
    Derek reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek. “I’ll always be yours,”