Read Online Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Monroe
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in sweatshirt and jeans. I stared until I felt his eyes on me and I turned away quickly to look at the river.
‘What’s it like?’ I asked, not looking at him. ‘Turning into a wolf?’
‘Painful.’ Luca grimaced. ‘As though every organ inside of me doubles in size.’ He put his hand on his chest. ‘And my heart literally feels like it will burst. It only lasts a few minutes, but my body changes shape and my human form has to adapt too quickly – it carries risk of a heart attack.’
‘God.’ I put my hand where my own heart was beating. ‘It must be terrifying.’
‘Yes. Which is why it is only supposed to happen once a month.’ He paused. ‘Werewolves cease to exist if they abuse their power.’
‘Why would you want to turn any other time?’
‘To protect loved ones. Or if you are angered beyond human limits.’ Luca shook his head. ‘Or in extreme situations.’
‘Poor you,’ I said.
‘It has its advantages,’ he smiled. ‘The speed, for example. That is always there, even when I am human. And the strength.’ He lifted his arm. ‘It doesn’t look much, but the power in this could destroy a brick wall in seconds.’
It was such an unremarkable arm. It was long and lean, but it didn’t look anything special. Without thinking I reached over and with my fingertip stroked along the underside, where the veins ran down to his palm. I had never touched anyone like this. And a month ago, I would never have believed I would be doing something so intimate. I took my hand away and we sat in silence for a few minutes.
‘You can heal, too, can’t you?’ I said. ‘You touched my scratch and it disappeared soon after.’
He nodded. ‘There are other things, too … You’ll learn about them in time. But I brought you here to show you that I am not delusional, that I was telling the truth,’ said Luca eventually. ‘And so that you would be less afraid.’
‘I’m not at all afraid. In fact, apart from my family, I feel safer with you than with anyone.’
Luca looked at me. ‘Even your boyfriend?’
I flushed. ‘How do you know about that?’
‘I saw him,’ he said flatly. ‘The night we met on the track up to your house.’
‘Oh.’ I felt a twinge of disloyalty. Whether to Evan or Luca, I wasn’t sure.
‘It’s OK,’ said Luca. ‘It’s inevitable I suppose.’
‘Never was for me.’ I picked at some long grass, growing between the rocks. ‘And he’s not even my boyfriend.’
‘What’s he like?’ asked Luca, ignoring that.
‘Older. Attentive. He’s been living in Australia.’
‘So he’s tanned and fit?’ Luca said wryly. ‘Good for him.’
My lips twitched. ‘But he can’t break a brick wall with his hand.’ I looked half smiling at Luca. ‘He’s not a superhero.’
He shrugged. ‘But he’s mortal. He’s not as complicated.’ ‘Suppose not,’ I said, wondering if that was true. ‘I know nothing about him really.’
A silence fell between us.
‘Anyway,’ said Luca at last. ‘It doesn’t matter, you and I are friends.’
‘I hope so.’ I held on to one of his slender hands. ‘I’ll never forget what you did for me.’
‘I’d do it again in a heartbeat,’ said Luca, though he didn’t look at me.
I swallowed, confused at how I felt. Feeling so close and peaceful and safe with the boy sitting next to me, but wanting Evan to want me too. Was that all it was? That I wanted a boy like Evan to want me?
‘You should pursue this Evan,’ said Luca, reading my thoughts. ‘Mortal girls are nothing but trouble.’ He sighed. ‘And then there’s the long-distance thing.’
I laughed. ‘Now that’s not really a problem, though, is it?’
‘No.’ He grinned. ‘But it’s what I’m going to tell myself.’
The sound of footsteps startled us, and I quickly turned to see a long-limbed girl of about twelve, hair in two thick, straight, dark plaits, coming towards us. She kept her eyes on me as she came, then spoke to Luca.
‘I thought
‘What’s it like?’ I asked, not looking at him. ‘Turning into a wolf?’
‘Painful.’ Luca grimaced. ‘As though every organ inside of me doubles in size.’ He put his hand on his chest. ‘And my heart literally feels like it will burst. It only lasts a few minutes, but my body changes shape and my human form has to adapt too quickly – it carries risk of a heart attack.’
‘God.’ I put my hand where my own heart was beating. ‘It must be terrifying.’
‘Yes. Which is why it is only supposed to happen once a month.’ He paused. ‘Werewolves cease to exist if they abuse their power.’
‘Why would you want to turn any other time?’
‘To protect loved ones. Or if you are angered beyond human limits.’ Luca shook his head. ‘Or in extreme situations.’
‘Poor you,’ I said.
‘It has its advantages,’ he smiled. ‘The speed, for example. That is always there, even when I am human. And the strength.’ He lifted his arm. ‘It doesn’t look much, but the power in this could destroy a brick wall in seconds.’
It was such an unremarkable arm. It was long and lean, but it didn’t look anything special. Without thinking I reached over and with my fingertip stroked along the underside, where the veins ran down to his palm. I had never touched anyone like this. And a month ago, I would never have believed I would be doing something so intimate. I took my hand away and we sat in silence for a few minutes.
‘You can heal, too, can’t you?’ I said. ‘You touched my scratch and it disappeared soon after.’
He nodded. ‘There are other things, too … You’ll learn about them in time. But I brought you here to show you that I am not delusional, that I was telling the truth,’ said Luca eventually. ‘And so that you would be less afraid.’
‘I’m not at all afraid. In fact, apart from my family, I feel safer with you than with anyone.’
Luca looked at me. ‘Even your boyfriend?’
I flushed. ‘How do you know about that?’
‘I saw him,’ he said flatly. ‘The night we met on the track up to your house.’
‘Oh.’ I felt a twinge of disloyalty. Whether to Evan or Luca, I wasn’t sure.
‘It’s OK,’ said Luca. ‘It’s inevitable I suppose.’
‘Never was for me.’ I picked at some long grass, growing between the rocks. ‘And he’s not even my boyfriend.’
‘What’s he like?’ asked Luca, ignoring that.
‘Older. Attentive. He’s been living in Australia.’
‘So he’s tanned and fit?’ Luca said wryly. ‘Good for him.’
My lips twitched. ‘But he can’t break a brick wall with his hand.’ I looked half smiling at Luca. ‘He’s not a superhero.’
He shrugged. ‘But he’s mortal. He’s not as complicated.’ ‘Suppose not,’ I said, wondering if that was true. ‘I know nothing about him really.’
A silence fell between us.
‘Anyway,’ said Luca at last. ‘It doesn’t matter, you and I are friends.’
‘I hope so.’ I held on to one of his slender hands. ‘I’ll never forget what you did for me.’
‘I’d do it again in a heartbeat,’ said Luca, though he didn’t look at me.
I swallowed, confused at how I felt. Feeling so close and peaceful and safe with the boy sitting next to me, but wanting Evan to want me too. Was that all it was? That I wanted a boy like Evan to want me?
‘You should pursue this Evan,’ said Luca, reading my thoughts. ‘Mortal girls are nothing but trouble.’ He sighed. ‘And then there’s the long-distance thing.’
I laughed. ‘Now that’s not really a problem, though, is it?’
‘No.’ He grinned. ‘But it’s what I’m going to tell myself.’
The sound of footsteps startled us, and I quickly turned to see a long-limbed girl of about twelve, hair in two thick, straight, dark plaits, coming towards us. She kept her eyes on me as she came, then spoke to Luca.
‘I thought
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