Read Online Promise Me Anthology by Tara Fox Hall - Free Book Online

familiar.
Casey’s scent was there, too, though it stank of fear and anxiety.
Theo pushed it aside, trying to concentrate on staying calm, on
keeping his human form.
    There was a gentle touch of a hand taking
his. “I’m here,” Casey said softly. “You’re okay, Theo. You’re
going to be okay.”
    Theo gathered himself, then opened his eyes,
praying they weren’t yellow. “I’m not okay,” he said. “I’m not ever
going to be okay again.”
    “Yes, you will,” Casey said, hugging him
hard. “I’m not losing you, not to this, or to anything else. We’ll
find a way to get through this, just like we did everything
else.
    “This isn’t the same,” Theo said, hugging her
back gently. “There isn’t a cure, Casey.”
    “Then we’ll find a way to live with it,”
Casey said firmly. “When I said I’d be your wife, that meant for
better or worse, for the rest of my life. I’m not going
anywhere.”
    With her in his arms, Theo closed his eyes,
daring to believe that might be true.
    * * * *
    The next week was like old times. Casey would
meet Theo at night and bring him takeout food, which he ate
ravenously. But when she tried to hug him, Theo kept his
distance.
    “Are you scared you’ll hurt me?” she said
finally.
    “I’m scared that I’ll change you into what I
am,” Theo admitted, grasping her hand and squeezing. “I don’t know
why my parents died, and I didn’t.”
    “I don’t think kissing me will do the job,”
Casey joked, hugging him.
    Theo let out a sigh, then grabbed her tightly
in his arms, hoping he wasn’t squeezing too hard. “But sex
might.”
    “Not protected sex,” Casey whispered. “I
stopped at the store on the way here.”
    With just the mention of sex, Theo’s heart
rate doubled, desire for Casey flooding his being. “Are you sure?”
he protested feebly.
    “I’m sure,” Casey said, covering his lips
with hers.
    * * * *
    Theo’s eyes opened to see Casey smiling up at
him. “You wore me out,” she said, languidly kissing his nose. “I
could get used to this, Theo.”
    He shifted uncomfortably even as he smiled.
He had lasted inordinately long during sex and recovered faster
than he ever had. In fact, he wanted Casey as much as he had
yesterday, his body throbbing with need. But she was clearly too
tired, already dozing in his arms.
    Fighting his desires, he closed his eyes. He
could fight this if he tried. He had to, for Casey’s sake.
    * * * *
    As fall wound down into winter, tension grew
between Casey and Theo. Though they had talked at length of what
they should do, they could come to no good solution. Both of them
were afraid of taking anyone in the medical field into their
confidence. Food was becoming scarce, as Theo had devoured or
scared off most of the local game. His own money had run out some
time ago. He was depending more and more on Casey, not only for
food, but other necessities. Yet with the worsening weather, the
seasonal road to Heart’s Bells would soon be closed.
    “We have to move on,” Casey said finally one
night, as Theo devoured the burgers she had brought him. “You’ve
been seen by a few people now. There’s talk of the local
sportsman’s group organizing a mountain lion hunt.”
    “That won’t happen,” Theo placated, hoping he
was right. “No one takes the sightings seriously.”
    “They’ve found your tracks,” Casey replied,
morose.
    “That can’t be,” Theo argued. “I’ve been
careful.”
    “There’s nothing for us here anymore,” Casey
said, sudden tears in her eyes. “I can’t do this, Theo. We need to
find someone to help us.”
    “Who?” Theo retorted, even as his heart sank
with a lead weight of despair.
    “There must be others like you,” Casey said
hesitantly. “That man, Ed, said that he’d been infected in
Colorado. The were-cougar that infected him had cubs. Even if she’s
dead, her children must still be here. We could try to find them.
You can’t be the only one.”
    “Say I’m not