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Authors: Ashley Stoyanoff
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arms over her chest, but
she teetered and slipped on the branch. Suddenly, her arms flew around his
neck for support, and she pulled herself tightly against him.
Eric shook his head, trying not to grin at
how adorable she looked right then, and sighed. He gently pushed her back,
holding her shoulders tightly, and met her eyes. “I just know, okay?” he said,
his tone pleading with her to accept it. “Tell me who and why.”
Megan watched him for a long moment,
considering something, Eric assumed, although he didn’t have the slightest idea
as to what. But then she shrugged, just a small lift of her tiny shoulders and
sighed. “I don’t know who they are. They showed up a few weeks ago when this
thing appeared on my neck,” she said with distain. She swiped her curls away
from her neck and pointed at the soul’s mark inked on her skin. “They said it
will lead them to a demon. A vampire. But that’s impossible. Vampires are
not real.” She laughed awkwardly, dropping her eyes from his, and her face
flushed cherry.
“Yes, impossible.” Eric cracked a one
sided grin and nodded enthusiastically, hoping that it didn’t look fake. The
grin felt fake, that was for sure. “If they’re waiting for the vampire, then
why are they chasing you?” he pressed on, desperate for any piece of information
that may help him save her. And he would save her, even if he died trying.
Sitting with her, in that tree, right then, felt as if it was the most natural
thing, as if it was something that they had done countless times before. It
was as if he had always known her, and never known her all at the same time.
And the thought of losing her before he actually met her, physically laid eyes
upon her, was something that he just could not accept. Not now. Not ever.
“They said if they have to kill me to draw
him out they will.” Megan sighed then, a long and gusty sound. “I’m losing my
mind,” she muttered under her breath, before bringing her eyes back to him.
“You seem so real … I’ve never had dreams like this before.” She reached up,
entwining her fingers with his, which were still on her shoulders.
“It’s quite common to dream up a hero when
your life is in danger,” Eric said, matter-of-factly, all the while wondering
if it was in fact a true statement. He didn’t wonder for long though, because
she squeezed his hands lightly. Her skin against his felt like silk, and it
took every bit of restraint he had not to pull her closer.
“Well, hero, how will you save me then?”
she asked teasingly. Her lips quirked upwards, and her eyes danced.
As Eric watched her smile, so carefree and
happy in this moment, darkness began to simmer in his belly. It was black as
pitch, swirling around him, eating away at him. Someone was trying to take
this away from him, and right then he knew that he would kill anyone who tried.
She was his. He was as sure of it as he was sure that the grass was green, or
the sky, blue. She was the air he breathed; he felt it in his bones and with
every beat of his heart.
“Where do you live?” he demanded, a bit too
harshly.
Megan gasped, and he heard her pulse
quicken. “Eric, what’s wrong with your eyes?” she asked, in a barely audible whisper.
“Where do you live!” he yelled. Everything
his eyes touched blazed like fire. He tried to pull it back and tamp down the
rage that was brewing within him, but he couldn’t. It was as if the anger had
its own life force, burning within him uncontrollably. His muscles began to
tense, shifting under his skin, and she gripped his hands tighter for support as
she tried to slide away from him. Looking at her, Eric couldn’t tell if she
was more afraid of him or of plummeting to the ground from the tree branch they
sat on.
“In … in the mountains,” she said, her
voice shaking with fear. A trembling hand let go of his and pointed behind
him. “But
she teetered and slipped on the branch. Suddenly, her arms flew around his
neck for support, and she pulled herself tightly against him.
Eric shook his head, trying not to grin at
how adorable she looked right then, and sighed. He gently pushed her back,
holding her shoulders tightly, and met her eyes. “I just know, okay?” he said,
his tone pleading with her to accept it. “Tell me who and why.”
Megan watched him for a long moment,
considering something, Eric assumed, although he didn’t have the slightest idea
as to what. But then she shrugged, just a small lift of her tiny shoulders and
sighed. “I don’t know who they are. They showed up a few weeks ago when this
thing appeared on my neck,” she said with distain. She swiped her curls away
from her neck and pointed at the soul’s mark inked on her skin. “They said it
will lead them to a demon. A vampire. But that’s impossible. Vampires are
not real.” She laughed awkwardly, dropping her eyes from his, and her face
flushed cherry.
“Yes, impossible.” Eric cracked a one
sided grin and nodded enthusiastically, hoping that it didn’t look fake. The
grin felt fake, that was for sure. “If they’re waiting for the vampire, then
why are they chasing you?” he pressed on, desperate for any piece of information
that may help him save her. And he would save her, even if he died trying.
Sitting with her, in that tree, right then, felt as if it was the most natural
thing, as if it was something that they had done countless times before. It
was as if he had always known her, and never known her all at the same time.
And the thought of losing her before he actually met her, physically laid eyes
upon her, was something that he just could not accept. Not now. Not ever.
“They said if they have to kill me to draw
him out they will.” Megan sighed then, a long and gusty sound. “I’m losing my
mind,” she muttered under her breath, before bringing her eyes back to him.
“You seem so real … I’ve never had dreams like this before.” She reached up,
entwining her fingers with his, which were still on her shoulders.
“It’s quite common to dream up a hero when
your life is in danger,” Eric said, matter-of-factly, all the while wondering
if it was in fact a true statement. He didn’t wonder for long though, because
she squeezed his hands lightly. Her skin against his felt like silk, and it
took every bit of restraint he had not to pull her closer.
“Well, hero, how will you save me then?”
she asked teasingly. Her lips quirked upwards, and her eyes danced.
As Eric watched her smile, so carefree and
happy in this moment, darkness began to simmer in his belly. It was black as
pitch, swirling around him, eating away at him. Someone was trying to take
this away from him, and right then he knew that he would kill anyone who tried.
She was his. He was as sure of it as he was sure that the grass was green, or
the sky, blue. She was the air he breathed; he felt it in his bones and with
every beat of his heart.
“Where do you live?” he demanded, a bit too
harshly.
Megan gasped, and he heard her pulse
quicken. “Eric, what’s wrong with your eyes?” she asked, in a barely audible whisper.
“Where do you live!” he yelled. Everything
his eyes touched blazed like fire. He tried to pull it back and tamp down the
rage that was brewing within him, but he couldn’t. It was as if the anger had
its own life force, burning within him uncontrollably. His muscles began to
tense, shifting under his skin, and she gripped his hands tighter for support as
she tried to slide away from him. Looking at her, Eric couldn’t tell if she
was more afraid of him or of plummeting to the ground from the tree branch they
sat on.
“In … in the mountains,” she said, her
voice shaking with fear. A trembling hand let go of his and pointed behind
him. “But
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