croak.
His chest jerked beneath her cheek. “Elaine?”
“You’re crazzzeee.”
He cleared his throat. “How am I crazy?”
“Vampires don’t exist,” she whispered.
“How can you doubt your own heart? I think you know as well as I do that we’ve lived and loved before.”
She did. She knew it as well as she knew her own name. They’d been together before, but… a vampire?
“Follow your heart, my darling.”
She swallowed. “I know that I love you. I don’t need to know anything else.”
“Marry me.”
“I can’t.” Her voice came out as a sob.
She felt him pull away and she knew he was looking at her even though she couldn’t see him as he was, only how she remembered him. Now, he was reduced to a silhouette of dark on light and she’d never see him again. Her eyes misted and she blinked madly to keep the tears from falling.
“Why not?” he asked.
“News flash, I’m dying.”
He chuckled. “And this is more important than marrying me? You wound me.”
“No.” Her smile felt rusty. “Nothing is more important than loving you.”
“Do you mean it?”
She nodded and laid her head on his chest, unable to bear not being able to see him, only his shadow. “I’m so tired. I want to sleep now.”
“I know you do, darling, but you need to stay awake for another minute. I need to ask you something.”
She raised her head. “I wish I could see you.” Her tone was wistful.
“For now, it is enough that I see you, hold you in my arms as well as my heart.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
“Will you marry me?”
“If only I could.”
“If you could, would you marry me and stay with me forever?”
Her threatened tears spilled at his words. “That is my greatest wish. To marry you and remain by your side for however long we could.”
“You can do that you know.”
She ducked her head. “You’re not to tease me at a time like this, I can’t take it.”
“I’m not teasing you, my love. I am truly a vampire. I’m immortal.”
“I don’t think—”
He shushed her by pressing a finger to her mouth, then caught her hand and raised it to his mouth. Brushing a kiss across the back, his breath warm on her skin, then something pricked her finger and she jerked her hand away.
“What was that?” she asked.
“My teeth.”
“Your teeth?” She frowned. “Are they real?”
“As real as you and I.”
She laid her hand on his cheek. Stroking, she ran her thumb along his lip then inside, to inspect his teeth with the lightest of touches. His front teeth were even and strong. She ran her finger along their edge, then stopped when she hit an obstruction. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she ran her finger over the barrier. It was on the left side of his mouth where his canines should have been. Smooth, she followed the hard surface up to his gums then down to the sharp point.
It was definitely a tooth.
She moved to the other side of his mouth and found the matching one.
“I feel like a horse,” he said around her fingers.
She pulled her hand away. “Why didn’t I see these before?”
“They retract.”
“Uh huh…”
He led her hand back to his mouth and placed her index finger on a tooth. Then she felt them shift and shrink. Within seconds his teeth felt normal beneath her touch.
Shaken, she pulled away. He really was a vampire. All of her life, she’d prided herself on being open-minded and, now the man she loved was a vampire. Talk about mixed relationships!
“Do you believe me now?” he asked.
She nodded, not trusting her tongue to be able to speak.
“Does this change how you feel?”
Did it? He was still Alexei, warm, funny, intelligent, passionate. He was just a great deal older than she’d imagined. And definitely not a vegetarian.
“No.” The moment she said it she knew it was true in her heart. It didn’t matter if he was Vlad the Impaler. She would still love the man she’d come to know so well.
“Tell me that you love me and will
His chest jerked beneath her cheek. “Elaine?”
“You’re crazzzeee.”
He cleared his throat. “How am I crazy?”
“Vampires don’t exist,” she whispered.
“How can you doubt your own heart? I think you know as well as I do that we’ve lived and loved before.”
She did. She knew it as well as she knew her own name. They’d been together before, but… a vampire?
“Follow your heart, my darling.”
She swallowed. “I know that I love you. I don’t need to know anything else.”
“Marry me.”
“I can’t.” Her voice came out as a sob.
She felt him pull away and she knew he was looking at her even though she couldn’t see him as he was, only how she remembered him. Now, he was reduced to a silhouette of dark on light and she’d never see him again. Her eyes misted and she blinked madly to keep the tears from falling.
“Why not?” he asked.
“News flash, I’m dying.”
He chuckled. “And this is more important than marrying me? You wound me.”
“No.” Her smile felt rusty. “Nothing is more important than loving you.”
“Do you mean it?”
She nodded and laid her head on his chest, unable to bear not being able to see him, only his shadow. “I’m so tired. I want to sleep now.”
“I know you do, darling, but you need to stay awake for another minute. I need to ask you something.”
She raised her head. “I wish I could see you.” Her tone was wistful.
“For now, it is enough that I see you, hold you in my arms as well as my heart.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
“Will you marry me?”
“If only I could.”
“If you could, would you marry me and stay with me forever?”
Her threatened tears spilled at his words. “That is my greatest wish. To marry you and remain by your side for however long we could.”
“You can do that you know.”
She ducked her head. “You’re not to tease me at a time like this, I can’t take it.”
“I’m not teasing you, my love. I am truly a vampire. I’m immortal.”
“I don’t think—”
He shushed her by pressing a finger to her mouth, then caught her hand and raised it to his mouth. Brushing a kiss across the back, his breath warm on her skin, then something pricked her finger and she jerked her hand away.
“What was that?” she asked.
“My teeth.”
“Your teeth?” She frowned. “Are they real?”
“As real as you and I.”
She laid her hand on his cheek. Stroking, she ran her thumb along his lip then inside, to inspect his teeth with the lightest of touches. His front teeth were even and strong. She ran her finger along their edge, then stopped when she hit an obstruction. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she ran her finger over the barrier. It was on the left side of his mouth where his canines should have been. Smooth, she followed the hard surface up to his gums then down to the sharp point.
It was definitely a tooth.
She moved to the other side of his mouth and found the matching one.
“I feel like a horse,” he said around her fingers.
She pulled her hand away. “Why didn’t I see these before?”
“They retract.”
“Uh huh…”
He led her hand back to his mouth and placed her index finger on a tooth. Then she felt them shift and shrink. Within seconds his teeth felt normal beneath her touch.
Shaken, she pulled away. He really was a vampire. All of her life, she’d prided herself on being open-minded and, now the man she loved was a vampire. Talk about mixed relationships!
“Do you believe me now?” he asked.
She nodded, not trusting her tongue to be able to speak.
“Does this change how you feel?”
Did it? He was still Alexei, warm, funny, intelligent, passionate. He was just a great deal older than she’d imagined. And definitely not a vegetarian.
“No.” The moment she said it she knew it was true in her heart. It didn’t matter if he was Vlad the Impaler. She would still love the man she’d come to know so well.
“Tell me that you love me and will
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