tracks. He knew he did.
He hadn’t taken any chances. He had made sure he was never
followed. How the hell did that blonde bitch find him? She knew
where Kate lived! Julian pulled at his hair violently with fisted
hands, horrified at what he had brought to Kate’s doorstep.
All options were ripped away from him the
instant Evangeline arrived. Her barely veiled threat was a potent
and real danger to the woman he loved. His Kate.
There was no other way. He had to obey
Evangeline and influence Kate with his vampire power, though the
thought was repugnant to him. Julian had to remove the entire night
as a reality in his true love’s mind. He fisted his hands and hit
the sides of his head as he cursed Evangeline, cursed the sky,
cursed the blood, and cursed his miserable fucking life.
Ruined! Julian screamed inside his head. She’s ruined my entire fucking never-ending life!
She’s taken everything from me! Goddamned bitch!
Trudging back into the house and back up the
stairs to Kate’s bedroom, he stood in the doorway, looking at her
buried under the covers. Her hair was splayed over the pillows with
curls in random bunches. She looked so peaceful, so happy, so full
of light and love. Julian wanted to scream out his tormented
anguish. The knife in his stomach twisted and turned, making him
double over.
He wanted nothing more than to pick Kate up
and steal them both away to someplace Evangeline would never find
them. Someplace they could love each other in peace. Just the two
of them, with no ax hanging over their heads. Anything, except
leave her there alone in that bed. She belonged with him.
Knowing he only had a few moments before
Evangeline’s patience ran out, and she returned with a murderous
vengeance, Julian steeled himself, swallowing the bile that had
come up his throat, telling himself that he had to do this for
Kate. She wouldn’t be safe if Evangeline thought she remembered
being with ‘her’ lover.
He hated it when she called him that. He
hated everything about Evangeline.
As he lay down on the bed beside her, Kate
turned to curl herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his
waist, throwing her leg over his, and snuggling close. “Name,” she
mumbled in her sleep, her mouth forming into a pout.
It's now or never. His bleak thoughts goaded him into the detestable
act.
Setting the blaze in his eyes alight, he
tipped her head up to face him and spoke to her sleeping form,
“Kate, you are under my influence and will obey everything I say to
you. Remain asleep and open your eyes. Now,” he ordered. Kate’s
eyes fluttered open with trust and hope shining through them.
“Tonight did not happen. There was no man in
your house. When you close your eyes, you are going to sleep
through the day tomorrow. Do you understand me?” he demanded,
wanting to make sure that he was really getting through to her,
even though his heart wasn’t into it.
“Nothing happened,” her voice was small and
airy. “No man. Sleep.”
“That’s right. You had a
beautiful, sensual, crazy, fantastic dream. The type of dream that
only happens once or twice in your lifetime. The man in the dream
loves you completely. Will never get over you. Will never not be drawn to you. That
man is me. Julian. I’m yours and always will be. No one compares to
you. No one ever will. Know this, if you know nothing else in life.
I love you more than anything. Your man. Your dark lord. Your
Julian. I love you more than my life, and that’s why I have to go.
To protect you. She found me and I have to protect you, beauty. You
will not get hurt because of me. I love you.” He stuttered over the
words, choking them out of his mouth.
He kissed her tenderly and then ran his
fingers over her face, sliding them over her eyebrows, and down to
her lips. Julian kissed her one last time.
“Sleep now, my only love.”
Kate shook her head. Her always active mind
was on high alert, rejecting what he was saying. Tears poured down
her cheeks
He hadn’t taken any chances. He had made sure he was never
followed. How the hell did that blonde bitch find him? She knew
where Kate lived! Julian pulled at his hair violently with fisted
hands, horrified at what he had brought to Kate’s doorstep.
All options were ripped away from him the
instant Evangeline arrived. Her barely veiled threat was a potent
and real danger to the woman he loved. His Kate.
There was no other way. He had to obey
Evangeline and influence Kate with his vampire power, though the
thought was repugnant to him. Julian had to remove the entire night
as a reality in his true love’s mind. He fisted his hands and hit
the sides of his head as he cursed Evangeline, cursed the sky,
cursed the blood, and cursed his miserable fucking life.
Ruined! Julian screamed inside his head. She’s ruined my entire fucking never-ending life!
She’s taken everything from me! Goddamned bitch!
Trudging back into the house and back up the
stairs to Kate’s bedroom, he stood in the doorway, looking at her
buried under the covers. Her hair was splayed over the pillows with
curls in random bunches. She looked so peaceful, so happy, so full
of light and love. Julian wanted to scream out his tormented
anguish. The knife in his stomach twisted and turned, making him
double over.
He wanted nothing more than to pick Kate up
and steal them both away to someplace Evangeline would never find
them. Someplace they could love each other in peace. Just the two
of them, with no ax hanging over their heads. Anything, except
leave her there alone in that bed. She belonged with him.
Knowing he only had a few moments before
Evangeline’s patience ran out, and she returned with a murderous
vengeance, Julian steeled himself, swallowing the bile that had
come up his throat, telling himself that he had to do this for
Kate. She wouldn’t be safe if Evangeline thought she remembered
being with ‘her’ lover.
He hated it when she called him that. He
hated everything about Evangeline.
As he lay down on the bed beside her, Kate
turned to curl herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his
waist, throwing her leg over his, and snuggling close. “Name,” she
mumbled in her sleep, her mouth forming into a pout.
It's now or never. His bleak thoughts goaded him into the detestable
act.
Setting the blaze in his eyes alight, he
tipped her head up to face him and spoke to her sleeping form,
“Kate, you are under my influence and will obey everything I say to
you. Remain asleep and open your eyes. Now,” he ordered. Kate’s
eyes fluttered open with trust and hope shining through them.
“Tonight did not happen. There was no man in
your house. When you close your eyes, you are going to sleep
through the day tomorrow. Do you understand me?” he demanded,
wanting to make sure that he was really getting through to her,
even though his heart wasn’t into it.
“Nothing happened,” her voice was small and
airy. “No man. Sleep.”
“That’s right. You had a
beautiful, sensual, crazy, fantastic dream. The type of dream that
only happens once or twice in your lifetime. The man in the dream
loves you completely. Will never get over you. Will never not be drawn to you. That
man is me. Julian. I’m yours and always will be. No one compares to
you. No one ever will. Know this, if you know nothing else in life.
I love you more than anything. Your man. Your dark lord. Your
Julian. I love you more than my life, and that’s why I have to go.
To protect you. She found me and I have to protect you, beauty. You
will not get hurt because of me. I love you.” He stuttered over the
words, choking them out of his mouth.
He kissed her tenderly and then ran his
fingers over her face, sliding them over her eyebrows, and down to
her lips. Julian kissed her one last time.
“Sleep now, my only love.”
Kate shook her head. Her always active mind
was on high alert, rejecting what he was saying. Tears poured down
her cheeks
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