Shelter by Tara Shuler Page B

on my forehead. I tried to look away, but one of his strong hands reached out and I felt his fingers grasp my chin and pull me back toward him.
    I felt my breath quickening, and I could scarcely move. His face inched closer to mine, and I felt his soft lips brush against my forehead so lightly it was almost imperceptible. His breath was so warm – so rapid. I began to tingle, and a shiver ran down my spine.
    “Alice…” he said gently.
    “Max…” I whispered. “I…”
    Before I knew what was happening, he wrapped me in his strong arms and enveloped me in a kiss. His lips pressed against mine, firm, but soft. I wanted to fight him off, but I couldn’t. My body would not move.
    I felt his fingers wrap in my hair, and he pulled my head back. His lips fell to my neck, and I felt him breathing on my skin. My skin crawled with goose bumps, and I felt a warmth growing deep within me. Kai had never kissed me this way. It was almost primal.
    Kai! I’d forgotten all about him for a moment! I struggled to push Max away, and I backed into the corner of the elevator to escape him.
    “Max, stop!” I gasped. “I can’t do this!”
    “Alice, don’t fight it,” he pleaded. “You know you don’t want to fight it!”
    “Max, I…” I started to say. “I… I have a boyfriend.”
    Max’s face fell. I don’t know why, but I’d never told anyone from school about Kai. He was my little secret, I guess – a kind of guilty pleasure. There were rumors about Kai and me, but most people had no idea who he was.
    “Do you love him?” he asked solemnly.
    “Yes,” I whispered quickly.
    Max hung his head. He extended one leg out straight in front of him, and the other was bent. One arm rested on his knee, and he put his forehead on his arm. His dark hair hid his face. He was silent – motionless.
    “Max…” I said remorsefully, placing my hand on his arm.
    Still, he did not move.
    I took my hand away, unsure of what to do or say. He refused to even look at me, so I leaned back in the corner. I still smelled him on me, and I tasted his kiss on my lips. My stomach gnawed.
    “I have to get out of here,” I whispered under my breath.
    I felt the sweat dripping down my face, and I could suddenly hear Max’s blood rushing through his veins. With each beat of his heart, the blood pulsed through him. The heat of his body radiated toward me, sending waves of an intoxicating fragrance up my nostrils. I was ravenous.
    “Fight it,” I whispered almost inaudibly. “Fight it!”
    It was tough to fight the hunger. We are predators my nature, but through the centuries most of us have learned to control our urges. This helps us fit into human society without detection. Still, the instinct was there, and being in an enclosed space with a human made it difficult to control.
    Max sat there – motionless, defenseless. Normally so tough and rugged, he now looked weak and vulnerable. I didn’t know how much longer I could fight back my hunger. I’d never been in such a tiny, enclosed space with a human before. His delicious scent filled the tiny space – lingering in front of me like a thick fog. I desperately wished I had fed recently. It might have made the closeness more bearable.
    For what seemed like hours, I sat in that elevator desperately trying to ignore him. My stomach twisted and churned, hoping and praying Will would make it there quickly. What was taking so long?
    I could feel my gums tingling as my fangs erupted from their sheaths. Involuntarily, they were readying themselves for a kill. Sweat was practically rolling off me in sheets, and I began to tremble. It was becoming nearly impossible to resist . If I let go after not feeding for so long, I might not be able to stop. I might accidentally kill him, I thought.
    It was then I remembered. When Max was kissing me, I’d entirely forgotten my hunger. His lips, his breath – they had charmed me, and my hunger had faded into nothingness.
    As much as I wanted to remain