The Blood Moon Twins
Chapter 28

REMY

\tl wanted to kiss Blade. Every part of my body ached to feel his skin against mine, and I wanted to get lost in the moment. However, my senses took over, and I found myself taking a step back. \tBlade reached out towards me, but then he pulled his hand back, as if deciding it was best not to touch me. His face stayed neutral, so if he was upset by my sudden rejection, he didn't show it. \t"I'm sorry." I found myself apologizing, even though there was nothing to apologize for. "I can't kiss you when I don't know you."

\tHe thought about this for a moment. "What do you want to know about me?"

\tEverything. I wanted to know everything about him, but that would never be possible. No matter how long you knew someone or how much time you spent with them, there would always be parts of a person locked away where no one could access it. \t"Do you know the Bloodfall Coven?" This wasn't direct information about who Blade was as a person, but it would help me understand whether or not he was actually dangerous. Until I knew Blade wasn't going to attack my pack, I couldn't let myself get more wrapped up with him.

\tBlade's face seemed to pale at the question, which I didn't think possible with his already pale skin. "I do know that coven."

\t"Are you part of them?" My heart pounded in my ears as I waited for the answer. I didn't even know what kind of threat that vampire coven held to my pack and my family, but the notes made it clear that the coven was erratic, and there had to be a reason my mother wanted Daniel to look into a vampire clan. I was sure it wasn't to invite them to dinner.

\t"No, but I used to be." Blade turned away from me and walked towards the lake. He stared out into the water, and I knew there was more to this story. He seemed agitated at the mere mention of this coven.

\tl took a few careful steps towards Blade, deciding if it would be rude to ask more questions. However, I needed to know the truth. My gut was telling me there was danger ahead, but I was driving in the dark with no headlights.

\t"Used to be?" I asked. I stopped next to Blade, making sure there was plenty of space between us.

\tBlade looked down at his hands and then glanced at me before his gaze returned to the moonlit water. "I was born into that coven. I'm one of the few vampires who I know who was born a vampire instead of simply turned. Because of this, the life of the coven was all I knew for most of my life. I knew they were horrible, but I didn't replace my way out until recent years."

\tHis face looked full of regret and pain, and I wondered what kind of horrors he had seen throughout his life.

\tHe finally looked at me, and his eyes seemed darker and full of bloodlust. The sight shocked me, and I found myself taking a step back.

\tHe took a breath before continuing on. "Do you remember Draven, the vampire I mentioned before?" I nodded, so he continued. "He's the leader of the Bloodfall Coven. He's the one who wants to release that beast. He's the one I need to stop."

\tThe determination in Blade's eyes was more intense than I had seen from anyone before. He meant every word he said, and I could feel his hatred for Draven coursing through the air. There was a history there for him, and I knew there was more to this story than him just wanting to stop this guy from unleashing destruction onto the world. It was personal for him.

\tWhen I didn't say anything, Blade's face softened. "I didn't mean to scare you. I promise I will never hurt you. I don't want any harm to come to you."

\tl believed his words. Whether he was dangerous was still up in the air, but I trusted that he did not want to hurt me. My body relaxed as the feeling of safety washed through me. I knew Blade had no intentions of hurting me. \t"So you came here to replace out more information to stop Draven from getting more powerful," I summed up, unsure of what else to say.

\t"Yes. I tracked that beast here when it escaped. It appears that it has been contained for now, so I don't have any logical reason to still be here. I should return home and track what Draven has been up to. Surely he will try to release that beast again to cause chaos. I need to be there to stop him, but I can't bring myself to leave knowing you could be in danger."

\t"The danger isn't gone," I found myself saying without even thinking. Raven had made it very clear that I was still in danger. I had a feeling that as long as that creature was alive, I would be in danger.

\t"I know," Blade said coolly. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "It will never be over as long as Draven is alive, but I still haven't figured out why that creature came here of all places. Sorcerers are the ones keeping the beast contained, and vampires are the ones trying to break it free. What does this have to do with werewolves?"

\tHis question was meant to be rhetorical. He didn't expect me to actually have the answer, but that was one piece of the puzzle I did have. I just didn't know the why yet.

\t"The creature was after me."

\tBlade's body snapped to attention, and he stepped closer, as if he was ready to throw himself between me and some invisible enemy. "What do you mean?"

\tThe memory of my birthday flashed into my mind, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. The fear I had felt when I heard that thing's voice in my head still haunted me. "When it was attacking, it called out to me. I felt its pull towards me, and I don't think it's just going to stop."

\tBlade grabbed my hand, and I felt sparks run through my fingers. "Why would this thing go after you?"

\tl looked at the ground. "I don't know. I was honestly hoping you would know."

\tBlade grabbed my chin and gently guided my gaze to his. "I will help you figure out why this thing is going after you, and I will protect you from it no matter what. I promise."

\tAs I stared into Blade's eyes, excitement washed over me. My heart was beating against my rib cage, trying to escape from my body. Blade was saying and doing all of the right things, and every cell of my body was being pulled towards him. I couldn't resist anymore, and I lifted up on my toes and kissed him.

\tHe was still for a moment, as if he wasn't sure this was actually happening. It wasn't long before he melted into the kiss. His fingers ran up my side, while the hand that was on my chin slid behind my neck and pulled me deeper into the kiss. His lips moved with mine seamlessly, and it felt like this was what I was always supposed to be doing.

\tWhen we finally parted, I felt breathless and weightless, and I couldn't think of anything to say.

\t"Wow," Blade said, looking down at me with hungry eyes.

\tMy body tingled in a way it never had before. I had minor crushes on guys over the years, but they were always short-lived and never serious. As I looked at Blade, my heart rate sped up, and I knew this was exactly what it was like to like someone, and there was no stopping it. My heart was now in a free fall.

\t-

\tCAULDER

\tl went to Remy's room, feeling confused and disoriented after Winslow's offer. I didn't agree to anything, but I did promise I would consider his offer. If I could get stronger, it would mean I could protect Remy better, but that would be going against my mother. I didn't know what to do, and I just wanted to talk to Remy for a moment.

\tl still couldn't talk to her about the specifics, but Remy always had a way of setting me straight, and I didn't want to make this decision without her.

\tl knocked on her door, but the moment my fist hit the wood, the door creaked open. I poked my head in and looked around, but she wasn't there. I flipped on the lights just in case, but there was no evidence of her in this room. \t"Remy?" I tried to link, but there was no trace of her connection anywhere. She was gone.