A breath of icy wind stirs the thick foliage above my head. Its frosty fingers stroke the bare skin of my arms and face. I shiver, from more than the cold. Shafts of moonlight break through trees at random intervals, casting a silver glow on the forest floor. What am I doing here? The middle of a forest in the dead of a winters night.
‘You’ve gone mad. This time you’ve well and truly lost your mind,’ I quietly tell myself. But I know exactly why I am here. Only his call could have brought me from my toasty bed to such a chilling place at this time of night. My footsteps make a dull thud as I walk and my ears strain for the sound of his approach. But I know I wont hear it. The force that pulls me weakens. I must be getting close. Suddenly it ceases all together and I stop in a patch of moonlight. I unconsciously hold my breath in anticipation. Out of the shadows a shape slowly appears. It moves into the light.
‘Justin,’ I breath. Hair as black as coal frames a face of such surreal beauty that it cant possibly be human. High cheekbones, straight and perfect nose, lips a faint splash of pink again skin as pale as the moonlight he stands in. And those eyes… An intense shade of violet. My heart stops as I notice the mad gleam in the eyes I love so much. A daring smile flickers across his face, revealing how unnaturally pointed his teeth are looking. And I realise why the pull had been so strong.
‘You should know better Bree,’ he chides as he moves towards me with the stride of a tiger; graceful, but with an immense power lurking just below the surface. I wonder for the umpteenth time how on earth the rest of the world could believe him to be human.
‘You're… you're hungry,’ I stutter, petrified, as he moves ever closer. That smile flashes again.
‘Ravenous,’ he replies. My breathing quickens as I stare into the incredible thirst that clouds his eyes. I can see how he is struggling for control.
‘I thought I had taught you to ignore my call. You should know the danger.’ He stands right in front of me. I can feel his breath on my face, as cold as that icy breeze. He puts a hand on my waist, gentle yet firm. I should run, but I know I won't. I could never run from him. I drink in his beautiful face as he leans towards me, trying to feel some form of fear or regret that it‘s the last thing I will ever see. But all I feel is the intoxicating fire his presence awakens within me.
‘You really should know better,’ he murmurs as he pulls me against his lean but muscular body. The chill that radiates from him seeps into me, making me tremble. But I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. I can feel how tense he is, fighting the battle for control that I’m sure he will lose. My heart is pounding like it is trying to escape my chest.
‘I know I should, but it’s as hard for me to resist as it is for you to stop from calling,’ I tell him, but he isn’t listening. The scent of my blood is tormenting him. I sigh quietly.
‘I’m going to die aren’t I?’ I ask. The only regret I feel is that my time with him will be cut short. How foolish I am, to regret that I couldn’t spend more time with my killer. I should hate him for ending my life, or at least fear him, but all I can think is that if I’m going to go at least it will be in his arms. He grins wickedly and slowly bends his face towards my neck. His lips gently brush my throat, but then move up to my ear.
‘Not tonight.’
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