19. Lewis

CHAPTER 19

LEWIS

I follow the footprints into the kitchen. Nothing is out of place, but their scent is everywhere. Two scents, actually. That's better than six. Following the stench of witch, I walk into Sammie's room. Her things are tossed around the room, draped over the bed. Clothes, underwear, books. What were they looking for?

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I spin back. Something hard connects with my face. Pain splinters through my cheek and down my jaw. I drop to my knees, pressing a hand to my burning face. A woman steps in front of me, a man flanking her side. Her short red hair touches her shoulders. Her green eyes are narrowed and locked on me. She folds her arms over her chest. "Where's the pendant?"

They came all this way for Sammie's pendant?

"Do I look like I wear necklaces, witch?" I grind out through my damaged jaw. The man by her side moves behind me. I go to rise, and she holds both hands over my head. Heaviness holds me on my knees. The weight crushes me into the floor. I hunch under the weight of her spell with a groan.

"Again, blood sucker, where is the pendant?"

I shake my head, my body almost seized up. Fire courses through my veins. If they so much as lay a finger on Sammie, I will rip them apart limb by limb. Slowly.

Her hands descend, and the weight crushes the air from my lungs. I gasp for breath, hands falling to the floor in an effort to hold myself up.

"Let him go," Sammie rasps.

Fuck.

No. God dammit.

Which part of stay in the car didn't she get? If we get out of this, I will?—

Scorching burn floods my skin, and I twist, struggling to get out from under its hold. A low rumble spills from my throat.

Sammie's eyes widen as she swallows and moves closer to the three of us. I try to hold a hand up, to get her to back off. The redheaded witch turns on the spot, her hands still steady, suspended above me. She scans Sammie up and down. The pendant sits over her chest, only partly concealed by her coat.

"Why do you vampires always have to lie? Life would be so much easier if you told the truth," she coos, nodding to her companion. He moves in behind me, getting closer for better leverage. Rough palms press against the sides of my head.

I find Sammie's gaze.

The hold on my head tightens. I brace my shoulders, trying to pluck my fingers from the floor. The witch's hovering hands rise a few inches, allowing for movement. Space to snap my neck.

"I'm sorry, Sunshine," I choke.

"No. No, no, no, no," she breathes.

Her beautiful face, even contorted, is stunning. Sammie closes her eyes, letting her arms fall to her sides. I hold my breath. Her breathing turns rapid. In the next heartbeat, every inch of air is sucked from the room.

Wind hollers around the small cabin, homing in on the two intruders. The redheaded witch loses her focus on me and turns to face Sammie. I growl, free from her hold, and spin, rising to my feet. I shove my fist into the guy's chest and pluck out his beating heart. His eyes widen and he falls to the floor. A scream from the redhead sees me turn back.

Sammie has her suspended from the floor in a flurry of wind. The frantic witch turns in the wind's turbulent grip, eyes wide and devastated as life leaves the eyes of her companion. She screams, thrashing against the continuous funnel of wind.

Sammie's eyes are homed in on her prey. Her face is absolute stone. She holds her brethren up with one hand. The other she flings open by her hip and flames burst from her skin.

She tosses the fire into the funnel, and it explodes throughout every inch of the twister. The smell of burning flesh and hair permeates the cabin. The screams eventually die out, and Sammie drops both hands in front of her.

The wind and fire disappear like they were sucked out by a vacuum. The body crashes to the floor and ash scatters around the cabin. Tears are flowing down Sammie's cheeks as she shifts her gaze to the burned body.

I take a step toward Sammie. Her body begins to shake. She slumps to the floor and loses her stomach. Wiping her face, she plants her face in her hands. I drop to my knees and crawl to where she sits. Her stunned gaze lifts to find mine. I rest both hands on her face. She lets her forehead fall onto mine. Heat waxes in my center.

Lifting my face from hers, I lift her chin with a finger until her gaze finds mine. I force a wobbly smile. She gasps, recoiling, her face twisting with pain. She scrambles backward and hits the wall behind her. Her face is a mix of pain and surprise. Her hand curls to a fist and she rubs it over her chest. Sobs leave her lips, and she gasps for breath. I inch closer, holding out a hand. She flinches back.

I would know that face anywhere. A hand rubbing an ache in the chest.

Her bond just snapped.

Fucking hell, Sunshine.

Her chin wobbles. "What's happening to me?"

"Your bond snapped."

"I don't understand."

"Your bond has snapped." I move closer, desperate to comfort her, but not closing the space between us.

"How can that happen? With who? Your bond has already..."

"I said my bond had snapped. But it was unrequited."

She shakes her head, brows lowering. A moment later, she raises her head, mouth agape, eyes wide. "Lewis, I'm a witch. You're a vampire."

"Thanks for the update, Sunshine," I chuckle.

She moans and closes her eyes. Her heart rate accelerates. Her hands cover her face. "Did you know this whole time? No—" She looks up. "Of course, you did! Oh my god!" She plants her head in her hands and groans.

I move into her space and pry her hands from her face, wrapping my hands around hers. "You don't have to act on a bond. Not if you don't want to." Every word burns like fire. Like shoving wire through my veins. But I will honor her choice. Always.

She stares at me for a moment and rises on shaky legs. She wraps her coat around herself and wanders out the door, down the steps, and into the woods. I hang my head. Ash covers everything. The burning lingers in the air.

Jesus Christ.

What a fucking mess.

S ammie hands me a plate of food. Her cooking skills outshine mine, and I enjoy every mouthful. She eats in silence. I rise and find a bottle of wine, pouring two glasses. After cleaning the mess while she was wandering outside, I came to the conclusion that she is well equipped to protect herself, at least against a small number of witches. If she was severely outnumbered, it would be different.

"What happens when I'm old and you're still this?" she says, waving a hand up and down toward me as I hand her a glass.

She is seriously considering this.

"I would spend the next five or six decades with you, if you want me." For a three-hundred-year-old vampire who has defeated death and various other impossible, terrifying events and people, I am anxious. This bond will be the only one I get. She is the only one I have ever wanted. Ever been drawn to inexplicably.

"Can you turn me?"

I recoil at the words. I could never take that from her, what makes her so alive. I wouldn't.

"No," I growl, and she glances at me. She mulls over the word, swirling the red wine in her glass. I sit on my end of the sofa and try to focus on anything but her. I take a mouthful.

"What is a joining?" she asks.

I choke on the mouthful of wine, forcing it down my throat.

"Consummation, the same for humans."

"Oh," she says. Her face flushes, and she drags her gaze to the fire.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Sunshine."

"How would the Council find out?"

"Your scent would be on me, mine on you. Other species are usually quick to pick up on it."

"And you can't disguise it at all?"

"Maybe. But not easily, and probably not all the time. It doesn't matter; you are under no obligation to me, Sammie." I face her this time, and she puts her glass on the floor and stands. She disappears into her room for a moment before returning. In her PJs, she pulls on some socks and grabs a blanket. She lies on the sofa and lays her head on my lap. I chuckle at her, and she smiles.

"It matters to me, Lewis."

Her heart is thundering in her chest. Her hand finds my free one and she laces her fingers through mine. Her blue eyes scan the ceiling, narrowing. "I thought they were going to kill you."

I stare into my wine. They were. I can't trust my own words at this point, so I force a sad smile.

"That was the worst thing I have ever felt in my entire life," she breathes.

I turn my head. She is looking up at me, silver lining her eyes. I put the glass down and run my fingers over her forehead and down her cheek. She closes her eyes and leans into my hand.

Fire intensifies in my core, hardness growing under where her head lies. She moves her head, frowning before her mouth parts with a little gasp. I hold her gaze, and a small smile peeks one side of her mouth, like she is trying not to let me see.

"Sammie." My voice is gravel, her name thick in my throat.

She kisses my palm and places my hand on her neck. Her blood thunders in her veins. She sits up then stands, making her way between my legs. I look up at her.

Blonde curls fall around her shoulders and over her chest rising through deep cycles. I close my eyes. The pheromones she is giving off are intoxicating. I pull my mind back to every hurt look on her face, every time she loathed me, trying to rein in some sort of control over my body responding to hers.

She moves out of my space. I am so hard it's painful. I don't know if I would be able to control myself if she touched me. I replay the look of annoyance she gave me in the lecture hall the first time we met. God, I think that's making it worse. The roar of blood through my veins drowns out every other sound.

Her weight settles over my lap, and I snap open my eyes. She is straddling my lap, hand flat on my chest. My lungs currently commandeered by shallow inhales. She runs a hand through my hair and slides it down to the back of my neck.

"Is this okay?" she utters.

I shake my head. Her brows lower.

"I won't be able to stop, Sunshine," I rasp.

"Then don't."

Fuck.

Her face is so close. She dots kisses on my cheeks. Forehead, nose, eyebrows, the shell of my ear. I strain against my pants, painfully. I grip her hips, and she moans, so low and sweet my chest all but explodes. Her lips track kisses down my neck. Her hands work the buttons of her PJ top, and I release a low growl.

No. I have to move. I have to make space between us.

"Sam—"

Her top hits the floor. I grip her hips tighter, anchoring my hands so they don't wander to her chest.

Fuck.

"We can do this, Lewis."

I shake my head violently. She leans back, face crumpling with hurt and confusion.

I gesture for her to stand. She does, wrapping her arms over her chest.

God, this is the last thing I want. The look of hurt on her face.

"Sunshine, I will hurt you. If we do this, I can't guarantee I will be able to control myself."

"You won't hurt me, Lewis."

"You don't know what you're talking about. The joining between vampires is rough. Really rough. Between a vampire and a witch..." I stare at the fire, as if what I need to say dances between the flames. "They, the witches, don't always survive."

She steps toward me.

"But Denver and Zahli. They were both vampires?"

"Zahli was a human, actually. But that was different; Den had a witch physically bind him, partially."

"What does that mean?"

"He was only half as strong. For the first few times at least, it was necessary. Otherwise, he would have broken her."

"Oh."

I step into her space. Her eyes are dilated, her breathing still too fast, her heart racing like galloping horses in a lightning storm. I trace a thumb over her lips. "You have no idea how badly I need you, Sunshine. But I'm not going to risk breaking you. Ever."

"Okay," she whispers.

"You need to be in one piece to get that degree of yours," I say and kiss her forehead. Her gaze tracks me as I walk away. I step into the bathroom and close the door behind me. Sammie wanders into her bedroom and crawls into bed. I hear the blankets rustle, her breathing, her sigh.

A glint of possibility sparks in my chest.

But I won't turn her.

I would rather have the chance to see her happy and growing old than sentence her to this life.