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happen to everyone that experiences the fever?
No. It affects everyone differently. The pain is customary. It
normally drives others to insanity if not acted upon. Some develop
certain appetites for blood, food; some go on a killing spree. The
mate connects on a subconscious level to the other and they
channel the hunger into their own form of addiction, let s say. For
you it seems to be sex. Not that I mind. I ve always found it
fascinating to watch other mated pairs come together.
I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled. I am not a sex
addict. I enjoy it when I can, but I don t sleep with every man I ve
gone out with. It s... The breath caught in my throat as I recalled
the images of my past relationships. The pain of losing the ones I
had cared for flashed through my mind. The horrible way they had
died, getting hit by the bus, falling on the third rail in the subway
station.
Losing my fianc had been the worst. Mark and his crazy gifts.
How he presented me with my engagement ring ran through my
mind. The loving times we d spent together in bed. I shook my
head and tried to wrench my thoughts away before they pulled me
under. The dose of the reality dampened my spirits. Suddenly, the
world was a darker place, and I was thrust back into it again.
Madi, what did I say? He took my hands and leaned across
the table.
The darkness of the world crept in around me. How could I tell
him what had happened? I couldn t. I was cursed. The hunger that had
awakened inside of me was the darkness that hung over my life.
Maybe it was because there was already a monster inside of me,
and now it was loose.
Nothing. It s nothing. I got up abruptly from the chair. Can
we go, please?
His brow furrowed and his lips pursed. Of course. Do you
want to go home or back to my place?
Desire burned in his eyes, but I heard the concern in his voice. I
shook my head. Home. I just need to be alone for now. I m sorry.
There s nothing to be sorry about.
We left the restaurant. I climbed back into his Mercedes trying
not to let my mind drift backward. I thought I had walled up those
memories so tight they would never escape. Here they were
popping up when I least expected them. My date laid his hand on
my knee and squeezed. It drew me back to the present. We were
outside of my house. I tried to smile, but even that simple gesture
was beyond me at the moment.
I m sorry. I didn t
He placed a finger on my lips. Don t worry about it. We can
always have another night. Right?
I didn t want to tell him yes. But I did want to see him again.
He was kind to me. My heart was turning from thinking he was a
crazy stalker who bought me flowers and a cell phone to a man
who truly wanted to get to know me. Being so I couldn t endanger
him the way I had Mark, Keaton had to stay out of my grasp. How
could I do that if we were meant for one another? I brushed my lips
over his cheek.
Right.
Chapter Five
I looked at the clock and knew I had to go into work, but I just
wasn t feeling up to it. I had spent the night twisting and turning,
trying not to think about my past. Trying not to think about Keaton
or what he meant to me.
The passion I felt for him and the darkness was consuming me.
My body was enflamed each time I thought about Keaton. It was
hard to breathe. When my mind wandered over our night together,
wherever he had touched me came to life. The phantom caresses
pressed upon my flesh. The ache to see him again grew worse. But
then the images of my past boyfriends and how they died would
flash through my mind. The thought of Keaton falling prey to my
curse twisted my stomach in knots.
I called in sick claiming I had the flu. While I dressed, I realized
I needed someone to talk to. The one person I could think of who
might understand what I was going through was Stephania
because she had helped the last time. When I looked through my
purse, I found her card she had had slipped into my jacket pocket.
I worked my way through the tunnels from the T to her house.
Standing outside her door, I wondered if she was even home. Will
she talk to me? Maybe she could tell me if I was cursed. I raised my
hand to knock when the door opened and Stephania was on the
other side.
I had a feeling that you were coming. Come on in.
I smiled and went into the house. Thanks.
She closed the door. The house was the same as it was the other
night. She motioned me through the beads. I rubbed my arms and
bit my lip thinking about what I would say. She ll probably think I m
nuts if I tell her this. We went into her kitchen. The kettle was
steaming on the stove. She poured the water into two mugs with
teabags hanging off the side of them. The mint from the leaves
perfumed the air once the water hit the teabags. Stephania handed
me the mug and sat at the kitchen table. I rested my head in my
hands and then combed my fingers through my hair.
So what was it you wanted to talk about?
I laughed. How did you know I wanted to talk? Maybe I m
just here to see what other spells you could cook up for me.
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