Page 49

“My family are at dinner in a grand dining room. My father is at the head of the table. He’s lecturing my brother for forsaking his duties and saying I’m abandoning him for some grand adventure instead of taking my place.” His grip on her hand tightened, and his fangs protruded as she felt his anger flare.

“Gideon, stay with me. You’re with me, this is only a memory,” Aerin said.

“The servants interrupted us, bringing in some humans to stand beside us. They leaned over the table as instructed before slicing their…” Gideon didn’t finish before his hand slipped from hers and gripped her throat. His nail bit into her skin, silencing her song.

Aerin bit his wrist to try to free herself, but with a fresh bag of blood in him, he was too strong. She couldn’t break the trance without her song. She didn’t want to hurt him, but shocking him out of his thirst was the only way to save herself. Lunging forward, she sank her teeth into his shoulder. Gideon snarled and released his grip on her.

“I’m sorry,” he rasped, snapping out of his memory. “I’m so sorry.”

“You were trapped in the bloodlust, and I couldn’t bring you back without my song. Biting you was the only way,” she panted as he wiped his blood from her lips. “You’re bleeding heavily. I don’t know how my bite will affect you,” she said, watching as his blue shirt began to turn crimson where she’d sunk her teeth. Gideon didn’t even glance at the wound; his eyes remained fixed on her, riddled with sorrow.

“You need blood to heal,” Aerin said, running to the fridge and grabbing him a bag. What the hell was I thinking, swimming through his mind like that without a thought for his bloodlust? I should have stopped when he mentioned dinner. What the hell did I think his family would eat? When she got back to the study, Gideon was gone, and the window was wide open.

Aerin ran outside, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was no way she could catch up to him. She didn’t know if her bite would poison him like her blood. She thought about singing to call him back against his will, but when she started, her throat stung, her voice rough from his grasp.

What if he feeds on someone in town to save himself? Oh god, what have I done? She thought about calling the Witches’ Council for help, since going to the sirens was definitely not an option, but she didn’t want them to hurt him either. For the first time, she wanted to protect someone more than the cove. He won’t hurt anyone; he’ll come back. The last thing I want is him out there, hurt, and blaming himself for my great idea, she repeated to herself, heading down the cliff path and blowing out the jack-o’-lanterns so tourists and visitors would know the attraction was closed. She couldn’t risk him returning to a house full of humans. Hours passed on the porch as she watched for any sign of him.

I need to rest if my voice is to heal. Once I get some rest, I can call him back. He has to return before dawn, she reasoned, getting into bed and staring out her window.

Aerin sat up abruptly in bed, her heart pounding as she flicked on the light, instinctively feeling she wasn’t alone. She had no idea when she’d fallen asleep. Pulling her knees to her chest, her breath hitched when she saw Gideon—shirtless, drenched from the relentless rain as he walked through the open balcony doors.“Where did you go?” Aerin asked softly, crawling to the end of the bed, concern etched in her voice.

“I ran along the cliffs,” he whispered, voice trembling. “I didn’t trust myself around you.” His fingertips brushed the fresh bruises gently on her throat, as if trying to communicate his regret. She reached out, trying to soothe him, but he took her hand and kissed her palm. She worried he didn’t want her to touch him.

“Are you alright?” The rain had washed away the blood, but it was impossible to tell if the bite was still bleeding.

“I hurt you, and you’re worried about me?” he asked, standing at the side of her bed. His words pierced her heart.

“The bruises will be gone, and my voice will be healed after my morning swim,” she said. “I’m not as fragile as you think.” Her words a fragile attempt at reassurance. “Besides, you weren’t yourself; it was the thirst from the memory. I knew it was a risk when we decided to try and access your memory. I don’t blame you.” She hooked her knuckle under his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.

He hesitated before speaking again.

Aerin took his hand and guided him to sit on the edge of the bed. “Listen to my pulse.” She placed his hand over her heart. He followed her lead, powerless to resist. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Forgive me.” Gideon pulled her into his arms, her breath hitching as he caught her by surprise.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said, melting into his arms. “Can you forgive me for biting you?” She gently pulled his shirt aside to see that the bleeding had stopped, but the bite mark was angry and raised. “At least, I didn’t poison you again.”

“I would’ve deserved it.” He pulled away, and she studied the wet shine of the rain on his skin, which made him all the more enticing.

“Don’t say that, please. If you had got lost with my poison in your veins, you might not have survived, and what would I have done then? This was all my idea. Do you know how terrified I was of losing you? If you want me to forgive you, then you need to promise me that you won’t run off like that again,” Aerin pleaded, using his guilt to force a promise.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Gideon said, “and I promise I’ll never leave you like that again.”

“Good, because if you try, I’ll use my song to track you down, and you won’t be happy when I find you,” she said, lightening the mood. She practically climbed into his lap, hating the space he’d put between them.

“I shouldn’t stay; I still don’t trust myself,” he said, resting his hands on her hips, but he made no effort to remove her from his lap.

“You already promised me that you wouldn’t leave.” She pressed her lips to where she had bitten him. A groan slipped from his lips, fading into a satisfied sigh.

“Aerin, you’re making it impossible…” He sighed, gripping her silky nightgown.

“Don’t make me beg. Stay with me, be with me.” Her lips ran along the shell of his ear, her fingers slipping into his hair. The moan that escaped his lips told her he wasn’t going anywhere. She felt how much he yearned for her, pressing between her thighs.

He pulled back to stare at her, silently asking her if she was really okay. Aerin nodded, making good on her answer by crushing her lips against his.

“I thought we were taking this slow.” His lips pulled away harshly, and her eyes snapped to his darkened gaze. That’s the Gideon I know. He reclaimed her mouth, and a wave of desire ripped through her every limb as he lifted her into the air and dropped her onto the mattress. Her nightgown ended up around her hips as he grabbed her leg and pulled her toward the edge of the bed.

A faint giggle escaped her lips before he covered her body with his. He ground hard against her, making her whimper as there was not an inch of space between them.