Page 12 of Kentucky Nights
Plunging into the cold water, unconsciousness pulls me under its spell while the current takes me to my final resting place.
Because my god, let this fucking day be over.
I stand at the edge of my property line, analyzing the woods for any sort of movement. The scent of blood still hangs in the air, yet it has faded, almost like the person the delicious fragrance belongs to is further away than they were minutes ago.
Certain words keep playing over and over in my head, words I’m trying to ignore, but the pull to find the source of the person responsible for the chaos in my soul is too strong to ignore.
Beloved.
Fated mate.
Mine.
I remember Audrey teaching me about fated mates before she turned me. On top of the researching vampires on my own to learn who I am and how to be, I know having a mate is not something I want. I didn’t want it then with Audrey, and I don’t want it now.
Being born to live and die is the beauty of being a human. You have a certain amount of time to fulfill all your wishes, hopes, and dreams. That’s the wonder of being alive. You’re under a time constraint.
To love, to fuck, to laugh, and to cry.
There are only so many moments one can have before the peace of death takes over, making room for another soul to have their chance at the world.
The curse of living forever leaves no room for moments to be cherished or treasured. In my almost two hundred years, time has melted together.
What makes living forever so fucking special?
Even with all the negative emotions I have about living for eternity, I still can’t turn my back on my mate. It’s not the kind of man I am. It’s clear she is hurt, and I can make sure she is okay before sending her on her way to live the life she deserves.
Even the thought of not having her here has my eyes morphing red.
The heavy hooved steps of Romeo have me turning my head to see him meandering toward me. He has blood on his snout, and his thick tongue flicks, licking the liquid free from his top lip.
“Romeo, we have a human to find,” I tell him, staring out into the forest again.
The wind sways the branches, causing the leaves to rub together. In the distance, there’s a river rushing with cold water, which has me wondering if that’s why her blood is becoming so faint. She had to have washed it from her body.
“I smell her,”he says, trotting up to stand next to me.“Why do we need to find her?”
“She could be my mate, and she could be hurt.” I take off my hat and run my fingers through my dark hair, doing my best tocome to terms with my new reality before placing the Stetson back on.
“You don’t want your mate. You’ve made that clear.”Romeo stomps one hoof on the ground, slinging his head up and down to make his point.
I grind my teeth together, not liking how much the truth hurts. “I can’t leave her hurting. It’s not right.” In the little bit of time I spent researching vampires, I didn’t find too much information about fated mates. Some books said the two destined can deny the bond, sever it, and live how they want. Other resources said, death was the only option if they did not mate.
I should know more than I do, but it’s not like I’ve made it my life’s mission to find any other creatures like me. I came to terms with what I am a long time ago, and I’m happy living in my corner of peace without being bothered.
The arrival of my fated mate might change all that though. I’m going to have to come to terms with dying sooner than I thought. She’s going to ask questions. She’s going to want answers to those questions that I don’t know.
This is the last thing I need. Why can’t the universe leave me the fuck alone? Why can’t I live and die on my own damn terms? Something or someone always gets in the way of those plans.
The universe is fucking with me.
“Shut up, Romeo,” I grumble, patting his neck before I grip his mane and sling my leg over his back to get settled. “I want to follow the scent. Let’s see where it leads.”
He neighs in response. I’m happy he isn’t a big talker. I’m not either. I prefer silence. With a sharp whistle and a very gentle nudge to his sides, Romeo begins to gallop using his vampire speed.
I stay low to his neck, careful to miss the low-hanging branches that would easily take off my head. There would be no healing from that.
He leaps over a fallen log. The sound of his hooves is thunderous, shaking the leaves from the trees with the strong force of his strides. Anyone could feel the rumble beneath their feet, not knowing that it isn’t an earthquake or a storm, just a horse that could sling the flesh from their bones with one small kick.
