Page 60 of Kentucky Nights
“It’s early, Darlin’. Go back to sleep. I’ll make us some coffee, and we can shower to get ready for the day.”
She grumbles, burying her face in the pillow. “Too early. It’s still dark.” She peeks one eye open at the ceiling. “It’s still dark-ish.”
I chuckle, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Go back to sleep. There’s no reason for you to get up. Rest. I have to get started with the chores.”
She opens one eye again, that hazel eye riddled with the need to sleep. “Chores? So early?”
“Every day.” I tug one of her curls before dragging my finger down the side of her cheek. “You deserve to stay in bed all day. You should never have to lift a finger. I’ll do all the liftin’.”
A sleepy smile spreads across her face. “You’re making ranch living sound really good. If you don’t stop, you’ll never get rid of me.”
I become serious, emotion lodging in my throat. “Good. Getting rid of you is out of the question. Don’t even think like that.”
And I’ve tasted her blood. I don’t know if she knows that means it takes us even closer to being a mated pair, for all eternity. A part of me doesn’t want her to know. I’m too afraid she will run away.
I remember talking to Lorcan about fated mates years ago, and he kept trying to convince me not to look forward to death so much. But I couldn’t help yearning for death when life hadn’t been kind to me.
Truly, I thought if I ever met my fated mate, she wouldn’t be enough to convince me to live. My mind was made up. If I could have walked into the sun ages ago to turn to ash, I would have.
Now, Dru is here.
And life doesn’t seem so cruel anymore. Don’t get me wrong, when the dark thoughts grip me, I spiral. There is a part of methat thinks death would be better for both of us than to be cursed to outlive a planet.
Then, I stare at the beauty who is lying in my bed. She’s so selfless and caring, and I know that there isn’t anyone else I would want to search the night sky with.
Life doesn’t seem like a burden anymore.
The real question is if Dru will feel the same.
She yawns, staring up at me with sleepy eyes. “What do you do so early?”
“Well, I have to feed everyone. I need to check the fence line to make sure nothing needs fixin’. There’s fresh hay, and I need to put new shoes on Romeo.”
“Shoes? He wears shoes?”
She’s so cute when she’s confused.
“Horseshoes.”
“Ohhhh.” It dawns on her. “And you have to do all that today? By yourself? Why don’t you have any ranch hands?”
I bend down, kissing her bare shoulder. “Because being alone was easier. I didn’t have to worry about people if I died.”
The sleep hanging on to her disappears, and she sits up, her eyes round as the moon. “You really wanted to die?”
A spike of annoyance has me clenching my teeth together. “I see Lorcan is telling business that ain’t his to tell.”
“He was only trying to help me yesterday when you were unconscious. Don’t be mad at him. He helped me.”
“My feelings about life are complicated, but with you here, it isn’t so bad at all. Go back to sleep, Darlin’. You don’t deserve to be up before the birds.” I kiss her forehead, and the moment my lips touch her skin, the same fever that broke me last night begins to sizzle within my veins.
I growl, closing my eyes to fight the urges. Now that I know what her blood tastes like, my fangs ache to sink into her neck. I want to claim her to ease this ache inside my bones, my teeth,my skin. There isn’t a spot on my body that doesn’t hurt from needing to be bonded to her.
Only a few more days before the truth can be set free, and she can decide what she wants out of this life.
“You’re sure you don’t need help? I can learn. I want to learn. Lorcan got me so many clothes, and now I have boots!”
“Darlin’—” I eye said boots across the room. “They’re pink. With sparkles. I’m not sure if he got you the right kind of boot.”
