Page 189 of The Midnight Order
He leans down. “It’s not a good day to be near you, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Why isn’t it a good day?” I swallow, remembering the day I was between him and Corvin, him drinking from Corvin’s vein while Corvin kissed me.
My heart stutters, and Asher grins as if he’s heard it. Of course, he’s heard it.
“I’m too hungry to be near you.” His words have my panties dampening at the idea of him at my vein.
It’s what makes me realize he hasn’t fed from me since the first time… in the basement.
He never “re-tested” me, though we all know I’m the key to their curse at this point.
I open my mouth to permit him to use me to feed when he turns and walks toward the French doors, opening one and stepping back. “Come with me. I’ll do my perimeter sweep with a bit of company.”
I nod, hopeful we’ll get up to a bit more while walking the property. Also, I’m confident he’ll give me more information with some space between us and the manor.
We walk past the fountain, and I do my best to keep my eyes and mind off it.
Asher’s got his arm thrown nonchalantly over my shoulder, and it feels like it weighs a million pounds.
Asher has this dominating presence about him, not as much as Lowell, but enough where it seems all the surrounding oxygen has been sucked up, and we’re outside.
Any male who can suffocate you in the presence of oxygen-producing vegetation is dangerous.
“Tell me what’s running through that pretty little head of yours,” he says, and I realize he’s been leading me along a path through the woods, probably put here by his hourly checks of the grounds.
“So much. Too much to put into words.”
He nods, stopping as he turns me towards him, his hands on my shoulders. “I’m going to get this done with, and when I get back, I’ll show you the pool house.”
“Okay, but we’re going together, right?”
He grins, his red eyes gleaming as it reaches them. “I can run this property and return to you in under five minutes. Then we’re free to do what we want for the rest of the afternoon.”
I bite the corner of my bottom lip. “Alright. I’ll wait here.”
He brushes my lips with a soft kiss. “Be back soon, Sweet Silver.”
In a rush of air, he’s gone, and I’m standing in the woods, suddenly very aware of each noise surrounding me.
I keep vigilant, my eyes tracking the thick, untamed forest. Turning in a circle, I feel ferns brush the back of my legs. Gasping, I turn, nearly leaping out of my skin, when I hear a twig crack.
For a moment, I think it’s Asher coming back, but he’s only been gone for a minute. There’s no way he can run the entire property in that amount of time.
“Asher?” I call out, feeling stupid for speaking to the verdant woods.
However, they’ve seen something out here twice and are worried enough about it to have Asher conduct hourly checks. But Asher didn’t seem too concerned, I remind myself.
“No. Not Asher,” a voice says, and it’s female. It doesn’t sound like it came from a person or even a vampire.
The voice sounded like it came from all around me as the mysterious, shadowed woodland had come to life, sentient and evoked by my presence.
“Who are you?” I manage, my voice shaking.
A flash of white flicks through my eyes, darting between two limbs on the fir tree in front of me.
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling chilled to my bones. So much they itch.
A laugh follows the creature circling me. Now and again, it moves slowly enough for me to see, but I can’t make out any definition.
