Page 37 of A Vampire Bewitched
He nodded. “Depending on your power, yes.”
“Is that smart of you to tell me?”
“Are you going to hurt me, Em?” he asked her in a low voice.
“Of course not,” she answered softly.
“Good.” He searched her face before dropping his eyes to the pulse in her throat. As he stared, the beats came faster. Harder.
He cleared his throat, breaking the spell. “And as much as I hate to admit it, Aiden is right about one thing. We should work with you on helping you to control your ‘witchy side’ as he likes to call it.”
“I still think that I would know if I was a witch,” she insisted.
“At the risk of sounding like your worst Freudian nightmare, why don’t you tell me about your childhood? Whatever you remember. What about, like, premonitions? Or, did anything ever happen if you were feeling really emotional? Like really angry or something?”
She looked down at her hands, twisted in her lap. “Yeah, I’ve had some weird things happen when I’m upset. Keira, too. We never really talked about it. It was just something that happened. I don’t think we even realized it wasn’t normal until we started school.”
“Your parents never mentioned anything to explain why this stuff happened?”
“No. Not a word. They just acted like it was no big deal for things to fly across the room when I was mad I couldn’t have dessert, or whatever.” She gave him a pained smile. “As we got older, the incidents tapered off, unless I get really upset. Working out seems to help. ”
“Yet, amazingly, nothing has flown through the air to smash over my head during any of our previous conversations. Other than some jumpy salt and pepper shakers at the bar, of course. Why do you think that is?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ve certainly deserved it a few times. And it’s not like I haven’t thought about it.”
Hiding his smile at that last comment, he asked, “Did you never wonder why these things were happening?”
She shook her head. “I’ve always just felt like I didn’t belong. I never had any friends, except my sister. She had the same problems in school as I did, but it never seemed to bother her as much. I’ve always just thought she was stronger than I am. I guess I never really questioned it.”
“I’m not uncomfortable around you.” Reaching across the narrow aisle, he took her small hand in his.
She jumped at his touch. Ever since their encounter earlier, he’d made it a point not to be anywhere within three feet of her, not wanting to tempt himself more. But after hearing the loneliness in her voice, he felt the need to prove to her he meant what he’d said.
After a pause, she threaded her fingers through his. “What you were saying earlier? About when humans and vampires mate and what happens when they exchange blood? Does that work if it’s only one way?”
He knew this question was coming, he’d seen it click in her head earlier. Looking down at their joined hands, he gently played with her fingers, hoping she wouldn’t remember the ass he’d made of himself when he’d woken up. “I can sense you when you’re nearby, because I’ve had your blood, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He narrowed his eyes at her as she bit back a smile. Guess it was too much to ask that she didn’t catch on to that. She didn’t tease him about it, though.
“What exactly do you mean by ‘sense’? Just that I’m there?”
“Where you are, and your general sense of well-being. I can feel it if you’re angry or upset. Or sad, like you are now. But I’ve always been able to do that. It’s just stronger now. Does that bother you?” He watched her reaction closely. “Em?” He started pulling his hand away.
But she closed her fingers tighter around his to keep him there, and told him firmly, “No. It doesn’t bother me.”
Letting out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, he carefully squeezed her hand in response before he released her. “Good.” Then he attempted to steer the conversation back on to safer ground. “When we land, if you’re not too tired—”
“What is this Nik?” she blurted. “With us? I mean, are you just playing with me for your own amusement? Is that it? The naive human? Or witch? Or whatever I am?” Her voice trembled. “Because if that’s what you’re doing, please just…stop.”
“Emma—”
“Are you just acting like you’re interested in me to keep me here so I’ll help you? Because you don’t have to do that, either. I would help you anyway if there was any chance at all of me finding my sister.”
“It’s not that simple,” he argued.
“Sure it is, Nikulas. If it’s just your…predator instincts, or the thrill of the chase, or whatever, causing you to run all hot and cold with me, knock it off. I have enough on my plate right now without having to deal with any more confusing emotions caused by you.”
Nik launched himself out of his seat to pace up and down the aisle, tugging at his hair with both hands in frustration.Dammit Em, just let it go.“That’s not it. I haven’t…I wouldn’t do that.”
