Page 148 of The Last Vampire
I frown, the lightheadedness giving way to anxious thoughts. “What do you mean by that?”
“I will turn myself over to Lenny, on the condition that nothing shouldhappen to you. No harm shall come to your friends because I will alter their memories before taking off.”
“That’s a terrible plan!” I say, his words waking me up as effectively as a few shots of espresso.
“Lorena, I cannot stay.” His voice is firm and deep, undercutting my own. “You see that, right? I cannot protect you from here. Without more blood, I am no match for them. And even with more blood, I could not take on fifty vampires at once. Thisterrible planis the only option we have left.”
I hate this terrible fucking plan.
I keep trying to come up with anotherresourceful argument,but I’m drawing a blank. Probably because he’s right.
“What aboutthem?” I ask in a surly voice, gesturing with my head to the two hibernating vampires.
“I will bury them until I have brokered a peace with Lenny. Only then will I awaken them.”
In the span of minutes, he’s thought of everything. There’s nothing more I can say. “I guess this is it then. I can’t convince you to stay.”
“Goodbye, Lore,” he says softly. “Proving you wrong in English class has been one of my life’s greatest achievements,” he adds with a wistful half smile.
“When did you ever prove me wrong?” I demand, but I also can’t help smiling.
Rather than retort, William’s expression grows grave, like this playfulness isn’t helping. “You should go now. Dragging this out will not make it any easier.”
“Last night, you said something about apropergoodbye,” I say, noticing how William’s eyes are growing rounder. Probably because I’m leaning in, ever so slowly.
The vampire doesn’t inch forward to meet me.
But he doesn’t move away, either.
I feel a slight tug on my hair, and I realize one of his hands is corralling my curls. I worry he’s going to push me away, but I keep moving in… until at last, my mouth presses into his.
William doesn’t react to my kiss. It seems like he’s not going to respond.
Then his lips part—and I gasp as a chilly tingle whispers across my body, like stepping outdoors on a frigid night. Far from painful, the touch of winter is soothing.
Because inside, I’m on fire.
CHAPTER 43william
William has ample time to pull back before Lorena kisses him.
He knows he cannot allow this to happen.
Their noses brush, and he feels the warmth of her breath on his cold skin. He must move away.
Instead, he buries his hand in her curls, wrapping the floral-scented strands around his fingers. He can hear her heart racing, their chests so close that he can almost delude himself into thinking the pulse is coming from him.
Then her mouth touches his, and he cannot resist any longer.
His lips part, and Lorena sucks in a shaky inhale. Her exhale warms his mouth, and he gives in to their kiss.
When Anne kissed him, he felt only tension; yet with Lorena, he feels liberated. It is as if she unlocks him, and he wants to give her all of himself.
Only… he cannot.
“Lore,” he murmurs, pulling away from her. “I have a lot of work to do in this room before morning.”
“Can I help?”
