“Morgan, I just want to make love to my wife. I don’t want to even think about what tomorrow is going to bring.”
Thayde’s strong arm snaked under my back, lifting and turning me again as he set me against the pillows. “You’re my Pearl and I love you,” he whispered, reaching underneath the bottom of my tank top.
“I love you,” I managed to breathe before his mouth covered mine.
Thayde’s strong hands caressed the sides of my naked back, pushing upward until they reached the top of my shoulders, cupping them and pulling down the length of my arms. I smiled into the bed, keeping my eyes closed. It was early morning and the rays of the sun had woken him from a heavy dream. He lay next to me, admiring the curves and sparkles of my body in the sunrise until he could no longer resist the urge to touch me.
As his fingers fell into the crevasses left behind by the Genif, his heart dropped. Fingertips delicately edged the thick wounds on my arms and Thayde held his breath while his mind raced.
I stopped myself from listening any further. There was nothing I wanted more than to invade the privacy of his thoughts – to find out what he was thinking. But as much as I wanted to, I was afraid. Was he revolted by me? Did he suddenly wish he didn’t have to be with someone who was not perfect anymore? Such thoughts seemed ludicrous and the mere suggestion made me feel sick.
“Are you kidding?”
Thayde’s scintillating touch was gone. Turning my head to face him, I squinted against the sunrise. He sat on his knees by my side, most of the top white sheet wrapped around his waist. I watched his perfect stomach contract and relax as he breathed. It was amazing to me how he stayed in such good shape. He hardly ever worked out. If you didn’t count the constant swimming.
“What are you talking about?” My voice sounded far too innocent.
“Don’t give me that,” his tone changed and he leaned back, supporting himself with one arm. “How could you possibly think I would leave you? What? Because of those?” His face contorted as he waved toward the blackened indentions.
“Thayde,” I didn’t know what to say.
“How could you even begin to think something like that? After everything we’ve had to endure?” Angrily, he pulled from the bed, ripping the sheet away with him. “Why is it that you always doubt us?”
“Thayde!” I pulled on my tank top and pants.
He dropped the sheet as he reached for his shorts, revealing his picture perfect body. “You’re supposed to be The Link, Morgan.” His voice grew louder as he pulled on his shorts. Stooping down, he reached for the sheet on the floor. “You’re acting like a damn child.”
Balling the sheet in his hands, he threw it to me. Intense rage threatened to overpower me, but before I could respond, a loud popping sound reverberated throughout the room. A figure rose through the floor, wrapping its arms around Thayde’s arms and chest. Platinum hair matted with blood appeared over Thayde’s shoulder and a nasty, sharp-toothed grin froze me to my very core.
“Flynn!” I cried, bolting from the bed. “What are you doing?”
A blue light exploded from Thayde as he attempted to rid himself from Flynn’s grip. Quick as lightning, Flynn sunk his teeth into the soft skin of Thayde’s exposed neck. Blood spurted across the glass doors and Thayde screamed in agony. Before I could reach them, they disappeared through the floor.
Fire instantly shot from me, rippling along the floors and climbing the sides of the walls of my bedroom. The intense heat barely registered with me and it wasn’t until I felt a cool hand on my shoulder that I realized I was screaming.
Tammer’s best friend, David, suddenly appeared, pulling me into his arms and teleported us from the collapsing room to the side of the pool where Tammer stood with Mom.
“Kenneth!” He shouted, and a figure standing on the edge of the steps waved, creating an enormous tidal wave that shrouded my room in a cloak of water. The fire was instantly extinguished.
“He took Thayde,” I heard myself say to David. He looked to Tammer.
“Who?” Tammer demanded and I felt my knees buckle.
“Flynn,”
“What happened?” Ezen ran toward me, Tiesa hot on his heels.
“Where did he go?” Tammer knelt next to me, drawing my attention back to him.
“I knew we couldn’t trust a vampire!” David cursed.
“I told you!” Tiesa cried.
Panicked voices melded into an enormous, unrecognizable mess. It wasn’t until strong hands lifted me underneath my elbows, forcing me to my feet that I snapped out of my delirium.
Kenneth, the man from the meeting with the Elders, frowned angrily at me.