Midnight Whispers (The Midnight Duology #1)

Chapter 10

10

Cedar being here has made hunting for the scummy humans hard. Every law enforcement in town, and in surrounding areas, are on high alert of someone killing and I can’t take any chances.

However, one of my favorite things about this coastline is the abundance of trees and mountains. Along the beach is one of my favorite hunting spots; hidden deep within the vast amounts of spruce trees, is a waterfall. Since it’s so deep within the forest it isn’t a commonly visited area, but it does have the occasional hiker or two. The waterfall flows into a river that is a common hunting ground for black bears.

My prey releases a long huff as he enters the river to hunt for fish. He has no idea his life is about to end and that pulls at something in my chest, a sliver of whatever humanity I have left. It sparks a question in my mind: what makes his life any less worth living?

I move slightly, a branch breaking beneath my feet. A rookie mistake, honestly. His head jolts in my direction and we make eye contact. In the blink of an eye, I fly through the trees and glide over the cascading river. In seconds, I’m on his back with my hands laced into his thick fur. The taste of venom fills my mouth, my teeth sharpen, and I sink my teeth into his meaty skin. His blood floods my tongue, the sweet nutty flavor flowing down my throat. A low growl escapes his throat at the same time his muscles begin to loosen, and his knees begin to shake beneath the weight of his weakening body.

His body crumbles beneath me as I drain his veins, falling to the floor with a thud. I move his lifeless corpse to behind the tree line. With the lack of humans out this far, there is an abundance of wolves and mountain lions so he will feed others. There’s a howl in the distance that makes me realize it will be sooner rather than later.

The sun begins to fall beneath the mountains, casting shadows across the water. I look down at my hands, which are shaking slightly from the adrenaline of the hunt. The bear’s hot sticky blood warms the area around my mouth, dripping down beneath my chin. Knowing Lillia is most likely already at the beach, or close to it, I go to the river and wash off. I splash cold water onto my chin, turning the water a light pink for a fleeting moment.

I leave the sanctuary of the hidden waterfall, finding the dirt path so I can follow where it leads. Lillia’s scent drifts with the wind, so even with the space between us I can find her. Once I get to the beach, I stay hidden within the tree lines, watching as she talks to her friend. There’s something magical in the way the sun reflects off her hair. Her head falls back in laughter and the world seems to slow. It’s almost as if everything that is around is as entranced with her as I am.

The distance between us is too great for me to hear their conversation; unfortunately, even my abilities have limitations. I am enraptured by her as she sits on the blanket, nothing but carefree as the wind blows through her hair. She pulls her reading device out of her satchel and begins reading, blissfully unaware of me watching from a distance.

They don’t remain on the beach for long. Around the same time that their snacks are devoured, the sun has almost completely disappeared beneath the horizon. Out here, away from all the lights of the city, the stars are so bright and fill the sky. I watch as they clean up their trash, fold up their blanket, and pack away the items they brought along for this picnic. When they come near, I sink deeper into the tree line. Between the darkness of the night and the distance, the chances of them seeing me are slim, but I’d rather not risk it.

Keeping my eye on the area around where they’ve parked, I watch closely as Flora helps Lillia put her bike in the trunk of the car. Once the red taillights disappear in the distance, I leave the refuge of the forest and make my way toward her cottage.

I don’t race at full speed, but instead I trail slowly behind them. There’s so much on my mind, so many possible outcomes that are tethered to uncertainties. One thought has been constant; without a doubt, I would spend the entirety of her life by her side. I would choose her again and again, whether she decided to become a vampire or not.

It’s a nice night. The breeze has a slight warmth to it that’s unfamiliar this time of year, but it’s welcomed, nonetheless. Lillia must be enjoying it as well because her bedroom window is open, the curtains swaying in the wind . After a quick walk around the cottage, I see that almost every window is also open. This leaves not only me with multiple ways to get in, but Cedar, too .

I sneak in through the window of the reading room in the back, making sure my footsteps are light enough to not make a sound. Quietly, I shut that window and lock it. The house is quiet, except for the television in Lillia’s room, but I know neither of them are asleep yet. My head jolts in the direction of the hallway as the floorboard creaks beneath someone’s weight.

The door handle starts to turn.

I look for the nearest place to hide and decide on the closet. The shutter doors require some effort to open and close, more so for a human than me. Light fills the room, followed by Lillia’s scent. I can see her through the louvered doors of the closet, and I’m watching her closely. The nightgown she’s wearing will be the death of me, if I weren’t already technically dead. It clings to her body, embracing every glorious curve.

She enters the room holding a stack of books and begins placing them in the bookshelf, finding a home for them one by one. There’s so much care and respect she has for each of them as she slides them into their new place. Her head turns in my direction and if the doors weren’t here, we would be staring directly into each other’s eyes. There’s a moment where it seems like she can see me and my stomach drops in response.

“Night, Lil!” Flora calls from across the hall. Lillia hesitates, her eyes remaining on the closet.

“Love you!” she responds, shaking her head and turning back to the bookcase. I withhold the sigh of relief that’s begging to be released.

Once her pile was all neatly housed, Lillia turned the light off and left the room. The frame of her bed groaned as she laid down only moments later. Afraid that she might come back, I chose to stay inside of the closet. Since the wall behind me shares a wall with her bed, I can hear when her breathing slows. I open the shutters carefully, begging them not to be loud .

After exiting the closet, I enter each of the rooms quietly and ensure each window is closed and locked. There is nothing more important than keeping my girl safe. I lock her window last so that I can watch her sleep before leaving back to my manor.

My chest aches when I think of leaving her again. There’s a deep desperation I feel for a day when I don’t have to leave her, when we share a home. Regardless of how little time we may have together.

***

When I get back to the manor, I find Asher on his bed. His thumb moves quickly as he aimlessly scrolls through his phone.

“Finnian, to what do I owe this pleasure?” he asks, not looking up from the device.

“I just wanted to talk about the party.”

“You should really lead with that next time. You know I love talking about parties.”

I scoff, stifling the urge to roll my eyes.

“Are you going to wear a costume?”

“Why, yes. I am going to a Halloween party wearing a costume.” He shakes his head. “Sometimes I worry about you, Finnian.”

So do I.

“What are you wearing?” I repeat the question in my mind, did I just ask that?

“I’m so glad you asked!” He jumped off the bed and disappeared into his closet. If there’s one thing Asher loves in this world, it’s clothes. He has collected garments throughout history and cherishes everything he’s acquired. His closet is the size of a large bedroom. “What do you think of this?” He beams and holds up a pair of dark khakis, a leather gun holster, and a white button up shirt.

“Who are you supposed to be? ”

“The leather wristband will be here tomorrow. I love two-day shipping,” he responds as if I’m supposed to understand the significance.

“Again, Asher, who are you supposed to be?”

“Finn, honestly. How have I put up with you?” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m Rick O’Connell? Brenden Fraser’s iconic role in The Mummy. It’s an American masterpiece. ”

I shrug and shake my head.

“ Seriously? Go watch the damn movie right now, you uncultured swine.” Asher storms off in his closet dramatically, waving his hand in dismissal.

“Anyways. Are you planning on meeting anyone?”

“Backtracking, what are you going as?”

“A skeleton,” I shrug. “I’m painting my face.”

“And let me guess? Wearing all black. Predictable Finnian.”

“Okay, back to my question.”

“I’m not planning on it, but you know me. Whatever happens… happens.” He winks at me, which means he is absolutely taking someone home. “And you? Are you finally making your move?”

“No.” I answer sharply.

“Why not?”

I shrug, refusing to give him an answer. Soon he will get sick of me saying I don’t deserve her.

Asher shrugs his own shoulders. “I think you should.”

“It would be different than any other lovers I have had in the past.”

“Because there’s been so many?” he chimes in sarcastically.

“If I pursued her, she would be mine for the rest of my life. I’d never want another because nobody would ever compare. It didn’t matter if she ever went through the change or not. I know in my soul; nobody would ever be comparable to Lillia. ”

“If you changed her…” I cut him off, my elongated teeth exposed in a snarl. “Okay, so we will not be changing her.”

“The only way I would ever change her is if she wanted it, truly desired it, and knew every dark truth of this life we live.” My voice is strong with resolution.

I storm out of the room, down the hall, and rash through the double doors that lead into my room. Anger is coursing through me, unexpected and irrational, but I’m fuming, nonetheless. Asher knows to give me space when I’m this mad, so I pace the floor of my bedroom alone.

My temper wasn’t the most stable when I was human and, when I was changed, it was amplified. The images of Lillia lifeless flash through my mind. My arms wrapped around her, blood scattered around us and dripping from my chin. If I could sleep, if I was human, this would be the scene that haunted my dreams. I open the glass door leading to my balcony, hopeful that the autumn wind will relax me.

The only thing that calms the raging sea of anger within me is knowing I will be seeing Lillia soon.