Page 33 of The Bleeding Hearts Club

I fake gasp, “Theodore. You have friends?”

He pushes me with a laugh. “Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted. We were out at a bar. It was going fine, we were having fun, but I started feeling really weird. It was like I was on the verge of being blackout drunk, which was weird because at the time I’d only had like two beers, and maybe a shot. I walked out on to the bar balcony, which was like on the top floor of this fancy ass hotel one of the guy’s parents had booked for us. Next thing you know, I tripped.” He takes a sharp breath when I gasp.

“Oh, fuck. What happened?”

“Well, obviously I didn’t die. I woke up laying on this really old looking lounge. Like Victorian type of stuff, and this older guy, maybe like in his early forties, was standing by a fireplace, drinking whiskey. He offered me a glass, and told me his name was James. He told me what had happened, or well, what had been happening throughout the city. A rogue vamp had been selling his blood to drug dealers as some kind of ‘better’ version of a party drug. Someone had spiked my drink at the bar. And if you die with vampire blood in your system…well,” he trails off motioning to himself.

“I’m so sorry, Theo. That’s awful that someone did that to you.”

“James helped a lot in those first few months, but its been eight years, and I don’t know. I’m kind of grateful, in a way. I get to experience so many great things now, and I have so many opportunities that eternal life offers. Don’t be sorry, Mina, because if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have met you.” Theo’s hand reach above him to grab my own, as he turns his head to plant a soft kiss on my cheek.

“Theo?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Let’s go back to my room.”

It’s the last thing that’s spoken between us as we carefully row back to shore, walk the short trip up the beach, through the hotel, and to the outside of my room.

Theo gently pushes me back against the way beside my door, his lips are soft, almost a whisper against my own and I know why. He’s still so afraid he will hurt me, but I know he won’t. I don’t think he would be capable of it. A little bit of pain isn’t hurting me if I like the monster behind it.

I pull away from him, opening my door, and grabbing his shirt to pull him inside.

“I want you,” I murmur against his lips, and he smiles that wonderful, adorable, dimply smile.

“You have me, sweetheart.”

“No, Theo. I want you. All of you.” He looks deep into my eyes and realization dawns on him. He tries to pull away, but I stop him. “I’m not scared, Theo. You told me you like me for me. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly. Why can’t I feel the same for you?”

Theo nods. “Okay. Okay, Mina. Anything for you.” He steps back stripping off his shirt, leaving his swim shorts on. And he shifts. And it’s so fucking beautiful.

There’s a phasing sort of thing that happens as his skin-kissed skin ashen into that stone-gray paleness. His limbs lengthen and his height climbs, but Theo is still Theo. His eyes might not have whites, but the blue is the same hue, just brighter, like there’s a light glowing from within him shining through his irises. Theo’s hair may be whiter, but its the same tousled mess it always is.

I reach a hand out, grazing my fingers across his chest and down his toned stomach.

He’s cold.

There is a fleshy give to his body, but beneath it is almost like rock—to match his complexion. Theo unfurls his wings, and wraps them around me and I’m a little shocked by how soft they are. Almost like there’s a downy layer covering the thin skin and bone. He shivers when I touch them, and I stop to look at him.

“I’m sorry. It kind of tickled, but it kind of felt good too. I dunno. No one’s ever touched them before.” Theo whispers and looks away from embarrassment.

“Hey, look at me.” He slowly meets my gaze again. “Don’t hide from me, Theodore. You’re beautiful. I don’t want you to shy away from me. I’m not scared.”

Darkened lips meet my own and our once gentle kiss has turned heated. The claw like finger on his hands rake through my hair, tugging slightly at my scalp, and I moan. This is everything I could have ever imagined that it would be. The authors are wrong. They are so, so wrong.

My hands climb up his broad shoulders, nails scarping lightly across his flesh, and he hisses in the deep tone that only seems to come out when he’s shifted or losing control.

“Mina, I’ve never done this before. Not like this.”

“Shh. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.”

Theo’s hand circle my waist, lifting me as effortlessly as he always does, walking across my room, and laying me gently on the bed.

Housekeeping must have been in sometime today, because the sheets are replenished and smell like fabric softener. It’s comforting when my heart is beating rapidly in my chest, and Theo’s eyes are filled with hunger.

He raises up, and from my view on the bed, with the moonlight filtering through the open curtains, I can see the monster. The thing of nightmares that has led to centuries of folklore and horror stories told around campfires. And he’s everything I could ever want. He’s not a demon come to drag me into darkness. He’s an angel here to save me from myself.

Slowly, Theo strips off my shorts and pulls me up to push the straps of my one-piece off my shoulders. Each inch they falls, his cool lips follow, leaving small nips and sweet kisses to my heated flesh.