Page 44 of His Winter Wonderland

He nodded. “I wish there had been someone around to save us.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “I guess not everyone is lucky as them, huh.” Were those tears brimming her eyes. She blinked them back. But Rhen was sure he’d seen them.

“You have your demons and I have mine,” she told him. “Creatures like us don’t get to have happily ever afters or fairytales.”

“Who gets to decide that?”

“It’s decided for us.”

“You once told me you didn’t believe in fate.”

“I don’t. But, I do believe in Karma. Neither Sin nor Kaede deserve to be cursed on a plane that was created for the worst of the worst. But, I do. Do you?”

After a few seconds, he nodded then whispered, “I do. Mainly, for what I did to you. But also, for some things I did in the past.” Rhen stared back down at the water. Please darkness, don’t give in to the bloodlust. He raised the glass to his lips.

“Wait.” Winter stretched her hand out and touched his.

He froze, glass halfway to his mouth, and stared down at her hand. A growl rumbled through his chest. She quickly pulled her hand back.

“You don’t have to drink it.”

“I want to. I want to show you that what happened that night will never happen again.”

He wouldn’t let it. She nodded. He brought the glass to his lips and downed the water in one gulp. Water itself, was bland and tasteless. The few drops of blood made it the sweetest liquid he’d ever tasted. As he lowered the cup, he felt heat emanating from his mate. He stared at her to find she’d conjured a fireball.

She shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.”

He took a step back from the heat and turned his back to her just as his fangs slipped free of his gums. Don’t do it, Rhen. Don’t fuck up.

“Turn around,” she called from behind him.

“Give me a second.”

“Now, vampire.”

He could feel the heat from his glowing eyes. Could feel his veins expanding. Could feel the dark lines appearing on his face. Don’t, Rhen. Don’t fuck this up.

“When my darkness tries to rise up,” she told him. “I think happy thoughts.”

“You are my happy thought,” he told her, speech slightly slurred because of his long ass fangs.

“I’m your happy thought?” She whispered.

He couldn’t respond. He was fighting to keep his darkness at bay.

“If I’m your happy thought, then why was I pulled into your nightmare? And why did you kill me over and over in your nightmare?”

“Long story,” he replied.

“I’ve got time.”

“I don’t.” He needed to get out of there. He tried to sit the glass down on her table. Missed. It hit the floor and shattered.

“I’ll get it,” she offered and put her fireball out then bent down.

He headed toward the front door but paused when he heard Winter say, ouch. Hand on the door handle, he looked back to see if she was okay. A drop of blood decorated her finger. She’d cut herself picking up glass. Her head tilted in his direction. That scent. That sweet fucking scent. Her eyes widened. He took a step toward her.

“Rhen, no.”

It was a whisper. A plea. He saw the fear in her eyes. He saw the disappointment. His darkness was close to taking over. It wanted to know what was so wrong with wanting to taste her. What was so wrong with wanting to touch her. She belonged to them. She should want her blood to be the only blood that sustained them.