Excerpt:
“You should be sleeping Ella.” Kale’s voice was low and sent warm
_______ up my spine.
“I couldn't sleep.” That wasn’t a
lie. Though I was exhausted, a nightmare had me grasping for some form of
reality. I needed the one person that grounded me and made me feel safe.
Kale’s voice was soft and full of
concern. “Why not? Is it Jace?”
“No, it’s not Jace.”
“Then what is it?”
“Doesn’t ______,” I fumbled with the phone suddenly nervous about my
phone call. I didn’t want us to argue about my ________ to stay with Jace
versus going back to Alex’s parent’s house. I needed Kale and what hurt the
most was that the only thing separating this time was him. Well, not Kale, but la Luxure inside of him. We had accomplished and overcome so
much, but still, here we were with another hurdle placed in front of us. Mother
Nature couldn’t even make a mountain as big as the hurdle before us.
Kale sighed. “What is it?” My
silence must have made him realize that something was wrong, but I didn't want
to worry him. I just ______ to hear his voice.
“Nothing, it was nothing that you
need to be concerned about I _______.”
“Hmm… You are a horrible liar.” Kale
chuckled.
“Well, I’ll take that as a
compliment.”
“Yeah, you would.”
“I miss you,” I whispered. I was scared Kale would give me the whole,
‘You have to move on for your own safety,’ speech. I closed my eyes and waited
for the words that always seemed to come. My heart pumped in my chest and I had
to fight control my breathing.
“I miss you too.” His words brought
a smile to my face. I relaxed into my pillow and then turned to my side. The
light from the moon illuminated the room enough for me to see the bag I’d
packed placed under the desk and not for the first time, I doubted that I had
made the right decision to leave Kale back in Moose Nose. “He’s dangerous,”
Jace said over and over and unfortunately Kale agreed, but there was something that
kept me _________ if Jace had an ulterior motive.
“I was ________ about
you and I wanted to hear your voice,” I snuggled under the warmth covers. I
missed the few days that Kale and I had together before la Luxure made him go all crazy. I missed his arms ______ me as we
slept, the warmth of his breath as he placed his mouth on my neck for the
sweetest goodnight kiss I'd ever experienced, but most of all I missed the
waking up in his arms.
“What were you thinking about me?” Kale
asked in a breathy voice. It was amazing to be able to _____ an intimacy with
Kale yet know that there was still so much more to explore with him, but I was
still lonely. I still needed the reassurance that he would fight for us even
when he thought that he would only bring me pain and sadness. “Is it my sexy
voice, boyish good looks or maybe my breath taking kisses?” Kale added a noisy
kiss for good measure and I couldn’t help but to laugh.
“Honestly, I can’t get your kisses out of
my head, but that wasn’t all I was thinking about at the moment.”
“Naughty girl,” Kale growled and I
chuckled.
“Learned from the best,” I said _______ a
yawn. “Will you stay on the phone with me until I fall asleep again?” I
squeezed my eyes tighter refusing to let the tears fall. I was stronger than
before and I had a plan. I knew it would work and I also realized that I would
have to ask Jace to help me get to the Council of Immortals in Alaska, but I
still had faith in my plan. If Kale could sacrifice his life and the things he
held close to his heart for me, then I would do my part in keeping us ________.
“Ella, I’d give anything to be there
beside you.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice and it fueled my desire to
be with him.
“I __________ that for now, this
will have to work,” I said fighting another yawn.
“For now?”
“We will be together soon Kale, you
may not believe it but it will happen. We have been through far too much to
give up now.” My hopes were up, hell, they had blasted through the ceiling, but
I wasn’t going to tell Kale why because he’d fight me on it and I couldn't have
that.
“Go to sleep Ella, I’ll stay on the
phone with you.” Kale’s voice still held doubt but I had enough faith for the
____ of us.
“No,”
feeling a bit defiant I continued, “I want you to talk to me, Kale.” I heard
him sigh on the other end of the phone. It didn't sound annoying or restless,
but I had to wonder. When would this get old to him? Yes, he’d followed me
throughout time and yes, he _____ my soul, but how long could he hold on to
himself and beat la Luxure? There was so much at stake and I couldn't let
that get me down nor could I let him doubt our future. “Want to hear a secret?”
I asked lowering my voice. There was a brief moment of silence before Kale
spoke.
“Yes, tell
me.” ____________ laced his voice and I stifled a giggle. “And then to bed,
baby.” I almost groaned when he called me baby. His terms of endearment always
made me melt, just a little, even when I was angry or sad.
“I dream
about you,” I ________ with a smile. There were times at night where my dreams
of Kale would wake me up. My heart would stutter or pound in my chest; I’d be
short of breath thinking of the life he and I could start when all of this was
over.
“You dream
of me?” Kale chuckled. “That isn’t some big secret seeing as how I often
daydream about you. Ella, I have dreamed about the life that I know you deserve
and the life that you will more than likely have with me, but most of all I
dream about dating you, learning your wants and fears, _________ for an
apartment with you and living in the shack in some Podunk town.” It was nice to
know that Kale’s dreams of our future were attainable. “Then placing a ring on
your finger, we’d walk down the aisle where the people we love gathered and
watched as we make the ultimate commitment.”
“Oh God
Kale we can have that,” I said.
“What _____
kids, I can never give you any.” I started to lie and say that I didn't want
kids, but I was way too young to make a decision like that. “The Council of
Immortals will always hunt me and that would include you even if you weren’t
the Arc. You will have to run with me and I can’t convict you to a life like
that, I just can’t and the more you ask it of me the harder it is for me to do
the right thing and walk away.” How dare
he make this decision for the both of us?
“I agree
that you ______ do the right thing, Kale, but you don’t get to decide what is or isn’t good for me, it should be a decision we make together. Now, promise me you will think about it.”
“I promise, now go to sleep, Ella.
I’ll still be here in this cage when you wake.” I didn't speak. I closed my
eyes and let sleep take me. He wouldn’t be in that cage
____ longer no matter what he thought.
About the Author:
Inger Iversen lives in Virginia Beach with her tree-hugging boyfriend Joshua and her overweight lap cat Max. When not reading or writing she spends her time watching reruns of True Blood or killing zombies in Call Of Duty.
