Forever Yours (#1) Read online

  “Listen to me, you need to stay indoors. If there is an animal out there, then god knows what it’s capable of.” Rachel nods her head in agreement and then she throws her hands into the air, as she catches her reflection in the mirror. Rachel lunges from the sofa, I fall back from her sudden movement and I watch as she bounces out of the living room –sniffling as she walks. When she is out of sight, I reach into my pocket and I take out my phone. I scan through my contacts, until I reach Dalton’s number. I hesitate for a few moments and then I jump as my phone begins roar its annoying ringtone. My heart is shaking and my knees are jumping, as I consider answering his call. I bite my lip as I give in and slide to answer.

  “Rose,” he says in a desperate voice. My aching desire for him burns as his voice rings in my ears, but my head maintains cool, as my fear returns. “Yes,” I say in a firm tone.

  “Have you seen the news?” My throat dries at his words –is he going to confess that it was him? I lunge from the sofa and I rush to the door, I slam it shut as I don’t want Rachel to overhear my looming conversation. I don’t know how she would react to the news about Dalton and even if I did want to tell her, I couldn’t, because I promised him that I would keep his secret. I know that he is dangerous and I don’t really know him all that well, but there is something about him that makes me care about him. I want to know more about him and I need him in my life, I know that’s crazy, but that is how I have been feeling from the very first moment that I laid eyes on him. He drew me into his life with just one look and now I am terrified because he has revealed that he is a vampire. Perhaps I was in a daze the last two weeks, in denial and not wanting to face up to the truth. But now with the attack on an innocent girl, I am forced to face the truth.

  “Your voice tells me that you have seen the news or maybe you were the one behind the story!” I say in a firm, sarcastic tone. I can hear that his breathing is now heavier than before and there is a snarling sound escaping from his throat.

  “This isn’t time for your smart remarks, now please listen to me.” “Why should I, for all I know you were the one who attacked and killed that girl.”

  “ROSE,” he shouts. I jump from the sound and then I give into his command and listen to his explanation. “I’m sorry about raising my voice, but I need you to listen to me, okay?” I sigh and then I move over to the window, pushing back the old, netting curtain so that I can see out into the street.

  “I’m listening,” I say defeated.

  “The attack on the girl is upsetting, but I had nothing to do with it.”

  “If it wasn’t you, then who was it?” I blurt out. The phone is quiet and then I can hear shuffling and the sound of his car. I glance at my watch when I realise that Dalton is driving, I scowl as he doesn’t usually go out at this time of day and I can’t help but wonder where he is going. I focus my attention back to my phone call, as Dalton begins to talk in his smooth, slightly southern accent.

  “I’m not exactly sure, but I have a few ideas on who it might be.”

  “Nicholas?” I sharply ask. I can hear Dalton sighing as he takes in my words and as I wait for him to answer me, my mind begins to rush. I haven’t met Nicholas, but Dalton has filled me in on his antics. He is three years older than Dalton –well at least he was when they were human. Unlike Dalton who says that being a vampire is a curse, Nicholas embraces it and he wouldn’t want to be any other way.

  “Maybe, like I said I don’t know for sure who it was, but I would bet on it being him. Listen Rose, where are you right now?”

  “I’m at home, why?” My heart begins to pound when I press my hand against the window. I can hear the roar of an engine and the squeak from the tyres, it doesn’t take me long to figure out that Dalton is here. I look out of the window as the sound grows closer, and there he is. I look out at the red car that has parked in front of my small house and my heart is now in my mouth, as I don’t know what he wants. I never see him during the day and the fear that I never had before, is slowly creeping its way into my mind. I can see him looking out at me through the window of his car and I shake my head at him as I meet his stare.

  “Are you coming out?” He says, with hope in his voice.

  “Why don’t you come in?” He laughs at my words and then he air blows me a kiss and I gently blush at his actions.

  “Was that an invite?” He says in a smooth voice. I shake my head at him through the window and then I see the door of his car push open. He steps out – with his phone lodged to his ear. I can’t help smiling at him, he is so beautiful and god like. He begins to slowly walk over in my direction, wearing his faded blue jeans and a black hoodie. I shake my head as he smiles a wicked smile in my direction. His lips are turned up at the corners, as he adjusts his eyes on my face. “You look beautiful; you know I can’t resist your awkward smile.” I blush, pushing my loose hair away from my face, I smile at him. His eyes meet mine and he puckers his lips again, as if he was going to kiss me through the window. I shake my head at him and then I slowly make my way out into the hallway. I push open the front door and I stand in the doorway, with my phone still clasped to my ear. I can hear Dalton’s footsteps and then he is standing in front of me – maintaining his distance as I haven’t invited him in. His lips are white with desire and I can’t help but wonder if he is hungry? Is he staring at me right now, with those eyes because he is thinking about what my blood would taste like? Does he hunger to bite into my skin and feed on me? Those thoughts never entered my head before, but now there are all that I can think about.

  I realise that I am still standing with my phone at my ear, so I quickly hang up and push my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. Dalton does the same and then he takes a few steps closer to me. His eyebrows push together as my lips part so that I can let out my words.

  “Have I ever told you that you are a full grown, alpha male, douchebag?” Dalton bursts out laughing at my comic words and then he moves closer, holding out his hand for me to step out into the cold day. I gasp as my skin collides with his and when his fingers intertwine with mine, my heart skips a beat. He pulls me in towards him and he rests his hand onto my shoulder. I look up into his red stare and I flinch and try to loosen myself from him at the sight. He shakes his head and then he gently closes his eyes, taking firm breaths to overcome his desire. I stand in place, with his hand lodged onto my shoulder, waiting for his eyes to pop open and meet my stare. His eyes don’t open and I am shocked when I feel his hand moving onto my chest. His fingers press against my t-shirt and I gently shiver from his touch. He is still inhaling firm breaths and I have to ask him what the hell he is doing. “Dalton…,” I don’t get my full sentence out when he moves his other hand onto my lips. I stand frozen, waiting for him to react. His hand is now pushing into my chest and his face is now inches apart from mine. As he holds onto me, my heart begins to pound and I watch his expression change, my heart rate increases. His eyes jolt open and they are a deep shade of crimson, I breath heavily as I take in his demon looks.

  “I can feel your heart pumping blood to your veins,” his voice is deep and narrow and I pull away from him in shock. He has never said anything like this to me before and now that he has, I am terrified of his actions. I push myself away from him and he moves closer, grabbing my arm so that he can make me stay in my frozen position. His icy hand is grasping my wrist, but somehow I manage to escape his hold. I run back into the house and sigh as I know that he can’t hurt me, he hasn’t been invited in and that means he can’t enter my house. I place my hands onto my hips as I try to catch my breath, Dalton’s eyes have returned to their blue shade, but that doesn’t alter my fears.

  “What just happened?” I say in a shaken voice. Dalton comes closer to the doorway and I back away a little –just in case he lied when he told me that he needed to be invited in. I narrow my eyes at him, as he shoves his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. He gently exhales and then he tries to explain his odd behaviour.

  “I’m sorry, I just
got … distracted by your beauty, and my desire for your blood nearly took over me.” My eyes jump around in my head at his confession –he does thirst for my blood. How can I be around him, knowing that he wants to rip out my throat? I shake my head and then I slam the door shut in his face.

  “Rose,” I hear him shout through the heavy, oak door. I push my fingers through my hair and then I run towards Rachel’s room and I push open the door. I smile when I see her lying on her bed, with her earphones pushed into her ears. She pulls one out as she asks me what I am doing.

  “What’s up?” She says in a bright tone, I smile at her again and I am relieved that she hasn’t seemed to notice the fact that Dalton is here. I nod at her and then I reassure her that everything is fine.

  “Nothing, I was just checking to see that you’re okay,” I say in a smooth tone. She half smiles at me and then signals for me to leave, I nod again and then I walk out into the hallway. I clasp the bridge of my nose as I make way back over to the door. I push it open and I am surprised when I see Dalton, he is still standing in the very spot that I slammed the door in his face. His eyes are a cool shade of blue and his eyebrows are pulled together as he breathes softly, staring at me, until I melt into his looks.

  “Rose, I’m sorry,” he pleads as I lean against the door frame. I rest my arms across my chest as I reply.

  “You scared the hell out of me, what was that?” I ask in an urgent tone. Dalton moves closer to me and he stretches out his hand for me to take it. I roll my eyes at his offer and he sighs as he pulls his hand back and shoves it into his pocket.

  “I will explain everything, but I can’t do it here. Please come with me, I won’t hurt you, I promise.” I shake my head at him –how dare he think that I would just go away with him after what he tried to do. Is he crazy or does he think that I am? I scowl at him and I begin to pick wholes in his suggestion.

  “Are you serious? You expect me to get in that car with you after what you just tried to do, huh?” Dalton moves closer and now his face is only an inch away from mine. I lean against the door for peace of mind and then I meet his stare. His lips are white and trembling, his hands are shaky as he runs his fingers through his golden hair. I hold back my smile at the sight of him, as I feel that I could cave in at any moment.

  “I know it’s hard you for to trust me, but you can’t say that I have been anything but respectful towards you. Please take my hand and I will take you somewhere, were we can be, alone.” My mind rushes and I can’t think straight –what will I do? Do I trust him or do I slam the door shut and tell him never to come back? My head is telling me run in the other direction, but my heart and my desire for his kiss is screaming for me to trust him. He has told me many times that he doesn’t want a girlfriend, and I feel that I have been in denial about that, ever since those words passed from his lips. When he looks at me, I know that he feels something, even though he tries to hide it, I know that he cares. He has said that being a vampire makes him not care about anything or anyone, he dazes through life, feeding and not giving humans a second thought. He moves from place to place when suspicions arise that he isn’t getting any older, his days are spent in the darkness as he avoids the sunlight at all costs. He hates the feeling of the warmth on his skin and he despises the puny lives that we humans lead. But if all of that were true and if he didn’t care, then why he is standing at my doorway, begging for me to forgive him? If he didn’t care about me or my life, then he would just rip into my skin and feed, he wouldn’t spend time with me, taking me to the movies and even enduring me eating in a restaurant when he doesn’t. He would simply kill me or forget about me and until he makes me believe that his words are true, then I will not give him up. I want to spend time with him, I care about him, I have feelings for him that I can’t explain and I know that if he gives me the chance, I can make him feel the same way.

  “If I trust you, there has to be no secrets. I want to know why your eyes change colour and why your lips turn white when you’re near me.” Dalton smiles and then he pulls his hand from his pocket. He reaches out and I take a deep breath as I place my hand into his. His icy fingers grip onto mine and my heart flutters from his touch. I step out into the cold and I gently shake from the cool temperature. Dalton notices my actions and with one fluid motion, he pulls off his hoodie. He places it over my head and I smile at his sweet gesture, when the soft fabric collides with my skin, I smile as I inhale the musky scent of his cologne. He smiles at me as he stands in the cold, wearing nothing but a plain white t-shirt and his faded jeans. I suddenly feel guilty for taking his sweater and I instantly offer it back.

  “I can go and grab my jacket, you must be freezing?” I say, not realising how stupid my question sounded. Dalton laughs and then he slides his arm around my shoulder as he leads me to his car. He pushes me into the passenger seat and I smile as my butt hits the leather, Dalton is in the driver’s seat, before I have the time to breathe. He roars the engine of the Porsche and I fall back into my seat as the acceleration is overwhelming. We speed through the quiet streets, heading in the direction of the woods. The road is twisty and I have to hold onto my arm rest, for peace of mind as Dalton drives too fast around the sharp bends. He hasn’t said a word since we got into the car and I feel awkward sitting in silence, as he drives me somewhere I have never been before. He makes a signal to the right and we turn up onto an old dirt track road. He is driving too fast through the loose chippings and as I look in out of the window, I can see that there is a cloud of dust floating behind the car. I turn to look at him as I wonder where we going and he briefly meets my gaze.

  “Don’t look so worried, I promised that I won’t hurt you.” I press a smile from my lips, as I fight my gut reaction to scream and tell him to take me home. Dalton reaches down and to my surprise, he clutches my hand. I sigh at his touch and then my fear returns when he lifts my hand to his mouth. I feel like pulling my hand away, but I resist as I don’t want to offend him. He pulls my hand towards his parted lips and I can feel his cool breath blowing against my skin. My body temperature is rising and my face is flushing hot with desire. His lips gently touch my skin and I close my eyes from his sensual touch. He kisses my hand for around a minute and then he urges me to open my eyes. My brown eyes jolt open and I leap forward, as I take in my surroundings. There is a large white house, situated in the middle of a wooded area. There are cool pine trees blowing in the gentle wind, the porch of the house spans all the way around to the other side, and a rocking chair and porch swing sit nicely in the middle. There are roses climbing the walls and wind chimes hanging from the beams, I smile at the stunning house and then I turn to Dalton, as I ask him why we are here.

  “What is this place?” I ask, as I glare up at him from my seat. He smiles at me and then he pushes open his door, five seconds later he is standing at my door, holding out his hand for me take it. I throw my hand into his and then I step out of the car –stumbling as I try to find my footing. Dalton laughs and then he wraps his arm around my waist, as he leads me across the dirt track towards the front door of the house. He flicks open the door and he rushes inside –with me by his side. I look around and I see that the house is fully furnished; pictures are hanging from the walls of an older couple. I scowl at Dalton as I begin to panic.

  “Who does this house belong to? I know it isn’t yours because of the styling and pictures.” Dalton smiles and then he leads me into the living room. The large chesterfield sofa is dusty and there are cobwebs hanging from the chandelier. Vases of dying roses line the large fire place and I gently cough from the dust. Dalton glides over to the fire place and he crosses his arms over his chest as he meets my stare.

  “Does it matter who the house belongs to?” He says in a firm tone. I roll my eyes, as I march over to him. His arms fall to his sides and he licks his lips as he looks at me. My heart and lips are burning with desire, I want him to kiss me, I have waited too long for his touch and now I am feeling desperate to have his lips on mine. He leans
closer to me and it’s like he can read my mind as he places his lips onto mine. His kiss starts out slow and tender, but as the passion rises, his lips harden and become more firm. He pulls me into his chest in one lighting movement and I gasp for air as he slides his hands down my waist. I dig my nails into his cold skin and then my hands slip into his hair, as his lips stay on mine. He spins me around in a lighting move and then he spins me the other way, as he pushes me down onto the dusty sofa. My hair is flying everywhere and his lips are trailing across my cheek and now they are slipping onto my neck. I gulp for air, as I fear his daggers on my skin. His eyes are burning with red desire and his lips are quivering, as he tries to resist the temptation of my blood. His body is hovering over mine and my hands are on his back, as he slides his lips back onto mine. I melt into his kiss and then he pulls back and whispers.