Her Hidden Half (War Songs of the Courts #1)

Chapter Twenty-two

I threaded my hands through the grass underneath me and I let out a sigh of content as the blades tickled my palms.I didn't remember how I got there, but it was so peaceful that I couldn't bring myself to think too much about it. I smiled lazily and curled my feet in the grass when it hit me. Last I remember, Alec was charming his was into another sleepover in my room. I made a show of being reluctant but I was secretly pleased that he asked and I vaguely remembered falling asleep to him enthusiastically rattle on about the 'gorgeous god' that now watched my every move.

Damn it. 

This was a dream.

My hands fisted at my side, tearing the grass from the ground and I stood up

"No. Absolutely not," I growled, turning as I searched for the vampire that kept pushing his way into my life.

"Oh, don't be that way, Love," he said, his voice a hush behind me, sending a shiver up the back of my neck.

I jerked around and backed up, trying to put a safe distance between us. He followed me step by step, not allowing me any room with a crooked smile on his face. I stopped in my place with an angry huff and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Oh, someone's not happy with me. What have I done this time?" He asked, more entertained with my attitude than anything.

"You... you... bit me," I stuttered indignantly over the words.

"Yes. Well, that's no secret. We've already gotten over this, so that's not what you're angry about, is it?" He pushed, stepping even closer to me.

"No," I said through gritted teeth.

"Well? What is it?" He asked, clearly knowing what he had done.

"You know what you did and I want you to fix it," I said through clenched teeth..

"I don't know. I seem to have forgotten what I've done. You'll have to remind me," he said in a playfully challenging tone.

"You..." I hesitated, struggling to get the words out, "claimed me," I mumbled and then scrunched my face up in protest. The words sounded even more ridiculous coming out of my mouth.

He snapped his fingers, as if to suddenly remember before responding with, "Ah, yes; that. That wasn't intentional."

"I don't care. Fix it," I demanded, emphasising each word as I spoke.

He breathed in through his teeth in vague regret. "Yeah, I can't do that."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why not?" I asked shortly.

"Because it requires my death and, as you might have noticed, I'm not the self sacrificing type. Consider it a condition of your survival," he said flippantly.

"I can't. No one will look at me, let alone touch me," I griped.

He shrugged. "Oddly, I'm fine with that," he said, looking me up and down with a glimmer of appreciation that I purposely ignored.

"You don't understand. I'm not the abstinent type. I can't do this forever," I said, my voice edged with hysteria.

He simply responded with, "Put your mind to it and you can do anything, little one."

The mark felt like a symbol of ownership, leaving me with the feeling that I had a collar around my neck that was tightening with every second it stayed there. "Fix it or so help me, I will tell every person I come in contact with every detail of these damn dreams," I threatened in my state of unease, grasping at straws.

"Do that and you will have destroyed any chance of surviving your change," he said easily, stating the glaringly obvious flaw in my threat.

"Ughh, you're such a dick," I said, pushing him as hard as I could. He didn't exactly move and instead of making me feel better, it only managed to add fire to the building heat in my core.