Drew

Silly girl, he thought. As if death mattered to him, after all he’d been through.

“Death doesn’t scare me. I’ve been killed dozens of times. Doesn’t seem to stick.”

Alice looked down and hugged her chest. “Remember what you just said about magic being able to kill you? And you do remember how I’m a bona fide magical witch?”

“My dear, I don’t have a choice. You are mine. I’m yours. We bonded last night and there’s nothing you or I can do to turn back.” He folded his arms across his massive chest.

She was pleading now. “Drew, what did you see when you closed your eyes when you were with me last night?”

“I saw us together, in space, I guess. Like, the infinite.”

“So did I. But it’s not a good thing,” she said. He felt bad, she was genuinely scared.

Drew sighed and rubbed his eyes. He could see he wasn’t going to get much-needed sleep tonight. “Fine. Have your guy bring up some coffee so I can stay awake and we can hash this out.”

* * *

“So you see,” Alice was saying as they sat at the table drinking espresso that Jordan had delivered himself, "the more human you feel, the more your immortality will disappear. If we keep having sex, if we stay together, the more I unlock the curse that I evidently cast on you all those centuries ago. The Alice that I was in a former life created the vampire race, unintentionally spreading this bloodsucking curse among the mortals. No offense. That’s why you’re drawn to me. It’s destiny trying to bring your story to an end, full circle.”

“There’s a lot of fuzzy math going on here. I believe you when you say we did know each other in a past life. But if I’ve learned anything it’s that when two people are destined to be together, you hold on for dear life and don’t fuck it up. Life is a balance of fate and making your own story. It’s both rolling the dice but taking a calculated risk. I have enough experience to know that being with you is a risk I want to take. I have to take.”

Alice gripped her coffee; he could see her knuckles turning white. She was stressing out about this. As far as Drew was concerned, this was nothing to worry about. Life and death were interconnected, love and hate were equal partners. It all might end tomorrow so you may as well enjoy life now.

He reached across the table and wove his fingers through her hair, her eyes pleading with him to understand. But he understood completely.

“Listen to me,” he said. “Being with you is more real and delicious and powerful than anything I’ve ever experienced before, and I’m not going to let that go. I’m keeping you to myself.”

Drew leaned closer across the table so she could see it in his eyes. Dead serious. Emphasis on “dead.”

Alice did not look convinced. “This is all going to come to a tragic end for one of us. Either you disappear, or you lose the memory of us when you become fully human, and I have to carry it with me for the rest of my days. Maybe you won’t suffer, but I will.”

Drew stood up from the table. He had heard enough. He held out his hand.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To my bed. I want you in it.”

“Drew…”

“Enough of this prophetic mumbo jumbo. You witches are far into your meticulous research and it’s making you way too cautious. There have been predictions and miscast fortunes all throughout history. None of it matters. The only thing that matters is you’re my witch. I know you believe it, too. I hear your blood pumping for it.”

She stood up, but she did not take his hand. She moved toward the door. He flashed across the room and blocked her exit. “Run away all you want. I can smell your blood rushing to your sex. Your scent changes when I turn you on. I thought you Sisters didn’t have any sexual hang-ups. You’re all about letting nature take it’s course, unless I’m mistaken.”

“We believe in balance. There’s a time for impulsiveness and a time to be mindful.”

He grabbed her wrist and pressed her palm into his dick, which was still standing upright, waiting. “But you’re different. Hell, your soul loves vampires so much you hired one as your assistant.”

She looked confused.

“Oh, you didn’t know? Seriously, woman. Open your eyes. Jordan’s a vampire, too. And you just can’t stay away from me. Give yourself permission. Stop worrying.”

Alice snatched her hand away. “This is the beast talking. I have to go,” she said, reaching for the doorknob. “Let’s just end this now before we get too far with our emotions and we get hurt. We had a date. A really good, strange date. For charity. I fulfilled my obligation and then some. Now let’s just part ways and stay safe.”

He put up his hands in surrender and stepped out of her way. “Fine. See you tonight,” he said.

“What?”

“You remember. Your little fantasy?”

“No, Drew. Don’t come see me tonight,” she said. “I mean it. I know what I said before, but I’m changing the code.”

He waited until she was out of the building and across the street before angrily kicking a hole in the door. Then he crawled back into bed, covered himself up with the comforter, closed his eyes, and tried to get back to sleep. He supposed another thing she didn’t know about vampires was that no befuddlement charm in the world could confuse a bloodhound.

There was no escaping this. Not for her. Nor for him.