Free Dying to Love Her by Dana Lorraine Page B

emotion.
    “Tomorrow? Are you serious?” Melanie rubbed her forehead,
fighting off the mother of all headaches. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
    “Your blood carries a virus that our bodies will learn to
fight.” Alec frowned. “By tomorrow evening we’ll be resistant. We need more of
your blood—”
    “Take it.” Melanie thrust her wrist at Alec before she
realized what she was doing. It had been a purely physical reaction, done
without thought—only need. Why should she care about losing either of these
men, she barely knew them?
    Alec took her hand, looked into her eyes and kissed her
upturned wrist. Tingles traveled along her arm to the rest of her body.
“Melanie, we can only feed from you one more time. It will mark the beginning
of our lives together. We want to make it memorable.”
    “So I help you make the change and then we see about us.” It
was all starting to sound like an arranged marriage and she needed someone to
be with her because they wanted to, not because she was their only option. “You
don’t have to make a commitment to me just because you need my blood. I’ll help
you anyway.”
    “You’re missing the point.” Rook stood and poured all his
emotions into his passionate words. “This isn’t about us being human. This is
about us being with you.” He cupped her face and rubbed his thumb along her
cheek. “It’s all or nothing for us. Alec and I love you. Accept that, trust it
and listen to what your own feelings are telling you. This is right. Your heart
won’t steer you wrong.”
    His words should have brought her to her knees but the
overload of emotions began to numb her body. It all seemed too perfect and
unrealistic.
    Melanie remained motionless, undecided. There wasn’t any
room left for her to consider anybody else’s feelings when she hadn’t gotten a
grip on her own.

Chapter Six
     
    Vampires weren’t susceptible to human ailments like carpal
tunnel syndrome but at the rate he’d been turning his wrist to check his
Tourneau, Alec might be the first. He pulled his keys from the ignition of his
Audi R8 GT and switched his cell phone to his other hand. “She should have
contacted one of us by now.”
    “It’s seven o’clock on Sunday morning,” Rook grumbled
through his long, drawn-out yawn. “I doubt she’s up. I wouldn’t be if you
hadn’t called. Give Melanie a little more time. If we want her trust we need to
trust in her. She’ll find her way to us.”
    Alec gripped the steering wheel and his knuckles whitened.
Neither of them had talked to her since yesterday. She’d left without any
promise to commit. Last night with the memory of her touch still warm on his
skin, he’d been as optimistic as Rook.
    Hell, he had new body art to prove it. They’d both gotten
traditional vampire marriage tattoos to prove to her just how committed they
were to becoming her mates. Sounded fucking brilliant at the time but now he
feared it might serve as a reminder of the one that got away.
    “I think one of us needs to talk to her and it needs to be
done in person,” he said, adjusting his sunglasses as he stared out his window
at Melanie’s small suburban brick home.
    Silence. That was all he got from Rook’s end for a few
uncomfortable seconds.
    “You’re already at her house, aren’t you?” Resignation mixed
with aggravation and jealousy colored Rook’s tone. “So this call wasn’t to ask
my opinion. You’ve already made up your mind.”
    “I thought you should know.” Alec unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Anything that concerns Melanie concerns you too. She’s as much mine as she’s
yours.”
    In actuality she wasn’t really either of theirs yet. With
one final taste of her blood they’d be hers forever. She’d still need to take
the traditional kiss of blood to seal her bond to them.
    “She was adamant about what she wanted, Alec. I think we
should give her the chance to come to us.”
    “And if she doesn’t?” Alec let out a frustrated sigh,