Roane didn’t react—outwardly. He didn’t show a thing, but I felt him. He was all fury. It blasted against me. Acid dripped from his voice. “Right.”
“I…” I scrambled up, but stopped abruptly.
Roane jerked his head back and to the side.
I jumped in reaction from his quickness. When he didn’t move back, I waited—something needed to be said or done or exploded. I wasn’t sure what I voted for, but… just something.
“You’re angry.”
I hadn’t expected that. I blinked in shock at the understanding in his voice. “Uh…”
Roane turned his head back and his dark eyes caught mine. “You don’t understand this. You, me, and you’re angry.”
“Are you serious?” I snarled back at him, but I felt a traitorous tremor build in my body. It wanted release. It demanded release, but… nothing.
“This… attraction we have for each other—it’s like a pull.”
How quaint. “Is that what it is? I hadn’t noticed.”
Roane moved back a step. I felt his hands leave my thighs where they’d been resting. The cold invaded…. “You were hunted by a vampire, my kind. I feel it too, Davy. We can barely be in the same room without touching. It’s been there since the beginning and it’s been growing every minute. It’s almost uncontrollable lately, but—this is new to you.”
And it wasn’t to him?!
I sat up straighter and stood slowly. “So are you the big bad experienced vampire lover and I’m the virgin? Are you here to teach me what I need to know? Or maybe your job is to guide me correctly, make sure I don’t fumble along. Right? Am I getting this wrong?”
“You’re hearing me wrong,” he said faintly. Defeated.
I stood tall, shrugged my shoulders back, and firmed my jaw. “I hope so because you’re sounding pretty damn superior.”
“That’s not what I’d intended…”
“That’s not what you intended? This whole thing wasn’t intended. I shouldn’t have gone up to that roof. I shouldn’t have answered that phone. I shouldn’t have a best friend who’s a brainwashed bunny by your ‘human’ twin and I really shouldn’t be here with you. None of this should’ve happened. I shouldn’t have even come to Benshire, but I listened to Blue.”
I stopped and gasped for air, my eyes wild. Then I choked out, “She should’ve picked someone else. I can’t be this Immortal. I don’t want to have this on my shoulders. I can’t—someone else should be the Immortal. I haven’t had this for a few days and already my roommate was kidnapped. My best friend is in love with a vampire that wants to drain me and… my empath sponsor is in a coma. I don’t even know what to say about you.”
Something happened and I felt like I could breathe again.
Roane moved closer, but he paused. “I hurt your pride before. I’m sorry. All I meant is that you know of my world, but you don’t know my world. Now you’re the Immortal and your entire life needs to change. You’re right. Being the Immortal is a lot to bear. It’s a great burden, but you’re also wrong. Talia didn’t choose you. The Immortal thread chose you. Talia trusted the Immortal thread to choose the right person—it did. It chose you for a reason, Davy.”
“I really don’t want to be the Immortal, Lucas. I want—can’t I pass it along?” I was still a little miffed.
He didn’t answer for a moment. “You can’t. Once the Immortal thread is linked with your body, you’ll die when it passes to the next carrier. The body goes through a withdrawal that’s lethal. Talia didn’t want—she didn’t want to suffer like that.”
I closed my eyes swiftly and felt everything from that night again. She’d chosen her death… now I understood, but I still wished I hadn’t. I wrung out, “I just want to wake up and hear Emily snoring. I don’t want this. I can’t have this.”
I slowly dropped back down on the bed and cradled my head in my hands. My fingers slid through my hair and clung to each strand. I wanted to pull them out. I wanted to feel something other than what I was feeling. I couldn’t deal with it.
Roane reached forward and delicately moved my knee aside. He knelt before me.
I held my breath.
He moved his hand from my leg and slowly reached to untangle my hands from my hair. I gasped as the last finger was detangled and then my fingers desperately sought his shoulders. He slid in and I surged forward to wrap my arms tighter around him.
“You have to bear something that you didn’t choose. I understand, Davy. I understand it more than you think.” Roane tucked his head against mine. His lips brushed the tip of my ear. “I know what it’s like to have your life suddenly change and it’s not what you decided. I do understand that.”
I frowned.
His hand curved around my neck and I felt the cool touch of his lips when he pressed a kiss to my ear. “You can do this, Davy. We’ll figure everything else out.”