Lust by Abigail Livinghouse (ebook reader android .txt) 📕

departure. What in the name of god were you thinking? You ran off with some guy you met and apparently fell in love with? Just on a whim you abandoned your whole life and for what? To be with a stranger who you don’t even know? How do you think I felt when you left? How do you think your mother and sisters felt? We were devastated and worried to the point of gathering a search party for you so that we might have a small glimmer of hope that you were not picked off by an immortal and become their dinner. And now here I find you, in forbidden territory might I add. Why are you here anyway? This is vampire land, and you have no business being here–”

 

 “Neither do you!” I blurted out, my anger getting the best of me.

 

 Trine was basically accusing me of completely ignoring him and my family. He was acting as if I had cut off all ties with my former life and didn’t give a damn about anyone in it any more. Well, I was going to tell him that it sure as hell wasn’t fucking like that at all.

 

 “You think I just abandoned you and my home? You think I’m replacing you? Well Trine, you’ve got that fucking wrong. You think I don’t miss you and mother and Michaela and Liana? You think I don’t miss the Square and Katina, Mr. Bo, Tirana, and hunting with you? You’re damn wrong if you think that. And you’re accusing me of trespassing in a forbidden area? What do you think you’re doing? Why are you even here?” I know I basically just answered questions with more questions, but at the moment, I really didn’t give a damn.

 

Trine thought I didn’t care, and he’s never been more wrong. He raised an accusing eyebrow, his eyes dark with frustration.

 

  “I went looking for you, believe it or not. Tirana and Mr. Bo have been telling us all such wonderful things about your new life in this mystery village, and I thought I’d come for a visit. I had heard of civilizations near the Outlands and even some beyond in the Unknown, but I figured it was all vampire dwellings. I suppose I was wrong.” He said in a tone cold as ice, and filled with little to no emotion.

 

  It stung to hear him speak with such an accusatory tone, acting as if I had utterly betrayed him, and well, I couldn’t say that I didn’t. I sighed, feeling my anger beginning to fizzle even though Trine’s was still burning furiously.

 

 “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that my departure would leave such an impact on you. I know I appeared to vanish without a trace, but that’s not the case. You have no idea how grateful I am that you’ve been assisting mother and the girls when necessary. I will forever be in your debt for that matter. But you are wrong if you believe I do not miss you and the Square, because I most certainly do.” I said, feeling the familiar ache in my chest return. The hole was beginning to ravage my insides once more, fueled by the fresh pain and emotion brought on by my friend’s sudden appearance.

 

 I was hoping that Trine did not notice by sudden shift of mood, but my eyes must’ve given me away, because his expression softened into one of near pity, even though I had completely wronged him by leaving, he still missed me and remembered me enough to argue, which was one trait about him I must say I did not miss. “Then come home.”

 

Chapter Eight

“What?” I asked before thinking better of it. Trine nodded, smiling faintly, a mere shadow of his old bright grin he flashed me nearly every time I was with him.

 

 “Come back with me. You’ll be home again, with everyone who really misses you. You can bring your lover too, it wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t get to meet him.” He pleaded, his eyes bright with the new hope of my possible return.

 

 But I shook my head, knowing this would never work. Coming back to the Square was such a beautiful, luxurious idea, but nothing that I could ever act upon. For, if I returned to the village, I knew I could not bring Pearce. The village would instantly recognize him as the vampire who had invaded us, and he would be attacked within seconds of stepping foot on our land. And I could not live without Pearce. He was the one I loved, he was my other half, and as much as I hated using the vampire term; he was my mate. What we had was similar to what Trine had with Katina, but ours was something deeper. It was an unbreakable bond that could withstand anything, as concrete as was the earth was round. And I knew that some of its definiteness was because of immortal properties.

 

 One is forever bonded to their mate, who is ultimately, their soul lover that their very being craved. Nothing else matters when you are with your soul’s other half, the person who completes you. Leaving Pearce was something that would ultimately destroy both of us.  Therefore, returning to my home was impossible.

 

  “I can’t.” I answered Trine, keeping my voice and expression as flat and emotionless as I could, hoping not to hurt him too much and also hoping not to show the longing I felt to go back.

 

 “I wouldn’t be able to come back without anger directed towards me and the man I’m with. You and I both know that.” I said seriously.

 

  Leaving your village, the place where you grew up and were raised, to be with a person in a different town, rival or otherwise, was forbidden, and it was not taken lightly if you returned, saying things didn’t work out or coming back with your lover as Trine suggested. But he didn’t seem to be listening, for he shook his head, hope still painfully obvious on his face.

 

 “I’ll speak to them, and I’m sure Tirana, Mr. Bo, Katina, and your mother wouldn’t mind putting their two cents in to help you regain your status and come back.” He leaned forward, grasping my cold hands in his.

 

 “Please Kyla, come home.” He said, his eyes glistening with sadness and hope that I would say yes to his offer to help me return.

 

 A lump lodged itself in my throat as the gaping hole in my chest ripped itself open even wider, exposed to more unwelcome guilt and anguish. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying yes and walking back into safe, human territory with him. However, that was not an option.

 

  “I can’t Trine, I’m sorry.” I said, my tone betraying a hint of the raw sadness and aching I felt for home, for family, for familiarity.

 

  You’d think after almost three months of living with immortals, Natural and Transforms alike, I’d be used to being looked at as a powerful Transform vampire’s mate, someone who is feared and avoided as if she had the plague. You’d think I’d be used to the cold shoulder, unyielding glares, and unmasked conversations wondering why she’s still here, why she’s still mortal, in a houseful of vampires, immortals speaking that eventually, sooner or later, her mate will have to turn her if he wants to spend eternity with her. Just that thought sent a shiver up my spine, and I pushed it back, refusing to deal with it now.

 

  I had not talked to Pearce about the issue of his immortality faced with my mortality, and I didn’t plan to anytime soon. I also hadn’t spoken to him about the aspect of children, which I knew would also probably not happen anytime soon. I could wait of course but like I had already said, eventually, I would not want to wait any longer. But back to the current situation, Trine was staring at me, his gaze cold, as he dropped my hands and sat up straighter. “Alright. If you do not want to return home then I respect your wishes. But I don’t know when I’ll be in the area again, if I’ll be in it again. Just so you know, this might be your only chance to return without all the anger you’re talking about.”

 

  I returned his icy look even though I didn’t mean it, although the hurt burning my eyes threatening to release a torrential downpour was all me.

 

  “I’ll take my chances.” I said, in a rather dead tone than anything else.

 

 I saw Trine’s jaw clench at my response, but other than that, his features were smooth and clam, showing no emotion while I was scowling in anger and attempting to hold back sobs that I could feel clenching in my throat. I was about to turn away and gather my bow and arrows to leave when Trine spoke, making me stop.

 

 “Just tell me one thing.” He requested.

 

 I turned, waiting for something that would send me over the edge and the tears pouring down. Instead, I got something that nearly made the urge to cry vanish, but not completely. “Why are you in vampire territory? And the only human here besides myself for miles?”

 

Chapter Nine

I blinked, surprised at this sudden shift. I cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the lump that seemed to refuse to go away. “Why are you asking me this?”

  

He shrugged, as calm and cool as if I had asked him about the weather. “You never answered me the first time I asked. It’s unnatural for a human to be on immortal grounds without reason. I’d just like to know what your reason is.” He said in a breezy manner. I shrugged too.

 

  “I’m just passing through. I thought I’d go hunting and maybe bring back some food but the only thing I stumbled upon was you.” I said. The second part was true, but the first part, the lie, came easily and rolled off my tongue almost as if it was the truth.

 

  I was hoping that he wouldn’t question me any further, seeing as we were moving towards dangerous waters with hazardous outcomes. Unfortunately for me though, Trine cocked an eyebrow at me in suspicion, obviously misbelieving half of my explanation, the deadly half that was one hundred percent untrue. A part of me expected this. Trine was smart, and I was a terrible liar. Plus, my facts were flimsy as it was, even the true part. No matter, I could tell he