pulse of her heart became a temptation.
Juliana’s breathing slowed as she dozed in his arms. He watched her face, stroking his hand down the length of her silky hair. What was he doing? What happened to learning her secret and then vanishing from her life? Now he was in her bed, hiding from the world, hiding from the truth.
He sighed and stared at the ceiling. He’d lived a solitary existence for centuries. A relationship with a mortal would only lead to an eternity of heartbreak when he lost her. If she still wanted anything to do with him once she knew the truth, that is.
That he wasn’t a man at all. That Muriel was dead because he didn’t do his duty.
Maybe she never needed to know any of it. She could live a happy life, in peace that way. But deep down, he knew that was the wrong thing to do. She deserved to know.
Sunrise was coming. He needed to get back to the farm. He brushed a kiss to her forehead and carefully laid her beside him in the bed. She shifted but didn’t awaken. After he got dressed, he found her pad and flipped to the next page.
He wrote a note and slipped quietly out the door.
Juliana stood alone on the beach, the wind whipping like a tempest around her. In the distance, the banshee still wailed, sending a shiver down her spine. She walked along the rocky shore and noticed a woman in a white dress wading out into the angry waves.
“Come back!” Juliana shouted, but the woman didn’t seem to hear her. Juliana ran, the sand grabbing at her feet, slowing her pace.
The woman was up to her waist in the ocean as Juliana reached the edge of the tide, the cold water jolting her to a standstill when it licked at her ankles. “Wait! Don’t go!”
The woman stopped and slowly turned around.
Juliana screamed, sitting up in her bedroom. Her pulse raced like a fox hunted by horses and hounds. She pulled her hair back from her face with shaky hands.
It was only a dream, she told herself.
But there wasn’t much comfort in that knowledge. Not for her. She went into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. The same woman from her dream, the one in the ocean, looked back at her.
Her arms broke out in goose bumps. The banshee was calling for her.
Benedict sipped his coffee, staring at the newspaper without reading a word. The Night Walker would be hidden until nightfall. This was his chance to plan his next move. Or maybe Colin had a moment of clear thinking and had accepted his offer. Perhaps he’d fled back to his own country already.
Doubtful. During the thousand years he’d butted heads with the Night Walker, Colin’s noble streak never faltered.
However he seemed different somehow. He’d stood and fought Benedict as a man, no hiding and shifting and flying. But why?
He took a bite of his scone, washing the bland bread down with his black coffee. Food held no taste or fulfillment for an aughisky. Human flesh sated his hunger, but he had to keep up appearances.
The woman from the pub had been a spontaneous kill. In truth, he hadn’t even been hungry, but after discovering the Night Walker inside Juliana’s florist shop, he’d walked away agitated. Only two things released his aggressions: killing and sex
The woman from the pub had helped him with both.
He’d come through her doors for a pint to collect his thoughts, but he hadn’t been able to help overhearing her talking to an old man at the bar about her cousin, Juliana. It had seemed Colin, the outlander, was taking his Juliana on a date.
His. Due to her hearing loss, Juliana was immune to Benedict’s hypnotic voice. She was a rare challenge. A chance to win a prize without using his powers. This woman would love him of her own accord. He’d gained her trust through short visits in her shop, visits he had come to look forward to. She’d seemed to enjoy his company, as well, and not because she was under his spell. He’d earned her affection on his own merits. Talking to her had become a
Juliana’s breathing slowed as she dozed in his arms. He watched her face, stroking his hand down the length of her silky hair. What was he doing? What happened to learning her secret and then vanishing from her life? Now he was in her bed, hiding from the world, hiding from the truth.
He sighed and stared at the ceiling. He’d lived a solitary existence for centuries. A relationship with a mortal would only lead to an eternity of heartbreak when he lost her. If she still wanted anything to do with him once she knew the truth, that is.
That he wasn’t a man at all. That Muriel was dead because he didn’t do his duty.
Maybe she never needed to know any of it. She could live a happy life, in peace that way. But deep down, he knew that was the wrong thing to do. She deserved to know.
Sunrise was coming. He needed to get back to the farm. He brushed a kiss to her forehead and carefully laid her beside him in the bed. She shifted but didn’t awaken. After he got dressed, he found her pad and flipped to the next page.
He wrote a note and slipped quietly out the door.
Juliana stood alone on the beach, the wind whipping like a tempest around her. In the distance, the banshee still wailed, sending a shiver down her spine. She walked along the rocky shore and noticed a woman in a white dress wading out into the angry waves.
“Come back!” Juliana shouted, but the woman didn’t seem to hear her. Juliana ran, the sand grabbing at her feet, slowing her pace.
The woman was up to her waist in the ocean as Juliana reached the edge of the tide, the cold water jolting her to a standstill when it licked at her ankles. “Wait! Don’t go!”
The woman stopped and slowly turned around.
Juliana screamed, sitting up in her bedroom. Her pulse raced like a fox hunted by horses and hounds. She pulled her hair back from her face with shaky hands.
It was only a dream, she told herself.
But there wasn’t much comfort in that knowledge. Not for her. She went into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. The same woman from her dream, the one in the ocean, looked back at her.
Her arms broke out in goose bumps. The banshee was calling for her.
Benedict sipped his coffee, staring at the newspaper without reading a word. The Night Walker would be hidden until nightfall. This was his chance to plan his next move. Or maybe Colin had a moment of clear thinking and had accepted his offer. Perhaps he’d fled back to his own country already.
Doubtful. During the thousand years he’d butted heads with the Night Walker, Colin’s noble streak never faltered.
However he seemed different somehow. He’d stood and fought Benedict as a man, no hiding and shifting and flying. But why?
He took a bite of his scone, washing the bland bread down with his black coffee. Food held no taste or fulfillment for an aughisky. Human flesh sated his hunger, but he had to keep up appearances.
The woman from the pub had been a spontaneous kill. In truth, he hadn’t even been hungry, but after discovering the Night Walker inside Juliana’s florist shop, he’d walked away agitated. Only two things released his aggressions: killing and sex
The woman from the pub had helped him with both.
He’d come through her doors for a pint to collect his thoughts, but he hadn’t been able to help overhearing her talking to an old man at the bar about her cousin, Juliana. It had seemed Colin, the outlander, was taking his Juliana on a date.
His. Due to her hearing loss, Juliana was immune to Benedict’s hypnotic voice. She was a rare challenge. A chance to win a prize without using his powers. This woman would love him of her own accord. He’d gained her trust through short visits in her shop, visits he had come to look forward to. She’d seemed to enjoy his company, as well, and not because she was under his spell. He’d earned her affection on his own merits. Talking to her had become a
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