Wanted, Missing and Unknown

Chapter 13

I quickly tightened my grip that I had around her waist and looked into her eyes.

"We need to talk and I need you to listen before you freak out please. Yes, you hurt me. You can hurt me now and you can forever if you want. When you took my blood, my real blood after we started the bonding, it started transforming you into a vampire."

I paused for a moment, letting it sink in for her. She didn't look freaked out and she didn't feel scared, so I continued.

"I'll understand if you decide you don't want to become like me. Please don't feel that you'll have to but you have to make this decision on your own. I'll respect whatever you decide."

And I left it at that.

I could hear Eric speaking and I was listening to the words. The only thing that scared me was that I wasn't scared. Being away from Eric these last few days was like hell. Several things flashed into my mind very quickly and I knew Eric was paying close attention to my every move. This was something I wanted him to watch though. I wanted him to understand my decision and how I'd come to it.

I thought back to me as a child and the terrible things my father did to me. I closed my eyes, not being able to see the hurt and anger in Eric's eyes. I thought about how all those terrible things had helped make me into the strong woman I was today. Eric's grip tightened on me and I opened my eyes.

"Are you alright," I asked him softly and his lips crashed to mine, taking away any pain I had about my previous thoughts. The kiss was passionate but ended too quickly for my liking. I opened my eyes to see Eric watching me, waiting for my next thought.

I took a deep breath, moving on.

I closed my eyes and thought of the night I left home. I was scared, alone, hurt emotionally and physically but something always seemed to guide me in the right direction. Something always seemed to push me to keep going, and Eric's face flashed into my mind.

I can remember some years later in life, when I was nineteen. Liz and I were out at a club and from across the room, I saw him. I saw how his eyes watched me and took in my every move. I never liked anyone looking at me like they wanted to touch me but as my mind clicked on the memory of whom those eyes belonged to, my eyes flashed open.

Eric's eyes. The same beautiful, loving, trusting eyes I was looking into now.

"How long have you known I was your mate?" I asked him calmly, realizing I could hurt him if he lied to me. I smiled, causing him to smile because he'd heard my threat.

"A while," was all he said.

"Why did you wait so long to come for me?"

"I was scared. I was scared of all of this happening. I was scared of losing you. I didn't want to take your life. I loved you from the second I saw you and I waited until I had no time left. It was selfish of me and I'm sorry." Eric's head dropped in defeat and my heart broke. He wasn't getting why I brought this up.

"Eric, I love you. I think I've always loved you. Maybe that's why I never got into a relationship or stopped doing what I was doing. I think I was always looking for you. I think I was looking for that connection I knew was out there and now that I've found you, I'm never letting you go."

Eric's eyes flashed hurt and then nothing at all. I frowned at him, not understanding... and then it hit me. He wanted me to tell him no. He didn't want me.

I got off him more quickly than I thought was humanly possible and that one thought hit me. I wasn't human. My eyes grew huge and I spun around to look at Eric.

"I'm not human anymore, am I?" I felt myself gasp for air, feeling like I couldn't get any.

This was all too much. Eric didn't want me and now that I was a vampire and bound to him, he denied me? I'd given up my life for him, literally.