Love Immortal

Chapter Two

Julian went to leave but stopped when he saw a picture beside her bed. He rounded the bed again and picked it up, frowning beyond the image of Lauren and an older couple to the man crossing the park behind, seeing him for what he truly was. A werewolf. He opened the frame and removed the back. The date printed on the rear of the photograph was six months ago. His stomach dropped. The attacks hadn’t been random. Lycaon knew where she was.

He dropped the picture onto the bed.

Illia.

Julian spun to face the bedroom door. Lycaon was hunting her. He raced down the hall to the bathroom.

He had to protect her.

He couldn’t lose her again.

They had to leave.

He banged on the bathroom door, his heart thundering and his chest tight. Fear stole his strength and left him weak. He clenched his teeth and fought against the feeling. He wasn’t weak.

“Illia!” He banged again but she didn’t answer.

She wasn’t there. He told himself to calm down. She was there. He could sense her and feel her heart beating. There was no reason to panic, so why couldn’t he stop his heart from racing and his limbs from shaking?

“Illia!” Julian stepped back, his mouth turning dry, and assessed the door.

He was about to break it down when it opened and she peered around it.

“Who’s Illia?” She looked so small clinging to the white door, her rich brown eyes red with tears and wide with fear.

All of Julian’s strength left him and he sank back against the wooden banister, relieved that she was still safe. He leaned there a moment, gathering himself and regaining control. It wasn’t like him to react like this when she was in danger. Was it because she was still fragile?

She twisted the wet strands of her near shoulder-length dark red hair around her pale fingers and stared at him, an expectant look surfacing in the depths of her warm eyes. Her teeth teased her lower lip, reddening it and drawing his attention there. A surge of hunger pushed through him, a desire to do the impossible. He balled his hands into fists and swallowed.

Or was his reaction because of something else?

Julian dropped his gaze and realised with some dismay that she was still wearing her black jacket, brown t-shirt and jeans, and that they were soaked. He looked down and frowned at her damp shoes. She hadn’t even removed them. The clothes stuck to her slight frame, emphasising her slender figure, and the fact she was trembling. He looked into her eyes, studying the pale beauty staring back at him. A fierce need to protect her gripped his heart, seizing control of him, and he stepped towards her, raising his hand to brush the tangled threads of hair from her face. He wanted to tell her that he would protect her, and would never allow anything to happen to her. No monster would ever lay a hand on her so long as he breathed. She had no reason to fear now. He was here.

His hand fell to his side when he realised what he was doing and thinking. It was impossible. Such things went against his duty.

He reached behind him to grip the banister and felt the towel there. Pulling it off the banister, he walked towards her. She tensed and then watched his hands as he placed the cream towel around her shoulders and drew it closed over her chest. He held her shoulders, tempted to rub the towel against them to dry her. She was still fragile. She needed to take more care of herself. Releasing her, he stepped back to give her more room.

She pulled the towel around herself and walked past him. Her hand went to her jeans pocket and she tugged her mobile phone out. She started pressing numbers, muttering at the phone and cursing it. When he caught her arm, she frowned at his hand.