“First of all, I’m hoping that you don’t want to kill me any more.”
He sucked in a breath. “I don’t.”
“That is very good to hear.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. “I don’t understand what’s going on. How can you not be her? You must be her. The witch is never wrong. Hasn’t been fo
r 1,000 years. Not once.” He shook his head. “And yet, I feel that you are different from Katerina. When she kissed me, all I felt was coldness. Your kiss is pure heat.”
She studied him for a moment. “Your eye is still black.”
“Strong emotions will cause my hunger to increase. Like anger, or pain, or ... or desire.” His attention moved to her mouth. “I must never kiss you again. It’s too dangerous.”
“Too dangerous?”
He nodded. “Evan is your soulmate. Even if you have changed.” He drew in a ragged breath. “Perhaps one is not doomed to be the same from lifetime to lifetime. In that case I am happy for him. My brother is a lucky man.”
He seemed so sure that she was Evan’s soulmate. Was it possible? If she pushed away her disbelief at the bizarre situation that had been thrust into her face that night, was she willing to consider believing it was true? After all, she didn’t know vampires were real. But they were. She’d seen it now and she couldn’t deny it even if she tried. Maybe the same was true of soulmates. Did the idea of having someone that you’re destined to love throughout eternity appeal to her? Yes, it did. She’d never been in love before. She thought it would never happen to her. But maybe she’d kept finding fault in men, not letting herself get close to them, because she’d been waiting for that night. For her soulmate to finally find her.
If she was willing to believe that, then it meant that her soulmate was Evan.
But she didn’t like Evan. He was attractive enough, but she hadn’t felt any real, deep connection with him.
Like the connection you feel to Henry? she asked herself, knowing that she was making no sense.
Yeah, like that, she answered.
“So what do we do now?” she asked after a moment.
Henry still studied her intensely. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”
“What was that?”
“That you weren’t attractive. It was a lie. You’re a very beautiful woman.”
“Not compared to the original Katerina.”
“Hers was a cold beauty. Untouchable. You—” he looked down to where he still held her “—are obviously very touchable.” He swallowed. “Are you still afraid of me?”
“I probably should be, but I stopped being afraid around the time I attacked your lips.”
“I see.” His jaw tightened. “This will prove to be a very big problem for me. Seeing you with my brother. Knowing that you and he have found happiness together again.” He shook his head as if trying to clear it. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Me neither.”
His gaze moved to hers again and locked. “No?”
She shook her head.
And it was at that moment that she felt something very strange - a clicking sensation deep inside of her.
“What just happened?” Henry’s breathing increased. “That can’t be what I think it is.”
“The thing that felt like we’re two Lego pieces that just got snapped together?”
“Yeah, that.” He pulled away from her finally, releasing her completely to take a few steps backwards. “You are not mine. You belong to Evan.”
“I don’t belong to anyone.”