The first night he saw his mate in his dreams, he knew he would not be able to outwit God’s will. He was called, and the fate of the unanswered was no better than the inevitable surrender to his destiny. Neither would save or protect his sweet Abilene. He hated himself for the pain this would bring. She was all he needed and the only one he wanted. So, why was God smiting him?
One hundred and forty-one years on this earth without even a whisper from the Almighty and now this. He refused to accept his fate. He refused to hurt his Abilene.
The mortal’s name was Clara. Even her name seemed too intimate a detail, especially as it flitted through his mind before and behind every waking thought. Her hair was the color of snow and as delicate as spun silk. With eyes greener than cut emeralds, she often watched him in his dreams.
Treachery. His fist curled into a ball and pounded on the wall. He could not willingly betray his beloved Abilene.
His darling wife had only been eighteen when they fell in love. That was sixty years ago. She was a baby in the eyes of immortals.
He fell in love with every inch of her. Mesmerized by any strand of fawn-colored hair that escaped her bonnet and fixated with the doe-like shape of her eyes. She was pure femininity and gentleness.
Many advised against marrying a female that was not one’s true mate, but Jonas could not let her go. She was his, and he needed to claim her in every sense of the word.
Abilene gave him four beautiful children. Their family had not been an easy achievement. She suffered through several miscarriages, despite how rare such complications are to their kind. Others suspected God was punishing them. Perhaps they were right, but all the loss in the world was still not enough to diminish his love for her.
He fought the calling with every ounce of strength he had. He loved his wife, but nothing was more powerful than the will of God.
As Jonas grew weaker, Abilene grew more suspicious. Beyond the pain was the ever-present hunger that left him thirsting for only the blood of his mate. Nothing satisfied his craving. He was ravenous. He drunk a calf to death to try to stave off the ache and delirium. Never in his long existence had he killed a creature of God, but he was losing control.
If he didn’t do something soon, he would do something inapprehensible, something irredeemable. The longer he waited and fought the inevitable, the more dangerous he became to others.
Existing in agony, complete pain encompassed every inch of flesh, every organ, every nerve, every limb, and every motion for every moment of the day. Yes, he was an immortal of substantial strength and impeccable health, but with each circle of the moon, his strength waned and his health faltered.
He was dying. Survival called, but he couldn’t accept this as his only option. He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting his wife.
Pressing his cheek now along the cool wall as he fought the urge to weep. So tired. He shut his eyes for a moment and slumber gripped him. Clara’s green eyes watched him, and he jerked awake. He stumbled back from the wall, disoriented and startled. The hall was empty.
He could barely hold on to a complete thought anymore. The dizzy spells, light sensitivity, relentless hunger, and endless exhaustion were too much to outsmart. Soon, if he didn’t find his mate and bond, he would turn feeish.
The remaining layers of his humanity would be stripped away until nothing merciful remained—only a rabid beast needing to be put down. An ignored blessing became a curse. An unanswered immortal only had one fate. They became vampire.
A blood-tinged tear slipped past his entwined lashes, mixing with the chilled sweat on his skin. If he could not grant her eawichkeit—eternity—he will not go on. His heart only belonged to one female, and her name was Abilene.
“Father?”
He didn’t hear Adam approach. Jonas pressed his eyes tight and wiped his face clean. “Adam, I was just coming to join the others. Has the meeting begun?”
“The Elders are settling in now.” His son studied him and frowned. “Are you ill? Is it another attack? I can request we postpone.”
Jonas straightened his posture, ignoring the tremble in his bones and the ache in his joints. “No, that won’t be necessary. I shall not put off my duty another day. I was merely taking a moment to pray.”
Adam appeared to want to argue with his father’s desire to proceed as scheduled, but Jonas did not give him the opportunity. Walking toward the door, Jonas kept his steps moving and his focus resolute. “Come. Let us do what is asked of us. No doubt Silus has already paced a divot in the floor.”