Eternal Embrace by Billi Jean Page B

know who had called him or why. A mage. A salt mine. Nothing more. She didn’t know anything more. There were tons of mines in the States, and she had no idea how to find him.
    Worse, he was wrong, she had no skills. She’d tried and tried and tried to get her clothes off with just thinking them off, and nothing ever happened. She’d looked vampires up on the internet and as far as she could tell, no one knew shit about what a vampire truly was. She could eat for one thing. And she could see herself in a mirror. What else did they have wrong?
    Well, not the needing blood part. She craved blood, but not just blood, she craved Jaxon’s blood. His scent and the idea of tasting him like that made her weak with need. And lust. She wanted to do things to him, insanely hot things to him. Just thinking about him flooded her mind with ideas.
    Will I get a chance to do half of those naughty things?
    Could he really, truly be lost to me?
    She hugged herself tightly and rocked a little, trying to ease the panic. Jaxon. What had he said? For her to leave. But could she? She needed blood, and she could find it in the hospital. Inside she was weak, shaky and so full of grief she could barely brush her tears off before they started again.
    “Get it together. Go to the room, write a note. Maybe he’ll show up at your apartment.”
    She tried to still the tears, but it took her a few minutes. Finally, when she could see again, she stared around his home, soaking in everything that was his. She couldn’t just walk away, could she?
    If I’m not back in seven days, then things haven’t gone well.
    His warnings came back to her and she stiffened her spine. He’d been so adamant. She had to do what he asked, even if it meant she couldn’t curl up in his bed and pretend he was next to her.
    She could do this. She’d show him she had some courage. He’d come back. He was too stubborn and arrogant not to return.
    A half laugh, half sob broke free and she covered her mouth with her trembling hand.
    What if he’s hurt? Even now suffering and alone?
    Stay focused. He wanted me safe. Get safe and he’ll come.
    She started slowly, packing her small bag and adding two of his shirts, one T-shirt she remembered him wearing and one of his button-down shirts from his closet. She took a knife she found in there too, and brushed her fingers along his neatly folded clothing. He had to come back, that was all she was going to concentrate on to get through this.
    She found the room again, tipped the painting and moulded her hand to the depression in the stone. Just like last time, the doorway slid into the wall and revealed the room beyond, but this time, the candles didn’t light. Still, she stepped in, her night vision so good she picked up a candle near the entrance and lit it with a silver lighter she found on his desk. A little dish of clove tobacco and papers for rolling cigarettes caught her eye, and the tears started again. She could see him, squinting at her as he lit his smoke, his eyes shards of blue above the puff of grey smoke.
    “Damn it, Jaxon. How could you do this to me?” she demanded of the empty room. “Did you get hurt? Why couldn’t you tell me where you went!?”
    No answers came to her in the empty room. She was more alone than ever. Sighing deeply, she set the note on his desk and anchored it with the lighter. She’d written the little note a dozen times and finally had signed it, ‘Love, Joey’ .
    She did love him. Deep inside she was filled with so much pain she thought she might break. They’d had such a short time, but she could remember every word, every time he’d watched her, and now she could see—too late—that he had always seen Joey the woman, beyond the façade she’d built to protect her heart. He’d seen her and wanted her.
    Knowing that, she tried hard to deny he wasn’t coming back. But inside, where she felt torn in two, she feared she might never feel complete again. Rubbing her fingers over his