Sequel: Plummet ›
Status: Complete with a sequel on the way
Freefall
12
Paul cleared his throat and watched my face carefully, trying to tell what I was thinking, I think. “Well, we protect the tribe from vampires.” Something in my expression made Paul wince.
“Vampires,” I repeated, my voice sounding distant.
“Yeah. They’re bad news.”
“Are they very dangerous?” Paul nodded.
“Hence the need to protect the tribe from them. They’re too fast for anything but another vampire or a werewolf to take down.”
“But then couldn’t you get hurt?”
“I could,” Paul confirmed. “But I won’t,” he added with all the confidence of an arrogant male. I decided that I didn’t like this whole ‘vampire’ business.
“Is that all?” I asked.
“All?” Paul repeated, astounded. “Isn’t that enough?”
I nodded. “That’s kind of the point. It’s a lot to take in. Is there any more you’re dumping on me today?”
“Well…” Paul studied my face, considering. “There’s one more part. If you think you can handle more.”
“Is it bad?”
Paul hesitated. “No, I don’t think so. But you might.” He watched me, waiting for some response, but I stared blankly up at him. “Alright. Well, there’s this… thing called an imprint. It’s the way that we find our mates.”
“What do you mean?” I did my best not to let my thoughts get ahead of me. Where was he going with this?
“I mean… it’s something that just happens. Like you’re walking down the street and you see her, and suddenly she’s it. She’s everything.”
“Like love at first sight?”
“Yeah, but more intense. But I guess that’s about it.”
“Have you…?” I hesitated to ask.
Here, he did something truly shocking- he blushed a furious red. I hadn’t known that someone with skin so tan could blush so dark.
“Yeah.” He gave me a funny look and didn’t say a word for several minutes.
Meanwhile, I was fighting with myself. So I liked him. I would have to get over it. If he was unavailable, if he had someone who was really that important to him, I didn’t stand a chance. I would get over him soon enough.
But he just kept staring. “Have I met her?” I asked. Looking back, I was being pretty dense. But can you blame me? My poor head hadn’t stopped spinning since we’d gotten to the beach.
Paul laughed, but it sounded pained. “Yeah, you have.”
“Well, it’s not Kim… maybe that girl in our- oh wait, no, she’s a bimbo. You wouldn’t fall for someone so stupid.”
Paul looked amused, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “How do you know?”
“I have faith in you, and I respect you. Therefore, I can’t bring myself to believe you could ever be attracted to someone so dumb.”
“You’re acting pretty dumb right now,” he said. I looked at his face, to see if he was serious, but he just smiled at me.
“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath. He smirked a little, but kept looking me in the eyes, like he was willing me to realize something.
And then I did.
“Vampires,” I repeated, my voice sounding distant.
“Yeah. They’re bad news.”
“Are they very dangerous?” Paul nodded.
“Hence the need to protect the tribe from them. They’re too fast for anything but another vampire or a werewolf to take down.”
“But then couldn’t you get hurt?”
“I could,” Paul confirmed. “But I won’t,” he added with all the confidence of an arrogant male. I decided that I didn’t like this whole ‘vampire’ business.
“Is that all?” I asked.
“All?” Paul repeated, astounded. “Isn’t that enough?”
I nodded. “That’s kind of the point. It’s a lot to take in. Is there any more you’re dumping on me today?”
“Well…” Paul studied my face, considering. “There’s one more part. If you think you can handle more.”
“Is it bad?”
Paul hesitated. “No, I don’t think so. But you might.” He watched me, waiting for some response, but I stared blankly up at him. “Alright. Well, there’s this… thing called an imprint. It’s the way that we find our mates.”
“What do you mean?” I did my best not to let my thoughts get ahead of me. Where was he going with this?
“I mean… it’s something that just happens. Like you’re walking down the street and you see her, and suddenly she’s it. She’s everything.”
“Like love at first sight?”
“Yeah, but more intense. But I guess that’s about it.”
“Have you…?” I hesitated to ask.
Here, he did something truly shocking- he blushed a furious red. I hadn’t known that someone with skin so tan could blush so dark.
“Yeah.” He gave me a funny look and didn’t say a word for several minutes.
Meanwhile, I was fighting with myself. So I liked him. I would have to get over it. If he was unavailable, if he had someone who was really that important to him, I didn’t stand a chance. I would get over him soon enough.
But he just kept staring. “Have I met her?” I asked. Looking back, I was being pretty dense. But can you blame me? My poor head hadn’t stopped spinning since we’d gotten to the beach.
Paul laughed, but it sounded pained. “Yeah, you have.”
“Well, it’s not Kim… maybe that girl in our- oh wait, no, she’s a bimbo. You wouldn’t fall for someone so stupid.”
Paul looked amused, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “How do you know?”
“I have faith in you, and I respect you. Therefore, I can’t bring myself to believe you could ever be attracted to someone so dumb.”
“You’re acting pretty dumb right now,” he said. I looked at his face, to see if he was serious, but he just smiled at me.
“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath. He smirked a little, but kept looking me in the eyes, like he was willing me to realize something.
And then I did.