Dark Realms Read Online Free PDF Page B

something warm and
delicious ignited deep within me as our eyes held. It spread from
my pelvis all the way to my fingertips.
    “What’s happening?” I whispered, my legs
turning to jelly.
    He put a hand around my waist to hold me up
and slid the other one behind my neck. “Don’t fight it,” he
whispered, staring into my eyes.
    I couldn’t understand what was happening. A
minute ago I wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Now,
thoughts of his lips on mine made me tingle all over. As if he
could read my thoughts, he lowered his mouth towards mine and I
held my breath.
    “Emily,” he said in a husky voice. “Your
scent is driving me crazy. I don’t know whether to kiss you
or…”
    “Kiss me,” I whispered, anticipating his
mouth, hungry for it.
    “Stop!” ordered a strong voice behind
us.
    Martin growled and released me.
    I fell to the ground.
    “What in the hell are you doing?” snapped
Marie angrily, staring at Martin.
    He put his hands behind his back and stood
with his legs apart, glaring at her in silence.
    “Marie!” I gasped, standing up. “Thank God
you’re okay!” She turned to me and I noticed in shock that her eyes
were glowing the same way Martin’s had just moments ago.
    She smiled coldly and
turned back to Martin. “I’m fine. But I’ll be better after I feed . Obviously there’s
been a holdup.”
    Feed?
    “Forget this one,” said Martin in a clipped
voice. “Let me have her.”
    Marie snorted. “Oh, you’d like that,
wouldn’t you? Keep her as a pet?”
    “What in the hell is going on?” I asked, my
eyes darting between the two of them.
    “You know the rules,” said Marie, ignoring
me. “She’s mine.”
    Realizing now that Marie wasn’t exactly who
she said she was, and obviously a bigger threat than Martin, I
moved closer to him.
    Martin swore under his breath. “I’m sorry,
Emily. You’d better run. I wish there was something I could
do.”
    I stared at him in confusion. “Do? About
what?”
    “Martin,” warned Marie.
    He clenched his jaw. “Please, get… out… of…
here. Now.”
    Marie smiled broadly, her teeth glowing in
the darkness. “Yes, run away. I live for the hunt. It’s much more
fun.”
    I stared at the fangs between her lips in
disbelief.
    Fangs?
    “Listen, I’ll give you a thirty-second head
start,” she said. “And there will be no help from Martin. I’m
telling my father, by the way. When he’s recovered fully.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Your threats don’t
frighten me, Celeste.”
    I looked at her. “Celeste?”
    “Marie is my middle name.”
She wrinkled her nose. “By the way, why are you still here?”
    I have to be
dreaming , I thought. It’s the only thing that made sense.
    Not needing any more prodding, I turned and
began limping through the woods, away from the strange couple,
convinced that any minute I’d wake up in my bed. Obviously,
sleeping in a new place and a late-night snack of peanut butter had
corrupted my dreams, giving me nightmares.
    I clenched my jaw as the pain in my knee
grew worse.
    Strange, I never
remembered feeling pain in any of my other dreams.
    As these thoughts ran through my head, I
noticed a structure up ahead, past the trees. With a renewed surge
of hope, I made a beeline towards it, certain that things had to
get start getting better. My hope was soon squashed, however, when
I realized where in the hell I was.
    “No,” I gasped in disbelief.
    I’d somehow backtracked and ended up at the
barn.
    Trying not to panic, I looked around the property, noticing the house
was lit up like a Christmas tree. I wondered if the others were
still alive, but I was too chicken to find out. Injured and
thirsty, I couldn’t be of much help to anyone at the
moment.
    Wincing as another hot rush of pain seared
through my knee, I decided to hide in the barn before Martin and
Marie, or whatever her damn name was, found me. Obviously, they
were both nuts.
    I peeked inside of the barn. It was dark and
appeared