Divine Blood (Vampire Love Story #6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

anything
other than Lena. But tonight, I had a lot on my mind. I was just
taking some time to think how I got into this predicament. It was a
series of events that got me to where I was today and it started
with my close friends leaving. It was heartbreaking and I couldn’t
stop them because I had nothing to offer them.
    As if it was yesterday, I
remembered the point of no return for each of them. Yari had never
even got her feet dusted by the thick, red earth on Helena Island.
So, when she came to visit me at my castle, I wasn’t surprised what
she had to say to me. It pained me to hear, but it sure didn’t
surprise me.
    We had only been on the
island for about three full years. One day, Yari had simply showed
up around 6:00 p.m. without any explanation or even an implied
mission. In my book, that was very early in the day for a Mani, so
I knew she had a big night ahead of her. Why she came to see me was
becoming more apparent as the clues came rolling in.
    “ What can I do for you,
sweetie?” I said after we carefully hugged, prudently though, as I
was a very married man and as befitted the leader of the
Mani.
    “ Sweetie? Man, being a dad
has made you mellow.” Yari winked and gave me one of her beautiful
smiles.
    My heart warmed. My old
friend and comrade in arms. She was still a charmer.
    I charmed right back and
replied, “Oh, I can call you sweetie if I feel like it. After all
that we have been through...if I wanted to call you ‘blueberry
muffin,’ I’d be entitled to it.”
    She laughed, and it was
genuine and from her gut. “That’s why I love you, Josiah. You’re
the one man who never let me get away with my bullshit.”
    “ Well, I love you, too,
Yari. How can I be of service to you this evening?”
    “ If I knew you were giving
out services at this time of night, I would have been by a long
time ago.”
    My mouth flickered in an
almost-smile at her double entendre. She still flirted like a
champ. I said, “You used to come over a lot until you got your own
place,” I said. “Then you nested in and became a
hermit.”
    “ I kind of did that,
didn’t I? I was tired, Josiah. We fought an amazing war and I stood
by your side through all of it. It was the greatest experience of
my life. And yet, it was the most heartbreaking. It both built me
up and it tore me apart.”
    “ What are you saying,
Yari? You’re getting sentimental. People usually only get like this
when they are going away. What’s going on?”
    Yari was quiet and I knew
what she was going to say before she said it.
    “ I’m leaving.” Yari
smirked and looked deeply into my eyes and gave me her mischievous
up-to-no-good smile for the last time.
    “ Why?” I wished it wasn’t
Yari. She was like my right hand in battle.
    She folded her hands, as
if subtly pleading for my forgiveness. Apologetically, she said,
“I’m taking my journey back to the East Coast where I feel more
comfortable. This farming and small-town values structured society
you built here is nice. It’s just not for me.”
    “ I’m surprised you lasted
this long,” I said, laughing. “I’m grateful you stayed as long as
you have.” I bowed my head to honor her, my friend, almost my
Lancelot, if the truth be known.
    Then Yari got extremely
serious and looked me in the eyes, her eyes intent on my reaction.
“Josiah, there’s something I need to tell you.”
    “ Okay...” I
said.
    Yari sighed and stared
deeply into my blue eyes. “I hope that this stays in this room,”
she said. “I just want to get extremely real with you for one
moment.”
    Yari was really passionate
about what she wanted to tell me. It wasn’t often that she had such
a hard time spitting out her thoughts. We were that close and
honest. She looked at me and said, “In my life, I had only one man
who could make me feel the way I always imagined being ‘in love’
would feel like.”
    I looked at her, my head
tilted in puzzlement, yet forewarned. “Yes? Who’s the