Forever (Book #3 in the Fateful Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

someone to protect, someone to care for.
    Ethan’s brows were still drawn low over his eyes, the color darkened by the shadow of his lashes. He swallowed, leaning back against the vanity. Taking her hands into his, his thumbs glided over her knuckles in a simple caress. She watched his face, waiting again for a response that was slow in coming.
    Gazing just past his shoulder, she looked into the bedroom and could see Cedric strip the bed of the coverlet. Pieces of wood and glass clattered against the polished floors and made soft thumping sounds against the red and tan area rug bordering the bed. The vampire checked the blankets and, apparently deciding they were okay, he tossed the new white comforter over the mattress. Someone else she couldn’t see had started up the vacuum.
    Danielle swung her attention back to Ethan, where she discovered he was watching her, his expression guarded, like his mind was filled with things he didn’t want to share with her. Taking in the lines bracketing his tired eyes, she understood why he’d been avoiding her gaze. “They’re going to turn us again, aren’t they.” It wasn’t a question.

Chapter 3
    Internal Turmoil
     
    Ethan knew Danielle didn’t want to be turned. He even knew how much. In those sad puppy eyes staring up at him, he couldn’t escape the truth of it.
    He took a breath to reply, but paused when she pled, “Please, Ethan, I can’t do that again. It hasn’t even been that long since we turned back. A few months, maybe? I remember it all...” Her desperation-drenched words dropped to a weak whisper before trailing off completely. She shuddered with obvious repulsion. Ethan felt it shimmy through her body from head to toes.
    She didn’t have to spell it out for him to gather her meaning. This girly-girl of his may have a tough side, but she was all girl deep down, and no genuine girl that he knew of would be fond of drinking blood, of killing for it, or of being cursed. Certainly he knew of many women who’d chosen to be cursed, but most of the ones he was acquainted with hated that part of the curse. Nadia had, which was why she’d asked to be cured. And Sophia desperately missed eating real food, but for Beon’s sake, she’d remained cursed. Danielle hadn’t been a vampire for very long—a few weeks at the most, perhaps. She’d fight going back to that life, and was clearly desperate not to. So what was he going to do about this bloody rubbish wreaking havoc on what was supposed to be their quiet married life? He could tell, or rather, could sense that she’d wanted to defend them with her karate skills. If she’d been a vampire, it certainly would have worked for her, but as a mortal, he had to remind her to restrain herself.
    “You may go back to bed now,” called Cedric from the bedroom. The vacuum had been shut off; apparently their bedroom was safe for them to sleep in again.
    With teeth clenching at the constant interruptions, Ethan reached for the bathroom door and shut it, hoping the guards would catch the hint and leave. He pulled Danielle close and hugged her tight. Still she didn’t weep. He was grateful for that. When his darling Danielle shed tears he became desperate to soothe her, to make everything all right. She wasn’t an overly emotional woman in his opinion ... well, perhaps when she was with child she was a bit more so, but he’d loved her like that.... A constricting sensation seized his heart at the reminder of the baby they’d lost. Mentally shaking it off, he brutally forced that line of thinking aside. They’d get back to that one day, when it was safe to try again, but not yet.
    Drawing a measured breath in and then releasing it slowly, he considered their options. If they didn’t turn back into vampires, then what? How could he keep her alive and mortal in a magic world that wouldn’t leave them alone? With his thoughts returning to his earlier ideas, Ethan again wondered, how could one escape the moon?
    His thumb