the return midnight | Page 6

ok D am on to r e aliz e th at h e r e ally
w as
a h um an, n o jo ke , n oth in g a nyo ne c o uld d o a bout it.
T he b la ck r o se h ad b een fo r S te fa n; a nd it w ould h ave
g iv e n h im h is d re am o f b ein g h um an a gain . B ut w hen
D am on r e aliz e d it h ad w ork e d its m agic o n
h im …
T hat’s w hen I s a w h im lo ok a t m e a nd lu m p m e in w ith th e
re st o f m y s p ecie s— a s p ecie s h e’s c o m e to h ate a nd s co rn .
S in ce th en I h ave n’t d are d lo ok h im in th e e ye a gain . I
k no w

h e lo ve d m e ju st d ays a go. I d id n’t k n ow th at lo ve c o uld tu rn
to — well, to a ll th e th in gs h e fe els n ow a bout h im se lf.
Y ou’d th in k it w ould b e e asy fo r D am on to b eco m e a
v a m pir e a gain . B ut h e w ants to b e a s p owerfu l a v a m pir e a s
h e u se d to b e— and th ere is n ’t a nyo ne lik e th at to e xch ange
b lo od w ith h im . E ve n S age d is a ppeare d b efo re D am on
c o uld a sk h im . S o D am on is s tu ck lik e th is u ntil h e fin ds
s o m e s tr o ng, p owerfu l, a nd p re stig io us v a m pir e to g o
th ro ugh th e w hole p ro ce ss o f c h angin g h im .
A nd e ve ry tim e I lo ok in to
S te fa n’s
eye s, th ose je wel- g re en
e ye s th at a re w arm w ith tr u st a nd g ra titu de— I fe el te rro r, to o.
T erro r th at s o m ehow h e’l l b e s n atc h ed a way a gain — rig ht
o ut o f m y a rm s. A nd… te rro r th at h e’l l fin d o ut h ow I’v e c o m e
to fe el a bout D am on. I h adn’t e ve n r e aliz e d m yse lf h ow
m uch D am on h as c o m e to m ean to m e. A nd I c a n’t …
s to p… my fe elin g… fo r h im , e ve n if h e h ate s m e n ow.
A nd, y e s, d am n it, I’m c ry in g! In a m in ute , I h ave to g o ta ke
h im h is d in ner. H e m ust b e s ta rv in g, b ut w hen M att tr ie d to
ta ke h im s o m eth in g e arlie r to day, D am on th re w th e w hole
tr a y a t h im .
O h, p le ase , G od,
p le ase
don’t le t h im h ate m e!
I’m b ein g s e lfis h , I k n ow, in ju st ta lk in g a bout w hat’s g oin g
o n w ith