Crave (Crave Series)

Fuck, I miss her.

I miss her sugar-cookie-and-strawberry scent.

I miss her softness, the way her ridiculously hot body always curves so perfectly into mine.

I don’t need to see her eyes to know how she feels about me—it’s written all over her face. She loves me, almost as much as I love her.

I walk over to the corner, where what’s left of Grace—my Grace—is standing.

Instead, he stayed right there with me. In the moment.

Relaxed.

Happy.

Whole.

And that’s when it hits me. Jaxon was never meant to be the hero of my story…because I was always meant to be the hero of his.

Terrified, I grab his arms and yank him toward me. But even as he falls forward, I know it’s not going to work. He’s still in the blade’s path. For a moment, just a moment, I flash back to how he looked last night when we were stretched out on his bed. He was leaning over me, resting on his elbow. Sleepy smile, eyes hazy with want.

there’s a part of me that knows he’s right. That I will never be safe if we’re together.

But no matter what he thinks, it’s not Jaxon’s job to protect me. I’ve known from the first day that he wasn’t meant to be the hero of my story. And I am more than okay with that.

Because he smiles now in a way he never did before. He laughs. And, on occasion, he even tells me a really bad joke or two. I’ll take that over safe any day, especially when safety can be snatched away at any moment.

. “In five minutes, you’ll know the truth. Everyone will.”

I really hope that isn’t true. I read Frankenstein last year—I can only imagine what abomination she’ll bring back from the dead if her little plan actually works.

Sticks and Stones
May Break Your Bones,
but Vampires Will
Kill You

he comes back into focus in his full dragon form. Tall and majestic and a sparkling emerald green, all of his power, all of his strength and determination and fire are focused on Jaxon.

Who doesn’t even flinch. He just plants his feet and stares down a freaking dragon like it’s a gecko, waiting for an attack or an opening or who even knows what.

“Look, I don’t have time to fill you in on everything. And it wouldn’t change anything if I could. I want to save you, Grace. I do. But we can’t let Lia do this. It’ll mean the end of the world. So you’ve got to die. It’s the only way we can stop this thing from happening.” He reaches forward, wraps his hand around my neck.

And then he starts to squeeze.