“What about you, Rose Novak? Do you have a type?”

I felt heat rise in my cheeks again.

The truth was, I’d never really had a crush before Caleb. Sure, I’d met boys I’d thought were cute. But never the heart-stopping, all-consuming passion I felt for Caleb.

“I… I don’t know.”

He loosened his grip, his eyes fixing on me intensely. His expression was suddenly serious as he studied every flicker of emotion that crossed my face.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re my first.”

His eyes softened, and he looked at me like I was the most precious thing in the world. As though those three words I’d just spoken had made me seem fragile, vulnerable.

“Why do you look so surprised?” I asked, trying to break up his seriousness with a grin.

He ran a hand through his hair. His lips parted, then closed again. I didn’t understand what had rendered him so speechless.

“Are all the young men in The Shade blind?” he said finally, staring at me incredulously.

I laughed. “No. But I’m not the only girl there. I guess it also doesn’t help being the daughter of the most intimidating vampire on the planet.”

Caleb fell silent. I reached my hands around his neck and brought his head down so I could place a kiss on his lips. It had been a mistake mentioning my father. Caleb always fell silent and grew serious when he turned his thoughts to him.

Realizing that I was hungry, I reached for a coconut in the corner of the bunk and attempted to smash it open against a nearby branch. After my third failed attempt, Caleb took the coconut from me and split it open with the pressure of his hands alone.

“Thanks,” I muttered as I took the two halves from him. He reached for a long sharp leaf and helped me to loosen the flesh from the shell.

“Shall I feed you while I’m at it?” he teased.

He was joking, but I took him up on his offer all the same. I slid down his chest until my head rested on his lap, opening my mouth in expectation. He smiled, then slid the first piece of flesh into my mouth.

I stared up at him as I chewed. I brushed my hand against his strong jawline, tracing my fingers over his rough stubble.

As he slid the last piece of flesh into my mouth, I caught his hand before he could draw it away, pulling his thumb toward my mouth. I sucked on it, then gently dug my teeth into it.

Moving the coconut shells aside, I sat up and, holding his shoulders, pushed him backward. He had a questioning look in his eyes, but leaned back as I was requesting. Placing my legs either side of his hips, I crouched down over him. I lowered my head down to his neck, kissing his cheek along the way. I pressed my mouth against his throat and grazed my teeth over his cool skin.

“What are you doing?” he asked, amusement in his voice.

“Practicing being a vampire,” I whispered back.

His chest shook as he chuckled.

The moment he chuckled, I wanted to look into his eyes. They lit up on the rare occasions that he laughed. I lifted myself up, still sitting on top of him, and spread my palms out over his chest.

I’d already decided that when the time came for me to turn into a vampire, I wanted Caleb to do it. I didn’t dare mention it now though. He’d have to get over the trauma of his turning Annora first before I even dared bring up the subject with him. He was still far too broken from that experience. He’d been afraid he might ruin me just by kissing me back on the boat. At least we seemed to be past that stage. He seemed comfortable being close and intimate with me now.

Though there were still boundaries I knew he wasn’t yet ready to cross. And I had to be careful not to make him feel uncomfortable about that.

Caleb’s arm shot out toward a nearby tree. When he withdrew it, he was holding a large purple hibiscus. My heart fluttered as he brushed the hair away from the side of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

I lifted myself off him and lay down by his side, positioning myself so that my face was level with his. He had discarded his ripped shirt by now, and wore only his pants. It pained me to see all the scars he still had from the bullets he’d endured back in Brazil and Venezuela. I could even see the dark shadow of many of them beneath his skin.

Caleb Achilles. My beautiful, broken warrior.

We lay in silence for the next few minutes as both of us became serious. We just lay there, staring into each other’s eyes. When he finally did break the silence with a husky whisper, it let loose a thousand butterflies in my stomach.

“You’re beautiful, Rose Novak.”

If only Annora would just vanish, I could happily spend the next few years alone on this island with Caleb.

Chapter 19: Annora

I climbed up onto the edge of the old cracked well, staring down into the starry black abyss. I was almost sucked down instantly. Drawing a deep breath, I leaped into the gate.

I twisted and turned in the void as I rushed downward at what felt like the speed of light. I barely had time to be nervous at what might be waiting for me on the other side. Which was a good thing. I couldn’t afford for them to detect apprehension in me.

I braced myself as I detected the light at the end of the tunnel. Placing my hands over my chest to cover myself, I finally shot out of the tunnel, landing in a heap. I scrambled to my feet as soon as I could, adjusting the leaves around my waist to cover as much of me as possible and bunching my hair over my chest.

I took in my surroundings. I was standing on a long, wide beach. Ocean stretched out in front of me for as far as the eye could see. Behind me was a towering stone wall. Behind it, I could make out the peaks of the massive black mountain ranges that this realm was famous for. My eyes traveled along the wall, and rested on a giant iron gate, spiked with human skulls.