Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Hope
“Eat some more.” Reaching across the table , Justin pushed the golden fork back up to my lips. His own parting when I reluctantly took another bite of the steak on my plate. One of the three he had already forced between my lips.
I was full to bursting but he wouldn’t take no for any answer. I chewed without really tasting the delicious meat.
“You’re not eating.” I said with my mouth full.
“I don’t need to and anyway,” he smiled. “I would much rather watch you eat. I’ve missed the way your lips pucker when you taste something you like and the way your throat moves when you swallow.”
His words were innocent enough but his meaning wasn’t and I blushed. “Justin.” I admonished and quickly changed the subject. Dropping my fork to my plate I sighed. “It’s delicious but I can’t eat another bite, where did you get this from? I haven’t seen steak since-“
His eyes crinkled at the edges. “I brought it back with me. Usually I don’t bother but when news got to me that you had been found I wanted to you have a taste of home.”
“This food is from the past?” I asked, clasping my hands together under the table. They were shaking so much. They had been since I had arrived but I didn’t want him to see how freaked out I was.
“From the butchers your father loved so much. I have the kitchen stocked with all of your favourite things Hope. Just to make you happy.”
“Thank you.” I forced a smile. “But you still haven’t explained how you are moving between times. I’m not even sure I believe you can.”
The smile on his face froze into place. “I got you here didn’t I?” He asked in a cold voice. “I knew you would show up sooner or later because we were always meant to be together but time travel isn’t a straight line and I kept missing you.” Reaching across the table he swiped his thumb over my lips, catching up the meat juice on them and then settling back in his chair and sucked them into his mouth with a groan.
“I can take you back to visit if you like.” His eyes snapped open to stare into mine and it was like he was looking into my soul. I couldn’t look away, I could barely breathe .
He had such beautiful eyes, how had I not noticed before how gorgeous they were?
“I know you would like that. To go back and visit them.”
“I would love that.”
“So I will take you back. As often as we can. I just want you to be happy, Hope.”
The moment he said my name I blinked and the spell was broken. “Can we go back and change the past? Can we change how things turn out?”
“No.”
“Have you even tried?” Anger tinged my voice and lifted it a few octaves and Justin’s eyebrows shot up angrily. “You caused all of this Justin. Have you even tried to make it right?”
He was off his chair in a second , he jumped on the table like an animal. Scattering the plates and glasses with a growl that was like nothing I had ever heard before.
Giving a little scream , I fell back against the back of my chair and stared at him with wide terrified eyes.
He didn’t even look like Justin anymore, or a vampire. He looked like a monster. Something I didn’t want to be alone with.
And yet only a few moments ago I had thought he was beautiful.
Now he didn’t look anything but hideous.
“This is my world, Hope. The old world is just a dream I visit now and then.” Still crouched in the middle of the table like an animal. “I was willing to let you be part of that but I can see that -“
“I’m sorry.” I said in a rush. “I’m sorry if I am asking the wrong questions. I am just so confused and this place scares me. You’re scaring me.” I added in a whisper,
Justin’s face fell. And just like that he was human again. Reaching out he stroked his fingers down my tear stained cheeks.
“I know Hopey.” He said in his usual human voice, “and I’m sorry I lost control and scared you. I didn’t mean to. I’ve waited a long time to see you again,” jumping right over my head, he landed silently on his feet and swung me up into his arms. “I got impatient. Forgive me.”
He strode from the room, broken and sacked glass cases of antiques on either side of us.
“I think it’s because you are just so exhausted so let’s go to bed.”
I couldn’t help it, I stiffened in his arms. He noticed it straight away. “Justin I am not-“
“I am not going to touch you, Hope. Not until you want me to,”
I would never want him to but I didn’t say that out loud.
“I am the father of alphas but I am not like them. I am not an animal. Not like the dog you had your child with.”
I held my breath.
“Yes I know about Faith.”
“Is she ok?” I whispered.
“Yes.” He said simply.
“Can I see her? Can you bring her to me?”
He paused in the doorway of a sprawling room. A room that held nothing but a golden carved bed, piled high with grey and black furs and red and gold silks.
It was a bed for a king.
No not a king, it was a bed of a god and that’s exactly what Justin was here.
“I think that could be arranged but I need you to rest first. Rest just like you used to.” Gently he plopped me down into the middle of the bed and climbed up next to me. Gathering me back into his arms, he leant back and positioned my head in his lap.
“Do you remember how often we used to lay like this. You used to tell me all your hopes and dreams. And I would-“
“Not tell me anything. You had so many secrets Justin.”
“I know.” He sighed and when I looked up into his face , he was staring straight ahead. “I’m sorry I had to keep it all from you Hopey! But I couldn’t tell you. It wasn’t the time. But I knew you were always going to be the one , right from my moment I first laid eyes on you. Do you remember ?”
“Remember what?” I asked in a quiet whisper.
Justin’s hands came around me. His cold fingers stroked down my arms and back up. He traced across my throat and mapped out my cheeks. Before stroking my hair back from my face and staring down into my eyes with a look that I couldn’t understand.
Why was he looking at me like that? Lincoln looked at me with love, lust and devotion. Sometimes like I was his whole world but Justin was looking at me like I was-
“Remember what Justin?” I asked again and quickly looked away.
“Do you remember the day we first met?”