My Last Breath (Book one of The Portal Series)

Impulsive Decisions. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

After experiencing the most exhausting and agonizing two days of my life, I'm more than fatigued. In the moment of my capture and confinement, I came to terms that I'd be taken back to the Hunters' lair; possibly for my final time. With that my brain had a shutdown and now I'm still in shock about our escape. Secondly, knowing the Hunters story about my apparent soulmate is presumably true and having the man they've been searching for, I still can not mentally recover yet.

Going blank for a while felt unnatural, nothing like a meditation and not calming at all. Thankfully, before I knew it the people began to dwindle out of the room and I became myself again. Though once I'd been asked to follow Jane to bed, I found that retreating to bed at seven sounded like a nightmare to me.

I wanted to spend time to relax but that felt like a distant dream to me. The sickening familiarity of getting kidnapped from this mansion circles around in my brain. Not only has an invasion happened once here but its happended twice. This time, I'm unable to walk on my own so if I needed to flee it would be solely impossible.

Abe and Leddy are staying up tonight to survey the estate and have a plan if they're unable to defend against any monster. They did prove they can handle more than the Province Guard, and have not been phased this whole day, but still I was not comfortable going to bed alone. Even if the rest of the family's sure we're safe, I'm still skeptical.

As my personal guardian, Perry escorted me to my room not too long ago asking if I'd feel secure alone. It gave me a hunch he knew I was terrified and instead wanted my permission for him to stay. I consented that he could sleep on the red lounge at the other end of my bedroom.

Currently, I lay awake in bed unsure if I should try to sleep or await an outsider to abduct me. Perry will protect me, it is his duty. So this time I accepted his position as my protector with no argument. Though, I will not consider him a slave, and at that my slave.

I don't own people, Perry owns himself. I just have to teach that to him. The man was given to me as tribute to my wolf-slaying and is legally my property, but he will have to learn to make his own choices now. Sadly the matter right now is how he'd choose to serve me and not think of himself.

Throwing the slave bondage aside, it does make me feel a little better knowing he is looking out for me tonight. If someone busted through my door they'd have to go through him first, but that doesn't mean I'm not horrified of the possibilities.

I quietly roll over to try to observe him laying on the couch but my first impression is how his heartbeat is synched with mine. This has tended to happen multiple times since I've been around the vampire. It is an utter spectacle to me since heart rate patters do not coexist so perfectly, I know because my ears disturbingly hear people's insides all the time. With the man's breathing and the rhythm of his heart, I know he is awake.

After a span of a few minutes of me paying attention to my company, I conclude my eyes will not focus on him. The void of darkness looming over these walls prevents me from seeing anything at all, other that my fear of the night.

"Miss Elenor, I know you are staring at me."

My body flinches in shock, making me jump into a sitting position.

How the hell can he see me in the dark?

It is pitch black, I can't see my hands in front of my face.

I become more than embarrassed, he caught me, "How?" I sputter.

"Vampires have night vision." My stomach falls.

So he can see me clearly right now? That knowledge is almost eerie. A fanged, blood-drinking, nocturnal, humanoid creature can have an advantage on its prey at night. Of course it makes since, they don't go out in daylight so they have to see somehow while they live under the stars. Frankly, I'd rather not imagine vampires sucking the blood out of their enemies; but I know if a Hunter entered the mansion Perry would have a great advantage over them.