Blood Gifts by Kara Lockley Read Free Book Online Page A

chuckled and
pulled the covers back, pulled her shoes off, then picked her up
and set her back on the bed, so he could pull the covers over
her.
    She smiled up at him. "Climb in here with
me," she said. She scooted over as he climbed in with her. He
gathered her in his arms and held her close. She fell almost
instantly to sleep.
     
     

Chapter 13
     
    Karina was up, pacing. She had called Nina
and Leanne on a disposable cellphone and told them she was fine and
not to look for her. Luke had taken her to a discount store and
bought her a few pairs of jeans and some shirts. They had both
showered. He had ordered her a pizza for lunch. It sat half eaten
on a table near the bed. And now she was waiting for Luke. He had
gone to buy a map and put gas in the car. This was bizarre.
    She felt like a fugitive on the run from the
police. The pizza box started to rattle across the table. She
stopped her panicked thoughts. The box lay still. Luke came through
the door then.
    "They will never stop coming, will they?" she
asked him abruptly.
    He closed the door behind him. "No, they
won't," he said quietly.
    "And they live forever," Karina said as she
paced. "They really—"
    "—Shh," Luke said, interrupting her. He
stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to
be okay," he said.
    "When?" she asked frantically. She put her
arms around him too and put her head on his chest. He held her
tight.
    "There's a good chance we can stay hidden
from them," he said, trying to comfort her. "And if nothing else, I
could change you myself."
    "Whoa," she said, pulling away to look up at
him. "I'm not ready for that," she said.
    He laughed a little bit. "I won't force you,"
he said. "It's just an option I wanted to make you aware of."
    "Oh," she said, putting her head on his chest
again. "How does that work?" she asked cautiously.
    "You would have to drink my blood," he
said.
    "This blood right here, running through your
veins?" she asked as she closed her eyes and listened to his
heartbeat.
    "That blood right there," he said.
    "Wow, this is heavy," Karina murmured into
his chest.
    "I'm sorry," he said as she looked up at him.
He took her face in his hands.
    She stared up into his bright blue eyes.
"Mesmerize me," she said quietly.
    "What?" he laughed, startled by her
request.
    "Like before, when you came in through my
window," she said quietly.
    "But I had no effect on you," he said,
confused.
    "No, you did," she said, "just not as much as
you wanted. I felt very calm about having an intruder in my house.
Plus I slept the whole day away afterwards. You definitely affected
me."
    "Why do you want to be mesmerized?" he asked,
with concern. He buried his hands in her hair.
    "I want to feel calm again," she said
simply.
    "I can do that," he said gruffly. He looked
into her eyes and thought the thoughts he usually thought when
mesmerizing a person.
    Karina began to feel the haze of calmness
envelop her again, like the first night they'd met. "Make me your
verae," she said dreamily.
    "No," he said firmly. "You were weak after I
drank your blood before."
    "You need to eat," she said.
    "I hunted in the woods after I put gas in the
car," he said. "I've had my fill of blood for now."
    "Oh," she said dazedly. "Do you love me?" she
suddenly asked.
    "I do love you," he said.
    She began to lean on him more and closed her
eyes like she was weakening. "I love you too," she said.
    He stopped mesmerizing her. She stayed calm.
Her eyes flickered up to meet his. He stared down at her for a long
moment, deep in thought.
    "Kiss me," she said softly.
    He considered it. "Is this you talking? Or is
it mesmerism?"
    "Shh," she said, calming his fears. "It's
always me..."
    He leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped
her arms around him tighter. They became entangled in each other,
and she pulled him to the unmade bed. Their clothes came off
quickly and they fell back onto the blankets. She moaned when he
pressed his naked body to hers. She thrust her hips into