The sound of her voice, that fragile, broken whimper, hit me harder than any blow ever could’ve. Seven centuries of isolation had turned my heart into a block of ice, yet she was melting it with a single look. She was terrified of the fate she had been given, terrified of becoming a ghost. She didn’t know that she was the only thing making me feel like I was still alive.
I didn’t think. I couldn’t. The man’s restraint was fraying, not because of the beast’s hunger, but because of a desperate need to anchor her in the present. I leaned down and caught her lips with mine.
It wasn’t the dominant kiss of a master, nor was it the predatory kiss of the Krampus. It was a collision. It was a desperate plea for her to stay whole. I tasted the salt of her tears and the sweetness of the bread. Fo
