Vampire Kisses: Immortal Hearts Part 28

Just then Valentine stepped out from behind us.

"So this is why you don't like me?" he said to Stormy. His voice couldn't hide his sadness but instead gave it away. "Because of them?"

t=" "W "No-" she said to him, "it's not about them. I do like you. But I want to have more friends."

"It is their fault," he insisted. Now Valentine was the one squaring off at his older siblings. "You guys always have to make trouble. It's bad enough at home. But here, too? Why can't you leave well enough alone? Alexander likes Raven. Let them be."

"I was just trying to help Raven out," Jagger answered defensively.

"Well, you weren't," Stormy said. "If you want to help her out, just be her friend. And Alexander's."

I was so impressed with Stormy's arguments and sticking up for me in front of Jagger, I was speechless. But I'd let her take over for long enough, and it was time for me to step in.

"Having a dance club is nice, but not if no one here is your friend," I said to Jagger.

"I don't need friends," Jagger mumbled. But clearly he did. He liked being the popular one in town now that he owned the club. He gazed out at the crowd as if he was really wondering how many of them he could call his friends.

"It's funny," he said as if we weren't in the room. "I don't know these people. Even Onyx and Scarlet. They are all here because of the club." His voice was reflective and suddenly soft. "Alexander has been a friend to me. I guess I really never realized it until now."

Stormy relaxed her stance and appeared pleased with Jagger's reaction. And Luna was equally moved. She didn't want to be the only one who wasn't suddenly on the Sterling side.

"I'm sorry, Stormy," Luna said. "I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you, of all people."

I felt she seemed sincere. This time I think the example she was setting for her brother and her younger friend really hit her.

"Speaking of Alexander," Jagger said. "Where is he? I'd like to talk to him about that night."

"We were hoping he was here," I said. "You haven't seen him?"

They shook their heads.

"Were you supposed to meet him here?" Jagger asked.

"Uh, no. I just thought he might show up."

"Well, maybe we can dance until he does," Valentine said to Stormy.

"Uh ... that would be great. But I really want to find him."

Valentine appeared deflated, and Stormy put her hand on his shoulder. "But the next dance is all yours," she said to her lifelong friend.

His sullen face brightened.

"If you see Alexander, tell him I need to speak with him," she said to the Maxwells. "Immediately."

They nodded affirmatively and gave her a smile.

We scanned every corner of the Crypt and finally saw Becky.

"I haven't seen him anywhere," my best friend finally said.

"Neither have we." I was disheartened. "Well, I guess we should go."

We left the club, and Becky drove us back to the Mansion to drop off Stormy.

"When Alexander gets home," Stormy said, "I'll give him a good talking to."

I leaned over and gave Stormy a big hug. She had become a really good friend to me, and I cherished her.

As we drove to my house, it began to pour. Becky dropped me off in the driveway.

"Thanks, Becky. I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Don't worry, Raven. It will be okay. Someday you'll look back on this time and barely remember it."

"I hope so," I said, and dashed to the house.

There was one final place where I thought Alexander might be. I hoped I was right.

I hopped on my bike and tore down the road in the sprinkling rain. By the time I got to Dullsville's cemetery, it was pouring. I was drenched and my boots were soaked. But I didn't care. When I turned into the parking lot, I saw the sight I'd been longing to see-the Mercedes.

The cemetery was closed, and the gates were locked. Normally, climbing the fence wasn't too hard for me; I'd done it a million times. But tonight, the pounding rain made it hard to see and the wrought-iron posts were slippery. I grabbed them as tightly as I could but slid several times. With a few curse words and all my might, I wrapped my fingers and wedged my boots into the grooves and hoisted myself up.

I flipped myself over and lost my footing on the slick fence. I fell on my bottom on the wet gra.s.s with a thud. I swore some more and then laughed at myself. If I had only been patient, I wouldn't have been in this mess. Alexander and I would have been bopping at the Crypt, and I would have rI w/p> I got to my feet and didn't even bother trying to beautify myself. It was far too late for that.

I raced through the cemetery-past tombstones and memorials. And then I saw a figure standing in front of the Baroness Sterling's monument.

Even in the pouring rain and with his back to me, Alexander was a magnetic presence.

I knew he sensed me standing a few yards away.

"I'm sorry-" I called to him through the falling rain. "I didn't mean for us to fight."

He didn't respond or look at me.

"Alexander-" I said. "Please understand."

He slowly turned around. He was gorgeous, wearing skinny black jeans, monster boots, and a black T-shirt. He was soaking, like me, and even though he was angry, he was still as radiant as the handsome guy I'd fallen in love with. I wasn't sure if he was going to yell or walk away.

Instead, he just stared at me with his soft chocolate eyes.

I hurried over to him but didn't hug him. I wasn't sure if he was ready for me to.

"I never meant to hurt you-" I said. "I didn't want us to fight. I just wanted us to talk. It got out of hand. I never meant for us to get angry."

Alexander didn't respond but just listened.

"I looked for you everywhere-" I said. "At the Mansion, Sebastian's, the Crypt. I was ready to fly to Romania," I said, my voice breaking.

He still didn't respond but continued to let me talk.

Before our fight, I knew Alexander hadn't planned on leaving me, and I was immature to think he needed to sink his fangs in my flesh to prove that to me. I faced him strongly and sincerely. "I want to be a vampire," I said. "Your vampire-and if it is to happen, it needs to happen when we both are ready. If not, I am happy the way we are."

He listened to what I said but still didn't respond.

"Please say something-" I said.

He didn't yell at me or even kiss me. Instead he took my hand in his and gazed down at me and took a deep breath. His voice was deliberate. "Raven."

My heart fell. Was this the moment Alexander was officially going to break up with me? I had pushed him too far this time.

He gazed at me intently. "I've been thinking."

"About what?" I asked, worried. "Wait, Alexander, please don't say it-I came here to apologize."

"It's important for me to tell you this now," he said with a deliberate but urgent tone.

"No," I said. "I came here to make up, not break up."

He placed his finger over my black lips and shook his head. "Now it's my turn to speak."

I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. I didn't want to let go under any circ.u.mstance.

"There is something I want to talk about." His voice was so serious, I was frightened. The rain broke, and the crescent moon shone brightly overhead. "You are so much like my grandmother. If she had been changed, then maybe her fate would have been different. I don't want to see you at covenant altars with other vampires. Only me."

He leaned in to me and gazed so intensely that I thought I could see his soul. "I want you to know I thought about it that first night I saw you outside my house on Halloween. And I've thought about it every night since then."

"Thought about what?" I asked.

"Turning you."

I melted. To hear it from his lips sent chills surging through me. I shouldn't have needed him to rea.s.sure me countless times. However, I did like hearing it. "You've told me you have thought about it, and I should have listened. But I shouldn't have pushed you. I just want us to be like we were again. I don't want us to argue. I want us to be together. Like we discussed, I'll be turned when the time is right."

He took both of my hands. His rain-soaked hair was tousled and wild and his s.e.xy dark eyes stared through me again. "I want you to know I think the time is right."

I was stunned. "What did you say?" I asked.

He leaned in even closer. "I think the time is right," he said with confidence. "For you to be turned. By me."

I was floored. I wasn't sure I was hearing him correctly. "Are you serious?" I had been waiting for him to call our relationship off and he was suggesting the opposite. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Dead serious," he said with a heavenly smile. "I think th listenee time is right for us to be together-forever. In fact, I know it is."

I didn't know how to respond. I was so taken aback, I was speechless.

He smiled a gorgeous smile. "You have waited for me," he said sincerely, "and I have waited for you. Now we need to stop waiting."

I was awestruck. I stared up at my vampire boyfriend. Was Alexander actually suggesting what I thought he was? What I'd wanted since I was little and even more so when I met him? Was this in fact the moment I had waited for all my life?

My hands began to shake and I felt as if I were in a movie. Time seemed to stand still. A vampire-the most gorgeous and mysterious one in all the world-was asking me to be his vampire mate for all of eternity. I was still at a loss for words.

"Have you changed your mind?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I just can't believe this is really happening. Is this a dream?" I asked.

"If it is," he said with a sweet grin, "then I'm having the same dream."

I was overcome with delight.

"So what is your answer?" he asked. "I don't think I can wait forever for that. The suspense is killing me."

"Of course!" I burst out, and hugged him with all my might. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

As we embraced, the pain of our fight escaped my body and the excitement of his proposal began running through it.

"I don't want you to be afraid," he said. "If you want to change your mind-at any point-I will understand."

"How could I be afraid?" I wondered.

"I'm a vampire, remember. And you'd be one as well."

The thought of my really becoming a vampire sent more chills through me. "I'm not afraid of you, or of becoming like you," I said. "Not now, nor will I ever be. This is what I've always wanted."

He smiled another gorgeous smile. We stared at each other, then he drew me in to him again and kissed me long. My knees were weak, but my heart raced and I was dizzy.

"Are we going to do it now?" I asked excitedly. I didn't want to lose this moment by putting it off, but since I'd envisioned being turned by him so many times, I wasn't sure if I needed more preparation for the actual event. "I imagined wearing a pretty dress ... not looking like a slug. But I a se="3can do it now if you want."

"We don't have to do it tonight," he said, guiding my dampened hair away from my face. "We can wait as long as you like."

"I don't want to wait too long," I said eagerly.

"This will change your life," he said. "You still have school."

"School? Schmool!"

"But that is just as important."

"I don't want to wait until I'm finished with school. That's more than a year away," I said impatiently. Then something important came to mind. There was one new person I'd want to see me change and she wasn't going to be in Dullsville much longer. "I'd really like to be turned while Stormy is still here. I'd like her to see me as a vampire. I want her to see me like I see her."

"She means that much to you?" he asked.

"You both do."

"But she's leaving next week."

"I know."

"But you still have cla.s.ses, and your education is important."