ROSE P.O.V.
Hesitantly, a bit afraid, even now, that he would disappear like an illusion, too attractive to be real. I reached out a finger and stroked the back of his hand, where it lay within my reach. I admired again his flawless texture, satin-smooth, cool as stone. When I looked up again, his eyes were watching me. His smile turned up the corners of his flawless lips.
"I don't scare you?" he asked playfully, but I could hear the real curiosity in his soft voice.
"Yeah... sometimes you do," I admitted. He smiled wider like he was satisfied after listening to my answer.
He moved so quickly that I missed his movement, he was half-sitting, propped up on his right arm, his left palm still in my hands. His angelic face was only a few inches from mine. I might have flinched away from his unexpected closeness, but I was unable to move. His emerald eyes mesmerized me.
"Are you still afraid?" he whispered intently.
I couldn't answer him, rather I smelled his cool breath on my face. Sweet, intoxicating, the scent made my mouth water. It was unlike anything else. Instinctively, unthinkingly, I leaned closer, inhaling. And with the blink of an eye, he was gone, his hand ripped from mine. By the time I realized what just happened, he was twenty feet away, standing at the edge of the lake. He stared at me, his eyes turning dark red, his expression unreadable. I could feel the hurt in my heart as my hands felt empty.
"Give me the locket and I shall return, Roseline, before I do something to you-" his voice was just a murmur, I understood what he meant. I looked back into those red eyes, they terrified me, I sat there without moving, more frightened of him than I've ever been. I just sat there like a bird locked in the eyes of a snake. As seconds passed, his expression slowly folded into a mask of sadness.
"Don't be afraid," he murmured, his velvet voice unintentionally seductive. "I promise...I would never hurt you." It seemed like he was more convincing himself than me. He took slow steps towards me and sat beside me as he waited for me to speak something but I still couldn't speak.
"I'm not thirsty today, honestly." he winked, making me laugh, though the sound was shaky and breathless.
"I want to know why you need my mum's locket," I stated, wanting to know why he needs it so badly.
He thought for a while before answering, "The locket belongs to my beloved."
His answer caught me off guard, I looked to see him gazing unseeingly into the forest. I had so many questions about who his beloved was? Why do I get these dreams? And these newfound feelings roaring inside me, I need answers. But what does beloved mean to a vampire?
"Beloved means my soulmate." his voice was low but I could hear the sadness in them.
"Who is your beloved?" I couldn't help but question.
He was silent, his face bleak and cold, "I told you the reason why I want the locket, no more questions." he said in an emotionless tone.
"You're angry," I sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"No," his tone was as hard as his face.
We sat there for another silent moment, as the night passed by, I wondered if he was as unwilling to go back as I was and sighed.
"It's midnight, I must leave you in the dorm."
"I'll go by myself," I protested, we were out for a long time, my friends would be worried, I didn't even tell them anything before leaving.
"They saw us leaving, let me drop you." I could hear irrigation in his voice.
"Fine," as soon as the word fell my lips, he startled me by suddenly picking me up in his arms with a very little effort on my part. I blinked a few times and opened my mouth to say something, "We aren't going like this to the dorm."
"I'm just taking you to my car, Senõrita." He saw my expression and then added, "Don't worry, you'll be safe and we'll get to the dorm much faster." His lips curled up into a crooked smile making my heart stop.
"You wouldn't throw me in the lake right?" I asked warily.
He laughed, "I would love to consider that option, but for now I have to get you to the dorm."
"Sure, sure," I replied, I could see him rolling his eyes.
"Hold me tight," he instructed, and I tightened my grip around his neck. And then he started running, he streaked through the shady, thick underbrush of the woods like a bullet or a ghost. There was no sound either any evidence that his feet touched the soil. His breathing never shifted, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at deadly speeds, always missing us by inches.
I was too frightened to close my eyes, though the cool forest air whipped against my face and burned them. I felt as if I were stupidly sticking my head out the window of an airplane in flight. And, for the first time in my life, I felt the dizzy faintness of motion sickness.
Then it was over. We'd walked for an hour to reach the lake, and now, in a matter of minutes, we were back to Lorenzo's car.