Page 70 of Thorn Evermore
“You aremydream come true.” He cups my face. “I think I know a way to convince you how incredible you are.”
“I want to believe you, but…”
“Stay here.”
Thorn hops out of bed and heads into his bathroom, returning in a flash with a handheld mirror.
“What is this?” I ask.
“Proof.” He hops on the bed and holds the mirror up to me.
I start to object, but the words fall away as soon as I see my reflection. Instead of deflecting his view of me, I’m awed. My skin is dewy, my hazel eyes bright as if there’s a light behind them. I still look like me, with my freckles and wavy hair, but… better. Refined.
“Open your mouth, love,” Thorn says, rubbing my thigh.
I part my lips, gasping at the fangs pushing out of my gums where my canine teeth were. I touch the tips, shocked by their sharpness. Actually, all my teeth are gloriously white and straight, even the crooked front tooth on the bottom where I used my teeth to open a package and dislodged it slightly.
“You see it now, right?” Thorn asks. “How truly stunning you are.”
I touch my own cheek as tears that never come sting my eyes. What a strange feeling.
“This is what you’ve always looked like to me. Perfect in every way. You will stay like this for eternity, and what a beautiful thing. I am a fortunate man who gets to gaze upon you every day until time ends.”
“Thorn…”
“You know it too. You see it. I can feel the peace spreading through you, the acceptance, and the release of forty years ofunwarranted baggage. You can step into the man you always wanted to be without the bondage of societal expectations.”
“I don’t know how to do that.”
“You will. I’ll show you.” He takes the mirror out of my hands. “You want a life of adventure?”
“Yes.”
“There’s nothing to fear anymore. You can bungee jump or skydive or anything else without fear of injury or death.”
“I can’t be hurt at all?”
“It takes a lot. What would kill a mortal would be a mild injury for you. I’ve been shot, stabbed, hit by cars. I shake it off.”
“Wow.”
“I have more to tell you, but you should eat first.”
“Eat?” My mouth practically waters as soon as the word is out. My gums throb and even my dick twitches. “What is this?”
Thorn chuckles. “Bloodlust. It will be your governing emotion for a while until you adjust. You’ll need to feed a lot, but lucky for you, I’m here. I’ll always give you everything you need, from sustenance to love and adoration. I am your maker, Kyson. Our bond is unbreakable.”
“You’ll never leave me? Never get tired of me?”
“Impossible. Because of you, I have reached my fullest potential. Because of you, my soul is at peace. I need nothing more in this life. Just you.”
“I… I don’t know what to say. I kind of want to cry, but it’s like my tears dried up.”
He nods. “They did. Under extreme conditions, tears may come, but not like what you knew before.”
After a moment, I say, “You really love me.”
“Love is hardly a big enough word.” He strokes my thigh. “You love me too, even if you aren’t fully aware of it yet. Or if you’ve held back because of what mortal men have done to you in the past.”