Love for Eternity (Seth's Imprint)

Chapter 22

Dixie's POV:

Seth had read for two hours straight, only stopping to blush some as I laughed as he stumbled over an old English word. We had just gotten to the part where a ball was being thrown by Mr. Bingley. Esme had interuppted just as he was starting chapter 18, when she brought in soup. I could tell by the smell of it, it was chicken noodle and my stomach churned at the scent of it. It wasn't human food I wanted, nor needed right now. We thanked her as we watched her leave, closing the door softly behind her. No doubt we're eventually going to annoy someone in the house with our constant reading.

"So shall we take a break and eat?" (S)

"I don't.....Seth I'm sorry I just can't stomach food right now. Will you eat mine?" (D)

"Ruby......what is it you need right now? Please be honest, I won't judge you I promise. I'm your friend." (S)

"Friend?" (D)

"Yeah, I'm still so sorry about what I did to you, but I'd really like us to be friends. If you want that is." (S)

I leaned back against the chair that he had helped me move to while he read. I wanted to stay beside him on the bed, but his scent mixed with his voice as he read was too much for my restraint to handle right now. Now I'm wondering if I died and somehow got into heaven, and this is my personal heaven despite the pain. I have a family and now a man that wants to be friends with me, maybe the nomads finished me off that night. If so I won't question it, this isn't that bad a hell and it makes a pretty good heaven.

"I'd like to be friends." (D)

"Well alright, well you know friends are honest with each other about what they need. So, what do you need right now." (S)

I know my expression changed to a darker one because he slowly got up and moved closer to me. I watched his eyes as he seemed to mirror mine in expression, almost as if he can sense my pain. He slowly brushed his hand along the side of my face, pushing my curls back, almost afraid that'll bolt or break from his touch. I hear his heartbeat increase some as I lean in closer to his warm hand, closing my eyes as I inhale his scent deeply.

"Blood, and you have no idea how delicious........Seth, please......" (D)

"Please what, Ruby tell me and whatever it is I'll do it." (S)

"Please.....please go sit down over there. My restraint is good, but as we saw yesterday it's not flawless. Please." (D)

"No." (S)

I feel my eyes fly open as he says that and I'm met with a stern and determined expression. An expression I was unsure his boyish face could make at all. I lean away from his touch, forcing myself to breath only through my mouth. I can hear his blood sing to me and it's like a sweet torture for me.

"Seth please, as a friend-" (D)

"As a friend I'm offering my blood to you Ruby. I'm the one that's caused this in the first place, and I can't stand seeing you in pain. Plus I heal fast, I was good as new this morning after yesterday. Please, do this for me, for you." (S)

I look at him as he pleads with me and I see the determined look remain in his eyes. He's serious right now. I reach a shakey hand up to his face, gently caressing it, watching him as he watches me. I slowly nod my head some before he helps me back to the bed. I sit on it, with him sitting next to me. He hands me a scapel and I begin to wonder how long he's been waiting to offer this to me.

"Momma could you come up here please?" (D)

I watched as Esme rushed through the door in a flash, with concern on her gentle face before she looked between me and Seth. I close my eyes one more time, trying to see if I can talk myself out of it but I can't. I want him so badly, I've never thirsted for an individual's blood so much. I open my eyes to see Esme ready to spring forward and take the scapel from me. I look to my right and see Seth watching me intently, his shirt that he was wearing already on the ground.

"Momma, if I start to go too far please stop me. No matter what you have to do, even if everyone else has to come rushing in and do something horrible to me, please stop me if I go too far." (D)

"I will dear, but I have faith in you." (E)

"I have faith in you too Ruby." (S)

I see her smile gently at me, while I turn back to Seth. He takes my shaking hand into his larger and rougher one, before he brings it up to his lips, laying a gentle kiss on the back of it. I tilt my head in confusion for a moment before he smiles at me with a large goofy grin, but I can't return it.

"Seth, hold very still and if it gets to be too much tell me. You must tell me." (D)

"I will. Ruby everything will be alright. I promise." (S)

I don't look up to meet his soft brown eyes again, instead I take the scapel into my right hand making a small slice on his shoulder. Wincing when I hear his intake of breath, knowing that for all his healing abilities it still hurt him. I go to apologize but his blood is singing to me as it slips from the cut. I hear the scapel fall to the floor in the background as I start to drink from his shoulder again.

I ignore the pain in my side and my arm as I push him gently back on the bed until he's laying down on it, before I straddle him. I feel one of his hands on my back rubbing circles, and the other in my hair as I drink. I can barely make out his voice saying it'll be ok and that I'm doing great. I have trouble focusing on anything other than the warm strawberry maple taste running down my throat. A few minutes later and I feel Esme's hand on my shoulder, and I immediately lick the cut watching it heal before I realize how I was positioned on the bed.

I sit up to see Seth smiling at me again, but this time smirking a bit as well. I feel my face blush as I struggle to get down, Esme helping in the end. I sat back in the chair by the bed, watching as Esme helped him sit up next. He isn't as pale as he was the first time, but I would feel better if he would eat something and quickly.

Esme seems to agree as she brings him the bowls of soup, making sure he eats them both before smiling at us both. She leaves the room again, with promises to check on us again in a few minutes. I smiled in thanks until I looked up to see Seth smiling at me.

"See, told you everything would be fine." (S)

"Are all werewolves this reckless?" (D)

"Basically. So wanna read some more today? I was just getting into it." (S)

"I think I'll take it for a while and read to you. I don't want you passing out mid-sentence. That would be insulting to Jane Austen." (D)

He doesn't argue as he lays back down on the bed facing me with a soft smile on his lips. I pick up where he left off and read for what seems like forever, but it's only a hour or two before I feel myself yawning. I hear a soft chuckle from Seth as he sits up and gets off the bed. He comes to my side and without me even asking helps me to my feet and back onto the bed.

I feel a smile grace my face as he climbs in behind me. I can't help but lean into him as I do, smiling as he starts playing with my hair as I fall asleep. I hear him whisper something to me, but I can't make out the words. I'll have to ask him about it later.