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THE NEXT DAY...
I knocked on Jesse’s door, and he opened it. “I’ve got a present for you,” I said. “Close your eyes.”
He grinned and shut his pretty eyes tightly.
I placed a brown stuffed bear in his hands.
Jesse opened his eyes in stunned disbelief.
“Do you recognize it?” I asked.
Smiling, he gazed down at the teddy bear and pondered all the memories the long-loved toy drummed up. “My mother gave this to me when I was three. I loved it, and it was one of my most prized possessions as a child. I missed it when we moved to Big Bear Lake. Thank you, Taylor. Where did you find him?”
“Rosa, the housekeeper. Your old nanny.”
“Rosa? When did she stop by?”
“When you were off with your dad.”
He placed the stuffed bear on the dresser. “This place is bringing back so many memories I forgot.”
I handed him a box containing an assortment of colored stones. “She also brought you this.”
“My rock collection!” He laughed, and his face lit up.
I loved seeing Jesse so happy; nothing could have put a bigger smile on my face.
“I wanted to be an archaeologist. I was always out digging things up,” he explained, blushing adorably. “One day, I found this black, shimmering rock, and I was sure it was a black diamond worth millions.” He picked up a dark stone. “This one right here. I thought I was rich.”
I chuckled, then examined the rock. “Sounds like fun.”
“I have the coolest memories from my rock-collecting days,” he said.
“Let’s go take a walk,” I said. “I’d love to stroll down Memory Lane with you.”
***
JESSE AND I BUNDLED up and took a walk around the castle grounds. We walked in the beautiful gardens, with glaring gargoyle statues at every turn.
“Do you remember all of this?” I asked.
“Yeah, we used to play out here, lots of hide-and-seek. We also built snowmen in the winter, and Kierra collected flowers while Sam and I picked raspberries and blackberries in the summer. We’d come home covered with cuts from the thorns, but those were the sweetest berries ever. I also remember cliff-diving, jumping into the lake, with the other kids.”
“Did you go to school?” I asked.
“Mom homeschooled us.”
We continued to walk through the lush, green forest.
Snap!
I jumped.
“Shh,” Jesse said.
I froze.
He pointed to the tree trunks.
“What is that?” I asked, staring at the huge claw marks that made me cringe. “Gargoyles?” I asked hopefully. I certainly hoped they were not the markings of werewolves.
Snap!
There was more rustling, and then something crashed through the timber.
“What the heck?” I asked, shivering. I debated running with Jesse, but I knew any immortal could catch me in five seconds flat. My hands began to tremble fiercely as the whatever-it-was came toward us in a slow, predatory fashion. Thoughts began to whirl through my mind, and absolute panic set in. We should have stayed in the castle, where it’s safe. I recalled the vampire who had attacked me before, and I remembered just how defenseless I really was. What can a mere human do? I thought. I squeezed Jesse’s hand and asked the dreaded question. “What is it?”
“Just an animal,” Jesse said. “I noticed it earlier but didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to worry you. I hoped it would go in the other direction.”
I sighed in relief. “Whew. Wait. Werewolves are technically animals.”
He smiled. “I would be a bit more on edge if that were the case.”
“Then what is it? Tell me it’s Bambi or Bugs.”
“It’s about to make an introduction,” he said.
“A baby fawn?” I asked hopefully.
Suddenly, the leaves began to shake, and the creature burst through. It was certainly not cute and cuddly; rather, a brown beast with thick, shaggy fur and long claws lumbered from the vegetation.
I gasped and squeezed Jesse’s hand. “A bear!” I said.
“Stay calm,” Jesse said. “He won’t hurt us.” He then slowly, insanely walked right up to the thing. “You have no business with us,” he said. “Go back into the woods.”
As if the bear was under some sort of spell, it turned and ambled back into the woods like a punished puppy, practically with its tail between its fat, furry legs.
“As menacing as he is, he is certainly a beautiful, strong creature.”
“He’s huge.”
“Yeah, about half a ton, a full-grown male.”
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“Some creatures are relatively easy to compel. He only needed to be reassured that we mean him no harm...and that he is not as hungry as he thought. Only Leyna can compel animals though. We have a special connection with nature, unlike that of any other kind of immortal.”
“Jesse, you never cease to amaze me.”
He smiled.
“So you have this wonderful connection with animals?”
“All Leyna do.”
“How come at the zoo, the animals were quite jumpy until you compelled them?”
“They sensed I was going through the transformation of becoming a true vampire,” he said. “Once the change is complete, animals won’t fear me ever again.”
“That’s amazing.”
We continued our hike. One of the neatest things was when Jesse pointed out grazing alpine goats. They were adorable, with their horns and erect ears, and I wished I could take one home. The white ones almost blended in with the snow.
We continued walking through the winter paradise, talking and enjoying our time together. We stopped and admired expansive, breathtaking, snow-covered landscapes of alpine lakes, majestic mountains, forests, and pastures. Sun glittered off the snow. I was thrilled to be out there with Jesse, surrounded by all that splendor, in a real winter wonderland.
“Je t’aime de tout mon cœur,” Jesse told me. (I love you with all my heart.)
I smiled. “Vous êtes mon soulmate.” (You’re my soulmate.”)
There was nothing more romantic than speaking French with Jesse on that breathtaking mountain in France. And he nailed the French accent perfectly.
“Mon amour pour toi est si grand que le Mond,” Jesse said. (My love for you is as grand as the world.)
I placed a kiss on his lips. “Tu es ma joie de vivre.” (You are the joy of my life.)
He picked me up and swung me in a circle, then kissed me deeply.
Our tour continued and Jesse was my tour guide, filling me in on all the neat facts. I loved being in France. It was definitely an experience I’d never forget.
“See that hill?” he said, pointing.
“Yeah.”
“We used to roll down it. I still remember my mother laughing about that. She was so happy back then.” He paused. “I’d give anything to see my mom that carefree again.” He pondered, then gazed at the hill. “It’s just as big as I remember it.”
I grinned. “Want to?”
He stepped closer, smiling. “What?”
I grinned. “Roll down the hill, silly.”
“We’ll get wet and muddy.”
I winked. “So.”
“A dirty girl, huh?” he said, laughing. “Let’s do it.”
I gripped his hand, laughing, as he pulled me closer to the edge. When I looked down, my laughter quickly faded away. “On second thought... It’s pretty steep.”
“You can’t chicken out now. This was your idea.”
I swallowed hard. “I didn’t realize it was so scary. I’m only human, Jesse. I might sprain my ankle or break my neck.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. With me by your side, you’re practically invincible.” He gazed deeply into my eyes. “Let go of your fear. Don’t ever let it hold you back, or life will pass you by. No second thoughts, no regrets, no looking back. Just move forward. Don’t let anything stop you. Be brave!”
“Okay, okay. I get it, Confucius,” I said, grinning.
He smiled back at me. “Are you ready then?”
I squeezed his hand. “I am.”
In a bounding leap, we ran and hurtled down the mud-covered hill, tumbling sideways. I squeezed my eyes shut and threw my weight into the roll, then let gravity do the rest. I let for only a moment, relinquishing all control, overcoming my fear. I quickly gathered speed and momentum, and the wet mud soaked through my clothes, but I couldn’t help but cry out in absolute joy. It was quite a rush, and I hadn’t felt so carefree in a long time. It felt so good to let go and laugh, to have fun and be free. I rolled down at an incredible speed, courtesy of Mother Nature’s rollercoaster.
At the bottom of the hill, Jesse rushed over to me. “Are you all right?”
“I’m dizzy,” I said, laughing. “I think I might throw up. I’ve never had so much fun though. That was a blast!”
“My pants are soaked,” he said, running his hands down his wet, muddy jeans.
I laughed, because my clothes weren’t any better. “Poor Rosa is gonna kill us,” I said. “Maybe I should just wash them myself. I don’t wanna be more of a burden than we already are.”
“This hill is also fun if you have a sled,” Jesse said.
“A gargoyle could pull it for us!”
He chuckled. “Sure, if you want to take off in flight.”
I squealed, and the two of us couldn’t stop laughing. I smiled as a breeze ruffled through his dark, messy hair. Jesse pulled me close and gave me an arctic kiss. His nose was cold, but his mouth was hot, and locking with those luscious lips heated me from the inside out. We lay at the bottom, holding hands and staring at the blue sky. Snowflakes began to fall, making everything all the more romantic. I was cold, but staring at Jesse made me warm all over. We lay there for a while, forehead to forehead, and it felt like we were the only two people in the whole wide world, in our very own fairytale. He was, in every way, my handsome prince, and in that moment, I truly did feel invincible, as if our love could really conquer all. It was a snow-kissed, romantic moment that would forever be etched in my memory.
He pulled me close and stared into my eyes, and I could see right into his soul. He softly stroked my face, and I smiled. “I’m going to wrap you in a blanket in front of a hot fire, find your lips, and kiss you for hours.”
“That sounds so romantic,” I said.
He scooped me up, and I touched his face, admiring how the sunlight sparkled in his baby-blues. I couldn’t fathom that I was in the arms of someone so special, and I never wanted him to let me go.