Page 101 of Craving Carla

“No, the humans don’t—” I start to protest, but Amari kisses me again. The tenderness of his touch, the way he caresses my skin, makes my objections melt away. When he pulls back from the kiss, I’m so flushed that at this point, I’d give him whatever he wants.

Amari chuckles and pops me on the ass, pulling back. “Perfect.”

“What am I going to wear?” I ask as he turns around and walks off to the bathroom.

Amari looks back at me, his fangs flashing in a grin. “Anything but that fuck-me dress.”

I hiss at him for that comment, and he laughs, shutting the door. I climb into bed and rest my head against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. A smile creeps onto my face despite my best efforts to contain it.

I’m going on a date with Amari Al-Baqar. The vampire I seem to be always on the fence about—whether I want to confess my undying love to him or drive a stake through his chest.

He’s maddening. And I can’t wait.

I roll to my side, hugging the pillow close. Something dark lurks at the edges of my happiness, though—the knowledge that I’m a doorway to limbo, that Alexis has my blood, that Verde and Petra are being studied and dissected.

But tonight, I push those thoughts away. Tonight, I let myself feel the happiness that’s been denied to me for so long. Tomorrow will bring its own problems, but right now, in this moment, I’m content to just be.

The bathroom door opens, and Amari steps out, a towel wrapped around his waist, his skin still glistening with water. My breath catches at the sight of him, and he grins, knowing exactly the effect he has on me.

“See something you like?” he teases, dropping the towel and sliding under the covers beside me.

“Shut up,” I mutter, but I don’t resist when he pulls me close, my back to him, his arm draped over my waist.

He nuzzles into my neck, his lips brushing against the bite mark he left there. I shiver at the contact, my body responding instantly.

“Just sleep,” he whispers, pulling me closer. “Tomorrow’s a big day.”

I relax into his embrace, letting his steady heartbeat lull me. As I drift toward sleep, I think about how quickly everything has changed. A week ago, I was alone, convinced I’d never havesomeone to call my own. Now, I’m falling asleep in the arms of a vampire whose heart beats for me.

Life can change in an instant. Sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. Tonight, I’m grateful it changed for the better.

With Amari’s arms around me, I feel safe. Protected. Wanted.

And for the first time in centuries, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

35

Amari

Iwatch Carla from the border as she sits with Tofi and a few of her other children at the edge of the forest. Her eyes haven’t left me all day, following my movements as I set up and test the drones. She’s wrapped in a blanket that keeps slipping from her lap in the autumn chill, and Tofi reaches out with one of her legs to pull it back into place every time it falls.

“Are you sure they’ll be able to sense the difference between supernaturals and humans?” Carla calls out, leaning forward with interest. Her wild curls are tamed in a loose braid today, though a few stray strands dance around her face in the breeze.

“That’s what I’m testing now,” I answer, adjusting the small device in my hand. “The sensors are calibrated to detect specific bio-signatures. Humans give off different energy patterns than vampires or shifters.”

I turn my attention back to the drone hovering above the water. It’s one of my smaller models—matte black, roughly the size of my palm, with four whisper-quiet rotors and a sleekbody housing the advanced tech inside. Three more float nearby, maintaining perfect formation despite the wind.

The rhythmic tapping of keys accompanies my movements as I input commands on my laptop. Numbers and data scroll across my screen, the algorithm processing information from the test subjects I sent across earlier. Damon volunteered a few trusted humans and supernaturals to walk specific patterns along the border, giving me baseline readings to work with.

“The preliminary data looks promising,” I tell her, not looking up from my screen. “The drones are registering the differences accurately. Once I fine-tune the detection parameters, they’ll be able to identify potential threats based on behavior patterns and biological markers.”

I glance up to see Tofi adjusting Carla’s blanket again. The temperature’s dropping as evening approaches, and Carla’s been out here all day, refusing to leave until I finish. Her stubbornness makes me smile. It’s endearing how invested she’s become in this project.

“One more test,” I call out, kneeling down to my laptop. “Then we should get you inside where it’s warm.”

I press a series of keys that transform my display into a wide projection screen, projecting a holographic interface into the air above my workstation. The code streams across it in glowing blue lines—complex algorithms and security protocols that I’ve spent decades developing.

Looking back at my girls, I smile at their wide-eyed expressions. Carla’s mouth hangs slightly open, and Tofi’s multiple eyes reflect the projection’s blue glow. I blow them an air kiss, chuckling when Tofi starts stomping her feet excitedly, sending me images of the word “Daddy” in my mind. She wants to join me—I can feel her eagerness vibrating through our connection.