Chapter 35. Cold Awakening

BELLE

I woke up the next morning feeling cold and groggy.

I hadn’t slept well. After Grayson had left with his shocking news, I’d taken a shower and put on the ‘pajamas’ he’d given me.

Then I’d sat on the bed for a couple of hours, waiting for him to come back, worried out of my mind. I didn’t know anything about vampires, and, although Grayson had promised he would be okay, I couldn’t control my anxiety.

I’d stayed up as long as I could before the jet lag had gotten the best of me, forcing me into a restless sleep. Once awake, I had rolled over to snuggle closer to Grayson, only to find that he wasn’t in bed.

He didn’t have his arms wrapped around me—wasn’t caressing my face, my back… Playing with my hair. I frowned and sat up. This was the first time since I’d met him that I hadn’t woken up with him by my side. It didn’t feel right. My anxiety immediately spiked as the events from last night came back to me.

Grayson never came back.

I got