Second Nature Read Free

was a sobering thought.
    With a grimace, I extricated myself, unable
to speak as I grabbed my glass and put the island between us. So
much needed to be said, and neither of us knew where to begin.
Instead of trying to form the words, I stared at him and sipped
cider. I was about to turn and walk away when he finally spoke.
    “I know you’re losing patience with me,
Amelia, but I am trying.” Nate is the only person in the world who
could use my full name and not make me feel like I’m in trouble.
When he said Amelia, it sounded sexy and made me feel wanted and
loved. It was unfair for him to use it now. “When I’m with you,
it’s like you’re the only girl in the world, and that scares
the hell out of me. We’re so young! How can we be married?”
    “I think your problem, Nathanial , is
you’re still thinking with your human mind. We’re not human, so the
traditional ideals we grew up with on television don’t exactly hold
true. Love and marriage are different for everyone else in the
world. We are so far south of normal we should have penguins as our
neighbors!”
    “So many times I wanted to forget everything
else and just come running to you. A few times I even got in the
car and started driving. But the doubt and the fear always kicks
in. The longer I stay away, the harder it is to come back. I have
no idea what to say.”
    “Wait,” I said, holding up a hand. “Let me
get this straight. You stayed away for a year because you
didn’t know what to say?”
    Nate looked at his hands miserably and
shuffled his feet. I refused to feel sorry for him and glared with
all the disbelief and pain showing on my face. He shrugged and
shoved a hand through his hair again. Finally, he sighed and
started to turn away from me. My heart swelled with so much pain
and hurt until it was in danger of bursting.
    “You know what Nathanial? Screw the fact it
might literally kill me. Get the hell out!”
    He hesitated, looking at me with eyes wide
in shock.
    “Now!” I almost screamed. “I don’t want to
see you again unless you’re ready to stop jerking me around. Either
you’re my mate and my husband, or you aren’t.”
    “You know that will kill us both,” he said,
his eyes begging me.
    “I don’t care. You’re already killing me!” A
tear slide down my cheek, and I dashed it away furiously. Nate
tried to put his arms around me and I side stepped. I stalked to
the door and opened it. “Out!” I snapped, pointing for
emphasis.
    He opened his mouth to say something, but he
thought better of it. He shoved his hands through his hair yet
again and gave me a pathetic look. I hardened my heart and
impatiently tapped my foot. I was through playing the games, and I
wanted it to be clear to him. I’d rather die of one deep stab wound
than ten billion paper cuts.
    Nate’s shoulders slumped, and he muttered
something I didn’t even try to hear. He turned on the threshold,
his mouth opened to say something and I slammed the door in his
face. I slid down to the floor, the internal wall crumbling.
Hugging my legs to my chest, I buried my face in my knees and
wept.

 

     
    I WAS SURLY and didn’t want to inflict it on
my siblings, so I slipped on some sandals and grabbed the keys to
my brand new car. The coolest part about our new life was that I
was 18 and licensed to drive. Xander had been a good teacher, and
it hadn’t taken long for me to learn to drive. Since all my
paperwork was fake, I never actually had to take the driver’s test.
I think the paper trail said I scored a ninety-two percent on the
written.
    I smiled at the silvery blue Nissan Leaf
gleaming in the driveway. It was electric, and I appreciated that
there were no harmful emissions. I could have bought whatever car I
wanted, but I think Xander was happy I chose one with a limited
range. It wasn’t that cars bothered me, but a raised awareness of
the natural world makes you appreciate environmentalists.
    I slid into the driver’s seat knowing
running