“Lucien, Saxon, Killean, Declan, and I do, along with Marta and Baldric. Though Lucien has been staying somewhere else lately.”
“How come?”
“Because it is necessary for him to be elsewhere. Let me put your shoulder back into place.”
Ronan braced himself for her rejection when she frowned at him. Then, she glanced at her sagging shoulder as if just recalling it.
“Yes, that must be done,” she murmured.
“It will hurt.”
A muscle in her cheek twitched as she eyed him. “I can handle pain. Do you know how to do it?”
“I’ve dislocated and broken more things than I can count. Most of them I’ve put back into place myself; some I’ve had help with. I’m sure, as a hunter, you would prefer not to go to the hospital for it.”
“Would you let me go to the hospital?”
Ronan rocked back on his heels. He wanted to put her at ease, but he couldn’t lie to her. “No. I will make sure you are safe when I let you go, but I will not leave you to the care of the humans. Even though you are more human than I, there are still differences between you and them that they would find very intriguing.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you can, but I won’t risk your life in such a way.” More, he wasn’t ready to let her go, but he didn’t say that. She already looked like a rabbit ready to bolt, but he couldn’t tell if she was frightened of him or wary of the whole situation.
“None of this makes any sense,” she said.
“I suppose it doesn’t, to you. Perhaps it will make sense by the time you leave.” Her lips flattened into a thin line. “Your shoulder,” he prodded.
“Yes, of course,” she murmured.
“Please turn around and grip the wall.”
Swallowing heavily, Kadence turned and did as he suggested. She could handle pain, but she was not looking forward to this at all. However, her shoulder had to be back in place if she was going to defend herself. After what had happened with Joseph, she didn’t delude herself into thinking she could take a vamp out on her own, and especially not this one.
The power emanating from him made every other vampire she’d seen look like a child. She had a feeling she’d only seen the surface of what Ronan could be capable of, but she would go down fighting if this was all some ruse and she really was dessert.
Ronan clasped her shoulder and her arm. Her head bowed so that her braid fell forward to reveal her nape. His eyes latched onto her bare skin as images of running his lips over her flooded his mind. She’d be sweet against his lips and tongue. The erotic sounds she would make would be something he’d never get enough of hearing, and he knew her blood would be a rush unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.
Shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts, he pulled back on her arm. A loud crack echoed through the room. The muffled cry she released made his blood boil. Releasing her, he glared at his hands for inflicting hurt on her as she rotated her shoulder back.
He almost drove a fist into the wall. He pulled it back at the last second and rested it on the wall as he battled the turmoil rolling through him. Never again would he be the one to make her issue a sound like that.
He felt too large around her suddenly, too cumbersome. She was not a petite or fragile woman, but he could break her so easily. He teetered on the edge of becoming a Savage, what would he do to her if he plummeted over that edge while she was here?
She looked at him over her shoulder, the shadows lining her eyes emphasizing their blue hue. The breath rushed out of him as the emotions battering him eased and a sense of calm stole through him while he gazed at her.
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he murmured.
Kadence was pretty sure her eyebrows were never going to come out of her hairline after those five words. He had apologized to her.
“It needed to be done.” She rotated her shoulder again and winced. “It will be fine by tomorrow. I heal fast.”
“Hmm,” he murmured as she turned to face him.
“I know you are Ronan, but what is your full name?” Kadence inquired. “Or do vampires not have a last name?”
His crooked smile revealed the tip of one of his canines. His fangs weren’t extended, but those teeth were still sharper than her canine teeth. Oddly, she wasn’t unnerved by the sight of that smaller fang.
I have got to get away from this man, she realized. No, vampire, she reminded herself again. The reminder didn’t have the effect of making her hate this guy like she believed it should.
Less than twenty-four hours away from the stronghold and she was already forgetting her entire upbringing. She should be plotting how to escape, not pondering what his fangs would feel like running over her skin.
She moved further away until her legs hit the wooden bed frame behind her.
“We have last names,” he said.
“What?” she asked, completely confused by his words.
His smile widened; his eyes actually twinkled. She would have thought that impossible for any vampire. Not only that, but he looked young, carefree, and irresistible when he smiled like that. She was certain that smile had melted more than a few women in his lifetime; it certainly melted her.
“My original surname was Caomhánach, a name I assumed years after my birth. No matter how small a thing it is, vampires must blend in with the humans the best we can, and I assumed the name when it was becoming more popular for the humans to have more than one name. Over the years, the name has been anglicized to Kavanagh, and that is what I go by now.”
“Oh.” She glanced away from him, embarrassed she’d forgotten she’d asked the question and more than a little unsettled by his answer. How old did that make him if his last name had originated and changed in such a way? Old enough to make her skin dance from the power he emanated.
“And I know you are Kadence, but do you have a last name?” he asked.
Her mind spun as she tried to figure out if there was something he could use her last name for, but she couldn’t think of anything. “It’s Holter.”
“Kadence Holter.”
Her name sounded more like a caress as it rolled off his tongue. Was that the faintest hint of an Irish accent she’d detected from him? She’d met a few hunters from Ireland when they visited the stronghold. Their accents had fascinated her, as did their tales of their homeland.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kadence.”
“Are you going to kill me, Ronan?” the question popped out before she could stop herself.
His eyes narrowed as all amusement vanished from him. “Yes, I brought you back here, dressed your wounds, and took care of you, all so I could kill you.”
The deep growl of his voice vibrated through the room. No matter how angry he sounded, she realized he still didn’t scare her. “I don’t know what to think. Your kind—”
“My kind is not your enemy,” he interrupted. “No matter what you were raised to believe, we never have been your enemy.”
Her mouth opened, then closed again. She didn’t know what to say. She shouldn’t believe him; her upbringing screamed at her he was a lying. But instinctually she knew she could trust him and that he would keep her safe.
If Ronan wanted her dead, she would be already. If he intended to rape her, he would be on her now. She didn’t sense any kind of mental games going on here, didn’t believe he was toying with her, but maybe he was.
He might have decided to leverage her against her brother and the others. That was a good possibility, but it still didn’t feel right. Maybe she’d lost more blood than she realized and her deprived mind was having a breakdown. Best possibility yet, she decided.
CHAPTER 11
“I think you should rest some more. Your coloring is still off,” Ronan said as her eyes went between him, the door, and her coat.
Her fingers encircled his wrist when he reached behind her to pull back the blankets on the bed. He froze as the feel of her warm skin burned into hi
s flesh. One of her fingers hesitatingly caressed his wrist, as if she couldn’t stop herself from feeling more of him.
His eyes came back to hers. She had no idea what she did to him, no idea how badly he wanted to pick her up, put her on the bed, and bury himself inside of her. If she knew, she would run screaming from this room, and she would have every right to.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. How are you not my enemy?” she asked. “We were born to kill each other.”
He almost grabbed her when she swayed on her feet, but he didn’t know how she would react if he did, and she should be spending her energy on recovering instead of fighting him.
“I know you don’t understand, know you’ve been taught differently, but now is not the time to get into it,” he told her. “You look about ready to pass out.”
“Is Joseph dead?”
Ronan stiffened at the reminder that the one who had done this to her still lived. “No. Lucien and Killean chased him after he attacked you, but they lost him.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her hand fell away from his wrist as she hugged her middle. When her head bent, he had no idea what she was doing until the salty scent of tears drifted to him and inaudible sobs shook her.
“Hey now, hey, don’t do that.”
Unsure of what to do, Ronan awkwardly patted her shoulders. In all his many years, he’d never had to deal with a crying woman, and he had no idea how to make it stop. He patted her head next, but when that did nothing to ease her, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him. He cradled her head against his chest as he rocked on his heels with her. Her tears dampened his skin, yet she showed no signs of slowing down or being aware of who held her.
Trying to calm her, he ran his hand over her silken braid. His fingers caught in the band at the end. Unable to stop himself, he slipped the elastic away and undid the braid before spreading its silvery length. The thick mass of her hair fell freely to the middle of her back in waves.
She buried her face against his chest, her breath warming his skin as her tears continued to fall. He felt nothing sexual as he held her; all his lust had been drenched beneath the onslaught of her sorrow. All he wanted was to comfort her as he held her closer.
“He’ll never hurt you again,” Ronan vowed. “Never get close to you again. I will make sure of it.”
Feeling completely mortified over her behavior, Kadence stifled her next sob and willed the tears to stop flowing. Her fingers had a mind of their own as they dug into his back. His skin was smooth against her, but his muscles provided a firm pillow for her head.
Inhaling his scent helped to calm her further. He smelled like cinnamon, and the aroma of ozone, a scent she recognized as power, emanated from his pores. She found herself fighting against pressing her lips to him. Her knees knocked together from the force of her overwhelming craving to taste him. On her next breath, she gave into the impulse and turned her head enough that the corner of her lips brushed over his flesh.
He became rigid against her, and she immediately moved her mouth away. She strained to keep the blush from her face in the hopes he would think it had been an accident and not deliberate on her part.
“Do you feel better now?” he inquired.
She wasn’t sure what she felt right now. Confused and exhausted, definitely. Irritated at herself for not being able to stop Joseph and being the reason he got away, without a doubt. Completely confused about her attraction to this creature, yep she could add that to the list of conflicting emotions battering her.
“Yes,” she said and finally succeeded in getting her traitorous fingers to release their hold on him.
She clasped her hands before her to keep from grabbing him again. When she saw how wet his chest was from her tears, she was unable to stop her mouth from dropping. She went to wipe her tears off him, but he caught her wrist before she could touch him and held it loosely between his thumb and forefinger.
“I’m sorry!” she blurted.
“You had a rough night.” Reluctantly, Ronan released her wrist when she tugged at it.
She turned away from him, ashamed at herself. She wasn’t a crier, she never had been, but since her father’s death, she’d been constantly fighting back tears and the urge to curl into a ball and sob until she couldn’t walk anymore. Now, she’d finally broken, and in front of him. He probably thought her a weak child now.
What does it matter what he thinks of you, you idiot? She didn’t know why it mattered, but it did.
Kadence had never felt more drained or humiliated in her life. Her legs gave out and she sank onto the thick mattress behind her. She should be demanding answers, looking for a weapon, planning her getaway, but she couldn’t fight the incessant pull of her eyelids closing. She lay back on the mattress and sighed when her head hit the pillow.
Settling the blankets back over her, Ronan tucked them around her. His hand brushed over her cheek, wiping away the wetness lingering there. He began to pull his hand away, but she captured it to stop him.
“Are you going to keep me here?” she inquired.
“No,” he answered in a rough voice. “As soon as you are well enough, we will find a way to return you to your brother.”
“I don’t know what to believe, what to think,” she whispered.
He swept the hair away from her forehead. “I know, but for now, you should rest and heal. You are safe here. I will keep you protected.”
On her next breath, Kadence fell asleep.
Ronan slipped his hand from hers and made his way around to the other side of the bed. She may not appreciate it if she found out he’d slept beside her for the rest of the day, but he would remain above the covers and he wouldn’t touch her. He required sleep, and if he was honest with himself, he couldn’t resist the chance to lie beside her, if only for a day. He would make sure to get out of bed before she woke up so he didn’t upset her.
He stretched out on the bed and listened to her soft inhalations as he allowed her sweet scent to lure him into sleep.
***
Kadence started awake again. Uncertain of the time or where she was, she nearly fell out of the large bed when she bolted upright.
“Easy,” a groggy male voice said from beside her.
She squeaked and spun so fast she was certain she’d given herself whiplash.
“Easy,” the male coaxed again.
Had she gotten married? Was it Logan beside her? Then the scent of the male hit her and relief caused her shoulders to sag. Why she felt more relieved to find herself in bed with a vampire instead of her future husband was a question she would never delve into during her lifetime.
“What… what are you doing?” she managed to ask.
“I was sleeping.” Her pulse skyrocketed at the lazy murmur of his words and the Irish accent that slipped through more now. “I will get up.”
“No, I…” I what? No please stay and drain my blood? No stay, I like you here? They all made her sound pathetic and were the last things she should be saying. “It’s your bed.”
“It is,” he agreed. He hadn’t meant to still be in it, but for the first time in as long as he could remember, his dreams hadn’t been plagued with cravings for blood and death. It wasn’t until she’d sat up that he’d awoken again. “I’m more than happy to share it with you, but I will also leave it if you ask me to.”
Now that her eyes had adjusted to the dark, she could see him clearly as he lay a few feet away from her. Why does he have to be so irresistible for a vampire? She wondered as she gazed at him.
“You can stay on your side,” she said.
Ronan chuckled as Kadence settled against the pillow and put her feet back on the bed. She’d lain back down, but her body remained tensed to bolt.
She has to go back, he reminded himself when he found himself pleased by her willingness to lie beside him. For the life of him, he didn’t give a fuck about that right now. All he cared about was having the opportunity to be near her while he co
uld.
She relaxed a little more and turned her head to gaze at him. “I shouldn’t trust you,” she whispered.
“I swear to you, Kadence, you are safe with me. The vampire who did this to you last night is as good as dead.”
She let out a breath that blew the hair back from her forehead. “For some reason, I find myself believing you, but we are supposed to be enemies—”
“We are not. Hunters have made us their enemies when we don’t have to be,” he cut in, more abruptly than he’d intended, but he was tired of this mistaken belief of the hunters. It had taken the lives of numerous innocent vampires over the years and cost the hunters many of their own.
“Joseph tried to kill me last night. He did kill my friend, and he has hurt my family.”
Turning on his side, he propped his head on his hand as he gazed down at her. “Joseph is a Savage and no longer one of us.”
“What do you mean by no longer one of you?”
“Not all vampires kill innocents. In fact, many don’t kill at all. But, there are some vamps who are swayed by the power killing can bring them and give into the bloodlust that resides in all vampires. Many vampires fight giving into that bloodlust every day of their existence. Some of them have to fight it more than others. At one time, Joseph worked with us and fought his destructive nature, but he recently gave up that fight and became what we call a Savage.”
“Why do some give in?” she asked.
“Vampires go wrong for many different reasons. They’re seeking more power, something inside of them snaps, they are inherently evil to begin with, they are tired of constantly having to fight themselves, or they are simply bored.”
“They’re bored!” she spat.
“Not the best reason, but who knows what finally causes them to lose control. When faced with living for an eternity, things inevitably get… monotonous. Perhaps it is curiosity in some, while others are simply trying to feel something new and exciting again. Whatever it is, once a vampire takes the first step toward becoming a Savage, it is much easier to take the following steps that will make it impossible for them to ever again be what they once were.”
Eternally Bound (The Alliance, Book 1) Page 7
