“Kianna, calm down. He’s helping us,” Brandon said, touching my shoulder. He’d obviously mistaken my struggling to get from Shane’s hold, for struggling to get to the vampires trespassing.
I shrugged him off and rounded on him. “Do you know what you’ve just done? He’s a bloody vampire, Brandon! And you’ve just all locked us in with him!”
Brandon’s eyes widened and he edged away, his face paling.
Shane smiled with fangs, making the situation worse as Brandon nearly slipped down the stairs.
“Shit...I...I didn’t know...he just...vampires said...I...”
I sighed and put my dagger back. “Go to the others. I need to talk to Shane.”
If possible, his eyes widened further, and I read his expression quickly and hushed him before he could utter a word. Brandon, and the others, might have known what happened with Shane and I that night, but they hadn’t known who Shane was or what he’d looked like.
I pushed him away. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
Brandon nodded, glanced at Shane and then scurried away.
I waited until he was out of earshot before I turned to Shane. “Why?” It was a question I’d been asking for a year while I searched for him and I’d been no closer to finding the answer, than I was finding Shane.
Now he stood in front of me. Typical.
“Searched? From what I hear, you were hunting me down,” Shane replied to my thoughts.
I kept my expression cool while inside I screamed in anger. “That hasn’t changed.”
Shane grabbed me and swung me around until my back was against the door. He put his face close to mine, and the scent of him washed over me, tantalising and teasing.
Yeah, I missed him like crazy.
“So why hesitate? Why didn’t you drive your dagger into me when you had the chance? If I’d not been so lenient on helping your sexy ass to get back at my sire, your little friends down there would have already been drained. You got lucky.”
I pushed him away when I realised he didn't care. He truly was gone.
“Kianna. I am not gone. I’m still here.” He put his hand directly over my heart but I pushed him away, hating how much my body reacted to such a simple touch.
“We need to get out,” I said, emotionless. I looked at him once more before the hurt became too much. “You chose power over me, you died in that house, Shane,” I whispered.
“I did it to protect you!” His voice bounced off the walls. “He told me what he planned to do to you. How he was going to drain you dry and leave you to rot. I agreed to him changing me so you could live!”
I walked away from him before I hit him and ended up hurting myself more than him, and walked down the narrow, uneven stone steps.
I hated being human.
Brandon and the others were waiting in a small, almost round space, and stopped talking when I walked in. From the looks on everyone’s faces, Brandon had filled them all in.
“We need to move. I suspect it won’t take the blood-suckers long to track us, and I’d rather fight out in the open, rather than here.” I walked past Brandon, but he took my arm, his eyes never leaving Shane’s when he stepped from the last step, glancing around.
“Can you fight?” He murmured the words, but it was pointless. Shane would have heard him clearly as though he shouted.
“Like I said. I’d rather fight out in the open.” He understood clearly what I meant. While in the mountain, I couldn’t change into one of the Fallen. There was no moonlight to shine on me and change me.
I was human, and I was useless.
Chapter Five
I walked across the small space and the others followed close behind, cringing away when Shane walked past to stand by my side. He didn't speak and nor did I, but his presence calmed my nerves—something I hated.
We walked through a small hole that steeped downwards. The air grew colder, and the smell of damp rocks filled my nose, but I ignored it and continued on. When the walls opened up, allowing me to walk straight without needing to crouch, I rolled my shoulders, feeling uncomfortable. The space it opened out into was filled with large rocks sticking up from the ground, and a large gap with a seemingly bottomless pit of darkness.
I could hear the loud roar of the waterfall in the distance.
“How are we meant to cross?” Marie asked, peering over the edge.
“Someone has to jump down and attach this to the other side,” I replied, grabbing the rope bridge that stood on top of one of the rocks.
“Why isn’t it attached in the first place?” Brandon asked.
I shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “If the vampires managed to follow, and you were changed, you wouldn’t be able to cross over. No vampire can jump that far, it gives me a head start.” I looked expectantly at the men in the group.
“You want one of us to go down there?” Brandon asked, clearly shocked. “I’m not going down there. It’s freezing!”
The others murmured in agreement and backed away from the edge.
I met Shane’s eyes. “Speak a word, and I will kill you,” I told him as I pulled off my ankle boots and then began to undress.
“I will do it,” he offered, never taking his eyes from my body.
“No.” I put my skirt and top on top of my shoes and attached one side of the bridge to one of the thick rocks. I then tied the other end around my waist.
“Don’t trust me?”
I put myself nose to nose with him. “Not in the slightest,” I replied venomously before I dived off the edge. The darkness engulfed me in seconds and the air grew colder. Then I was plummeted in water so cold, my entire body froze for a second before I was able to push myself up. The bridge dragged me down but I didn't give up, and I didn't stop to even catch my breath once I surfaced. I swam through the dark until my fingers touched the rough wall, and inhaled deeply before climbing slow, careful not to snag the bridge on anything.
I moved as quickly as I could without being too reckless. I wanted my clothes back before I caught something, but the bridge was dragging me down and making my muscles scream with the strain, but I kept going until I reached the top. My body was soaking wet with sweat that seemed to have replaced the water, and my throat was dry, making it hard to swallow.
I used one of the large rocks sticking up to keep myself where I was while I pulled the heavy bridge up, stretching it towards a rock already shot through. I was too weak and when my legs gave out underneath me, the bridge dragged me across the rough ground, cutting open my skin as I tried to stop myself from falling off the edge.
I heard the others call out in alarm as I went over, but I managed to stab one of my daggers into the rock to keep me suspended with the bridge putting all its weight on my hips. Keeping one hand firmly on the dagger, I used the other to try to untie the bridge so I could drag myself up, but it was no use. I’d need to cut the thick knot to get it off me.
My sweaty fingers began to slip and my stomach strained further. “Crap.” I slipped but a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me up without effort, bridge and all.
Shane peered down at me as he placed me on my feet and his red eyes flashed with hunger.
I’d seen it many times not to recognise it.
“Are you okay?”
I shook my head, breathing heavily and unable to speak to ask how he’d managed to get across so quickly. I let him untie the bridge and then staggered over to the closest rock near me, leaning against it while I caught my breath back.
My right side and thigh stung like crazy, but I didn’t need to look at it to see that I’d shredded the skin and had tiny rocks embedded in the wound.
Shane pulled the bridge and tied it to the rock I’d attempted to tie it to. “You can cross!”
“Is it safe?” Brandon called.
“Get your ass over here, now!” I yelled. I needed to get myself cleaned up before my wound got infected.
“I could heal—”
“Finish that sentence and it will be your last,”
I interrupted, not looking at him. He moved away as the others walked through the dark. As soon as Brandon stepped off the bridge, he exhaled hard and wiped his forehead. “Time, Brandon.”
He looked at his watch. “Five-fifteen—you have forty-five minutes yet,” he replied apologetically.
“Crap.” I hated winter. The days were short and the nights longer, but while in the mountain, that was unless for me, and would only cause me pain.
I let Brandon clean me up, keeping my eyes off Shane, well aware that he hadn’t missed our conversation or my thoughts. Once I was bandaged up, I dressed quickly, when I realised I didn’t have my Light Dagger strapped around my thigh. I looked around, searching for it, when a glint caught my eye.
“Interesting choice of weapon—I can’t quite make out what it’s made of.”
I grabbed my weapon, but Shane held it out of my reach.
“You’ve changed.”
“So have you!” I retorted. “The only difference is, I didn't choose to become what I am. I had no choice.”
“You became what you are because I chose to become a vampire?”
“No! I had no choice!” I spoke through gritted teeth. “You changed willingly and I will never forgive you for that. You’re the reason I’m changed.”
“I told you, I did it to keep you safe, so you’d survive!”
“But I didn’t!” I screamed when my control shattered in an instant. “He came back, Shane. He came back for me once you left with your buddies!”
Shane’s eyes flashed. “No one can survive his bite when he’s hungry.”
I’d heard the same sentence over and over, and was sick of it. I got up in his face, angry over what had happened. “Who said I survived?”
“Kianna, come on,” Brandon pulled me away, but Shane gripped my arms tightly.
“What do you mean?” He asked, confused. He could no doubt smell the blood running through my veins, hear my heart thumping hard.
Brandon pulled me away. “We need to leave. You two can fight once we’re out in the open.” His next words were spoken under his breath. “You’d be evenly matched then.”
I held my hand out for my dagger, clenching my teeth together. Once it was safely in my hands, I cut the ropes holding the bridge up with one swipe and strode away before I cut him also.
No one spoke as we continued our journey through the mountain. I knew the sun was setting—I could feel it on my skin, covering me like sweat and making me feel shivery and cold.
I’d been in a situation before where I couldn’t get to the moonlight in time and the pain had been excruciating. I didn’t want that to happen again.
“How long?” I asked Brandon.
“Not long enough...I don’t think we’ll make it.”
I laughed. “Not unless you could knock a hole in the wall or—” My words caught in my throat when I doubled over in pain. Too late. It had already begun. I gasped and Brandon caught me before I could hit the ground and lowered me down. I moaned in pain, clutching my chest when it began to burn.
Shane hovered over me and his red eyes burned with worry.
No, he’s a vampire. He’d sooner drink me dry. I moaned again, squeezing my eyes shut tight to rid the image of Shane looking almost...human...
“We need to get her outside, now,” Brandon said. “Or at least get the moonlight to shine through.”
“Moonlight?” Shane asked.
I grabbed Brandon’s top. “Shut. Up!” I didn’t want Shane knowing. The Fallen and vampires were mortal enemies, and I was on the top of the list to be killed by them for what I’d done.
I was so hot, burning from the inside out, but I had to keep moving. Without the help of the others, I pushed myself to my feet and swayed. Shane’s cold touch made me shiver, but took away the pain, and I sighed with relief, when I realised who it was.
I staggered forward and allowed Brandon to put his arms around me. He pulled me close and whispered in my ear.
“His touch helps. Why don’t you let him help you?”
I met his eyes. “Because he broke my heart,” I whispered, feeling tears swell in my eyes.
He nodded. “How far until we can get you out?”
I opened my mouth to answer, when the entire mountain shook violently. The ground cracked, splitting across the entire area and up the walls, raining large rocks down on us. “Run!” I pushed the others ahead of me as the ceiling came down.
Shane grabbed me and pulled me back, his touch a welcome relief as we fell to the floor and he protected my body with his as the mountain came down.
Chapter Six
The sound was deafening, and everything shook so violently, it made my stomach roll uncomfortably. When everything stilled except small bits of rock that continued to roll and bounce from the large ones, I opened my eyes to see Shane’s red ones watching me.
“Kianna, I never meant for any of this to happen,” he whispered.
I wanted to move away from him, but there was no room. We were surrounded by rock in a small space that would only allow us to sit up at best. “I would have rather died knowing you were with me, than you turn into one of those things,” I replied, equally quiet.
“Kianna! Are you okay?” Brandon’s voice echoed.
“I’m fine, how’s everyone else?”
“A little shaken but unhurt,” he replied. “What do we do now?”
“Try and find your way out. I’ll catch up with you once I’ve moved some of these rocks.”
“Will you be...okay?”
I caught his hidden meaning clearly. Would I be okay with Shane? “Yes, Brandon, I’ll be fine.” I couldn’t take my eyes away from Shane’s. My body stirred at how close we were and my heart picked up speed when he shifted his weight on me, moving closer.
He heard and smiled. “Kianna.” His voice was low and husky.
I almost moaned when something washed over me. This is wrong, this is wrong. He’s a vampire. He’s not Shane anymore.
“You can keep telling yourself that, but you know I’m still here otherwise I would have killed you by now.” He lowered himself down more and put his lips close to mine.
“I can’t, I can’t.”
“Why?”
Because I’m not human. I’m not the same and I can’t love my enemy.
He pressed his lips to mine, and I responded instantly as electric shot through my lips, pulling out a soft moan from me. Shane moved his lips slowly, easing me in. He didn’t need to—I was more than willing despite the doubts I’d had before. This was Shane, he felt like Shane, and kissed exactly like Shane. I was helpless to stop myself from reacting to him.
He ground himself against me, growling against my lips. “I have missed you, Kianna, so bloody much.” He kissed me again, harder this time and ran his hands across my body.
My body responded in ways it hadn’t for over a year, and my vow of celibacy was ripped away when Shane lifted my skirt up, pulled my panties down and slid himself into me. I groaned as he stretched my tight walls and made the pleasure inside grow quickly. It might have been a long time since I’d been with Shane, but it was as though he’d never left. He knew everything about me and knew how I liked to me touched, kissed and fucked.
Sinful Desires (Hunting Darkness Series) Page 3
