Harrison squirmed in his seat. "Uh, sure." He finished the rest of his dinner and headed for the sink to rinse it off. "I'll have to meet you there though. I have to pick up… something."
Garran narrowed his eyes at Harrison, but the werewolf refused to meet his gaze as he headed out of the room.
"Just let me clean up then we can get started."
He knew she meant get started with the lessons, but other more wicked thoughts entered his mind. He watched as her graceful steps took her over to the sink. Her hand reached for the dish soap, slender long fingers closed around it. His mind flashed with a fantasy of those same hands gripping…other things.
He swallowed back his desires. "I am curious," he said.
"About what?" She glanced over her shoulder at him.
"I didn't expect ye to show up here tonight." He flitted behind her, startling her at his sudden movement. "Ye seemed out of sorts last night." His hand slid down her hair, moving it to the side as he placed a kiss on her neck. Her heart sped up a notch. He hadn't planned on touching her… kissing her, but the action seemed… natural.
She chuckled and moved out of his reach. "Is this your way of seducing me?"
He leaned against the counter. "How am I doin'? I'm a bit rusty in the seducin' department."
"Not bad." She crossed her arms over her chest, and worried her lower lip.
He became serious then. "Why are ye here, Isabella?" He took a step toward her, never breaking eye contact with her. "Ye better walk away now before ye cannot. Before I won't let ye go."
"I had another dream about you."
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Good dream, I would hope."
"It was when you were younger, before you were changed."
He nodded.
"You don't seem surprised." Her arms dropped to her side.
"No. It only proves my point."
"That I'm your soul mate?" She may not be convinced, but at least she hadn't run away from him this time.
"Aye. We have a strong bond, but it takes more than me tastin' yer blood for us to be truly mated. It's a ritual, involvin' much more."
"Se-ex?" her voice squeaked and she cleared her throat. "Is sex part of the ritual?"
Intimacy played a part with preternatural bonded couples, but so did it with human rituals. Marriage involved a honeymoon after all. "Aye, but it is the last of it."
Her brows furrowed. "The last? How much more is there?"
He didn't want to scare her away before he had a chance to woo her. She wanted him. Her arousal cloaked him, her scent egging him on to complete what they started, but she wasn't ready to commit. Heck, he didn't know if he should pursue it. He had always assumed his soul mate would be a preternatural being. "Let's take this slow, aye? See if it is where we both want to go." He offered his hand to her.
"We'll take it slow," she repeated. She placed her hand in his, intent on shaking it as if this would seal the agreement. He wanted more and pulled her closer.
She inhaled deeply, startled, but she didn't shy away. He decided to take a chance. He leaned down and kissed her, tasted her, breathed her in. She moved her head to the side, moistening her lips as she drew in a breath.
"I want you," she whispered like a curse.
He chuckled. "I know."
She met his gaze. "But it scares the hell out of me."
"I know that, too." He knelt down on one knee before her, his right hand over his heart.
"What are you doing?" Her voice revved up a notch.
"I pledge to ye: I won't do anythin' ye do no' want me to do. We'll take this at yer pace." He held out his hand again. She was beautiful with her hair pulled back and her face void of makeup. Her scent mingled with the herbs she used. Surprisingly, garlic never smelled so heavenly until he met her.
A part of him wanted her to refuse his gesture, to walk away so she would remain safe, but the other part, the demon inside of him wanted her to take his hand and seal her fate.
She didn't take his hand. No, his wee brave fool took the steps separating them and walked into his embrace.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Harrison purposely arrived early at the hospital and entered Johanna's room. The woman barely hung onto life, and Harrison already knew she'd lose the battle, like all the others. Still he couldn't help but cling to hope. He placed the flowers he bought on the end table next to her bed and pulled up a chair. The beeps of the monitors and the sound of the air being pumped into Johanna's lungs filled the room.
Harrison reached for her hand. It was so cold to the touch. "Hey, Johanna. It's Harrison again. I thought I'd see how my girl was doing." The sad part of all this was the knowledge she was never his girl. The way it looked, he wouldn't have the chance to find out if it could have worked between them.
When he talked to her, he didn't expect her to answer him, but on the off chance she could hear him, he wanted her to know he was fighting for her. "We'll get the wank…um…demon that did this to you. I promise, luv." Her hand twitched and his gaze riveted to her face. No movement, no fluttering of the eyelids, but he had felt her fingers move. Maybe Isabella's crystal treatments were working. "Johanna, if you can hear me squeeze my hand."
Long agonizing seconds ticked by. Nothing.
"Johanna, come on, luv. Squeeze my hand." He stared at her hand, willing it to respond.
"Harrison?" Isabella stood at the door.
He let Johanna's hand slip from his as he flew to his feet.
"I just thought, I… you know I didn't want Johanna to think we'd forgotten about her."
Isabella hesitated at the door before she walked toward him. "She'd be glad to know you care." She placed her backpack on the side of the bed. "You like her, don't you?"
"Of course I like her."
"No." She waited for him to look at her. "I mean you're in love with her."
He glanced at Johanna before he answered her. "She wouldn't want me."
Isabella chuckled and shook her head. "You've had women draped on your arm since the moment I met you, but you didn't think you had a chance with Johanna?"
He threw her a lopsided grin. "Johanna is different, you know. I believe she may have been, well… the one. Isn't that the corker? I didn't even have the chance to convince her she could trust me. I never had the chance to take her out on a date." He met Isabella's gaze. "A Mac Tíre is supposed to protect his mate, but I let the bloody Soul Taker suck the life out of her."
Isabella reached for his hand. "This wasn't your fault."
Harrison nodded. "Yeah, I guess I know that, but it's still a pisser." He turned away when his eyes filled with tears. Isabella didn't need to witness the big bad wolf whimpering like a pup. He looked at Johanna lying there helpless… lifeless… Dark bruises colored the tender flesh beneath her eyes. "Do you see any changes in her aura?" he asked against all hope.
"No, but she isn't any worse either." She took a deep breath. "May I ask you something?" He glanced at her. "About mates?" she clarified. "You mentioned Johanna might be yours."
He nodded. "Go on."
"How do you know? I mean, is it the same as it is with a vampire? You know…finding a mate?" She wrinkled her nose and smiled nervously. "I know I sound ignorant with all the preternatural ways, but this is new territory for me."
Harrison frowned, wondering why she was curious, particularly about vampires and mates. He teased Garran about Isabella, but only because he thought nothing would come of it.
Then it dawned on him. Isabella had bought Garran a gift. Had it meant more than a frivolous gesture on her part? Was she starting to care about Garran—in a romantic way?
This infatuation was probably not a good thing. In all the centuries he'd known the vampire, he never committed for long and never with a human. He didn't want Isabella to end up hurt. "Listen—" A movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He cursed as he dragged Isabella behind him.
"So we meet again," Alexander announced at the doorway of Johanna's room.
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Sanya hung on the Soul Taker's arm as if the two were out on the town instead of visiting a woman in a coma. She looked a mite cozy with him, all dressed in a slinky red dress and high-heeled shoes. She sported a nice vampire hickey on her neck, too.
Sanya narrowed her dark eyes on Harrison before shifting her gaze to Isabella with curiosity.
"It's a pity, isn't it?" Alexander nodded toward Johanna. "I so wanted to play with her at my leisure."
Sanya threw Alexander a lethal glare, but the dark-eyed beauty remained silent beside him. No doubt she didn't like the fact Alexander had wanted to be with another woman. No matter if Johanna had merely been a plaything and nothing more.
Harrison made a move to go after Alexander. Flashes of tearing his throat out blurred his vision, but Isabella placed a hand on his arm and spoke, bringing his rage down a few notches. "Don't play into his sick game."
Alexander's low chuckle held a note of annoyance as if he were disappointed there wouldn't be a confrontation. "Isabella, yer a smart one. I do admire a lassie who is sure of herself, but… a woman who despairs… who has low self-esteem, now she's more pleasurable when I suck the essence from her body." He smacked his lips together as if he was enjoying the sweet snack now.
Alexander had angelic features, the picture of innocence but his eyes were cold shards of ice, revealing his true nature, the monster hidden within. "Do ye want me to end her life? Give her peace." Alexander offered. "It's over anyway." His shoulders lifted in a shrug. "But I could take what's left and end her pathetic existence."
"Don't you dare touch her," Isabella threatened.
He shrugged again, as if it didn't matter one way or the other to him.
"What do you want, Alexander?" Harrison spat.
"For ye to give Garran a message."
"So, what is it already?"
"Tell him I want to meet him at the warehouse by the pier, I do believe ye know where it is. Seems my crew somehow disappeared after yer last visit." His gazed leveled on Isabella as if he suspected she had something to do with it. "Tomorrow night will be our own private Boston bloody tea party." He laughed, but when no one else joined in, he sobered up. "Oh come now, Boston Tea Party, bloody party…" he shook his head. "No sense of humor."
"Give me a good reason why I should bother to tell him," Harrison asked.
"Because I have something he wants. What ye all want."
Harrison frowned. "And what's that?"
"Johanna's soul," Sanya spoke up for the first time.
Hope lit Isabella's eyes. "But I thought—"
"I can give the soul back, if I so choose, or let it absorb into my body. Souls are like fine wine. I let them age a bit before I savor every last drop. Do ye know what a soul goes for on the Otherworldy black market?"
"You bastard." Isabella seethed with anger, clenching her fists, but she knew better than to go after him. She stayed rooted at Harrison's side.
"Tsk, tsk, Isabella, such language is not very ladylike."
"Yeah, well a true gentleman doesn't suck the life out of their dates."
"I believe my ladies rather enjoyed our time together." His lower lip pouted as if she had hurt his feelings.
Harrison noticed Garran had slipped into the room to hear the last of the conversation. His eyes glowed red and with a speed of his kind, he grabbed Alexander in a chokehold, pinning him against the wall.
Alexander chuckled. No fear entered his gaze as if he had the upper hand and not the other way around. "Garran, I didn't know ye cared."
"Ye'll return Johanna's soul, or I'll break yer scrawny little neck."
"Ye see, I would, but I don't have it on me."
Garran looked to Isabella. "Are ye able to tell?"
Isabella stared at Alexander. There were flutters of color, angry colors and wavering ones indicating fear. No beautiful hues of blue, yellow, and pink that would indicate Johanna's soul lingered beneath his evil structure.
She shook her head. "I don't see it."
Alexander laughed. "How rich. The little human can sense a soul. My, my, ye do surprise me, Isabella. Did I tell ye how much I miss our time together? Such a shame ye broke our bond." His smile turned cold as he looked at Garran. "Now, I suggest ye let me go."
Garran released him, shoving him away. "Why the games, Alexander? If ye want to have it out with me, let's finish it now."
"Oh no, milaird. I don't want the game to end so readily. I like seein' ye runnin' around, tryin' to figure out my next move. I'm bestowin' the same consideration ye gave me. Ye made me suffer back in Scotland. Ye burned my followers and left me to the same fate."
"Aye, and I'd gladly do it again. Only I would make sure ye did no' rise from the flame like a phoenix. Ye fed on our clan as if they hadn't suffered enough."
Alexander's nostril's flared. "It was a far better life than the pitiful life they would have led. My bein' here in Boston and ye showin' up as the new governor, now that is fate. I once followed ye to hell and back in the battles, but did ye offer me a higher position? Nay," he answered his own question. "No' even a pat on the back. Then Culloden happened. Ye retreated, leaving me on the battlefield to wait for a sword in my back, but Fallon appeared, preventin' my demise. She was so beautiful I thought her an angel."
"The devil has many faces," Garran said.
Alexander clicked his tongue. "Fallon was an angel to me. She offered me eternal life. She offered me respect."
"Aye, I'm well aware. She offered ye a life where ye fed off of yer kinsman. Yer sense of honor astounds me," his sarcasm dripped from each word.
The steady beep of the monitors and the sound of the oxygen pump seemed out of place for this impromptu battle, but the two enemies circled one another contemplating a fight to the death.
"Fallon offered us a chance to go after those who wronged us," Alexander said. "The dragoons wiped us out on the battlefield. It was time for a little payback."
"Only yer plans included takin' out our clan, whittlin' down the numbers until very few were left. The men were forced to hire themselves out. A war clan with no home."
"Aren't ye melodramatic. Ye didn't seem to care since ye hid with the immortals," Alex spat. "Ye lived a good life, ey? Ye were tainted by their blood."
"Nay, no' tainted. Ye made me a monster, but I refused to act upon it. The Sidhe took me in."
"Truly. So why did ye leave yer piece of heaven, or were ye kicked out like Rory?"
Garran's back stiffened at the mention of Rory's name. "I don't believe it is of yer concern."
Alex threw back his head and laughed. "It was yer bloody honor again. Ye did always have a soft spot for Rory. He could do no wrong and if he did, ye always protected him. Let me guess. Ye left with the poor sod. He couldn't make it among the Sidhe, could he?"
"Enough. Ye said yer peace here, Alex. We meet tomorrow, or was it yer intent to bore me to death instead?"
"Oh nay, milaird, I have a much more fittin' death for ye. Until tomorrow, then." He bowed before whirling away with speed that no human could detect. Sanya followed in his wake.
"Bastard," Harrison cursed. "He shows up here to make his demands as if you'd agree to them." His gaze wavered over to Garran's grim expression. "Oh no, you aren't seriously considering meeting him."
Garran looked at him then to Isabella. "I am." He nodded toward Johanna's still form. "She hangs on. She is a fighter."
"He won't keep his promise," Isabella voiced. Vampire and werewolf both looked at her. "I love Johanna and I would do anything to save her, but not at your expense." She took the steps separating them. "The colors around Alexander shifted and changed as you spoke to him. When he mentioned Johanna and giving back her soul, the colors darkened almost to black—a lie. It brightened when he promised you a more fitting death. I believe he told the truth there."
"Naturally." Garran frowned as he leveled his gaze on Harrison. "If we are through here, we have an appointment at Tony's to meet with Sanya. Granted, she'll have to slip away from A
lexander."
"They seemed right cozy," Harrison grumbled.
"We will hear her out all the same." He barely glanced at Isabella when he issued his order to her. "Ye should go home and rest. The dark circles under your eyes are more pronounced than they were yesterday."
"Sure thing… my laird Dracula." Isabella bowed, rolling her arm in front of her in a dramatic display of reverence. "Love the compliments by the way. Just to let you know, you aren't winning any points with them."
Garran harrumphed in annoyance. "Everythin' is personal with ye." He turned on his heels, leaving the room. Obviously, fully expecting they would do as he commanded.
"I'm not a child. You can't tell me what to do!" She shouted, but she had a hunch Garran was long gone and hadn't heard her. She clenched her hands into fists, appearing like a woman who wanted to punch something.
"Don't let him bother you."
She glanced at Harrison and took a deep breath before releasing it. Her stance relaxed and she unclenched her fists.
"You're getting pretty good at this aura reading, aren't you?" Harrison moved to stand by her.
She reached for her backpack and pulled out a book. "I picked this up at the library on my lunch break. I've found the author's information helpful. All my life I've seen colors surrounding people, but never took stock in what all those colors really meant. I only knew when the colors turned dangerously gray the person was in trouble. If it turned bright blue and expanded around the body, the person was happy. Do you get the picture?"
"I believe so." He nodded.
"Everyone has a signature color, but there are colors for health and emotions. I'm beginning to pinpoint what they all mean."
He handed the book back to her, his gaze sweeping over her features. "Are you falling for Garran?"
Her eyes widened in surprise at his blunt question, but she didn't deny it. Her fingers tucked an imaginary hair behind her ear. "Yes, and no." She chuckled. "I've imagined falling in love, getting married, and having children." She let out a tired sigh. "Garran is so not who I imagined would share my life, but… I want him anyway." She sobbed and laughed at the same time.
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