by Tijan
Whatever Roane was going to say was interrupted as his eye caught and held on something. I saw a slight grin appear and vanish just as quickly, but his eyes remained on whatever spot he watched. He withdrew abruptly from the window and crossed to the office door. It wasn’t even a second before he opened it and another giant vampire stepped through. It almost looked coordinated, but who coordinates that? ‘Vampires would.’ I snorted at that thought. Roane ignored me, but the other vampire lifted a pair of shrewd dark eyes my way. They were cold. No—scratch that. They were freezing. And they didn’t want me there.
“Who is this?” Even his voice sounded like the tundra.
“No one. Did you find something?”
He drew up to his fullest height, which was impressive. I guessed he might’ve been over six feet and five inches, but I’m terrible at guessing that stuff. With his broad shoulders and his rich golden curls, the vampire could’ve passed as a member of the royal Viking family. “Raitscliff and Lucan have both found a female that might be the next.”
“Their families are here?”
The Viking nodded and waited for Roane’s command.
Roane nodded once. His shoulders were made of stone. “Call the rest. I can’t fight both families alone.”
“You are not alone.” The Viking sounded sincere. He laid a gentle hand on Roane’s shoulder and I was more surprised when it wasn’t shrugged off. Roane seemed to get strength from the simple touch.
“I know I am not alone, Gregory, but I would fear for your life too heavily. Raitscliff has vowed your death since Hartsdale.”
“He can try.” Gregory puffed up as his hand formed a tight fist.
He had meaty hands. I could only imagine the damage one of those hands could inflict. Just… impressive…and horrifying.
“Find Wren and I’ll meet you back at the house.”
“And her?” He sneered at me.
I straightened and fixed him with one of my glares. I could do the frostbite thing back at him. I think my glare bounced off him how my hand had bounced off of Roane before.
“Go.” Roane ignored Gregory.
Gregory clamped his jaw tight and abruptly disappeared from the room. He didn’t literally vanish, but the effect was the same. He was there. He was gone. And the door clicked in his wake.
“Boyfriend?”
Roane ignored me as he moved back to the window and peered through the blinds. Then he heaved a deep unnecessary breath.
“Why do you do that?”
“What?”
“Breathe. Sigh. Why do you do that? You don’t actually breathe, you know. You don’t need air.”
Roane studied me for a moment. “It’s habit. It’s the body’s habit. I try to grant the wish of the body.”
“It’s not like you’re a demon that inhabits it. It was your body before you became a vampire.”
He measured his words, but I caught the slightest inflection of… remorse? “To me, I was taught to respect the soul and the vessel of the soul. My mind might be similar, but I am not human, Davy. I don’t have that soul anymore. The body misses the soul. It’s a unique relationship that can’t be described, but there are vestiges. There are little remains that tell me what the body used to do with the soul. Breathing is just one of them.”
Well—that was… very philosophical. I wasn’t sure I was glad that I had asked. “Oh.”
“You’re a human, Davy. And yet, you’re more than the others. You know of us. You know of our world. You look down on us, but I’m human enough to know that you fear us. You went through a terrible thing with one vampire. I understand that his scars are still in you, that you think and feel because of them. They have power over you and yet—I think you’re above those scars. I think you can be above them.”
I was blown away and infuriated by what he said. I was also pissed, though I wasn’t sure why. “You’re a Hunter. You’re a vampire. You own a restaurant. I’m guessing that you own a few of them. You go to college. Why do you even bother going to classes? Why pretend to be one of the lowly creatures we are?”
Roane took a step forward.
I leaned forward on the edge of the couch.
He studied me like he was absorbing my image into his brain.
I let him. I soaked up the attention—I’m not above admitting that. I wanted that attention. I wanted his attention. And I held my breath...
“Why pretend? That’s your question? You shouldn’t ask it that way. You shouldn’t put us above you. Because it’s not like that, Davy. The new decree is supposed to remind us what it’s like to be human. Humanity. That’s what everything is for us. Some forget. Some want to forget. It’s about us not forgetting what we used to be. We used to be human. We used to have that soul inside of us and we cling to anything that will help us keep that reminder.” Roane surged forward. “Education is the right for any soul. There is a potential that is only granted freedom through education. To not learn, that’s to forget a soul’s humaneness.”
And that was said by a vampire. “Good thing I’m in college then…”
“Don’t joke this off. Don’t cover up what you are.”
“I…” I opened my mouth, but what was there to say? I didn’t know… I couldn’t even formulate a thought. I just knew that my heart was pounding like a thundering racetrack.
Roane opened his mouth, but closed it abruptly. He glided forward.
I couldn’t think.
He was only an inch away.
I couldn’t… his hand swept upwards…
I closed my eyes… his hand cupped the side of my cheek… then I gasped as his lips touched mine.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
His lips held mine softly, sensually, for a brief moment before his mouth opened over mine. He didn’t demand entry, but I gasped and his tongue slid sweetly inside.
My hand held weakly onto his shoulder. Roane slid a hand down my arm to my waist and over my thigh. He lifted me in the air and sat me down on the edge of the desk. As my legs parted, he fit perfectly. A bubble burst inside of me and the remnants coursed through my entire body. I felt the heat fill my fingers, my toes, and even my neck where his thumb caressed lightly.
My body melted, but Roane held me up. As my neck fell backwards, his hand held me still and his lips pressed fluttering kisses down to my throat. His belt buckle rubbed against the inside of my leg and then his hand lifted my leg to dangle it over his. I felt his body stiffen and surge against me. He paused once and I knew what he wanted. Every muscle stood out, prominent, from his skin. I saw the struggle in his stormy eyes. They were always coal black, but there was a silvery haze over them this time. He was hungry.
And then…Roane drew in a ragged breath and I saw the decision jerk through his body. I felt the shudder against me, between my legs, and then I felt cold. Roane moved back and I felt the magic rip out from inside of me. I ached. It was like I was starving and been given something to eat, only to have it taken away after one taste. I wanted more and I reached forward without thinking.
Roane weakly batted away my hand, but I caught his instead and hauled him forward. He was back between my legs, where he was supposed to be. This time I took control. I felt the indecision shudder through his body. My hand slid up his back and over each of his chiseled muscles to his corded neck, then down around his arm. I felt over his chest and explored the dip between each muscle in his stomach.
My eyelids were heavy with desire as I looked up at him, but I didn’t know what to say. I felt like I’d been woken to life for the second time. I wasn’t about to go back to sleep. With that thought in mind, I drew him closer and met his lips. It was all he needed. Roane took control. His hands wrapped around me and pulled me on top of him.
I wanted the barrier gone, but Roane ripped away from me again to slam a hand over the door. The door tried to open, but Roane barked out something. It sounded unintelligible to my ears, but I saw that the door remained shut after that.
I gasped for breath. Cold air slam
med against my insides. Oh god…. Oh… god….
“Turn your shield on.”
What? I looked up, but struggled to see Roane. It was like a black veil had fallen over my eyes. I knew he was there. I heard him, but I couldn’t see him. Then my body twitched and I drew in a panicked breath. I felt the desk underneath me. It was rattling and I realized, as if I were in the distance, that it was me. I was making the desk shake uncontrollably. I didn’t…
“Davy!”
