If someone had somehow known he’d taken this journey on his own, and been hoping to use him as leverage over his sister, they certainly would have sent more than one slender wisp of a woman to claim him. She’d been determined to get help for her town, still was, and there was no way she could have faked the utter devastation he’d seen on her face when she’d realized the extent of the danger the children in her town faced.
No, he believed everything she’d told him. Now he just had to get them out of here alive. He threw back his hood, no longer caring about the snow covering his head and sliding wetly down the back of his cloak to stick against his exposed neck. From the corner of his eye, he saw something moving amongst the blowing snow.
He pulled Tempest closer against his side and pulled another arrow free of his quiver. In this weather, the arrows would do him little good at far range, but he’d be able to slow those things down before they were on top of them. “Keep a watch behind us,” he told Tempest.
The wind tugged at her hood when she turned away from him, whipping it away from her face. This time, he knew they were being hunted when a brief cease of the wind allowed the snow to spiral about them in lazy flakes. He spotted three of the things on their right, following them through the snow. A gasp escaped Tempest; her hand clutched his arm.
“William,” she whispered.
“I see them. Stay by my side.” The warmth of her body pressed against his, a small tremor ran through her as he waited for them to creep closer. “You have to let go of my arm.”
“Oh.”
It had been necessary for him to have his arm free to shoot, but he immediately missed the contact with her when she let him go. If he could, he would pick her up and carry her from here as fast as he could run through the snow, but he knew any movement would only drive those things into a frenzied hunting mode.
His gaze constantly slid through the snow as he searched for a place to lead those things away from the cave. He planned to put them out of their misery as soon as they made a move, but if he killed them near the cave, the scent of their blood would attract more if they were in the area.
The wind picked up again, blowing the snow forcefully around them once more. The icy flakes stung his face and stuck to his lashes but he didn’t attempt to pull his hood up again. He had to have a broader range of vision so he could see the creatures hunting them. Motion to the right drew his attention. He pushed Tempest behind him with a subtle shift of his shoulder and took aim at the deformed vampire leaping at them from the storm.
The arrow flew through the air and embedded itself in the creature’s shoulder. William swiftly pulled another arrow free, notched it and let it fly. He’d broken many arrows and bows while trying to learn how to shoot again after his transformation, but he could release them much faster now than he’d ever been able to before. He just had to make sure he kept enough control so that he didn’t break his bow in half again.
The second arrow embedded in the vampire’s heart. He didn’t waste time watching the thing’s death throes, but spun around to face the creature he could sense coming at them from behind. Tempest ducked out of the way, as he released three arrows rapidly in a row, all of them embedding themselves in the vampire. The first two missed its heart by inches but the third struck home.
Another one came from the left, rushing at them out of the snow and honing in on Tempest. William threw the bow over his back and yanked a stake free as the creature’s hands seized hold of her arms. The blood filling the air had nothing to do with the bodies in the snow, and everything to do with the flesh of her forearms being torn open by the creature.
Red burst before his vision, turning the world into an entirely different hue. A roar tore from him. The complete unraveling into a bloodthirsty creature he’d endured a few times after being turned, took him over. Then, he’d unraveled because he’d let his hunger and anger get out of control; Aria had been able to help calm him with blood bags and by talking calmly with him. Now, death was the only thing that would calm the beast raging within him as he sought to destroy the thing hurting her in such a way.
His ears rang; saliva filled his mouth as bloodlust pulsed through him. His arm slid around Tempest’s waist, he pulled her back as the creature’s nails tore fresh gouges into her arms. Crimson blood stained the snow, but he couldn’t tell the difference between her blood and the haze coating his vision. He swung out with the hand holding the stake, slicing across the creature’s cheek as it lunged toward Tempest with its fangs fully extended.
The torn cheek fell open to reveal the jawbone and teeth beneath, but it didn’t slow him as his fangs snapped at Tempest. The sliced flesh flapped in the wind, the sight of it would have been almost comical if he hadn’t been so infuriated. He pulled back on Tempest, but the creature kept hold of her in some kind of crazy tug-o-war that spilled more of her blood and caused a cry of pain to escape her.
William leapt forward, swinging his elbow out and smashing it across the starving vamp’s face. It released a mewl when its sliced cheek was smashed up against its teeth and jawbone. Its hands slipped on Tempest but it still didn’t release her. Its ruby red eyes glowed, and William would bet money his eyes were the same color as the creature’s. He grabbed hold of the vamp’s head and yanked it to the side. Without thinking, he sank his fangs deep into its neck.
Blood sprayed into his mouth, it tasted worse than the pinecones he’d eaten one lean winter in the forest, but he didn’t release his bite. The creature howled, its fingers tore into the flesh of his arms, but he barely felt the rending of his skin. William ripped backward, tearing out the thing’s neck. He spat the fetid flesh and blood into the snow before driving his fist into the vampire’s nose. It caved beneath the force of the blow, but the vamp continued to claw at Tempest.
Letting him go, William adjusted his hold on the stake and swung it forward, driving it deep into the center of the thing’s chest. With a ferocious snarl, he gave the stake a savage twist and pushed it upward. Bone and cartilage broke as he shoved the stake through the vamp’s ribcage until it pierced its heart. The vampire finally released his hold on Tempest. It staggered backward in the snow, clawing at the stake protruding from its chest.
William’s chest heaved; his fangs throbbed with the urge to destroy more as he stood over the body of his victim. A hand rested on his arm, he almost turned to snap at it or to drive his stake into whoever had touched him, but he recognized the warmth of Tempest’s touch before he could turn on her like a rabid animal.
His shoulders relaxed, he inhaled a shaky breath as he labored to regain the rest of his composure. “Are you ok?” he inquired, keeping his head turned away from her so she couldn’t see the thin grasp he had over his control.
“Yes,” she replied. “They’re only scratches.”
He wanted to turn and make sure of that for himself, but he couldn’t let her see him like this. Warm blood ran from his mouth, down his neck, and cracked as it dried in the bristles of his beard. Bending down, he grabbed handfuls of snow and scrubbed at his face and neck to remove the evidence of his insanity. He didn’t rise until the snow he used to clean himself remained completely white.
Turning toward her, he braced himself for her condemnation and revulsion before looking at her. He knew what he’d done pushed the lines of what was acceptable to vampires, but then he sometimes forgot he was a vampire. He’d reacted on instinct and an overwhelming urge to make sure she stayed alive and unharmed.
Snow covered her hair, turning it nearly white. Her cheeks and nose were red from the wind and cold, her brown eyes vibrant against the snow coating her. He saw no disgust in her gaze, only concern as her eyes ran over him.
“Are you ok?” she asked and reached toward him.
Before she could touch his blood stained clothes, he clasped hold of her wrists. Pulling her arms forward, he held them out to inspect them. The shredded sleeves of her shirt flapped in the wind, beads of blood still formed on her flesh, but the gashes had heal
ed to scratches now.
Reassured she was fine, and he was in control again, he lifted his head to look into her eyes. They shone with concern as they met his. He didn’t deserve her concern; she didn’t deserve any of this. She’d endured difficult times, but she was practically an innocent in the brutality of the world. He’d spent his entire life learning how to become a killer, and he was good at it.
She should have been able to keep her innocence, but the vampires who had invaded her town had taken that choice from her. Now all he could hope was to keep as much of the brutality from her as possible.
He brushed the snow from the hood of her cloak before tugging it over her head. Turning away, he jerked the stake from the one he’d just killed before collecting the arrows from the others. He studied the swirling snow but didn’t see anything else out there, hunting them.
Clasping hold of her elbow, he kept Tempest close to his side as he hurried away from the bodies.
CHAPTER 14
Tempest sat on the cave floor as William knelt before her. He pulled the cloak gently from her shoulders, a gesture so out of place with the brutal man she’d witnessed in the snow. He held her arms out before him again, before turning away to grab the canteen full of melted snow from where it sat near the fire. Ever so carefully, he poured the water over her arms, wiping away the blood marring them. They’d been filling the canteens with snow and heating them over the fire to clean themselves in the back part of the cave where he’d stored the wood and their now gone supply of blood.
The scratches on her flesh were barely visible now. He patted the gashes dry with a cloth before releasing her arms. He remained kneeling before her, his eyes their stunning shade of blue as he studied her. “What you saw… what I did, it’s not who I am,” he said.
She folded her hands in her lap. “And who are you?”
“I’m not so, violent.” He sighed as he rose to his feet and paced away from her. “I’ve always been a fighter, I’ve killed before, but I always had control over myself. Since going through the change, there have been times I’ve had a harder time keeping myself restrained.”
“I thought you controlled yourself well,” she replied.
He looked at her over his shoulder. “I know vampires don’t approve of using their fangs on each other, unless of course it’s with their bloodlinks.”
“It’s not like you were doing it as a cannibalistic thing; you were doing it to keep us safe. When it comes to staying alive, screw what is acceptable.”
He gave a harsh bark of laughter before turning away. “You would have made a good rebel.”
“I’m not sure I would have had the courage to be a rebel.”
“You climbed out of a mountain in the middle of a blizzard; you’re braver than you give yourself credit for.”
“Maybe, but I think I have too many fangs to be a rebel.”
The smile he gave her caused her heart to melt. How could he look so irresistible and carefree one minute and be ready to tear someone’s throat out in the next? The strange thing was she found both sides of him oddly fascinating and reassuring. She’d never seen anything like what he’d done out in the blizzard, but it made her feel a whole lot safer knowing he could do it. Just as the tender care he’d taken with her afterward had made her feel a lot more protected and secure.
“I’m glad I didn’t frighten you.”
“You didn’t,” she assured him. “But ah… what’s a bloodlink?”
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I forget it’s not common knowledge amongst vampires. You’re such an odd species.”
“So are you, now,” she reminded him.
“So I am,” he replied, but some of the sparkle had left his eyes. “A bloodlink is an unbreakable bond that forms between vampires. Braith discovered it with Aria when she was still human, which is another one of the reasons it’s believed we have vampire DNA somewhere in our line. Jack has also found it with Hannah.”
“What does it do?”
“It binds them for eternity and makes them stronger than they were on their own, but one cannot survive without the other. At least they can’t survive and remain sane.”
Tempest drew her knees up against her chest; she rested her chin on top of them as she contemplated his words. “Strange,” she murmured.
“That’s one way to describe it,” he said with a small laugh.
“And how would you describe it?”
He frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head. “I don’t know, mystical, powerful. I didn’t feel it as a human, but as a vampire, I can feel the bond joining them. It’s this almost palpable thing.”
Before she could question him any further on it, he walked to the front of the cave and out of view. She sat before the fire for a few minutes, trying to give him some time to himself. Eventually, her curiosity got the best of her. Her legs and arms felt worse than when she’d trudged through the blizzard after leaving Badwin behind. The strained muscles held her, but spasms gripped her right thigh as she plodded down the cave toward the front. She briefly stopped rubbing at her thigh to pat the horse’s neck as she walked by him.
“What are you doing?” she inquired when she found William near the front of the cave, gathering snow around him.
He lifted up a clump of snow and smashed it onto the cave floor. “Sealing this off,” he replied. “I don’t want any of them sneaking in here on us, or picking up our scent until this storm has passed.”
She stared at the oval shaped entryway; it was about three feet across and five feet high. It wouldn’t take much to block it off from the world. Kneeling beside him, she helped him to pile the snow on top of the base he’d already started. The sensation in her fingers faded away until she could no longer feel the snow she clasped within her hands, but she continued to work beside him in silence.
“What if the storm doesn’t end for a few more days?” she inquired when half the doorway was blocked. “How will we feed?”
“As much as I don’t like it, we’ll have to feed from Achilles.”
She glanced back at the horse munching on the small handful of grain William had given to him. A lot of her blood supply had come from animals, but she didn’t like the idea of feeding from the pretty, bay horse either. The blood they’d had from the foxes would get them through a couple more days; they’d be hungry, but she preferred hunger to feeding from the horse.
“What about oxygen for him?”
“The fire will start to die down and alert us if the oxygen starts to get low. We’ll have to make a hole in this wall for him. This cave goes far back too, so there should be enough oxygen for him for at least a day or two.”
“I hope so.” She glanced back at the animal within the shadows. She’d never spent much time around horses, but she enjoyed the velvety feel of his muzzle against her palm when she handed him the feed William had stored in the main room of the cave. “Does he have enough water?”
“He should,” William replied as he filled the last hole in their makeshift doorway. At his feet, he’d mounded a couple piles of snow against their wall. “And if not, we’ll melt these piles down for him and to clean ourselves. The piles will stay intact this close to the door.”
“They will.” Tempest stared at the wall of snow blocking the cave before them. The lonely call of the wind howled outside, but the wall had dulled the noise. Her numbed hands rested against the wall as she strained to hear anything beyond the wind. “How many more of them do you think are out there?”
“I don’t know. There were a couple dozen in the basement of that prison. I don’t know anything about the towns in this area. I have no idea how many vampires were in them, or how many towns the troops that entered Badwin have been through. It’s been over five months since I last saw Kane; that’s plenty of time for him to do a lot of awful things, in a lot more places.” Her eyes turned back to the wall before them. “They locked those vampires up in the prison because they didn’t want them to send back a warning.”
&
nbsp; “Why wouldn’t they just kill them?”
She hated the haunted look in his eyes when they met hers. “The ones beneath the prison were already too far gone when I found them, but they were also working on tearing their way out of there. It was only a matter of time before they managed to free themselves. By then, the idea of telling someone would have been gone from their memory. They would seek out nothing but blood and no one would see them coming, or expect them, until it was too late.”
Tempest’s hand flew to her mouth as realization dawned. “They’re the perfect weapon.”
“Nothing but a killing machine,” he agreed. “They will attack anyone traveling through here and keep them from revealing what they may have discovered. I don’t know what is going on with those vampires in your town, or who that woman is claiming to be the queen, but they are relentless about achieving their goal.”
Tempest rested her forehead against the snow; her fingers dug into it as her mind turned to Pallas and the children. “We have to help them,” she whispered.
He rested his hand on her shoulder. “I promise, we will. Come.” He tried to turn her away from the wall but she remained where she was, staring at the white formation before her. “Tempest.”
Reluctantly, she allowed him to pull her away from the wall. “What if those things are already out there, waiting for us?” she whispered.
“It’s a possibility, but if they come in here, they’re going to have one hell of a fight on their hands.”
“Do you have a weapon I can use?”
“I have stakes, have you ever handled one?”
“No and I never wanted to.”
He grinned at her. His arm slid around her shoulders as he pulled her closer. The gesture threw her at first; it was so comforting and familiar she didn’t know what to make of it. They barely knew each other, but he was wrapping his arm around her shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Oddly enough, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Nestling closer against his warm body, her eyes closed as she inhaled his scent. He smelled of fresh snow and the warm fire he’d stood close to earlier. His tantalizing aroma reminded her of summer and warmth. Maybe it was because of his fiery hair color, or maybe it was because he reminded her so much of the wilderness and something uncontrollable, like fire.
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