by K. Rea
“Do you remember last night?” Aiden asked without preamble. He sat shirtless, wearing only black denim pants, poised on the edge of his chair as if he had been waiting for me to wake. An amber liquid filled glass dangled from one hand. He’d showered, all the blood from earlier was gone, and his wavy hair was wet. That masculine smell of woods and citrus I recognized as his still lingered. There wasn’t so much as a scar marring the skin and muscle where I’d stabbed him. The edges of a tattoo wrapped around one arm and another was centered squarely over his heart–a rose, the Kensley family symbol. I frowned at him as my leg throbbed in pain; I wasn’t so lucky.
“Is the biker okay?” I asked. Laying my head back down on the flimsy bed, I gently tested the handcuffs. They felt like ordinary steel handcuffs, with no silver. Aiden’s lips flattened into a tense frown.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Aiden said before he took a sip from his glass. Based on the smell emanating from the glass, it was scotch. I looked at him, surprised. He was the biker. Of course, he was, because being a prince and gorgeous wasn’t enough. He did not look like a man who recently walked away from a wreck. Not a man, vampire, I reminded myself.
“You caught me off guard when you ran in front of me from the alley. I tried to save you from the brunt of the crash, I wasn’t successful. That gash on your leg could have been fatal. A combination of my blood and Amy’s powers healed it some, though the silver chain is slowing down your natural healing. Amy is also the one who dressed you, if you were wondering,” Aiden said, gesturing to my clothes. Vampire blood, he had healed me with vampire blood. What did that even mean? Was I going to turn into a vampire?
“Your blood?” I asked. Licking my lips, I couldn’t taste any blood on my lips.
“You didn’t ingest it, it was in the salve Amy and I put on your leg,” Aiden reassured. “There may be a few lingering side effects, but you’ll heal in a few days.”
“What happens now?” I asked, my voice raspy. He rose from his chair; I flinched at the movement. The pain in my leg flared in response.
“We go to the Court. The king decides what to do with you. To take vengeance against a prince for the death of your loved ones on misinformation could be considered a reasonable action. To knowingly attack the heir to the throne without provocation will not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, the gossip mill has already caught wind of your recent antics. Your actions and behavior will determine your future,” Aiden said, moving to stand over me.
“I won’t be caught unaware again anytime soon by a girl like you. I’ve been patient with you, too patient, I regret that now,” Aiden said. For a moment, I thought I saw contempt, then regret in his eyes before his countenance became stoic once again. He didn’t want this; he wasn’t looking forward to it. I laid there for a moment, tempted to tell him to kill me, but I wanted to live if only to see the Court burn to the ground.
“I will go with you to face the king,” I whispered through parched lips. He lowered a bottle of water to my mouth, and I gulped. “What happens next?” I asked.
“We leave within the hour; Alex is already preparing for our departure. You’ll have access to your personal effects and clothing on the plane. Your weaponry will not be returned to you. It belongs to the Court now. Your brother will receive correspondence addressing your actions, the likely punishment, and your bonded status to the Kensley family. We’ve established that if he interferes, he and Jane will forfeit their lives,” Aiden explained. I finished the bottle of water, the plastic crinkled under my fingers.
“It should be some consolation that Ciara will not be coming with us. I’ve suggested she stay with her musician until events are settled and resolved considering her involvement. The Court and the Council will send for her once they’ve decided her punishment,” Aiden explained. The door opened, and Alex entered dressed in a gray three-piece suit and tossed his brother a black shirt. It was as if Alex was the posh entrepreneur and Aiden the rough around the edges playboy now. I blushed when I realized I was staring.
“I suppose our little she-mutt has lost a bit of her bite then?” Alex asked coolly. “And seems to like you.” The room was mostly clean of any debris from last night; only the broken wall leading into the bathroom was still amiss. My duffel bag laid on the floor next to the door.
“Alex, stop baiting her. Is the plane ready?” Aiden asked. He tossed the empty bottle of water into a recycling bin.
“Yes, are you sure you don’t want us to find a kennel for her? How do you plan to get her to the plane?” Alex asked, easily picking up my duffel bag.
“Alex! Take the luggage. We’ll meet you at the airport,” Aiden answered. Alex did as commanded and carried my duffel bag away.
“I need to get you ready to go,” Aiden murmured to me as he pulled on the black t-shirt. He pulled a set of keys out of his front jean pocket and undid the handcuffs on my wrists.
“Do you always handcuff half-naked women to your bed?” I asked before I thought it through to stop myself.
“Under different circumstances, if they asked me to. Comfortable?” Aiden asked with a smirk. I blushed when I realized the image I made handcuffed to a bed half dressed. My body responded to his vampire charm, my pulse skyrocketed, and my unsettling attraction to him seemed to grow. He knew it too. There’s no way he didn’t. He asked a question. What was the question? Comfortable? Unlikely.
“Not in the slightest. Are you going to provide me with some pants before we walk out of here?” I asked and ignored my body’s reaction to his proximity.
“No. We’re already wearing all the clothing in the room. You’re wearing my shirt. I doubt you want me to take off my pants—nor would they fit you. I promise you can dress on the plane; if you care to, that is. With the bandage on your leg, you will want to wear something loose. There’s spare clothing on-board that would be comfortable,” Aiden suggested. I frowned as he promptly freed one of my wrists, only to cuff it to the other. He then removed the spare cuff entirely.
“Can you stand?” Aiden asked and reached for my hands. With his hands wrapped around mine, I couldn’t keep the blanket around my waist, and it slid to the floor in a pile of fabric. He steadied me before I could fall, then grabbed the blanket from the floor. He wrapped the blanket firmly around my waist and bent to pick me up. He lifted me like I was nothing but a kitten in his arms.
“What are you doing?” I asked, feeling woozy from the sudden movement.
“Evelyn, I intend to carry you. Even though I’m sure you are stubborn enough to try, Amy deemed you unfit to walk, and I’m inclined to agree,” Aiden murmured, then heaved me into his arms. I bit back a cry as the pressure on my leg increased and grunted instead.
“Put your arms around my neck, it will help,” Aiden suggested. He hurried out of the room. I turned my face into his shoulder to stifle my gasps and hide my tears. I focused on the sound of his steps echo in the hall and the steady thump of his heartbeat, slow but steady.
“You have a heartbeat,” I stated.
“Same as you. We’re all born human then changed at birth, unless a human is changed as an adult. Vampires are very much alive, and we age slowly,” Aiden stated stiffly. The sound of his heartbeat captivated me; it held my focus. I’m not even sure how far he walked before we were in a parking garage, the smell of fuel and oil thick in the air. A door to a black SUV swung open, and he placed me in a back seat. Aiden climbed in next to me. The door slammed shut, and the unseen driver took off. I couldn’t see through the black windows, but I noticed when Aiden turned toward me. He cursed under his breath.
“You’re bleeding again. I can smell it, Evelyn. I need to look at your wound before we continue,” Aiden said before he reached to untie the blanket.
“Keep your hands to yourself,” I responded. I shuffled over the soft leather seat to get away from him, as his eyes took on an amber glow and his fangs lengthened.
“For the l
ove of the Gods—I am trying to help you. I am a predator, but I will not violate you or feed off of you. If I were the villainous type to commit such violence, don’t you think last night would have been the better opportunity? When you were naked and covered in blood? Don’t fool yourself. I’m not that kind of villain. I wouldn’t touch you even if you wanted me to. You’re not my type, wolf, so stop acting like prey,” Aiden said harshly. A part of me cringed.
“I thought vampires would bite anything with a pulse,” I snarled. The indirect rejection stung, even though I should be thankful I wasn’t his type.
“Not this one, and especially not you. I’d rather you didn’t bleed out all over the leather. Ruben would never forgive me if I let you ruin his car. Isn’t that right, Ruben?” Aiden asked.
“Yes, sir, you get blood on my car, you walk. Those are the rules. It’s best you do as he says, miss,” Ruben responded from the front seat on the other side of the privacy glass. Aiden waited for me to stop moving and undo the blanket myself.
“Why are you helping me?” I asked; I loosened the blanket to reveal my leg.
“I made a promise, and it’s the right thing to do, even if you are an attempted murderess,” Aiden muttered.
I remained silent after the cruelness of Aiden’s honesty and sat silently as he inspected the bandage. He cursed at what he saw. I looked down at the large bandage on my thigh; bright red spots of blood seeped through the white bandage. He gently wrapped the blanket back around my waist, ran his hands through his hair, and sat back in his seat.
Aiden didn’t say another word the rest of the drive to a private airstrip outside the city. Ruben stopped the car and opened the door. We were in a private hangar. An open jet waited only a few feet away. Aiden stepped out of the town car and reached back to help me out. He hoisted me back into his arms, walked up a ramp into the jet, and ducked through the doorway. Alex stood up as Aiden set me down on another couch.
“She’s bleeding,” Alex stated, his eyes turning black while his fangs appeared.
“I’ll deal with it. Go get a snack. Let Ruben know to seal the door and prepare to take off. As soon as we’re in the air, I’ll remove her silver necklace. That should help her heal faster. It’s the only way to stop the bleeding at this rate,” Aiden said as he sat down on a couch across from me. He looked tired. Alex left to speak with the pilot.
The shades on the windows were all pulled. The lights within the plane were mellow; the light made the rich maroon seats appear dark. I moved to open one cream-colored shade but hesitated. Some vampires were vulnerable to sunlight. Aiden must have seen me move because he reached across my body. His arm brushed across my chest as he raised the shade for me. The sunlight fell across his face. He looked directly at me without flinching.
“I won’t ignite into flames or turn to ash because of sunlight; I enjoy it, even daresay I love it. Others not so much,” Aiden explained. Alex returned from the front of the plane carrying a first aid kit and a package. He sat closer than I wanted, but I couldn’t move away from him. Instead, I opened another window shade within reach. Alex flinched and shifted away.
“Kensley brothers, this is Ruben. We’re prepared for takeoff. Everyone, please be seated,” Ruben’s Irish voice stated over the intercom.
“Evelyn, I’d like to take the silver off so you can heal. Do I have your word you won’t do anything rash?” Aiden asked.
“Rash?” I asked.
“Anything that could cause damage to the plane or us,” Aiden stated seriously.
“You have my word,” I whispered and held out my wrists; Aiden undid the cuffs. I reached behind my neck to remove the necklace and couldn’t find a clasp. The chain felt immediately tighter against my throat.
“It’s charmed, you can’t remove it yourself, and if you try, it only gets tighter,” Alex explained.
“Do you just have those things lying around in case you need them?” I asked as Aiden reached out and removed the necklace. I felt my power humming back to me; it felt as if the air around me trembled. My excess magic shimmered on the edges of my vision before it settled.
“No, Amy spelled it while you slept. Please remove the blanket so I can check the bandage,” Aiden requested. I removed the blanket. Alex handed Aiden the first aid box, and Aiden placed the rather large white box on the seat across from me.
The bandage on my leg was red now, and there was blood on the blanket. My body attempted to heal itself; the wound itched. Aiden loosened the edges of the bandage before he pulled the bandage off. He cleaned the wound. The bleeding slowed. It was only of matter of time before the gash healed unless they silvered me again. Aiden quickly placed a fresh bandage on the wound; I flinched as he smoothed it down. He reached over to Alex, who handed him the package.
“Pants, as promised. You’ll feel more comfortable in them than anything else until you’re healed,” Aiden explained and handed me the package.
Inside were the softest flannel men’s pajama pants I’d ever felt, the fabric a deep emerald green. I felt a moment of self-consciousness, but they both presumably had already seen everything my body offered. Trying not to dwell on that fact, I stood carefully, stepped into the pants, and slid them up carefully over my legs. Vampires be damned. The pants were soft. Thankfully, the pants had a drawstring, and I cinched them tight around my waist. Aiden threw bandages away, but Alex watched. Like the shirt I wore, the pants were too big.
“Where are my clothes? My pants?” I asked and sat back in my spot, careful of my leg. Alex smiled. “Whose pants am I wearing?”
“Amy decided everything you owned, except for your delightful collection of lingerie, would be difficult to dress you in while you were unconscious and too snug for your wound. I stowed your clothes in the plane’s belly. I voted to leave you naked, but Amy and Aiden disagreed with me. You’re wearing Aiden’s clothes,” Alex explained with a touch of disappointment. Without a word, Aiden got up and sauntered toward the back of the cabin. He came back with a brown paper sack that smelled like pastries, and two thermoses.
“Breakfast?” Aiden asked, handing me the bag. The smell of strawberries and almonds grew stronger. Inside was a delicate glazed strawberry croissant and an almond croissant; I almost growled in appreciation. When was the last time I had eaten? I stared at the delicious smelling pastries suspiciously. Were they drugged? Did I even care if they were? I ate a few bites of one, the sweet honey almond taste a comfort.
“Coffee,” Aiden offered. He opened one thermos; it smelled fantastic. I immediately reached out and took it from him. I was about to put it to my lips when a firm hand gripped my wrist.
“That one is not yours, trust me,” Aiden stated. Horror washed over me as he replaced the thermos of coffee and blood in my hand with the other thermos of only coffee. Nausea hit me as I stared at his thermos; blood had never smelled so enticing.
“Drink your coffee. You’ll feel better. It’s a side effect of my blood. Once you’ve healed, it’ll wear off,” Aiden said, gesturing to his own thermos. I took a few sips of my coffee, the taste of chocolate raspberry a surprise.
“Am I going to be tempted to bite anyone?” I asked. Alex snorted, and Aiden smiled.
“No more than usual, I presume. We’ll make sure you don’t drink blood, and I doubt lust will be an issue for you. You shouldn’t have any other side effects since you’re not human.” Aiden said.
“Does it always smell like that?” I asked.
“Blood, you mean?” Alex responded.
“Yes, does it always smell so captivating?” I asked before I ate more of my croissant. It didn’t seem to have the same appeal as before. I tried not to stare as Aiden silently drank from his thermos.
“No, it depends on the source and how it’s procured and prepared,” Alex offered. Prepared? Prepared—what if it was human? I had wanted to drink it with no hesitation. Any appetite I had soured. The croissan
t felt like paste in my throat, and the coffee bitter on my tongue.
“It’s not human. It’s rabbit. It most likely appeals to your wolf,” Aiden reassured. “Ruben made a special stop for those croissants. You’d hurt his feelings if you didn’t finish them. You mentioned them in a recent culture piece on the local bakery scene,” Aiden said casually, like he hadn’t clearly been researching me. He walked away and sipped from his thermos while I savored the rest of my breakfast. Who knew when I would have another meal? I fell asleep staring out the window. When I woke, Aiden sat next to me.
“How does your leg feel?” Aiden asked.
“Better,” I murmured, pulling a blanket tight around my shoulders.
“I promised Amy that I would take care of it; I need to look at your wound. We’ll make it quick. Take your pants off,” Aiden ordered. I could feel a tinge of foggy obedience tug at me.
“No,” I murmured and burrowed deeper into the blanket someone had laid across me while I slept.
“Evelyn, I can smell blood, not infections. I need to see the wound. I’d rather not have Alex restrain you while I cut the pant leg off, but it is your choice,” Aiden suggested. He pulled out a pair of surgical scissors meant to cut through gauze.
“Do you always walk around with sharp objects in your pants?” I asked begrudgingly as I stood up from my seat. I immediately rejected my choice of words when Alex snickered.
“I could ask you the same question,” Aiden said. I tossed the blanket at him, then tugged the pants down enough so he could assess the wound before I sat back down. He pulled them down further before he cut away the bandage. The injury was healing at a human pace because of my prolonged silver exposure. He cleaned it and put a light bandage back over it. I wasted no time in pulling my borrowed pants back on when he was done.
