“I-I’m sorry,” I whispered guiltily, showing him the broken handle.
A deep crease formed between his brows. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re upset. And when you’re upset, I’m upset. And I can’t properly focus on keeping you safe when I feel this way. So I’m asking you to please tell me what’s bothering you.”
Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.
His words, filled with so much caring, hit me right in the gut. I struggled not to reach for him, to curl up in his arms and bawl my eyes out. I’d been doing that a lot lately. Crying. Which was really weird for me and disconcerting. But a lot had happened this past week. A lot of bad. Combined with too little sleep, I supposed having a mental breakdown made sense.
“You can’t . . .” I started, my voice wobbling like crazy. “You can’t protect me. Not this time. I have to do this alone or . . . or people will get hurt.”
His expression didn’t change, but his alarm was clear, like a short blast of cold air to the face. “Is this about Isla?”
I froze, unable to suppress a deer-in-headlights look.
When he added, “Is she in danger?” I cracked completely. My chest heaved, and no amount of willpower could keep a sob from escaping. A second later, I was dragged across the seat by a pair of strong arms. I didn’t pull away, still desperately trying to control the sounds coming from me.
Somehow, we ended up sprawled across the seats, Lochlan’s legs on either side of me while I cried into his chest. But being held in his arms—feeling the steady rhythm of his heart against my cheek—drained my resistance. Fates, I had missed this. I had missed him terribly, no matter how much I wanted to deny it.
When my sobs at last quieted, my body growing lax against his, he again said, “Tell me.”
So I did.
* * *
Warmth cocooned me. I finally felt safe.
I had no idea where I was, but didn’t care. Not if it meant I could stay like this a little while longer.
Voices spoke, muffled and distant. I let them roll over me like gently lapping waves, oddly comforted by them. I must have drifted asleep. The last thing I remembered was telling Lochlan that vampires had kidnapped Isla and it was all my fault.
“No,” he had said, running his gloved fingers through my hair, “it’s mine. I should have protected her too.”
He hadn’t pressed me for more details after that, even though I sensed his need to know all that I’d been through during our separation. But I wasn’t ready to talk about how out of place I’d felt among my own kind, how even more scared I was of my own skin. So much of my innocence had been stripped away in the past few days. Not only had I witnessed a second murder, but I was now a killer. It didn’t matter that I’d been trying to defend myself. I took a life. Snuffed it out with a simple touch.
Maybe the truly cursed one was me.
A door closed and my eyes popped open. When I blinked a strange room into focus, I shot upright. I was on a bed, swaddled in an ugly-patterned coverlet. Beside me was a dinged-up bedside table with a dusty lamp. Another bed used up the rest of the small space. Yellowed shades covered the only window, and my shoes were on the stained carpet near the door. The room itself had a strong musty smell that wrinkled my nose.
As a tall form pushed off the wall beside the door, I sucked in a startled gasp.
“It’s just me,” Lochlan quietly said, coming to stand in the room’s center. Just the sound of his voice was enough to calm my nerves.
I swallowed, grimacing when my throat spasmed with need. You’re not a vampire. You don’t need to feed, I inwardly chanted, remembering how it had helped deter me from transforming into a werewolf. But this was different. I was scared of turning into a wolf. I wasn’t scared of drinking blood. Not anymore. Not when I knew how absolutely incredible the taste of Lochlan’s blood was.
The only thing I feared was hurting him, of losing control and taking more than I needed.
Before I could stop it, my gaze flicked to his neck. As I located a thick, pulsing vein along the strong column, my mouth dried, all but begging me to take. I squirmed in place, tearing my eyes from the mouthwatering sight to look everywhere but at him. “Where are we? Where’s Kade?”
“We’re holed up at a cheap motel not far from the nightclub. My brothers won’t think to look for us here. Kade went to buy you some clothes and necessities.”
I glanced down at my soiled top and blazer, then at my grimy hands. I assumed the rest of me looked just as bad, if not worse. My face and neck were stiff with dried blood. “How long was I asleep?”
“Only an hour. You should sleep more while you can. I doubt we’ll be getting any tonight.”
I stopped breathing. “So you’re letting me go to the club?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Against my better judgement, yes.”
Shocked yet still skeptical, I asked, “Why?”
“Because Isla means something to you.”
My heart gave a tiny flutter at that unexpected response. He would really do this for me? The vampire prince who’d spent a century hunting witches was letting me save my best friend?
“But what about your duties? What about breaking the curse?”
“It’ll keep for a few more days,” he simply replied.
This was too good to be true. Lochlan was never this agreeable. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What’s the catch?”
“Kade and I are going in with you, and you’ll follow our plan exactly.”
“But I already told you why you can’t,” I argued, feeling my blood pressure rise. He was so infuriatingly stubborn. “If they detect your presence, they’ll kill Isla.”
“Not if we kill them first.”
I threw my hands in the air. “How? We don’t even know who they are or what they want.”
His eyes darkened. “Oh, I know exactly what they want. To take you out of the equation so the curse can become permanent.”
I stilled. “What? Why would . . . But they’re vampires.”
“Who are tired of living in the shadows, hiding who they really are. They’re Feltore. They live a half life already, unable to go out during the daytime because of the sun. Being stuck in their true forms for an eternity isn’t a concern, not if they can have control of the night.”
A chill shook me from head to toe. “But your secret would be exposed. You wouldn’t be able to hide who you are from humans anymore.”
“Which is exactly what they want. To expose us all so that we have no choice but to join their revolution. They want a war, and they plan for us to win. If that happens, the entire human race will be under vampire rule.”
Holy. Freaking. Crap.
This was so much bigger, so much more dangerous than I could have ever imagined. If vampires managed to dominate the world, nothing would stop them from making humans their slaves. I rubbed my pounding temples, wholly exhausted. My brain wasn’t currently capable of processing the magnitude of this information.
“Is there a bathroom?” I asked weakly.
He gestured to the right, silently watching as I extricated myself from the blanket cocoon. Incapable of speech, I slid past him and into the bathroom without comment, carefully closing the door. I leaned against it for a minute, blankly staring at the room’s flickering light fixture.
Summoning a tiny amount of nerve, I shuffled forward to stand in front of the mirror. When I looked up and saw my haggard reflection, my whole body began to tremble. There was blood everywhere, the thickest congealing in the crook of my neck. No wonder Lochlan was acting so overprotective. I looked half dead.
Reaching up, I peeled back one side of my blazer, revealing the spot where I’d been bitten. Twin puncture marks greeted me. Hot and cold currents flashed through me, and I struggled not to be sick. I gingerly touched the spot with shaky fingers, surprised to discover that it no longer hurt. Had my temporary abilities allowed the bite to heal already? Or maybe drinking Lochlan’s blood had done the trick
.
Even so, I could still remember the feeling of fangs sinking deep into my flesh, a memory I wasn’t soon to forget. If ever.
A sudden, feverish need to be clean surged through me. I yanked on my blazer, desperate to remove it. To remove anything that was covered in blood. The material caught and ripped, but I was too incensed to slow down. The destroyed blazer was dangling off one arm when I heard a sound. I whirled toward the door, my heart skipping several beats when I found Lochlan framing the doorway.
He silently took in the scene, resting his gaze on my neck more than once. When I noticeably flinched each time, his expression darkened in response. After a moment more, he stepped forward, his presence completely filling the cramped space. My heart pounded harder when he reached behind him and firmly shut the door.
Not knowing what he wanted, my mind went straight to thoughts of his blood. Would he offer to feed me again? Did I have the strength to say no this time? But he didn’t remove his jacket or roll up his shirtsleeve. Instead, he reached for my ruined blazer and gently tugged it off.
Nerves shot through me, and I gulped, barely able to hold still. When his gloved fingers lightly gripped the hem of my shirt, butterflies erupted in my stomach. He watched me intently, as if asking for my permission. Reading some sort of consent in my eyes, he slowly lifted my shirt. I let him, raising my arms so that he could slip it off, leaving me exposed in a black bra.
He’d seen me like this before, but the way his gaze dipped, taking in every inch of bare skin as if seeing me for the very first time . . . I couldn’t breathe. His fingers fell to the side zipper of my skirt next, working it free with ease. His touch was careful, not in the least bit sexual. But it didn’t matter. An ache still pulsed between my legs, growing infinitely stronger as he slid the skirt down my legs. It pooled on the floor, along with my blazer and shirt.
Just when I thought he would go for my tights next, he reached around me and turned on the shower. The plumbing moaned and creaked for several seconds, but eventually spit out a stream of water.
Lochlan backed up a step, his voice low and rough as he said, “Go ahead and clean up. I’ll stand watch outside. Nothing will get through this door.”
Except that he made no move to leave, as if doing so was beyond his ability. Good. Because as his eyes swept over me once more, a look of pure want simmering in their dark depths, the last thing I wanted was for him to leave.
My heart threatened to jump out of my chest when I brazenly decided to erase the space between us. Every nerve ending was on fire, every hair on my body raised with anticipation. I slowly reached for his hand, giving him time to pull back. When he didn’t, I grasped it, wishing more than ever that our skin could touch. That leather and scraps of clothing didn’t have to stand in our way. But that didn’t stop me from placing his hand on my hip, wordlessly asking him to finish undressing me.
His chest heaved, eyes brightening to a wine red. For a second, he did nothing, shock written across his face. Then he released a ragged breath and dug his fingers into my hip, pulling me closer. While the water sprayed in the background, he slowly slipped a finger into the waistband of my tights and dragged the material down. My poor heart beat out of control as he lifted one leg, then the other, sliding the tights free.
When he was finished, my entire body throbbed with need.
Keep going, I silently begged, looking up at him through my lashes. There’s more clothing.
His expression grew pained. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “I can’t, McKenna,” he said hoarsely. “If I go any further, I won’t be able to stop.”
But I don’t want you to, I ached to reply. I want you to numb my pain with pleasure. I want you to burn the filth away, the disease now trapped beneath my skin. I want you to bite me, to feed from me, to bring me high as a kite so I can’t remember the nightmares I’ve lived through.
He released a strangled groan, opening his eyes to once again let me see that rare show of vulnerability. Don’t tempt me, he seemed to plead.
I didn’t press him, but I didn’t back away either. After another moment, he came to a decision. Ever so slowly, he bent and scooped me into his arms, as if going any faster would make him lose control. He carried me the short distance to the shower, pulling the curtain back and carefully setting me inside.
“I’ll be right outside the door,” he said in soothing tones when my eyes widened as he stepped back. “I won’t leave you alone. Ever again.”
I watched him until the door closed, struggling with the need to go after him. After a few moments though, I removed the last of my clothing and stepped under the spray. As the blood and grime of the last several hours slid down the drain, I clung to Lochlan’s final words like a lifeline.
I won’t leave you alone. Ever again.
17
KENNA
“She didn’t come alone. Drain the girl,” I heard one of my captors say.
“With pleasure,” said the other, turning with a wicked grin.
“No, please,” I said, struggling against my restraints.
But he flashed toward me, all darkness and red eyes and fangs.
The bite seared through my skin and flesh.
I threw my head back and screamed.
“No!” I wailed, thrashing against the hands that held me captive. I yanked an arm free and blindly hit something. A growl cleaved the air. In seconds, I was trussed up tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey.
“McKenna,” Lochlan’s voice boomed, his hot breath striking the back of my neck. “Wake up.”
My eyes immediately snapped open. Panting, I wildly looked about, expecting the vampire to rush me at any moment. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
“The man. The vampire. He was right here.” A shiver trembled through me, and I renewed my thrashing. “I can . . . I can still feel it. The bite. The pain.”
The wall of muscle at my back stiffened, but the arms didn’t let me go. “It was only a dream, McKenna. I’ll never let that happen to you again. Ever.”
“But it wasn’t me,” I cried. “It was her. Isla. They drained her, Lochlan. All because I didn’t go alone. I never should have told you. I just felt so helpless, and . . . fates, I’m so stupid.”
The dream had been so vivid and real, like a premonition. My subconscious had a knack for playing out my worst fears while I slept, but this one hit me extra hard.
“You’re not stupid,” Lochlan said, finally letting go. I rolled onto my back and he met me halfway, rising onto his elbows to hover above me. Watery light from the window bathed the handsome planes of his face, now tight with concern. And close. Way too close, considering how hyper-charged the tension between us had been all morning.
Who knew how long I’d slept this time, but Kade still hadn’t returned. He was either buying me a whole store’s worth of clothing, or was up to his old “force Loch and Kenna together” tricks. His absence was keenly felt, especially after I’d exited the shower earlier and found Lochlan’s shirt in place of my soiled clothing. Wearing his shirt, constantly breathing in his scent, was making it really hard not to bite him.
“Stupid would be walking into a dangerous situation without backup,” Lochlan added, breaking into my thoughts.
Realizing my gaze had fixed on his neck again, I focused on his sculpted bare chest instead, so close that I could see every last detail of his hauntingly beautiful rose tattoo. It was wholly intact, no sign of a bullet having been under the surface days before.
“Kind of like how being shirtless next to a girl with lethal skin is stupid?” Especially since the girl wants to run her hands over your chest right this very moment and make certain for herself that the bullet is truly gone.
He stared at me without expression. Then, “Yes, kind of like that.”
With a small snort, I relaxed against the lumpy mattress, oddly comforted by his dry humor. Despite my words, he remained where he was, absentmindedly fingering a strand of my hair. My eyes widened, and
I tensed all over again. “You’re not wearing your gloves.”
“No. I’m not,” he affirmed, coiling my hair around his finger like it was totally fine and normal. Like we were fine and normal. “I’m sorry your aunt took you from your home.”
At the unexpected, softly spoken words, I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. “I’m sorry you got shot.”
His throat bobbed, and he responded huskily, “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. That I didn’t protect you from being bitten.”
Warmth filled my bones. “I’m sorry that your brothers are such dicks.”
He barked a surprised laugh. I blinked, trying to remember if I’d ever heard him laugh before. The sound was deep and rich, deliciously vibrating through my chest. I wanted him to do it again. “They weren’t always this way,” he said, his smile slipping. “Neither was I.”
I immediately wanted to assure him that he was nothing like his brothers, but paused, remembering the first line of the prophecy.
Three dark princes, monsters were they.
I had a feeling “monster” wasn’t simply referring to their vampirism. And Headmistress Mayweather had called them the Demonic Trinity. Lochlan was shrouded in shadows, even while in his human form. I knew so little about his past.
“Tell me?” I whispered, daring to hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d open himself up to me.
His expression shuttered and he looked away, slowly unwinding my hair from his finger. “You need rest, McKenna. Sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sighing, I dropped the subject. For now. But I wouldn’t stop trying to find out more about him. Wouldn’t stop until I knew everything.
“They won’t drain Isla,” he said when I’d begun to drift asleep again, content to let him play with my hair. “We won’t go in without a solid plan. By the time they figure out you’re not alone, we’ll have already found her.”
I slowly blinked up at him, fighting my battle with sleep. “You have to let me be there, no matter how dangerous. Promise me, Lochlan. Promise that you’ll let me save my best friend.”
Curse Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 2) Page 15