A shiver wracked her body. Why didn’t I sense him? And why is he so upset? I’m the one who should be mad.
He ignored her escaped thoughts. “It is not safe to be unescorted.” He let his gaze travel the length of her body. His chest tightened with need as every curve on her frame showed for his inspection under the wet clothing.
She planted fisted hands on her hips. “I was searching for you. You’ve been away for a while now and I was concerned.” Her green eyes spit fire. “You wouldn’t reassure me by telepathy. I really had no other choice.”
A droplet of water fell from his nose. “I had good reason for my absence. It was foolish of you to come out here. I am in no danger, but perhaps you will be.” He took a few steps forward then clamped his fingers around her upper arm. Without another word, he pushed her ahead of him up the muddy trail.
“You think my concern over your well-being is foolish?” Hannah attempted to jerk away, but he was strong and had many years of experience in subduing unwilling creatures. His biceps strained and his grip held firm. “I should’ve left you out here to rot! You’re a very ungrateful soul, Edwin. You could have been hurt, you could have been injured, you could have been lying dead somewhere.”
He admired her ability to give him a tongue-lashing under duress. “The simple fact is that I am unhurt.” He stared at her red hair, slicked to her head by the rain. “I will remind you, I have no soul. Why should I feel any compassion for you?” He frowned, but most of his anger had dissipated as it always seemed to do when she was close. “You are an apprentice when it comes to tracking. You could have been seriously injured, captured, or killed. This is not a peaceful stretch of forest. I spent much of the time watching that werewolf I told you about earlier. He is not in the mood for friendship.”
She twisted to glare at him. Her eyes shimmered with tears. “So, you’re telling me I have no clue? That I can’t defeat Darth Vader because my Jedi powers are still weak?” You make me very uncomfortable, bounty hunter.
“I do not know what you speak of, but believe me when I tell say you have much to learn. I heard you coming from a fair distance, especially when you tarried to socialize with that fairy.” He narrowed his eyes. “What is your fascination with helping the fey folk?”
“I can relate to their problems.” She quit struggling in order to dig her heels into the ground. A very maddening trait.
He continued to pull her after him as if she were no more annoying than a suitcase. “Your resistance will do no good.”
“Damn it, Edwin!”
He lifted an eyebrow when she wrenched her arm from his grasp. She teetered for a moment, arms wind milling from the extra kinetic energy, and then she landed in a mud puddle with a loud squelch. He opened his mouth to comment, but her frustrated cry interrupted him.
“How fitting. In your opinion, I’m so far beneath you I should be wallowing in the mud.” Hannah smacked her fist into the puddle. Dirty water splashed around her.
“Get up.” He steeled himself against the tears that overflowed onto her mud-spattered cheeks.
“Why, so you can preach to me again? So you can tell me, once more, I’m only on this journey with you because I possess some sort of power which you need? That the only reason I’m with you is because you can use my alleged super powers?” She shook her head and wiped rain from her face. “I think I’ll pass, thank you.”
The heavy rain swallowed Edwin’s sigh of exasperation. “Why do you think the worst of me? I have done nothing to warrant this animosity.” Pity swept the last vestiges of anger from his being as she sulked. “I meant you should get out of the cold water unless you want to get sick. As it is, we are both soaked to the bone with no hope of getting a fire started since finding dry wood is now out of the question.” He offered his hand, pleased when she accepted. He pulled her upright then set her on her feet.
“I thought we were partners.”
“Pardon me?” This is exactly why he did not need a female in his life. They did nothing but badger a man until he died.
Damn you!
He remained silent as he helped her over a particularly slippery patch on the ground.
Damn, damn, damn!
Edwin gritted his teeth but refused to stop. I am damned, in case you needed confirmation of that fact.
I don’t need confirmation because I don’t believe you are.
He did not know whether he was more annoyed by her fisted hands or her continuing argument. You cannot ignore what you have seen with your own eyes.
The only thing I’m ignoring is you and your Eeyore attitude regarding your future. Don’t complain about it if you don’t plan on changing it.
“What the hell does that mean?” When she did not answer, he probed the edges of her mind, but she firmly threw up guards. His grudging admiration grew. His human was stubborn, independent, and fiercely determined.
“If you want to talk to me, you may do so in a normal conversation.”
This time, when his lips parted in a grin, a laugh accompanied it. Without another word between them, Hannah crawled into the cave.
“At least I can dry out, sort of. I should have brought a change of clothes, but someone was too impatient to delay his kidnapping plan.” She sniffed in the darkness.
And she was a champion grudge holder.
“Let it go, woman.” He followed her inside, banging a knee in the process. Pain spread down his leg. “I would remind you, once again, you were not kidnapped.” Silence blanketed the darkness. “We are both being childish.” Edwin settled himself as far away from her as he could. In a cave that was roughly ten feet long, it was hard to accommodate his six foot frame and he was very aware of her. “For what it is worth, we are partners.”
Hannah snorted but continued to stare at the smooth limestone wall. “I don’t think so. You treat me somewhere between having to be handled with kid gloves and a child that needs to be taught her manners.”
He frowned when the air in front of her shimmered and danced. Now what did she play at? “I have always treated you with respect.” He hated the petulant tone that crept into his voice. Annoyed at being ignored, he had no recourse but to watch the pulsing bit of air.
“It doesn’t matter. When are we heading out tonight?”
“Hannah.” He felt the shiver that shook her frame. When she gasped with surprise, his head shot up to find the source of her fascination. The shimmering air morphed into a blue flame to dance, stationary, in the air near Hannah’s foot.
Oh, damn.
She leaned forward to poke at the flame with a forefinger. “How very strange.” She picked up the flame and moved it about her hand like a magician’s trick. “I feel the heat, but it doesn’t burn me. How awesome is that?”
Her delight appeared in his mind in a kaleidoscope of color. “What were you thinking about just before the flame appeared?” Edwin questioned softly. He suspected she had the ability to conjure elementals but doubted she would be able to do it so soon or with such intensity. Her destiny as an Enhancer could no longer be denied. Keeping her safe was imperative.
Hannah’s eyes reflected the small blue flame as she held it close to her face. “I wished we could build a fire that was warm and didn’t smoke. I also remember thinking I like the color of your eyes when you’re not angry with me better than when you are.” She stared at the flame. Under her guidance, it grew bigger, stronger.
She set the flame on the floor then held her hands out to its warmth. He envied her easy acceptance of the simpler side of her power. He wished he could have an ounce of her trust. “Hannah, I am sorry.” He edged his way closer to her, and then reached around her to grab his duffle bag.
“Sorry for what?” She stripped off her dripping shoes and socks in order to point her feet at the fire. You’re not getting off the hook so easily.
Minx. He rifled through his duffle then pulled out his long-sleeved shirt from the day before. “I am sorry for whatever I have done that upset you. I am sorry for
everything I have ever done or will do in the future.” He held the shirt out to her. “At least put this on. It is dry.”
He thought she would refuse the gift, but then her eyes watered and she snatched the shirt from his fingers. “What will you wear? I’m sure you’re just as cold and wet as I am.”
“I will be fine.” A tiny smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “I will give you some privacy if you wish to change.” Before she could protest, he turned his back to her. A tiny finger of happiness tickled his ribs. The connection between them grew slowly and already he knew she left an unintentional mark on him. He ignored such thoughts and dug through his duffle bag for another shirt. Fabric rustled behind him, but he refused to peek. Her curves might entice him, yet he would not betray her trust.
“Thank you again for…”
He grinned. She watched him. With deliberate slowness, he eased out of his shirt to exchange it for a plain white tee of thin cotton. When he finally turned to face her, his smile deepened as he took in the shock on her face.
Does he work out to get that coveted sculpted look or did the demands of his job hone such a wonderful body? Hannah clapped a hand over her mouth, even though she hadn’t spoken aloud.
Curls of pleasure snaked through his gut at her reaction. “It is not polite to stare, spatzi. And yes, my job is very physically taxing.” With some surprise, he acknowledged that he enjoyed receiving her admiration.
“Why don’t you come nearer to the fire? Even strong and stubborn paranormal bounty hunters can catch a chill.” She smiled when he crawled over. “Isn’t that better?”
“It is adequate, but this is infinitely better.” Edwin scooped her up as if she weighed nothing at all, to settle her in his lap. He slid his arms around her waist. “You are cold; I can see the gooseflesh on your legs.” He tightened his grip. “Our combined body heat will warm us both.”
*****
Warmth was definitely not Hannah’s immediate concern. In such an intimate setting, with such a handsome, dangerous man, the likelihood she would combust into flames was high. Every nerve ending in her body was in a state of heightened awareness. “Uh…I…” She swallowed around a ball of nerves and glanced into his icy blue eyes. Once again, she teetered on the edge of the precipice. She wanted to ask questions, to tap into his thoughts but exhaustion was too strong, and the touch of his fingers too distracting.
“You look as if something is on your mind. Please feel free to share.” He brushed his fingers along her ribcage.
She wrenched her gaze from his to focus on a heavy platinum band on the fourth finger of his right hand. The foreign words and symbols piqued her interest. “What does the inscription on your ring say?”
He held her closer in order to glance at the ring. “It is an ancient prayer of protection from my Hungarian relatives. My great-grandfather gave it to my father when he first set out in the family business. My father gave it to me when I embarked on my own.”
Hannah leaned her cheek against his chest. The close contact sent her senses into a tailspin. She inhaled the male scent of him and stifled a sigh. It had been a long time since someone held her. That connection set her at ease. “Since you’re still alive and in one piece, the prayer must work.” She drifted her fingers over his arm, ever conscious of the raw strength he possessed. It sizzled just beneath the surface, always waiting. She shivered. What would happen if he released that power on her? “Can you please clarify for me why I was able to conjure up a fireless flame?” Or why I feel your every emotion in my mind? Anxiety crawled through her stomach. What else could she receive from him without being conscious of it?
“It is a relatively simple process. You were very relaxed. You used your Enhancer powers to project the object you were thinking about and it came to fruition. This is a basic concept for those with your ability and I would caution you to practice whenever you can.”
She pushed her lips together in a frown as her mind spun with possibilities. I must have been asleep when they were teaching Conjuring 101. Edwin chuckled but didn’t say more. The rain came down in a steady curtain that lulled Hannah into a woozy sort of complacency. She burrowed her cold nose against his shirt. “When do we leave this evening?”
He swept his fingers over the curve of her arm. “We will postpone the quest until tomorrow night, when it stops raining. I do not fancy tracking in the dampness again.”
Relief warmed her insides, but the rumbling of her stomach reminded her of where they were. “If I could conjure a flame, do you think I could summon something to eat?”
She heard his laughter long before it left his throat. “I hardly think so. You can only conjure elementals.” He set her aside to rummage in his bag once again. “I apologize that you are hungry. I did not plan the trip very well. I am used to traveling alone.”
“It’s okay.” Hannah shrugged. She stretched out in front of the friendly blue fire. “I guess the chance of conjuring a cheeseburger is out of the question.”
“Unfortunately, you are correct.” His eyes were sad as he came away from his bag empty handed. “I do not have even a crust of bread to offer you as sustenance.”
Her heart did a little flip at the earnestness in his voice. “Don’t worry about it.” The fang business needed to come out in the open. “When you are alone, what do you eat? Do you hunt your food in the forests you travel through? Do you pounce on unsuspecting victims in the cities? Snack on a lawyer or two?” She laughed at her own joke, but the notes died quickly when he only blinked at her.
“It is… complicated.”
She rolled onto her side and leaned her head on her propped up elbow. “Since we’re not in a crunch for time, you can tell me.” Unbidden, she recalled a small detail of what she had seen in Edwin’s thoughts—the deep red slashes and the strong taste of blood. She refused to believe what those things might mean. “Please tell me you don’t kill people then drink their blood. I’m afraid I’d have to draw the line at blood sucking.” She blinked. “And killing.”
“I do not kill people for blood.” Edwin stretched out behind her then pulled her close. “I require the nutrients blood provides once during every phase of the moon. At those times, I must feed from something that is not what you would call ‘real’ food.”
“But how? You don’t have fangs.” Curiosity swirled through her chest. It was true. The hunky hunter was a vampire. She searched her mind for disappointment and came up empty.
“I do not need fangs to draw blood.”
Fascination warred with repulsion as she pondered his words. “So, basically, three to four times a month you drink blood. That’s not so bad. I’ve heard of stranger things.” Her concentration skittered off course when his fingers drifted over her ribcage. Waves of desire crashed into her. She didn’t know she harbored such strong feelings for the vamp. “As long as it’s not from me.”
“It is also required if I find myself mortally wounded. As I grow older, the darker genes seem to demand more of my attention. I must be vigilant to keep them at bay.”
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Hannah hoped their little sanctuary would prove to be enough protection from the summer storm. “Just how old are you? You can’t possibly be more than thirty-six, maybe thirty-seven.”
“I am in fact 124 years of age. Even though there are human genes within me, the paranormal genes allow me to live vastly longer than mere humans.” He tightened his arms around her and dropped his voice to a whisper. “It is said curiosity killed the cat, spatzi. You should heed that warning.”
Hannah’s heart beat frantically, as if searching for the escape her body couldn’t provide. “Should I be afraid of you?” All the old stories she’d ever heard about vampires resurfaced in her mind to multiply like rabbits.
Fear clogged her throat. Had it been his plan all along to lure me out into a remote part of the wilderness so he could dispatch me without witnesses? Will he drain my blood and leave my empty husk of a body in the underbrush? “I think I made a mis
take when I agreed to accompany you.”
“I give you my promise and my word. I will never hurt you.” His breath warmed her cheek. “I believe that without you, I would likely succumb to my darker side and become the soulless monster I am destined to evolve into.”
Her fear fled in the face of her anger. “That’s enough!” Rolling over, she pushed him onto his back. She frowned at his startled expression. “You’re only destined to become whatever you want to become. You have vampire genes. So what? Get over it. We all have dark sides and things we would rather not deal with, but unless you plan on living out the remainder of your life in a perpetual bad mood it doesn’t matter. None of it matters, don’t you get it?”
She slapped her palm against his chest and came perilously close to derailing her speech by the realization that he really was the buffest man she’d met. “Don’t you understand? To me, you’re just Edwin Mason, the handsome paranormal bounty hunter who tries his best to order me around but fails at it.” She smiled into his face from her new propped up position on his chest. “You’re just you.” She stretched her legs, glad of the fire that took away the chill even though she suspected most of the warmth originated from him.
“Are you quite done with this unexpected outburst?” Edwin’s dark eyes twinkled as the long elegant fingers of one hand trailed up her leg.
Small ripples of heat spiraled up her flesh in teasing circles. “Not quite. Let me finish by saying, whether you believe yourself capable of it or not, you have shown me nothing but respect and compassion during our time together. Your desire to track Andre means you have a rigid sense of justice. But just remind yourself from time to time that companionship and friendship can be very beneficial.” Her words dried in her throat when he slipped his hand under her shirt to brush the sensitive skin at her hip. Tiny fires ignited in her bloodstream.
She revised her earlier assessment of his character. Edwin was most assuredly dangerous, but not in the way she’d first thought.
“Perhaps you are right. It has been a very long time since I had someone to share my life.” With panther like precision, he flipped her onto her back. Hannah became trapped between his arms. “I have been remiss in not taking advantage of a willing female…” He lowered his head until his lips were but a hairsbreadth from hers. “Is that what you meant?”
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