Redemption

by Erica Stevens

  A loud cheer went through the crowd, glasses clanged loudly. She paused as the name David was mentioned multiple times. A frown marred her brow as she glanced around the room and then at the wooden calendar on the wall. She hadn't even realized what date it was but as she listened to them all celebrate she began to understand why they were so rambunctious tonight.

  It had been one year since the old king had fallen, the new regime had taken over, and David had been killed. She was trying not to feel any sympathy or understanding for Jack, but even still her heart went out to him as he slapped William on the shoulder. The human grinned at him, but though he was smiling she sensed a heavier weight upon his slouched shoulders tonight.

  They were strangers, she didn't know them; she shouldn't care if they were grieving and trying to drown their sorrow. Even as she thought this, she knew she was wrong. She'd come to care for Jack and William more than she was willing to admit. Her hand shook as she grabbed a pint glass off the table and placed it on her tray.

  "Thank you sugar."

  One of the king's soldiers went to slap her on the ass but faster than a lightning strike, Jack grasped his hand and slammed it on the table. "Don't touch her," he said in a tone of voice that made even the hair on the nape of her neck stand up.

  The man's eyebrows shot up but he sat back in his seat and gave a brief nod. Though she could still hear the hustle and bustle surrounding her, Hannah glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed the exchange. Ellen was playing her flute, she hadn't missed a note, but her eyes were riveted upon Hannah's. Jack released the man's hand, lifted his glass and saluted her with it. She didn't know exactly how to take that but it definitely set her teeth on edge.

  Without looking back, she left the room and hurried into the kitchen. She appreciated what he was trying to do, and the fact that Calvin had been scarce since yesterday, but she was beginning to hate this strange effect he had over her. She was beginning to hate the way that he could make her feel so alive and so lost all at the same time. She wished he'd never come to this town, but even as she thought it she knew it was a lie.

  "Are you ok?"

  She didn't look up at Ellen as she placed the glasses down to be washed. "I'm fine."

  "Hannah, what is going on?"

  She was tempted to pretend she didn't know what Ellen was talking about, but truth be told she was tired of playing games, she was tired of being confused, and it would be good to have someone she could talk to. "The prince is a jerk; that is what is going on."

  Ellen chuckled as she shook back her waist length white blond hair. "Well he seems perfectly nice to me."

  "He's not," Hannah informed her briskly. "He's an arrogant oaf who is far too sure of himself."

  "He is handsome though," Ellen said with a knowing gleam in her eyes.

  Hannah stared at her before bowing her head. "He is," she reluctantly admitted.

  "When did you start noticing men?" Ellen asked teasingly.

  "When Calvin started thinking he had a right to chase me and push me around, when that jackass walked into this town and upset everything."

  Ellen grabbed hold of her arm, forcing Hannah to look at her instead of glowering at the closed kitchen door. "He's trying to make things better for all of us Hannah, when this is over you may never have to worry about Calvin again."

  "That would be wonderful," she admitted.

  "But?"

  "But he's still a jackass."

  The smile that lit Ellen's pretty face only caused Hannah's temper to rise. "You like him."

  "Hardly," Hannah huffed as she folded her arms over her chest.

  Ellen laughed and dropped her glasses into the sink. "Who are you trying to kid? I've never seen you look at a guy the way that you look at him."

  Hannah hated the heat she felt creeping into her cheeks. "I don't know what I feel for him but he's a prince and I'm an Undesirable, there is no future for us."

  Ellen shrugged. "You never know, his brother married a human."

  "She's a vampire now, a perfectly normal one, she's not like us."

  Ellen's blond brows furrowed over the bridge of her nose as she leaned against the counter. "True, but weirder things have happened Hannah."

  "Let's not pretend we live in a fairytale Ellen, it will only lead to disappointment."

  Though Ellen's face scrunched like she was going to argue with her, in the end practicality won out. "You're right, but I can dream for you, can't I?"

  Hannah smiled at her. "If you would like."

  "I would," she said with a brisk nod. A loud, garbled shout turned both of their heads toward the tavern room. "They're going to be at it all night."

  "I told Tilly that most of them would probably be staying at the boarding house but they're going to be sleeping on the floor out there if this keeps up."

  "That's pretty much a guarantee."

  Hannah braced herself before returning to the tavern room, but her constantly turbulent emotions were really starting to wear on her.

  ***

  There was only an hour to go before sunrise when she was finally able to slip out of the tavern for a few minutes of peace and tranquility. Her head was pounding and as much as she was aware of the coming dawn, she was even more aware of the fact that she needed a dip in the lake in order to cool off. She pulled at the collar of her dress as she tried to free it from the sweat causing the thin material to stick to her skin. She'd been correct in her estimate that they would have a fair amount of the king's men sleeping on the floor, but the prince wasn't amongst them and she didn't know when he had decided to retreat to his room.

  The cool air felt good against her skin, but not nearly as good as the water was going to feel. She ran through the trees as the smell of the fresh water hit her. Topping the hill, she was almost to the edge of the lake before she noticed the dark head breaking through the surface. Water slid through his hair, down the planes of his high cheekbones, and across his lips.

  Her feet stopped as suddenly as if she'd hit a brick wall. Despite her every intention to turn and run back to the tavern, she remained rooted to the spot as he rose further from the water. There were Gods that hadn't been as perfectly built as this man, she was certain of that much as his chest appeared, then his sculpted abs, his slender waist...

  A startled cry escaped her, her eyes finally darted away as she realized that he wasn't wearing anything. Fire crept through her face as she took a couple of steps back and almost fell on her butt when she tripped over a tree root. Thankfully she caught herself in time, but she'd also revealed her presence amongst the trees.

  His low chuckle did nothing to ease her discomfort over being caught in this position. "You can look, it's safe now."

  She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of looking but she couldn't seem to stop her eyes from drifting back to him. He may have been wearing pants now but it was nowhere near safe enough for her to look at him as his chest was still bare and glistening with water, his hair was tussled temptingly and the thin pants he wore were molded to his heavily muscled thighs. She didn't know if he was aware of what his disheveled state was doing to her but she would love it if he put a shirt on. On second thought, she might actually prefer it if he never wore one again.

  His eyes gleamed in the fading moonlight as he tilted his head to study her. "Were you planning to go for a swim?"

  "No!" she blurted and then mentally kicked herself in the ass. What else would she be doing here if she hadn't been planning to jump in the lake? One glimpse of a naked man and she had turned into a blubbering, rambling mess. But to be fair she thought he could turn any woman into a rambling mess. "I mean yes."

  She fought the urge to flee as he took a step toward her. He was so large, so powerful, just so much. She didn't know how to handle him, didn't know how to react to the aura of power and sensuality he exuded. She felt like a complete, inexperienced idiot and she didn't like it one bit.

  "The water's refreshing."

  She silently than
ked him for not commenting on her obvious discomfort, or trying to tease her, both of which she knew he could do. "It was a long night," she muttered.

  "It was," he agreed as he bent to pick his shirt up from the ground.

  "Your friends are all sleeping on the floor."

  "Not all of them," he assured her. "There are more of my brother's men in the woods at the edge of town." Hannah couldn't keep the surprise from her face, a fact he picked up on as he grinned at her. "You never reveal your hand before your ready Hannah. Even though it was the anniversary of our victory, tonight was a show. Calvin needs to think the soldiers are a non-issue, that their time away from the palace, and away from my brother's leadership, has made them incompetent. They're not though, and there are a couple dozen more than what he realizes. It is a show that will get back to Calvin."

  Hannah couldn't stop her mouth from dropping open further and further with each new revelation. He was lethal, she knew that. She'd seen what he'd done to Calvin in his house, but now she realized just how calculating and unfeeling he could be too. She couldn't decide if she was more impressed or terrified by the man standing across from her.

  "I see," she whispered.

  His smile only grew as he came at her like a hawk diving toward a mouse. Unlike the mouse, she thrilled at the prospect of him catching her as he stopped before her. "Did you really think my brother's troops would be so undisciplined?"

  "I uh... I didn't know what to think," she admitted.

  He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. Despite her determination to fight her attraction to him, her traitorous body instinctively reacted to his and she swayed closer. The pupils of his eyes dilated, his index and middle finger pressed against her skin and slid down her cheek.

  There was something so irresistible about this man but if she was going to keep her sanity and her heart intact, than she had to resist. She didn't know where she found the strength to do it, but she took a step back from him. "It won't happen again," she echoed his words from a couple of days ago.

  Irritation flickered through his eyes as they deepened to an almost charcoal color. His hand fell away and he began to button his shirt. Disappointment and relief crashed through her but she realized that clothing didn't help to ease his appeal as he slid the last button into place.

  "I know you won't like me saying this, but you probably shouldn't be out here alone," he said.

  "I've been coming to this lake since I could walk," she told him defensively.

  "That was also before you pissed off the vampire that used to rule this town."

  "Yeah well, you helped with that."

  "So I did," he replied with a strained smile. "And I'd like to make sure you stay safe."

  She wanted to argue with him, simply because she wanted him to go away, but she was tired of fighting with him.

  She glanced longingly at the peaceful water before turning to the sky. The sun wasn't brightening the horizon just yet but she'd had enough experience with this time of day over the years to know that it would be soon. "I should go back, there's not much time before the sun rises anyway."

  His fingers were so subtle against her flesh that she barely even felt them wrapping around her wrist in order to halt her. "What I said before Hannah, about it not happening again, I didn't mean it to hurt you."

  "You didn't hurt me!" she retorted as indignation shot through her.

  She was really beginning to dislike the way he seemed to see inside of her with those unrelenting steel eyes. "Then why have you been going out of your way to avoid me?"

  "There are things that I've had to take care of." It wasn't entirely a lie so she didn't feel even a little bad for uttering it. "Besides you're right, it shouldn't happen again. I have too much to deal with in my life without added complications and I know you wouldn't want anything to do with me in a romantic way."

  He tugged her an inch closer. Her nostrils flared as they were filled with the alluring scent of him mixed with the fresh water from the lake on his skin and hair. Her fingers itched to touch that shirt, to slip the buttons free and feel the damp skin just beneath. She imagined that his skin would be supple to the touch but hard and unyielding when pressed upon, like him.

  "Why is that?" he asked as he moved even closer to her.

  He was too close and too much to take. She took an instinctive step back, and then another, from his relentless pursuit. "Because..." she managed to get out from her clogged throat. "Because of my status as an Undesirable!"

  The sexy way he lifted his eyebrow was almost her undoing as she searched for some way to get some distance between her and this obstinate man. "Hannah, you might be the most desirable woman I've ever encountered."

  Those words took the wind right out of her protests at the same time that the tree in her back ended her retreat. No one had ever said anything like that to her, and if the hungry gleam in his eyes was any indication, he had completely meant it. A small gasp escaped her; she couldn't help but bite on her bottom lip as he rested his hand on the tree beside her head. His eyes latched onto her bottom lip as he leaned closer to her.

  The smell of him overwhelmed her as she realized that it was the lust emanating from him that had caused his aroma to increase to such a degree. Her knees began to tremble as she fought against the impulse to throw herself into his arms. She was in over her head with him, she had been all along, but as she met his gaze she found she didn't care. In that moment she would give him anything he asked of her, and she would do it with glee. It would most likely result in a broken heart, but maybe it was better to at least experience a broken heart, instead of continuing to experience nothing at all. She had never expected any real thrill or adventure in her life, but with him everything was thrilling. No matter how short their time was together it would be an adventure.

  "I think." He gently pulled her bottom lip free of her teeth and began to trace it with the tip of his finger. "That you have been locked away here for too many years. The world is not what it was when the vampires like you retreated here. My brother's regime, and The Council that helps him rule, are far more tolerant of others. Saul is amongst them, Aria was a human, Xavier relinquished his title, Ashby is the reason Braith was blinded, Daniel and Frank are human, and Gideon's just an ass. They are a group that understands persecution and is far more accepting of others."

  She was so fixated upon the feel of his finger against her lip, and the water glistening upon his skin that she could barely focus on the words he was saying to her. Her hands fumbled behind her and clutched at the tree. The bark broke away in her fingers but it also helped to ground her a little bit.

  "I... I didn't know," she stammered as his finger dipped down to skim the edge of her collarbone.

  He could heat her body more than the sun when it burst over her skin. She found herself clutching the tree as she leaned closer to him. He was ensnaring her within a web with his touch and the desire he awakened in her. Electricity shot through her, she jumped a little and bit back a small moan as his hand slid over her ribcage, around her waist and settled in the hollow of her back as he stepped even closer.

  "You're so undesirable," he murmured against her lips. "That I can't keep my hands off of you even though I know I should."

  She didn't care why he should, all she cared about was the fact that every cell in her body was screaming for him to put her out of her misery and kiss her. Then, finally, he did.

  The only reason she didn't throw herself into his arms was because she had to keep hold of the tree in order to stay on her feet. It didn't matter though as he pressed against her, pushing her more forcefully into the tree and helping to keep her on her feet. She released the tree and grabbed hold of his well-muscled biceps as she sought the extra connection with him.

  He stepped closer to her, his chest pressed against hers as his hands clasped hold of her face with a tenderness that stunned her given the growing demand of his kiss. She opened her mouth to his invasion, welcomed him within her as she eager
ly met each of his hungry thrusts. The entire world faded away, all she could think about, all she could feel was him as he fit her snuggly against him.

  She hadn't known that anything could feel like this. Her body was spinning out of control as she clutched at him. There was simply no way she could ever get close enough. A sense of urgency and frustration filled her, she craved more; she needed more as her fingers dug into the solid muscles of his back. She realized that she was acting like a frenzied animal but he made her feel things that she had never dreamed possible.

  She felt the press of his fangs against her mouth before one of them pricked her bottom lip. The fleeting pain was quickly buried beneath the passion that surged forth in him as his tongue swirled through her blood. Not right, this wasn't right. Vampires didn't exchange blood. She tried to recall why but there was no way she could hold onto a coherent thought when he was kissing her into oblivion.

  His mouth was hot and heady as it moved away from hers, traveled over her chin and down to the column of her throat. The sensation of his fangs scraping over her skin caused her to cry out as her fingers curled into his hair and she drew him closer to the hollow of her throat. The action should have gone against everything she'd known, everything instinctual within her; instead it seemed so unbelievably right that she found herself pulling him closer as her body pressed seamlessly against his.

  A low growl escaped him as he struck with the lethal speed of a meteorite crashing to earth and drove his fangs into her neck. She was crashing too. She was plummeting, falling, and breaking apart as she felt her blood filling him. She had expected discomfort, but other than the initial break of her skin, she felt none. Instead, a feeling unlike anything she'd ever experienced before filled her. Warmth seeped through her, consuming her from the inside out as she cradled his head against her neck.

  Closer, they were finally at least a little closer, she thought with delight as her cheek fell against his. The greedy pulls of her blood eased as he bent over her. The heat of him, the feel of his stubble against her neck was unfamiliar and yet strangely right as her heart soared.