The Chosen Ones

by Lori Brighton

  Chapter 15

  We didn’t pause when we reached shore. We didn’t pause after hiking all night inland. We didn’t even pause for food, although it had been hours since we’d eaten. We only stopped late in the afternoon the next day when the storm started, a giant clap of thunder that shook the ground and rattled the tree branches above.

  “Maybe it’s just passing,” I muttered to myself.

  Suddenly huge drops fell from the sky, pounding against the top of my head and soaking me instantly. I bit back my grimace. The healing blisters on my feet had ripped open that morning, and my shoulder wound throbbed. The pain and exhaustion were finally winning and my steps had slowed, leaving me trailing far behind Thane. At times I lost sight of him, but was too tired to care.

  “Up ahead,” Thane called out over the patter of rain.

  I swiped the water from my face and used what little strength I had left to trudge uphill. Thane stood near a dark opening that burrowed under a rocky ledge and into the ground. Although the thought of crawling into that cave, where there were most likely spiders and mice and other things I’d rather not befriend, horrified me, it was shelter and that’s what we needed at the moment.

  “It will protect us,” he said, as if sensing my reservations.

  I had my doubts. But whatever animals might be lurking within the darkness would have to share. I dropped to my knees and crawled into the dirt tunnel. The sides scraped against my pack, but it opened into a larger room only a few feet inside. Depleted, I set the bag on the ground and settled with my back against the wall, watching Thane as he moved into the cave. He looked pensive, tired, and I’d never seen him that way. It made him seem more human, instead of the beautiful one I always thought of when I looked at him.

  “This will do for now.” He settled with his back against the opposite wall and tossed me the bag. “Food inside.”

  Thank God. With trembling fingers, I managed to pry open the sack. More wrinkly apples, and some sort of oats. But it was the container of stew I smelled that had me trembling with need. I opened the lid of the metal box. It was cold, and the fat had congealed atop the stew, but I didn’t care. I took the spoon from the bag and ate, savoring each chill bite until half the container was gone. I tried not to think about the variety of warm meals I used to eat at the compound, but with each cold spoonful the memories came flooding back. My appetite waned. Unable to take another cold bite, I handed the container to Thane.

  “Keep it,” he said.

  “No, you have to eat—”

  “Jane, I can last much, much longer without eating than you. Besides, your human food does little to nourish me.”

  I shivered, pulling back and clutching the container to my chest. Was he asking for blood? My blood? I closed the lid on the stew and set it back in the bag. “I’ll save it for later.”

  “I’m not going to attack you for your blood, Jane, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  I must have looked unsure, for he continued, “When you see a deer and you’re hungry, do you ever think of jumping on it and ripping its flesh from its bones with your teeth?”

  “Ugh, no.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But then I’ve never gone as long as you have without food.” I must have hit a point, for we grew silent again. Outside the rain continued to fall, the patter lulling me into a dream-like state where I only wanted to sink into sleep for a day or two. “How do you do that?”

  He was still, always so still, never one to fidget. Every move was deliberate and needed. He didn’t waste his energy. “What?”

  “How do you always know what I’m thinking and feeling?”

  He shrugged and studied the opening of the cave. “We are more empathetic than most.”

  My frown deepened. I wasn’t quite sure if I should be angry or not. Was this another one of his mind tricks or something he just couldn’t help? For a long while we merely sat there listening to the rain fall outside. He stared outside, while I stared at him.

  “Did you know all a long he wasn’t Raven?” I asked.

  “No. I didn’t.” He held out his hand. “Come here.”

  “Why?”

  He quirked a brow. “Must you always question everything? Do you not trust me?”

  He was mocking my obvious wariness. Frowning, I crawled across the cave to his side. He placed his arms around my waist and drew me into him. With my back to his chest, he wrapped his arms around me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, feeling slightly breathless. He smelled good, so very good.

  “You’re cold.”

  I was, and he was warm. Forcing myself to relax, I sank into his body and closed my eyes. Thane rested his chin on the top of my head. I tried not to think about the intimacy of the moment. He was merely attempting to keep me warm, nothing else.

  “I started to have my suspicions that first day on the island,” he said. “Your grandfather was incredibly intelligent but he wasn’t a leader. I confronted him only last night and he admitted the truth.” I liked the way his voice rumbled through his chest, almost like a cat purring. “Jane, we have the serum, but you must consider the fact that your grandfather, although I’m sure you have feelings for him, wasn’t exactly right in his mind. Living alone…it does things to a person. I’m not sure how much of what he’s told us we can believe.”

  A cold breeze swept into the cave on the scent of rain and mildew, making me shiver. Thane tightened his arms around me. I didn’t complain. “You’re saying he was crazy?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Well, he’s dead now. He’s…nothing.”

  He didn’t respond and the only noise was the patter of rain outside and soft thump of his heart against my back. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the old man had died quickly. He might have been insane, but he didn’t deserve to be torn apart, tortured.

  “I never did find out who had brought him his supplies from the mainland. It’s obvious someone was visiting him.”

  “I don’t know but I have my suspicions it was the real Raven.”

  I frowned, intrigued by the idea. “So you truly think he’s out there somewhere and knew my grandfather?”

  “I do.”

  I was quiet for a few minutes, mulling over the idea.

  “Let me see your wound.”

  I hesitated for the briefest of moments, but I knew he wouldn’t be denied. With a sigh, I pulled away from him and reached for my shoulder. “Your friends went crazed when they fed. You won’t…”

  “What?” His breath was warm against my neck. “Go insane when I see the blood?”

  I nodded, ignoring the shiver that swept down my spine. That dream I’d had the first morning on the island almost a week ago rushed back to mind. The memory of Thane’s kiss had been too good to be true. Was too good to be true. I might be attracted to him, but he’d never indicated he liked me that way.

  “I think I can manage to control myself,” he said wryly.

  I wasn’t quite sure if I should be offended or not. I pulled down the neckline of my shirt, exposing my upper arm. The towel kept the blood from flowing, but it still hurt whenever I moved. He leaned forward and I had to resist the urge to flinch. His face was close to mine, so very close. I wondered for a brief moment if his kiss would be anything like that dream.

  “Seems okay. I don’t smell any infection.”

  I pulled the shirt back into place, suddenly feeling too warm. “And yours?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I saw the blood.”

  He leaned back against the cave wall. “It’s healed. We heal faster than normal, which is why you have to kill a beautiful one instantly. If you merely wound them, they’ll live.”

  “Good to know.” But I didn’t believe him. He was exactly the sort of man who would act tough while suffering in silence, and I needed him in shape. “Take off your shirt.”

  He quirked a dark brow. “Excuse me?”

  “I want to
see the injury.”

  “I told you—”

  “Just do it to appease me.”

  Almost as if on a dare, he reached for the hem of his shirt. Slowly, he lifted the material, pulling it over his head. Those muscles and old scars would not deter me; I was intent on seeing only the wound. I scooted closer and peered at his side, but there was only a small line marking the taunt skin.

  “How did you get the scars?” I asked.

  “One for every ten minutes I denied them,” he whispered.

  “What do you mean?”

  He paused and I thought for sure he would ignore my question. “I had feelings for a servant a long time ago. A human. When the beautiful ones found out, Bacchus cut me every ten minutes until I swore allegiance.”

  At least twenty scars marked his skin. The image of Thane covered in blood came quickly to mind. A terrifying image. I felt for the man much, much more than I wanted to. “Anyone would have given in.”

  “The pain didn’t do me in.”

  Surprised, I lifted my gaze to him. “What did?”

  “They threatened to do the same to her.”

  “Oh.” I felt ill. His face was in the shadows, so hard to read. “But Bacchus killed her.”

  He shrugged. “Drunken fools, not Bacchus. Death is a constant threat when you serve them.”

  We fell silent. I could tell he didn’t want to speak about it any longer. All he’d suffered and she’d died anyway. I pushed aside the depressing thought and focused on the small scar where he’d been wounded.

  “Amazing,” I whispered, awed by the way the wound had healed so quickly. Slowly, I reached out, drawing my fingers over his stomach. Just a small scar. I didn’t miss the way his muscles jumped. And it was as his body reacted to my touch that I realized just how intimate our situation was. I jerked my attention upward, meeting his gaze.

  Was it my imagination or did his eyes glow slightly?

  My hand still rested at his side, his body warm under my touch, and I couldn’t move, couldn’t pull away. The cave seemed suddenly stifling, too hot, too small. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe this close to him. Frantic, I shoved away, dug my heels into the ground and fled out of the cave opening. Rain fell, trailing down my face and blinding me as I slipped and stumbled down the hill. But only outside did I calm down. Resting against a tree, I closed my eyes as the cold drops pattered against my face and arms. Relief.

  I’d almost kissed him. I’d so wanted to lean into him and press my mouth to his, and that would have been horrifying. I could imagine his shocked outrage, his flushing embarrassment as he gently told me that he didn’t think of me in that sort of way. I suddenly understood how Tom felt.

  A shiver hot and cold whispered over my body. I opened my eyes to see Thane kneeling there in the opening of the cave, watching me. Should I apologize? Pretend as if nothing had happened? Slowly, he stood and started toward me, his steps sure and unhurried.

  But as he came closer, I found I couldn’t speak at all. There was something in his gaze that held me captive, completely under his control. He paused only a breath away, so close the heat from his body soaked into my chilled form, urging me near. Slowly, ever so slowly, he cupped the sides of my face and lowered his mouth to mine. He was only the second man to kiss me, but this was different than the first. So very different. Whereas Will had been gentle, soft, chaste, Thane was hard, demanding. His body was a wall of stone that pressed me up against the tree. With a growl, he gripped the back of my neck and tilted my head, the pressure of his mouth on mine increasing.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and parted my lips. I couldn’t get enough of him. This wasn’t my dream…this was better than my dream. My mind was not muddled, confused, it was fully present and nothing mattered but him.

  My lip scraped against something sharp. The coppery taste of blood swept across my tongue. Shocked, I jerked back. His eyes glowed, glittering in the dull light, his breath coming out in harsh pants that matched my own. I could see the brilliant smear of my blood across is bottom lip. My heart pounded erratically, terror fighting with need. I suddenly found my knees weak, although I wasn’t sure if it was from seeing my blood on his lips or from the actual kiss.

  “Go. Get some rest.” He untangled my arms from around his neck and stepped back.

  “Thane,” I whispered, feeling I had to say something. “I—”

  “Go.” He turned, his back to me, his shoulders stiff, his hands fisted at his sides. “I’ll keep watch.”

  For a moment I just stood there staring at his broad shoulders. I wanted to say something, felt we needed to talk, but what would we say?

  Slowly, I made my way back up the hill and toward the cave. When I reached the entrance, I dared to glance over my shoulder. Thane was gone. For some reason I felt lonelier than I’d ever felt before. I knelt and crawled back into the darkness, taking comfort in the shadows. It was obvious Thane regretted that kiss but I didn’t. How could I when it had rivaled any kiss in any of the books I’d ever read?

  I settled there on the blanket that my grandfather had packed in our bag and watched the opening of the cave, waiting for Thane to return. He didn’t.

  As the minutes ticked by and the soft patter of rain lulled me to sleep, I wondered if this time he had left for good.