Vengeance

by Erica Stevens

  “Exhausted,” she admitted.

  He gestured at the couch. “Lay down.”

  She glanced behind her, uncertain about having her back to the door. However, if someone came down, it would probably be best if the couch offered her some protection. She pulled her cloak off and placed it on the ground before lying on the couch. He draped the blanket over her before taking off his own cloak and setting it on the floor next to hers. She pressed her back against the couch, inching over to make enough room for him to lie down too. She had grown accustomed to having him next to her at night; she didn’t want that to change now. He settled beside her before drawing her into his arms and holding her against his chest.

  They were well hidden and would hear anyone opening the door, but he remained rigid against her, his gaze focused on the floor above their heads. At first, she thought he was only being vigilant, but then she realized it was because he was so close, and yet still so far, from Kane.

  She rested her hand on his chest, over the place where his heart had stopped beating. His wild scent filled her nose; the warmth of his body enveloped her. Sliding her leg over his, she hooked her foot around his calf. Beneath her, the thick muscle in his thigh rippled.

  Her fingers slid into his shirt, hoping to draw his focus to her. He gave her a wan smile and kissed her forehead before turning his attention to the floor above once more. Tempest forced herself to close her eyes, but there was no way she was going to relax when he looked about ready to run upstairs at any second.

  ***

  A yell jolted her awake in the morning. One of the children, she realized. She tried to bolt upright, but William’s hand on her back kept her down. She blinked as she stared around the dimly lit room in confusion. Memory of where they were crashed over her; her body became rigid as alarm churned within her gut. Another shout drew her eyes to the floor above them.

  A loud wail resonated from above. Every instinct she had screamed at her to go upstairs and see what had caused such an anguish filled cry. The stomping of boots echoed on the wood floor and caused dust to fall from the rafters above them. She tried to jerk away when a loud slap followed the thud of the boots. A startled cry from one of the young ones followed.

  Tears burned her eyes; she bit on her bottom lip to keep them from flowing. “Shut that brat up!” someone shouted. She recognized instantly who it was.

  Unfortunately, so did William.

  He sat up beside her on the couch. His eyes burned the color of fire, his lips skimmed back to reveal his extended fangs. Tempest leaned away as violence poured off him in waves that rattled her.

  He’d said he wouldn’t go after Kane, but that had been before he’d been this close to him, before he’d heard his voice. Tempest stretched her hand out and rested it against his chest. His muscles vibrated with power and with the restraint he used to keep himself sitting on the couch.

  “William,” she whispered.

  His head turned toward her. His eyes stared straight through her; she wondered if he realized she was there. Tempest remained immobile, unsure of how to act or what to do to calm him. Going on instinct alone, she grasped hold of his shirt and leaned into him. Her eyes remained open; they searched his as she pressed her lips to his.

  In the beginning, he remained unmoving, his eyes still blazing like the fires of Hell. Then his hand encircled her head, his fingers threaded their way through her hair, and he pulled her firmly against him. His kiss became bruising in its intensity, but she didn’t pull away from him. She’d give him whatever he needed from her.

  The press of his fangs against her lips caused her to jerk with excitement. His tongue swept in to taste her in deep thrusts that robbed her of all sane thought. All she could feel and taste was him. She didn’t realize she’d fallen back on the couch until he was moving over her, settling his weight on top of her.

  Her hands ran over his back toward his ass. She tugged the thin material of the flaxen shirt he wore up until she could settle her palms against his heated flesh. The corded muscles of his back rippled and bunched beneath her touch as he moved over her, tasting her. His muscles were chiseled perfection, but the skin beneath her fingers was supple. A low groan escaped him when he pulled her shirt up and rested his hands against the flesh of her ribcage.

  His palm began to move across her, circling her flesh and heating her in ways she’d never dreamed possible. Feeling more than a little out of control, she tugged incessantly at his shirt, trying to get it higher. She had to feel more of his flesh against hers, to see him and touch him everywhere. He broke the kiss as he leaned away from her and impatiently jerked his shirt over his head. When he looked at her again, his eyes were their striking blue color once more.

  His hands were tender when he ran his fingers over her cheek and down toward her neck. She couldn’t take her eyes away from the tanned skin of his chest; her fingers trembled when she ran them over his taut flesh. Beneath her touch, his skin rippled. He stiffened when her fingers ran over the jagged scar just below his chest.

  He went to grab her hand, but she shook her head no. Rising up, she pressed a kiss against the puckered flesh. This was how his humanity had ended, she realized. Her fingers dug into his back, drawing him closer as she swirled her tongue over the scar. His hand wrapped around her head, holding her closer to him as her fingers ran over his flesh.

  She lifted her head to look at him. He held her close to him’ his eyes searching hers before he bent and claimed her mouth once more. Angling her back down on the couch, he slid the buttons on her shirt free, his eyes taking her in hungrily as he gazed down at her bared flesh.

  Goose bumps broke out across her skin; she bit into her bottom lip as she watched him taking her body in. She wanted him back against her, touching her again, but she couldn’t get enough of him looking at her and caressing her with such reverence. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he lowered himself back over her.

  A sigh of pleasure escaped her when his bare flesh pressed against hers. His heady, smoky and outdoor aroma enveloped her as he took firm possession of her mouth once more. Her fingers raked over his back; she tried to pull him closer against her, but she didn’t think she’d ever be able to get close enough to him.

  The press of his fangs against her lips caused her to squirm. Before she could stop it, her own fangs extended to scrape across his full bottom lip. A rumble of pleasure escaped him, his hands slid down to the button on her pants. Her toes curled as she grabbed more fervently at his flesh. The world spun out of control at the same time it became so simple and focused.

  They were the only ones who existed, the only ones who mattered. It was all happening so fast, she’d been trying to keep her distance from him, but she knew now that would be impossible. Neither of them knew how much time they had left, not when their enemies stood only a floor above. Not when the peace they’d all come to know was hanging by such a thin string.

  No matter how much the reasonable side of her said she should stop this, that she’d only get her heart broken, the other side of her was screaming at her to take something for herself finally. To give into the desire he stoked in her with only a look. She refused to die without knowing what this man felt like. She may not be in love with him, or perhaps she was, she didn’t know, and she certainly couldn’t think straight when his hands were sliding her pants down her legs.

  “I’ve never,” she whispered when he tugged her pants off.

  The fingers running over her bare thighs froze. His gaze burned into hers before he leaned forward and clasped her cheeks within his hands. “Do you want to stop?”

  She bit on her bottom lip, wincing when her fangs punctured her flesh. His eyes fastened on the bead of blood forming on her lip. The hunger in his gaze caused a small mewl to escape her. The last thing she wanted was for him to stop. “No, I just… I thought you should know.”

  She hated the heat burning up her cheeks and face. He clasped hold of her cheeks as he bent to press a feathery kiss against her l
ips. She forgot all about her hesitation and apprehension as he kissed her with a tenderness that aroused her more than his demanding kisses had. Her world became focused on him again and the astonishing way he could make her feel so cherished and alive.

  A small gasp escaped her; she bit her lip to keep from crying out when he moved into her. Her fingers dug into his back, she pressed her chin into his shoulder. “The pain will fade,” he murmured in her ear. “Hold onto me.”

  He didn’t have to tell her that; she would hold onto him forever. Despite the discomfort, nothing had ever felt so right in her life as this man and this moment. Her heart swelled with love, quickly diminishing any doubts she may have had about her feelings for him. He was raw, he was ruthless, and he was holding her and touching her as if she were the most precious jewel in the world.

  She turned her face into his neck and kissed him as waves of love and rightness crashed over her. She’d never expected to feel anything like this in her life. Clinging to him, shaking from the emotions rattling her and the strength of the bond she felt growing between them, she realized her soreness had faded.

  He pressed soft kisses against her ear and neck. His hands slid over her bared flesh again, stoking her passion back to life. She lost track of time, lost track of everything except for him.

  When it was over, she was shaking with emotion. He held her against his chest, his large body wrapped possessively around hers. She didn’t know if she felt like crying with joy or terror over everything happening between them. Sometime over the past week she’d come to love this man far more than she’d ever dreamed possible. She couldn’t lose him, yet she was convinced she would.

  His heated mouth grazed her ear, her toes rubbed against the bristly hairs on his shins causing shivers to slide over her cooling skin. “Are you ok?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Yes,” she murmured as her fingers traced the corded muscles of his forearms. She didn’t know if that was true or not, but while she was in his arms she would choose to believe it. Her palm slid over a whiter, fainter scar on his upper thigh. Questions formed in her mind, but she decided later would be a better time for the conversation. She didn’t want to risk him withdrawing from her, not after what they’d just shared.

  “I took a spear through the leg during the war,” he murmured when her fingers hovered above the jagged mark.

  Her eyes flew to his; her heart leapt into her throat. He’d answered and he hadn’t withdrawn from her. “What about these?” she asked, taking hold of one of his hands and running her fingers over his scarred palm.

  He stared down at his hand like he’d never seen the scars before or had forgotten they were there. His muscles flexed beneath her as behind her back, he lifted his other hand up and opened his palm to reveal the other scar. “I grabbed hold of the sword Kane ran me through with.”

  Tempest became rigid as she waited for his face to become shuttered and his eyes to turn red. A line creased his forehead, but he didn’t retreat from her. “So much pain,” she said.

  He smiled as he brushed back a strand of her hair. “If something is worth having, then you must expect some pain and sacrifice in order to achieve it. I would have sacrificed even more to attain freedom and peace in this land.” She swallowed the lump in her throat as she ran her fingers through the dark red, bristly hairs on his chest. “I’d sacrifice everything for those I love and care for.”

  Her hands stilled in their exploration of his body. “Anything,” he said and brought her knuckles to his lips to kiss them. “I will keep you safe, Tempest.”

  Unwillingly a single tear slid free. He wiped it away before kissing her cheek. His mouth tickled her ear; she couldn’t help but smile. Gradually she became aware of the noises upstairs again, the movement of little feet on the floor, the murmurs of voices trying not to be heard.

  “Are Kane and his men still up there?” she inquired.

  His head tilted back and to the side. “I don’t know,” he said after a little bit. His eyes twinkled teasingly when he looked at her again. “Someone distracted me.”

  She chuckled as she turned her head to look at him. His fingers brushed over her cheeks before he grasped her chin and gave her a kiss. “We should get dressed.”

  Disappointment filled her, but she knew he was right. He pulled her closer against his chest in a brief hug before reluctantly releasing her. Tempest gathered her clothes and quickly slid them on as heavy steps moved across the floor. She knew immediately it wasn’t any of the children or Pallas. William froze in the middle of pulling his cloak on again, his hands stilled on the brooch when the footsteps stopped near the door to the basement.

  Tempest became completely still as she listened for any more noise. William glanced toward her, his eyes a shimmering red again. Before the knob on the handle began to turn, he grabbed her cloak and pulled her down to the floor. Tempest bit back a cry when he pushed her beneath him and shoved her cloak under the couch.

  He pulled his own cloak off and thrust it under the sofa, storing away the bright white beacons. He tugged his crossbow free and pulled her close against his chest. Giving her a nudge, he pointed toward the end of the sofa and stayed over the top of her when she crawled toward where he’d indicated.

  Tempest cautiously poked her head around the corner of the couch. The heavy footsteps thumped down the wooden stairs, causing them to shake beneath the weight of whoever descended. They were in the far corner of the basement, tucked away behind the couches and stacks of furniture, but she felt as exposed as she would if she were standing stark naked in the center of the room.

  Would they be scented? She wondered frantically as William’s arm tightened around her, and the feet stopped in the center of the stairs. The scent of mildew was stifling, but was it enough to cover the odor of what had occurred between them? A single bead of sweat trickled down her temple and onto her cheek. Frustration and apprehension made her belly twist; she gritted her teeth together as she fought the urge to scream.

  The feet continued onward until legs, thighs, and finally a chest emerged. She knew it was Kane before she saw the back of his nearly bald head, but then she felt she’d know who it was the second the door opened. Kane turned toward the window they’d climbed in through, walked four feet forward and grabbed a blanket from a stack of boxes in the corner. Beside her, William remained immobile, but she could feel the tension vibrating his muscles.

  Please stay with me, she implored, but she fully expected him to launch to his feet and bolt across the basement at Kane. Instead, he remained beside her, his eyes the color of rubies once more. He didn’t look at her when she slid her hand onto his.

  Kane turned away and climbed back up the stairs. Her shoulders sagged when the door crashed shut again. Beside her, William bowed his head and took a deep breath. He shuddered; his fingers unfurled from where they’d dug into the floor.

  He leaned against the sofa; his head fell back as he took another breath. She sat and stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. She’d given herself to this man, someone she didn’t really know, but loved and trusted. A man who was as violent and savage as he was kind and caring, whose reddened eyes turned back to blue when he took hold of her hand.

  She had no idea what would happen when they walked out of this room, but she believed that because he hadn’t gone after Kane now, he wouldn’t snap and do it later. That was what she told herself anyway, but she knew there was no guarantee.

  She couldn’t shake the hideous feeling that one, or both of them, would not be making it out of this town alive.

  CHAPTER 21

  William kept hold of Tempest’s hand as he edged his way carefully up the stairs. The front door had opened and closed a half an hour ago; some laughter from the children had been heard since then and what sounded like a ball bounced across the floor. All things he didn’t think would be happening if Kane and his cohorts were still upstairs.

  Tempest stayed close against his back, the heat of her body warming him. Her w
intry scent was still emblazoned on his skin and in his nostrils. Soothing him even as he longed to throw open the door, rush into the street, and beat Kane to within an inch of his life before tearing his heart out.

  He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened between the two of them. He’d stayed away from women since his change because he’d been uncertain if he could keep himself from harming them, but when he’d been touching her and kissing her, he’d known nothing but peace and a feeling of belonging so strong, he’d never known something like it could exist. He’d had no concern over hurting her; he’d simply known he never would have. He’d die to make sure no one ever hurt her. He would not lose her.

  He had to be more careful, he’d let his guard down, he’d forgotten where he was and what was going on when he’d been with her. If Kane had come down those stairs five minutes earlier, they would have both been captured and most likely killed. He could never take that chance with her again. She’d come to mean more to him than any other woman he’d ever known in the short time they’d been together, and he didn’t intend to ever let her go.

  Glancing back at her, he met her troubled eyes as she hovered by his shoulder. No, he definitely wouldn’t let himself be distracted in such a way again. No matter what it took, he would keep her protected and safe.

  Grabbing hold of the doorknob, he turned it to the side and opened it a centimeter. He kept his crossbow before him as he nudged the door open further with his toe and poked his head out. No one moved on the other side of the door, but voices drifted from down the hall. Tempest stepped out beside him; her hand clamped around his as her gaze traveled up and down the hall.

  She gestured toward the back of the house and turned away from the voices. Walking with her, he followed her into a dining room. They had just stepped inside the room when a boy walked in from the other side. William jerked the crossbow up and aimed it at his heart.

  The boy froze, his eyes widened as a startled, “Ugh,” escaped him.