His fingers itched with the urge to brush her hair away so he could see more of her delicate features. Seeming to sense his thoughts, she pushed her hair aside and opened her eyes. He could clearly see the warm brown of them from across the cave. Her eyes searched his face before she rose up and propped her head onto her hand.
“The only reason you were in these mountains was because you were looking for Kane, isn’t it?” she asked.
“It was,” he confirmed.
“You plan to kill him?”
“That was the only plan, for a while.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m going to do everything I can to make sure the peace we’ve all fought and sacrificed for is maintained. I will rip that bastard’s heart out with my bare hands as soon as I get the chance, but for now my priorities have shifted slightly.”
Her eyes widened at his vehemence, but they stayed locked on his. He regretted the blunt words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Well, not the words, but the way he’d phrased them. He hated that she kept seeing the worst of him, but the mere thought of Kane caused his stomach to feel as if lava were bubbling within it. His fangs tingled with the driving urge to rip the ugly prick’s throat out. Kane may be stronger than he was, but he had fury on his side, and he could hit a fly with his arrow. He didn’t care how he had to take Kane down; he would do it.
Her eyes flickered over him; William could almost feel the fire burning in his gaze. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. Feeling more in control of himself, he opened his eyes to look at her again.
“He is a vile man,” she said. “But you’re a new vampire and he’s older, how do you plan to take him on?”
“I have a bow and arrow, and I learned years ago that fighting fair isn’t always the way to win. He stabbed me through the back; I’ll feel no shame about whatever it will take for me to kill him.”
“Understandable. Do you miss being human?”
He pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned his back against the wall. “There are some things I miss. Steak for one, being comfortable in my own skin, being able to trust myself, not breaking things. I have gotten better with the last three, but as you saw yesterday, sometimes my control can still unravel. I tried eating steak after the change, but it’s not the same anymore.”
Wrapping her arms around her legs, she hugged her knees against her chest. “What happened yesterday was necessary, and I’ve felt my own control fray when put in a tough situation” she replied. “I’ve never tried human food before, but there are times it smells tempting.”
“That there are,” he agreed.
“Is there anything you like about being a vampire?”
He smiled as he draped his arm over his knee. “More than I like to admit,” he replied. “The speed, the heightened sense of sight and smell. The way things feel more alive and vibrant when I touch them. There is so much to this world I never realized before, and I feel as if I’m discovering something new every day.”
“What about the eternal life?”
“Not even vampires are guaranteed eternity. They simply won’t age; they won’t die from cancer or a disease and are more difficult to kill, but they can still die. I’m not sure about an eternity for me; it will depend on how everything goes.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like you said, Kane is older and stronger than me.”
“You don’t plan on living through the battle!” she accused.
“I plan to live through it,” he replied. “But I also never planned my last death. I will do whatever it takes to make sure Kane is the one who dies next time.”
“Maybe someone else could kill him.”
“He’s mine.” His growl caused her eyes to fly back up to his. “No one else will be the one to put him where he belongs.”
Her deep brown eyes were solemn as her head tilted to the side. “I hope that’s what you truly want, and what you get, William.”
The way she said his name caused pleasure to slide down his spine. He forced his gaze away from her and to the wall beyond her shoulder. Kane’s death was what he wanted, he told himself; it’s all he’d wanted for the past five months. He would make sure it happened.
He just hadn’t expected to stumble across someone like her.
Tempest lay down on the floor again and pulled the cloak snug under her head for a pillow. Her eyes remained on him as she tugged the cloak she wore closer around her shoulders. “Cold?” he inquired.
“A little,” she admitted.
He’d prefer not to have to use another piece of the dwindling wood, but he refused to let her be cold. Rising, he grabbed for another log, but her words stopped him. “No, don’t use anymore. I’ll be fine.”
He stood uncertainly as he glanced between her and the fire. Her eyes closed again, but he didn’t miss the shiver running through her. Before he could think about it, he grabbed the cloak he’d been using as a pillow and closed the ten feet separating them. Her eyes fluttered open when he laid the cloak on the ground near her.
“Lie on this,” he instructed. “It will help keep you warmer.”
“What of you?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
“No, I’m…”
“I’m not taking it back Tempest, so you either lie on it or it stays there with no one using it.”
She bit on her lower lip as she glanced between him and the cloak. Finally, she moved over and settled herself onto it. He went to turn away, but her hand snaked out and grabbed hold of his wrist. “You can… you ah… can lie on it too.” A crimson hue crept over her ivory skin at her offer. “It will keep us both warmer.”
He almost told her no, he didn’t know if he could trust himself lying beside her, but the proposition was too tempting to refuse. He would rather cut off his hand than ever hurt a woman, especially this one, but he still wasn’t exactly sure of himself, or what he might be capable of. He reassured himself there was nothing she could do that would cause him to snap the same way he had against those creatures.
He knew this, but his body was rigid as he knelt on the cloak. He lowered himself to lay beside her. His hand went out to her, but he pulled it back before he could touch her and forced himself to keep it at his side. Lying almost a foot away from her, the heat of her back warmed him far more than the fire ever had. She remained immobile before him, but he knew she was still awake.
***
Tempest stood with William the next day as he showed her the most vulnerable places to attack someone, especially a man. “Kick them between the legs,” he said.
“I knew that,” she replied with a laugh. “I’m not completely daft on how to hurt someone.”
He grinned back at her. “Just make sure you don’t use it on me.”
“I can’t promise anything.”
“Give me everything you’ve got.”
Tempest threw her shoulders back. In her head, she replayed all the things he’d been trying to teach her over the past two days. Eyes, throat, nose, groin, all the places to go for in order to inflict damage and throw an attacker off. The only problem was, he was smiling at her in that way with his dark hair tussled and falling over his forehead. His eyes sparkled in the glow of the fire as he watched her. She found the way he circled her mesmerizing.
Stop staring at him, she scolded herself.
Moving a little to the side, she kept her body loose and flowing as she followed his agile progress around the cave. Darting forward, she kicked him in the shin. He grunted before dancing back as she swung at him. He blocked her punch, knocking her hand aside and grabbing hold of her arm. A startled cry escaped her when he pulled her around and jerked her back up against his chest.
His low chuckle tickled her neck before he released her again. “Better,” he told her. “My shin still stings.”
“Good.”
He laughed as he moved toward the fire and further away from her. “That’s not very nice,” he teased.
She
couldn’t help but smile at him. How could this man laughing and dancing around her be the same one who could become so cool and distant in the tick of a second? She’d witnessed his brutality, seen what he was capable of, yet she’d also felt the tenderness of his touch and the warmth of his smile.
He’d been awake and taking care of Achilles when she’d awoken this morning, but she’d still been able to feel the warmth of his body near hers. The memory caused her body to tingle and brought a smile to her face.
“My shin thanks you for smiling too.”
She laughed; she couldn’t tell him she wasn’t smiling because she’d finally managed to kick him. “I’m sure it does.”
“Come on,” he said and gestured to her again.
The smile slid away from her face as she lifted her hands up like he’d taught her to do. She went at him again, but he blocked her punch before shoving the foot she kicked at him down. Frustration filled her; he blocked her next three punches before she got a glancing blow in against his ribcage.
There was no amusement on his face as he watched her now, moving with her around the cave. His footsteps didn’t make a sound on the rock floor; she felt like an elephant in comparison as she bumped into things, tripped over her own feet, and threw punches at the air.
He caught hold of her fist and held it within his hand. She kicked out at him, grazing the inside of his thigh when he jumped back. “And now my manhood thanks me for avoiding that one.” She laughed and tugged her hand out of his grasp. “Would you like a break?” he inquired.
“Yes.” She walked over to stand against the wall.
She watched him as he tossed another log onto the fire and pulled the canteen full of water off it. He gestured toward her with the bottle and she nodded, a chance to clean herself up sounded wonderful. So did a fresh set of clothes, but that would have to wait until they could finally be free of this cave.
She took the warm water from him and walked down the more narrow section of the cave to a small hollow. The caves stretched on for another hundred feet before dead ending. Pulling off her clothing, she wet a rag and sponged herself off with the warm water before dressing again and returning to the main part of the cave.
William glanced at her from where he sat against the wall when she handed him the canteen. “You’re getting better at protecting yourself, faster,” he said.
“I’m ready to kick some ass.”
“Not so sure about that, but you’ll definitely put up one hell of a fight.”
“That’s something I guess.”
“That’s a lot,” he said as he rose to his feet. “There’s no telling what we’ll discover in your town.”
Her mouth clamped together as her thoughts turned to the children and Pallas. “I wish the storm would break,” she murmured.
And at the same time she dreaded the easing of the storm. She had no idea what awaited them out there, what he would do if he saw Kane again, what would become of them both. In this cave they’d been given a reprieve from the horrors she knew waited for them out there. In here she could almost pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.
He rested his hand on her arm, drawing her attention to him. His eyes were full of concern as he squeezed her arm. “The children will be fine.”
She couldn’t stop her lower lip from trembling when she spoke, “I know.”
He stepped closer to her, enveloping her in a hug that stole all her reason. At first, she remained rigid, uncertain what it was he wanted from her, but when he continued to hold her, rocking her a tiny bit in his grasp, she relaxed against him. Her cheek turned into his chest; a sound of content escaped her as she inhaled the scent of fire clinging to his clothes. His hands ran over her hair, smoothing it back from her face when he pulled back to look at her.
I will not stare at his mouth, she told herself. “Will you be ok?” she asked. “If you see Kane?”
The mere mention of his name caused the warm man to vanish instantly. His eyes hardened; his jaw clenched. He never said a word, he didn’t have to; she’d already gotten her answer from his reaction. Her hands dug into his back, trying to keep him from withdrawing, but it was already too late for that.
“I’ll be fine,” he replied tersely. Tempest’s hands slid down to her side; a lump wedged in her throat when he stepped away from her. “I’m going to clean up.”
Her heart ached as she watched him slip away into the back of the cave. She didn’t want to care for him. She was petrified he’d get himself killed if he went after Kane, but watching his back fade away into the shadows, she knew it was too late for her; she already cared for him more than she should.
CHAPTER 16
Tempest woke to the muffled sounds coming from behind her. She rolled over to face William. He was turned toward her, one hand beneath his head and the other on the ground. His foot kicked out suddenly, nearly connecting with her before it jerked back. His forehead creased, his mouth pursed. In the flickering light of the fire, she could see the glistening tip of one of his fangs over his bottom lip.
“No,” he murmured. His fist lifted and hit the floor. His body jerked as if he’d been stabbed, which he had. That must have been what the nightmare was about, she realized. “Dad.”
Her throat clogged with tears as his face scrunched further in anguish. Sorrow radiated from him as his foot kicked out again, and his upper lip skimmed back to reveal his fangs. She reached out with the purpose of waking him, but the second her hand fell upon his skin, the lines smoothed from his face, his hands unfurled and his mouth relaxed.
Tempest stared at him in amazement, her hand running over the solid flesh beneath her. The bristly hairs lining his arms tickled her palm; she’d never experienced the sensation before and found it extremely pleasing. He looked so young and vulnerable, so unlike the man she’d come to know. He almost appeared his age in the flickering light of the fire.
She brushed back a strand of his auburn hair and ran her fingers lightly over his face before resting her hand on his arm again. She lay for a long time, listening to the crackle of the fire and watching him in peaceful rest before sleep finally claimed her again.
***
Tempest had fallen back asleep with more distance than she would have liked separating them, but she woke with his arms securely wrapped around her and her nose pressed into his chest. She stared at his tanned skin and the dark sprinkle of hair she could see because the top three buttons of his shirt had come undone. His cloak remained draped around him, but sometime during the night, she’d become entangled within it, or he had wrapped her in it too.
After witnessing his nightmare last night, she doubted he got much sleep. It wouldn’t surprise her if he’d woken and wrapped his cloak around her. The scent of him tickled her nostrils; her fingers involuntarily curled into his shirt where they pressed against his upper abdomen. She should feel embarrassed to find herself so close to him, but she found herself pressing closer.
Her eyes drifted to his full mouth, so inviting and tempting. If she lifted her head a little, she could press her mouth to his and finally ease her curiosity over what it would feel like to taste him. Excitement pulsed to life in her body.
The only thing she could think about right now was kissing this enticing man only inches away from her lips. All he wanted was to kill someone, she reminded herself. Some of her desire fizzled away at the reminder, but her eyes remained latched on his mouth. What was she doing? What was she thinking? He may have been human, he may be younger than she was, but he was stronger than her, and he was determined to see Kane die.
She didn’t know if his strength was because the king, the eldest and strongest of their kind, had turned his sister, then his sister had shared some of that blood with him, perhaps passing on the king’s power. It could also be because he’d done nothing but drive himself to become stronger since being turned. The fact there’d been possible vampire DNA within him before being changed had probably added to his strength.
Whatever it w
as, he was stronger than she was. She could see it in the way he moved, in the speed and vitality he exhibited when he worked with her. She could feel it in the ripples of power running through him.
He may be stronger than her, as well as many of the other vampires who resided in her town, but he wasn’t stronger than Kane. She’d met them both; she knew the power and ability each of the men possessed. Her hands tensed on his shirt. She couldn’t lose him. They hadn’t known each other for long, but she’d spent more time with him in the past few days than she had with most everyone else over the past three years.
She liked him. He was severe and unrelenting sometimes, but also kind and caring. He made her laugh; she enjoyed his easygoing smile and the sound of his deep, resonating laugh. She’d only heard him laugh a couple of times, but when he did, she couldn’t help but smile in response.
She didn’t have to lift her eyes to know he was awake, she’d somehow become attuned to reading the subtle differences in his body and movements. There had been a faint flex of his muscles when his eyes had fluttered open. She could feel his eyes on her; she half expected him to release her, but he didn’t move away.
“Do you really have to go after him?” Her voice sounded choked as she tried to get the words out around the lump in her throat.
He didn’t bother to ask who. “Yes.”
She closed her eyes, but they flew open again when his fingers brushed over her cheek. He pushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen over her face during the night. She lifted her eyes to his. In the dim light of the cave, the startling sapphire of his eyes was vibrant. They robbed her of any ability to reason as she stared into their swirling blue depths.
Pinned by his stare, she found she couldn’t move away from the heat enveloping her. He would protect her from anything, except from himself, she realized. He was on a one-way mission, and if she kept allowing herself to get closer to him, she would end up being the one hurt in the end.