Bound in Darkness (Bound #2)(19)

She felt something wet on her cheek. Allison swiped the back of her hand over her face, and when she looked down, blood stained her fingers.

Humans didn’t cry tears of blood.

“Wh-what about you?” She hated to ask, but she had bitten him, and he’d bitten her. What if she’d…changed him?

What if he turned into the one thing he hated more than anything else?

His eyes narrowed. “What about me?”

“Will you become…like me? Because I swear, I never meant—”

He laughed then, and some of the tension eased from his face. “I won’t turn into a vampire, no matter how many times I’m bitten.”

Her shoulders sagged.

“It doesn’t work that way for my kind. We can’t change but…” Now he rubbed his chin. “I have heard a story about another werewolf down in Florida…”

“What story?”

He buttoned and zipped up his jeans. “Seemed he married a pureblood vampire and by drinking her blood, the guy made himself even stronger.”

Her heartbeat kicked up. Last night, she’d been only thinking about him and pleasure. But just what had Cade been planning? “Is that why you bit me?” Anger began to simmer in her gut.

Where the hell were her clothes?

Oh, yeah, right. Pretty much burned to bits. So she’d keep having this awkward conversation wrapped in a sheet.

He stalked toward her. Didn’t touch her. Just came close enough that she could feel the hot warmth of his flesh. “I wasn’t trying to get a power boost last night.”

“No?” Crap. She sounded way too hopeful. She could play this semi-cool. “Then what were you doing?”

His jaw clenched. “Claiming you.”

Um…

“I’m taking care of this witch,” he told her, “I’m gonna make sure that she never comes after you again, and then…” His hand lifted. Brushed over her cheek. “Then you and I—we’re gonna work this thing out between us.”

“This thing?” The guy didn’t exactly have a golden way with words.

He pressed a kiss to her lips. An open-mouthed-I-want-more kiss. “You want me. I’m f*cking burning alive with need for you.”

Okay, better. Her lips curled. A girl liked to hear some occasional sweet—or hot—things from the guy who’d fought his way past her defenses.

And into her heart?

Don’t go there. Not now. Focus.

“So let’s take her out,” Allison said and this time, she was the one to kiss him. Her kiss lasted longer. “Because I’m tired of looking over my shoulder.” She wanted to look ahead, instead.

To a future? A few days ago, Allison would never have thought that possible. But now…

What if she could have a future, with Cade?

That was sure as hell something worth fighting for.

But first…Allison caught the hand that he’d put to her cheek. She entwined her fingers with his. Stared deeply into his eyes. “I won’t ever let another vampire hurt you.” She needed to say this. To make him understand.

She wasn’t like the others. No matter what happened, she wouldn’t become like them.

And they’d damn well never attack him with silver again on her watch.

“So tough.” His smile had her heart jumping in her chest. “I think I’m rubbing off on you.”

“Maybe you are.” Or maybe the vamp in her was just developing her own killer instincts.

Kill to protect what was hers? Yes, she would. Because she was definitely starting to think of Cade as hers.

“Let’s find me some clothes,” Allison said. There had to be some kind of store around there somewhere, right? “Then we’ll hunt the bitch.” And part of her nightmare would end.

Then she could deal with what was becoming, had become.

A monster who wasn’t afraid to kill.

***

Tracking the witch wasn’t hard. Once they made it back to town, Cade made short work of finding Elsa’s scent trail. Actually, finding her scent was a little too easy. Elsa should have covered her tracks better.

He stared up at the old Victorian house near the edge of town. Lights glowed through the windows, firing out through the stained glass on the second floor.

He’d followed the scent of ash and power all the way back to this place. Elsa waited inside. But the witch wasn’t alone.

The scent of blood was far too strong.

Vampires.

His wolf pushed to break free.

Allison’s hand pressed against his shoulder. “What is it?”

He didn’t look away from the house. He’d wanted Allison with him because he’d been afraid Elsa would trick them and attack again. Leaving Allison behind to be a sitting duck hadn’t been his f*cking plan.

But leading her straight into a nest of vampires wasn’t an option, either.

He inhaled, catching all the scents and said, “There are four vamps in there with her.” The scent of those vamps was so strong that it nearly overpowered everything else.

He caught the ragged sigh of her breath.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, they won’t be a problem for long.” Not once he ripped their heads right off their bodies.

Her nails dug through his shirt and into his flesh. “You can’t take them all on.”