Bound in Death (Bound #5)(32)

Her steps were soundless as she slipped through the woods. She expected some of Alerac’s pack to come at her, but they didn’t. Maybe it was her lucky night. She’d eluded them easily enough.

Or maybe she’d just caught them unprepared because they hadn’t been expecting her to do a header out of the window. Whatever.

Jane barely breathed as she approached the cabin on the ridge. A small cabin, its exterior dark. But…

The growls were coming from that place.

So was the scent of blood.

She eased toward the narrow window. Faint light shone from behind that glass, and when she leaned closer, pushing up on her tip toes, Jane saw— Alerac. With his claws slicing toward the throat of a man with blond hair. A man with fangs. A man who turned his head at that exact moment.

The man’s eyes—blue, bright—met hers.

“Keira.”

She could have sworn that she heard his whisper in her mind.

Alerac’s claws were flying toward the man’s throat.

“No!” Jane screamed and pounded on the window.

The glass shattered, flying inward.

“Let him go!” She’d cut her hands on the glass. Blood dripped from her fingers.

Alerac’s head turned toward her. His eyes widened.

This scene—it was just like the scenes from her visions. Alerac, killing.

A river of blood that never stopped.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Please.”

Then hard hands grabbed her. She kicked back, landing a hard blow to someone’s shin, but her captor didn’t free her. He spun her around to face him.

She found herself staring at Liam’s furious face. “You shouldn’t be here!”

Screw that. It was her life. She wasn’t going to be locked in any room while the werewolves decided her fate. She tried to break free. Liam didn’t let her go.

Liam…

He’d been in those visions. He’d taken the blood from the vampires, too. He’d fed, just like Alerac had.

And Liam’s eyes were already dropping to her throat.

No!

She slammed her head into his and punched him in the gut as hard as she could. He stumbled back, and she raced into the cabin.

Alerac stood frozen, with his claws less than an inch from the blond-haired man’s throat.

“Don’t kill him!” Jane yelled.

“Keira,” the man whispered. The word almost sounded like a prayer.

The name still meant nothing to her.

But that man…his eyes…he mattered to her. She knew it, deep inside.

“Please,” she took a cautious step toward Alerac. “Let him go.”

The floor creaked behind her. Then Liam’s arms wrapped around her once more. “No more head butts,” he snapped into her right ear. “I think you broke my freakin’ nose.”

Alerac’s gaze jerked to Liam’s arms. Then to Jane’s face. “Take Jane back to the main house,” he ordered. “Now.”

The blond man broke free of Alerac’s hold. His fangs flashed—definitely a vampire—as he backed into the far corner. He frowned at her. “Who’s Jane?”

I am.

Liam tried to pull her toward the door. Jane dug in her heels and got ready to do more damage to the werewolf’s nose.

“Let her go!” The sharp order came from the blond vampire. Then he was there, right in front of Jane. He’d moved so quickly. Vamp fast. And he wasn’t waiting for Liam to follow his order. The vampire grabbed Liam’s right arm. Broke it. Then he pulled Jane against his chest.

“You’re alive.” The vampire was trembling against her. His scent filled her nose. He smelled like the ocean. The scent reassured her.

He reassured her.

And she had no memory of him at all.

But she found her hands wanting to rise. Wanting to hold tight to him.

“She doesn’t remember,” Alerac said as the wood of the floor creaked beneath his approaching feet. “You know the spell that was put on her. She doesn’t remember a damn thing, Ryan.”

Ryan. She tilted her head back. Stared up at him.

“I think she remembers me,” the one called Ryan murmured. “Don’t you, Keira?”

There was blood on his mouth. She hadn’t noticed it before. Her gaze dropped to that blood, then she looked over at Alerac.

His neck was bleeding.

The vampire had taken his blood. She’d thought that Alerac was the one attacking, but had he just been defending himself?

The vampires want you dead. Alerac had told her that before.

He’d also saved her life.

And in your visions, he killed vampires.

“She doesn’t remember,” Alerac said again, voice rougher.

Jane glanced back into Ryan’s eyes, so like the ones that she saw when she looked into a mirror. “I don’t remember you,” she told him, almost hating to say the words.

Pain flashed over his handsome face. “But you remember him?” He threw a hard glare toward Alerac.

“She remembers nothing.” Alerac reached for her. His claws were out, but his hands were incredibly gentle as he pulled her away from Ryan. “Lorcan wanted her to be this way. The bastard thought he’d get to her first.”

Ryan’s eyes had hardened. “But you put him out of commission, didn’t you? I heard that you killed five of his closest allies—”