Unbound (The Captive #7)(63)

He had to leave the caves to hunt the animals now as the ones within had either already been captured or they’d fled. He hated going above and taking the risk of exposing them, but there was no other choice.

As he fed Braith the blood, he studied his brother. Despite the passing of time, Braith looked no different than he had over a week ago. His body wasn’t decomposing as their father’s had, or as any other normal vampire would be by now. His skin was still as pale as snow and his lips colorless, but they were the same hue they’d been when he’d first died. Jack didn’t know if Braith’s eyes were still cloudy; he’d finally gotten them to stay closed. He couldn’t bring himself to look into their unseeing depths anymore.

Maybe this lack of decomposition would happen with every vampire who died and was given blood afterward, but he doubted it. This was something more than normal; he just wasn’t sure what yet, and he refused to get his hopes up.

Jack didn’t like doing this, but he wouldn’t stop until he knew for certain if Braith would rise again or not. Draining the last drop from the animal, he rose back to his feet.

Hannah watched him as he walked across the cavern and into one of the tunnels. She remained behind when he opened the gate and returned to the surface with the animal carcass. Running through the woods, he traveled a mile before discarding the remains. His gaze lifted to the sky and the fading stars as the night crept toward dawn. The fresh air felt good against his skin, but he couldn’t remain here.

Turning away, he sped back to the dank tunnels and plunged inside, eager to return to Hannah and assure himself she was safe. If he never set foot in a cave again for the rest of his life when this was over, he would be perfectly content with that. He’d done fine amongst these caves when he’d been a renegade from his father’s rule. Now, he despised every dark turn, mineral scent, and rock in the damn thing.

He opened the gate again and closed it behind him before rejoining Hannah in the main cavern. As the days wore on, her skin became paler, more like the ivory complexion it had been when he’d first met her, and less of the golden hue it had become since she’d started venturing into the sun.

She’d also taken to staying further and further away from Braith’s body. She didn’t complain about their conditions or their current situation, but he could tell that it wore on her. He’d promised her a better life, and so far, he was failing her. She’d been kept away from the sun that would destroy her without his blood for most of her life. She’d finally found a measure of freedom, and now she was being locked away again.

Walking across the cavern, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into his arms. She kissed his neck as he carried her up the rocks to one of the tunnels above. “We’ll leave here soon,” he promised her.

“Will we be able to?” she asked. “We can’t leave Braith here, and it seems nothing is safe anymore.”

“Nothing is right now, but it will be again,” he promised.

She rested her hand against his cheek. He found himself mesmerized by her jade eyes as she studied him. “If it’s not, I want you to know these months with you have been the best of my life.”

“There will be many more,” he grated through his teeth, refusing to think of the possibility that there may not be much time left for them.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “There will be.”

He placed her on the thick furs and blankets he’d set out as bedding for them. Kicking off his shoes, he crawled onto the furs to join her. He’d gotten little sleep over the past week and would get little again now, but she had to rest and she was unable to do so without him beside her.

Running his hands over her back, he massaged the tight muscles he uncovered there until he worked them loose and she released a blissful sigh. Jack brushed her silken hair back from her neck to expose the bite marks he’d left on her this morning. A thrill of possession went through him as he pulled her closer against his chest.

She was settling against him when he heard the faintest click from one of the tunnels below. He rolled Hannah to the side before leaping to his feet. Snatching two of the stakes from the supply he kept stashed near their bedding, he hurried to the end of the tunnel and looked out on the cavern below him. From here he couldn’t see Braith’s body, but he had a good view of the rest of the cavern. Nothing moved and the only sound he heard was the crackling fire on the torch he’d left below.

“Stay here,” he said to Hannah sharply when she came up behind him.

“Jack…”

He didn’t wait to hear what she had to say as he rested his hand on the rock closest to him and leapt over it. He scurried over and around the rocks as he made his way steadily downward, his gaze constantly darting over the cave around him while he listened for another sound. Moving around another set of rocks, he spotted Braith where he had left him.

Another sound brought his attention to the tunnel beyond Braith, the one he had just used to return to the caves. Something clicked before scraping across rock. Jack’s lips skimmed back to reveal his fangs as he made his way toward the tunnel.

His gaze went to where Hannah was making her way toward him. He held his hand up and shook his head at her. Stay, he mouthed and she glared at him.

Poking his head around the corner and into the tunnel, he listened for more noise. Nothing sounded within the shadows, but he could feel something in the darkness, waiting for him. He glanced back at Hannah to make sure she remained a safe distance from the tunnel.