Warrior (Relentless #4)(227)

I went back inside and pulled the bolt to lock us in. The cabin had warmed considerably since I set the fire, and I was glad to see Sara was starting to get some color back into her cheeks.

Wind shook the cabin. Sara looked up at the ceiling when the beams creaked.

“It’s the wyvern,” I told her as I added wood to the fire. “I think it’s guarding you.”

If I hadn’t seen it myself, I might not have believed it. Wyverns could be trained to hunt vampires, but they were unpredictable, and only the most experienced handlers worked with them. Even a well-trained wyvern didn’t protect someone of its own accord. I was deeply grateful for this one. He’d saved Sara’s life when he carried her away, whether or not he knew what he was doing.

Sara pulled the quilt up to her chin, reminding me she still needed dry clothes. There were no clothes in the chest, so I went to a tall cabinet in the corner where I found several folded men’s flannel shirts. I grabbed one and a towel and went back to kneel in front of her.

She didn’t speak when I pushed the quilt off her shoulders. As I dressed her in the shirt, I was aware of the curve of her breasts above her bra, but my only thought was getting her warm. I buttoned the shirt and smiled when I saw how it engulfed her. If she stood, it would probably come to mid-thigh.

Reaching for one arm then the other, I rolled up the sleeves for her. That done, I covered her with the quilt again and sat behind her to dry her hair with the towel. I stretched out my legs on either side of her and shifted us so she was facing the fire. Then I took up the towel and began to use it on her hair.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes. The longer we sat there, the more I dwelled on how close I’d come to losing her. My throat tightened, and I wanted to hug her to me until the pain in my chest went away.

“When I saw the wyvern carry you away I thought I’d lost you,” I said roughly. “And then I saw you lying in the snow.”

Her voice was as raw as mine when she spoke. “How did you find me?”

“I killed the rest of the vampires and headed in the direction the wyvern went with you. I can cover a lot of ground on foot, but there are hundreds of square miles of forest out here, and he didn’t leave a trail.”

I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about how I would have missed her had I gone in a different direction.

“It was sheer luck that I found where he landed by the river. The broken branches and footprints in the snow told me what way you’d gone.”

“What about the others? Do you think they’re okay?”

I stopped toweling. “Yes. Half the vampires went after you. Chris and the others would have been able to handle the rest. I’m sure Chris contacted Westhorne, and Tristan has half of the stronghold out there looking for us by now.”

“I promised Emma I would keep her safe, and I left her there,” she said in a heavy voice.

I resumed drying her hair. “You didn’t leave her; you were taken. Emma will understand.”

She leaned back against me with a sigh. “Do you think we’ll be safe here?”

“I don’t think we have anything to worry about. If any vampires did survive and somehow manage to find us, they are not getting past the wyvern.”

She fell silent again, and I finished drying her hair. It was still a little damp, but the fire would take care of that soon. I tossed the wet towel on the rough wooden floor and laid my hands on her shoulders.

“How do you feel?”

“One of the vampires shot me with a dart and now I can’t use my power,” she said in a choked voice.

Alarm filled me. They shot her?

“What do you mean? It’s gone?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

She swallowed. “It’s there but I can’t touch it or use it. What if…?”

I put my arms around her, holding her close. The knowledge that vampires had a drug to disable her power scared the hell out of me. But I couldn’t let her see that.

“We’ll contact Eldeorin when we get home. It’s obviously something that affects Fae magic, and he’ll know what to do.”

I felt her body relax.

“I thought you didn’t like him,” she said.

“For you, I’ll tolerate him.” Unable to resist the bare skin so close to my lips, I kissed her throat beneath her ear.

Her breath hitched, and my body instantly warmed in response. I imagined laying her down beside the fire and removing that shirt I’d dressed her in.

Groaning inwardly, I stood and put more wood on the fire. Then I went to one of the twin beds. It was colder over on this side of the room, but the mattress would make a comfortable bed for Sara by the fire. I planned to stay awake all night to keep watch.

I looked at her and forgot what I was thinking. Framed by the fire, her damp hair fell around her shoulders in wild disarray. With the quilt hanging off one shoulder and a bare thigh peeking out from the bottom, she was a vision of sweet seduction.

But it was the look she gave me that stole my breath and made my pulse race. Emerald eyes met mine before they moved down my body to linger on my bare stomach. Her gaze was like a caress against my skin, and my body hardened in response.

Tearing my eyes from her, I turned to the bed to hide the evidence of her effect on me. I forced my heart to slow its crazy dance as I lifted the mattress and carried it over to the hearth. Then I went to the chest and took out a pillow, a blanket, and a quilt.