Chapter Three
Kadie sighed as she made the last edits on the summer brochure she had spent the last two weeks working on.
Her career had undergone a lot of changes since she stumbled across the Morgan Creek bridge one rainy night.
She had gone from freelance photographer to Chief Executive of Advertising for the town.
Not only did the job give her a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but the pictures she took were partly responsible for drawing people to Morgan Creek.
Her photographs had even won an award or two.
But none of that mattered now, she thought, as she glanced out the living room window into the darkness beyond.
Something was terribly wrong with the man she adored and she had no idea what was causing his distress or how to help him.
He became more withdrawn every day and frequently snapped at her when she asked questions he couldn’t answer.
From the little he had told her, she knew he was fighting an internal struggle of some kind, that some inner demon was tormenting him, urging him to kill his prey, to wreak havoc on the town, to unleash the ruthless vampire he had been centuries ago before he learned to control his rage and his hunger.
She was afraid to think of what Rylan was capable of if he surrendered to those impulses.
She knew how powerful he was, how unrelenting he could be.
She had been afraid of him the first time she saw him, afraid of the preternatural power that radiated from him.
He had kept her here, in Morgan Creek, against her will, and she had hated him for it.
Only gradually, as she was forced to be in his presence, had she seen the softer side of him that few ever witnessed.
Over time, her hatred had turned to compassion and then love.
And because she couldn’t think of living without him, she had accepted the Dark Gift, not once, but twice.
She felt his presence before he materialized in the room.
For a moment, her breath caught in her throat.
She told herself there was nothing to fear.
He would never hurt her. But she sensed the turmoil within him, knew the war he was waging inside.
And though she hated to admit it, she was afraid of him again.
His gaze swept over the papers and photographs spread out on the coffee table in front of her.
And then his eyes, those dark, penetrating eyes, settled on her.
He was a handsome man, tall and broad-shouldered, his hair long and inky black, his eyes like deep pools of ebony.
A thin white scar ran from the outer edge of his left eye, down his cheek, and disappeared under his shirt collar.
“Kadie.” His voice was as deep and rich as black velvet.
Try as she might to hide it, he sensed her fear. She heard the pain that it caused him in the gruffness of his voice. “Rylan...”
He raked his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t go on like this. Vampires rarely fed on other vampires yet the temptation to drink from Kadie – to drink it all – was a constant torment. He craved the taste of her blood. It was warmer, sweeter, and far more satisfying than any other.
He groaned low in his throat. “Kadie, what am I going to do?”
“Have you heard anything from Izabela?”
“No.” He paced the floor in front of the hearth, trying to ignore the tantalizing scent of Kadie’s blood, the fragrance of her hair and skin, the concern in her beautiful brown eyes, the way her sweater clung to her breasts. He could take her bed and take it all....
With a vile oath, he vanished from the room.
Kadie felt herself slowly relax and hated herself for it.
And then she burst into tears. How long could they go on like this?
How long before his control shattered? Perhaps if she left Morgan Creek, it would help.
But where would she go? No matter how far she went, he would always be able to find her.
It reminded her of a conversation they’d had early in their relationship. She had begged him to let her go home for a visit....
He’d taken her hands in his. “Before I take you home, there’s one thing you need to know.”
“What’s that?”
“Should you decide to make a run for it, I will always be able to find you. No matter where you go, I will be able to hunt you down.”
“Hunt me down? I don’t think I like the sound of that. It makes me feel like…”
“Prey?”
She had nodded.
“I’m a vampire, Kadie. A predator. Humans are what I prey on.”
“I know.” She looked at their joined hands. His so large and strong. Hers small, powerless in the grip of his. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because if you decide to take off during the day in hopes of escaping me, it won’t work. You’re mine,” he said, an odd note of regret in his voice. “And you’ll be mine for as long as it pleases me.”
She knew what Saintcrow had said then was still true now.
Just as she knew that if Rylan lost control and destroyed her, it would destroy him, as well.
~ * ~
Saintcrow paused, the woman in his arms momentarily forgotten as he sensed Kadie’s distress.
He cursed softly. He had known for a long time that she was afraid of him again.
Reading her thoughts tonight only confirmed it.
The hell of it was, she was right to be afraid.
How many nights had he fled their bed for fear of hurting her?
Denying himself the pleasure of her body only added to the tension thrumming through him.
He swore again. Hunger and desire were closely linked in their kind, one kind of hunger often awakening the other.
A breath of wind stirred the scent of his prey’s blood and he glanced down at the woman.
He had bitten her a moment before. The bright red of her blood stained her neck.
With a savage growl, he lowered his head to her throat and drank.
Hot, fresh blood. There was nothing like it in all the world.
He closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of it, the power of it.
Only when the woman moaned softly did sanity return. Lifting his head, he stared down at her. Her skin was too pale, her heartbeat too slow, her breathing erratic. Why not take it all? She was nearly dead now.
He was lowering his head to her throat again when he heard Kadie’s voice in his mind.
Rylan! No! Please, don’t!
Muttering an oath, he bit into his wrist, and spoke to the woman’s mind, commanding her to drink. She obeyed because she had no choice. Gradually, the color returned to her cheeks, her heartbeat grew stronger, her breathing more regular.
Capturing her confused gaze with his, he said, “You will forget this happened. You will forget me. Do you understand...?” He searched her mind for her name. “Lillian?”
She nodded.
“Do you understand?” he asked again, his voice gruff.
“Yes.”
“Then go home and get something to drink,” he said and gave her a little push.
Staggering a bit, she made her way out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.
Damn, damn, damn. That had been close. He licked the blood from his lips, wondering how he was going to face Kadie after what he’d almost done.
Perhaps the answer was not to go home, he thought.
She would be safe then. He would block the blood link between them.
In time, she would forget him. Perhaps the better option would be to wipe his memory from her mind.
Pain speared through him at the thought. They had shared much together. Life would not be worth living without her. But she would be safe, he mused, with a bitter smile.
Letting her go. Yes, that was the answer.
But not before he made love to her one last time.
~ * ~
Kadie looked up, a question in her eyes when Saintcrow entered the living room.
“I let her go,” he said.
Kadie flinched at the restless look in his eyes, the low growl in his voice.
He was angry with her. There had been a time when they hunted together, but lately, he preferred to go alone.
And tonight was the reason why. He didn’t want her to be there if he lost control.
Hunting in wolf form, she thought suddenly.
Maybe that was the answer. If all he needed was to kill something, maybe a few rabbits would suffice.
He frowned at her. “You want to go hunt rabbits?”
“I just thought–”
“That spilling some blood might help.”
She shrugged one shoulder.
“What the hell. You might be right.” Moving to the front door, he opened it.
An instant later, a large, black wolf stood before her. It never failed to amaze her, how quickly he could change from man to wolf. Either way, he was beautiful. Rising, she closed her eyes and let the change take her.
Ready? he asked, speaking to her mind.
Ready!
She followed him outside, waiting while he butted the door closed with his head.
A low yip, and he headed for the jagged mountains that rose behind the house.
Hard to believe the thought of turning into a wolf had once frightened her.
Now, she loved it. Loved the wildness, the feel of the ground beneath her paws.
Her preternatural senses were enhanced in her wolf form.
They ran effortlessly, side by side. He was the first to scent game. She fell back and let him give chase. It took only moments for him to overtake the jackrabbit. He killed it quickly, then looked at her, ears cocked.
Kadie shook her head. It’s your kill. Enjoy.
A few quick bites and the rabbit was gone.
He wiped his bloody muzzle on a patch of yellow grass and headed for higher ground.
Kadie followed, hoping, praying, that shedding the blood of the rabbit and whatever other game they flushed would somehow satisfy his urge to kill.
They hunted an hour or two before returning home.
When they reached the front door, he shifted back to his human form to open it. Kadie followed him inside and resumed her own form. Taking him by the hand, she led him into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
She shivered with anticipation as they undressed each other and stepped under the spray.
She washed him from head to foot. He was a gorgeous hunk of man, his hair long and thick and black, his arms and legs well-muscled his belly hard and flat, his chest sculpted and perfect.
He washed her in return, then swung her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
Kneeling, he lowered her to the floor, his eyes glowing a faint red as he straddled her hips, then bent down and claimed her lips with his.
They had made love many times through the years but tonight was different. He was rough though he didn’t hurt her, then tender, showering her with kisses as he caressed and aroused her. When he took her, it was as if he was claiming her for the first time all over again, branding her his.
They were both sated and breathing heavily when an oath was torn from his lips. Rearing back, he fought the urge to drink from her.... And lost.
Kadie tensed as his fangs sank into her throat. A tremor went through him and she knew he was fighting the impulse to take it all. Her first instinct was to fight, but she knew him, knew that resisting could be fatal. Instead, she went limp, whispering that she loved him, would always love him.
He froze, his restless gaze seeking hers.
And then he was gone.