was a beast, a man with the shadow of a beast.
Annika wanted her strength as she never had, wanted to kill it so slowly . The beast pawed at Lucia’s face. Annika couldn’t bear to—
It was trying to brush away Lucia’s tears ? He lifted her, then crossed to a corner, tucking her behind a table.
Why wasn’t it ripping her throat out?
It reared up with a terrible fury and launched itself at the vampires, fighting beside a shocked, but quickly adapting Regin until the two vampire followers were decapitated. Ivo and the horned one traced away, fleeing . Enigmatic Lothaire merely nodded, then disappeared.
The Lykae sprang for Lucia, then crouched beside her as she stared up in awe and horror. When Annika closed her eyes and opened them once more, it had disappeared, leaving Lucia shaking.
“What the fuck?” Regin cried, circling around as though shell-shocked.
Just then Kaderin the Coldhearted arrived, jogging up the glass-covered porch. Ever blessed to feel no raw emotions, she chided gently, “Language, Regin.” Then she entered the war zone, and even she raised an eyebrow as she leisurely drew her swords from the thin sheaths at her back.
“Annika!” Regin cried, digging through brick. Annika strained to answer but couldn’t. She’d never felt so helpless, never been beaten so badly.
“What has happened here?” Kaderin demanded, searching for a kill yet holding her swords so loosely, her wrists fluid as she swirled them in tight circles. When Lucia crawled out from behind the table, Kaderin backed her way to her.
“Vampires attacked. And you just missed the Lykae on top of all this,” Regin sputtered, digging frantically. “The fucking monster mash— Annika ?”
Annika managed to work a hand out of the rubble. Regin gripped it, hauling her free.
Dimly, Annika spied Nïx perched on the rail of the stairs above. She called down in a petulant tone, “How inconsiderate not to wake me when we are entertaining.”
Emma woke precisely at sundown, frowning as she recalled the details of the morning. Hazily, she remembered Lachlain’s big, warm hands kneading the stiffness from her muscles, making her moan as he’d rubbed her neck and back.
Perhaps Lachlain wasn’t the insanely brutish animal she thought him. She’d known he wanted to make love to her—she’d felt how badly—yet he’d refrained. Then later, she’d sensed him returning from the shower and climbing in bed with her. His skin had still been damp and so warm as he’d tucked her bottom into his lap and placed her head on his outstretched arm. She’d felt his erection growing behind her. He’d grated a foreign word as though he cursed it, but he’d never acted on his desire.
She’d been distinctly aware that he’d lain between her and the window, and as he drew her to his chest, she’d felt…
protected.
Just when she thought she had him figured out, he did something to surprise her.
She opened her eyes and sat up, then blinked as if the scene couldn’t be right. If he noticed she’d woken, he didn’t indicate it, just continued sitting in the corner in the dark, watching her with glowing eyes. Disbelieving her night vision, she reached for the bedside lamp. It lay crushed beside the bed.
She’d seen correctly. The room was…destroyed.
What had happened? What could make him do this?
“Get dressed. We leave in twenty minutes.” He rose wearily, nearly stumbling as his leg seemed to give out, then limped to the door.
“But, Lachlain…”
The door closed behind him.
She stared, bewildered, at the claw marks in the walls, the floor, the furniture. Everything was rent to pieces.
She looked down. Well, not everything. Her belongings sat behind the savaged chair as though he’d hidden them away, knowing what was about to come. The blanket he’d strung up over the curtains sometime last night still hung where it added another safeguard against the sun. And the bed? Claw marks, mattress foam, and feathers
Annika wanted her strength as she never had, wanted to kill it so slowly . The beast pawed at Lucia’s face. Annika couldn’t bear to—
It was trying to brush away Lucia’s tears ? He lifted her, then crossed to a corner, tucking her behind a table.
Why wasn’t it ripping her throat out?
It reared up with a terrible fury and launched itself at the vampires, fighting beside a shocked, but quickly adapting Regin until the two vampire followers were decapitated. Ivo and the horned one traced away, fleeing . Enigmatic Lothaire merely nodded, then disappeared.
The Lykae sprang for Lucia, then crouched beside her as she stared up in awe and horror. When Annika closed her eyes and opened them once more, it had disappeared, leaving Lucia shaking.
“What the fuck?” Regin cried, circling around as though shell-shocked.
Just then Kaderin the Coldhearted arrived, jogging up the glass-covered porch. Ever blessed to feel no raw emotions, she chided gently, “Language, Regin.” Then she entered the war zone, and even she raised an eyebrow as she leisurely drew her swords from the thin sheaths at her back.
“Annika!” Regin cried, digging through brick. Annika strained to answer but couldn’t. She’d never felt so helpless, never been beaten so badly.
“What has happened here?” Kaderin demanded, searching for a kill yet holding her swords so loosely, her wrists fluid as she swirled them in tight circles. When Lucia crawled out from behind the table, Kaderin backed her way to her.
“Vampires attacked. And you just missed the Lykae on top of all this,” Regin sputtered, digging frantically. “The fucking monster mash— Annika ?”
Annika managed to work a hand out of the rubble. Regin gripped it, hauling her free.
Dimly, Annika spied Nïx perched on the rail of the stairs above. She called down in a petulant tone, “How inconsiderate not to wake me when we are entertaining.”
Emma woke precisely at sundown, frowning as she recalled the details of the morning. Hazily, she remembered Lachlain’s big, warm hands kneading the stiffness from her muscles, making her moan as he’d rubbed her neck and back.
Perhaps Lachlain wasn’t the insanely brutish animal she thought him. She’d known he wanted to make love to her—she’d felt how badly—yet he’d refrained. Then later, she’d sensed him returning from the shower and climbing in bed with her. His skin had still been damp and so warm as he’d tucked her bottom into his lap and placed her head on his outstretched arm. She’d felt his erection growing behind her. He’d grated a foreign word as though he cursed it, but he’d never acted on his desire.
She’d been distinctly aware that he’d lain between her and the window, and as he drew her to his chest, she’d felt…
protected.
Just when she thought she had him figured out, he did something to surprise her.
She opened her eyes and sat up, then blinked as if the scene couldn’t be right. If he noticed she’d woken, he didn’t indicate it, just continued sitting in the corner in the dark, watching her with glowing eyes. Disbelieving her night vision, she reached for the bedside lamp. It lay crushed beside the bed.
She’d seen correctly. The room was…destroyed.
What had happened? What could make him do this?
“Get dressed. We leave in twenty minutes.” He rose wearily, nearly stumbling as his leg seemed to give out, then limped to the door.
“But, Lachlain…”
The door closed behind him.
She stared, bewildered, at the claw marks in the walls, the floor, the furniture. Everything was rent to pieces.
She looked down. Well, not everything. Her belongings sat behind the savaged chair as though he’d hidden them away, knowing what was about to come. The blanket he’d strung up over the curtains sometime last night still hung where it added another safeguard against the sun. And the bed? Claw marks, mattress foam, and feathers
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