think you care.” She
grinned. “You forget we can sense these things. You might have been able to
hide your feelings from the others, but not from me.”
Startled, I forgot for a moment
my fear. No, surely Thane didn’t care in the least whether I lived or died.
“You’re mistaken.”
“Shut up, Jane,” Thane shot
back.
I glared at him, my face flushed
with annoyance and humiliation. How I hated him.
The woman tightened her grip
around my waist, painfully bending my ribs. I grimaced, my breath catching, as
I waited for the bones to break. She could kill me so easily, so quickly, so
painfully. And she was wrong, because Thane truly looked as if he didn’t care
in the least. I knew the man, the monster, I knew what he was capable of. The
bodies littering the ground were indication enough.
She stepped back, dragging me
with her until the heels of my boots dug into the damp earth. “One move and I
kill her.”
Thane pulled the dagger from the
sheath on his thigh, and tilted his head to the side, as if trying to decide if
he should have chicken or fish for dinner. “Dare I?” Slowly he turned the
dagger over and over in his hand, while watching us. He looked utterly bored.
“I mean it, Thane,” she
whispered, but I heard the nervousness in her voice. So, the beautiful ones had
emotions after all. I would’ve mocked her fear if I wasn’t terrified for my
life.
He lifted his arm, pointing the
dagger at us and closing one eye. “If I throw it just right…”
The blade hit her in the right
eye before I had time to realize he had thrown it. She screamed, releasing her
hold and stumbling back, the blade quivering in her socket. She started to
reach for the weapon, but Thane was on her before she had a chance to free
herself. Cringing, I looked away right as he reached for her neck. A brief
second later I heard the distinct pop of bone breaking, the shriek of skin
ripping. Then silence.
Thane was barely out of breath
as he strolled by me, no emotion on his face. A cold, heartless monster. “We
should leave.”
“What the hell is going on?” I
demanded, trembling. “Who are you?”
He paused for a moment, his body
and mind attuned to the world around us. How I wished I could sense what he
could.
“Damn, too late.” He leaned down
and scooped up my dagger from the weeds, handing it to me. “Quiet, the other
two are coming.”
“Other two?” I stiffened. He’d
been right all along, there were five. I searched the woods, but could see nor
hear anyone. “Where? How far away?”
“Step into the clearing,” he
demanded, not bothering to answer my question. “We’ll use you as bait.”
I stared at him wide-eyed. Surely
I’d misheard him. “Bait?”
“Go!”
I shoved my dagger into the
sheath at my thigh and then stumbled from the shrubbery. In the small clearing
moonlight filtered through the trees, hitting me fully, almost blindingly.
Nothing. I heard nothing. No movement from the shadows, no sound of
conversation. I started to turn toward Thane to question his instincts when I
heard the unmistakable murmur of voices.
“Now run,” Thane whispered.
He didn’t need to tell me twice.
I turned and bolted. I’d just made it to a deer path when a muscled body
tackled me to the ground. I hit the forest floor hard, my forehead hitting a
root. The pain was instantaneous and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from
crying out. Having tackled me, the blood sucker jumped to his feet, laughing.
“Caught one!”
I flipped around, laying on my
back. Two tall, imposing figures stood above me. I knew I couldn’t fight them,
and to make matters worse, I had the terrible feeling I was going to lose
consciousness.
“Think there are more? I hate
sharing. Where do you think the others went?”
Frantically I searched the dark
woods, trying to find Thane. Where had he gone? Had he merely used me as bait
so he could get away?
“Who the hell knows, or cares. I
say we take her for our…”
His voice
grinned. “You forget we can sense these things. You might have been able to
hide your feelings from the others, but not from me.”
Startled, I forgot for a moment
my fear. No, surely Thane didn’t care in the least whether I lived or died.
“You’re mistaken.”
“Shut up, Jane,” Thane shot
back.
I glared at him, my face flushed
with annoyance and humiliation. How I hated him.
The woman tightened her grip
around my waist, painfully bending my ribs. I grimaced, my breath catching, as
I waited for the bones to break. She could kill me so easily, so quickly, so
painfully. And she was wrong, because Thane truly looked as if he didn’t care
in the least. I knew the man, the monster, I knew what he was capable of. The
bodies littering the ground were indication enough.
She stepped back, dragging me
with her until the heels of my boots dug into the damp earth. “One move and I
kill her.”
Thane pulled the dagger from the
sheath on his thigh, and tilted his head to the side, as if trying to decide if
he should have chicken or fish for dinner. “Dare I?” Slowly he turned the
dagger over and over in his hand, while watching us. He looked utterly bored.
“I mean it, Thane,” she
whispered, but I heard the nervousness in her voice. So, the beautiful ones had
emotions after all. I would’ve mocked her fear if I wasn’t terrified for my
life.
He lifted his arm, pointing the
dagger at us and closing one eye. “If I throw it just right…”
The blade hit her in the right
eye before I had time to realize he had thrown it. She screamed, releasing her
hold and stumbling back, the blade quivering in her socket. She started to
reach for the weapon, but Thane was on her before she had a chance to free
herself. Cringing, I looked away right as he reached for her neck. A brief
second later I heard the distinct pop of bone breaking, the shriek of skin
ripping. Then silence.
Thane was barely out of breath
as he strolled by me, no emotion on his face. A cold, heartless monster. “We
should leave.”
“What the hell is going on?” I
demanded, trembling. “Who are you?”
He paused for a moment, his body
and mind attuned to the world around us. How I wished I could sense what he
could.
“Damn, too late.” He leaned down
and scooped up my dagger from the weeds, handing it to me. “Quiet, the other
two are coming.”
“Other two?” I stiffened. He’d
been right all along, there were five. I searched the woods, but could see nor
hear anyone. “Where? How far away?”
“Step into the clearing,” he
demanded, not bothering to answer my question. “We’ll use you as bait.”
I stared at him wide-eyed. Surely
I’d misheard him. “Bait?”
“Go!”
I shoved my dagger into the
sheath at my thigh and then stumbled from the shrubbery. In the small clearing
moonlight filtered through the trees, hitting me fully, almost blindingly.
Nothing. I heard nothing. No movement from the shadows, no sound of
conversation. I started to turn toward Thane to question his instincts when I
heard the unmistakable murmur of voices.
“Now run,” Thane whispered.
He didn’t need to tell me twice.
I turned and bolted. I’d just made it to a deer path when a muscled body
tackled me to the ground. I hit the forest floor hard, my forehead hitting a
root. The pain was instantaneous and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from
crying out. Having tackled me, the blood sucker jumped to his feet, laughing.
“Caught one!”
I flipped around, laying on my
back. Two tall, imposing figures stood above me. I knew I couldn’t fight them,
and to make matters worse, I had the terrible feeling I was going to lose
consciousness.
“Think there are more? I hate
sharing. Where do you think the others went?”
Frantically I searched the dark
woods, trying to find Thane. Where had he gone? Had he merely used me as bait
so he could get away?
“Who the hell knows, or cares. I
say we take her for our…”
His voice
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