Confusion flooded Kara's weary consciousness as she squinted against the darkness. The sun would be peeking through the corners of her draperies when she got up in the afternoon, so she always kept a nightlight on in her chamber. Normally, she didn't go to sleep until practically dawn, when she was certain the hunters had all returned safely.
She struggled to sit up and moaned in agony as her neck and shoulder hurt. Her right hand fell limply at her side despite her attempts to bring it to her neck. As flashes of the previous night's events filled her mind, her left hand flitted up to the bandage there.
She choked back a scream since she wasn't in her room or apartment. Even if Joseph was there, he couldn't have known that she was awake.
Kara had to restrain herself from jumping out of bed and running into the night as she pushed herself to do so. She initially needed to get familiar with her surroundings. She would definitely stand out if she jumped out of bed in a hurry and wouldn't get anywhere.
She didn't move as her eyes focused on the little flecks of light coming from the door across the room. Over time, the nightstand next to her began to take form, followed by the chair.
She felt a rush of adrenaline. Inhabitant occupied the chair. She could see their big shoulders and hear their faint breathing. Her strong arm sank through the blankets with its fingers. Joseph, was it?
She didn't know why he would keep her alive, but if he had, it meant that she would eventually experience worse atrocities than what had occurred in the alley. Her future would be much more unknown if Joseph wasn't there and she wasn't there.
She moved the blanket out of the way and lowered her feet to the ground. She swayed as a wave of dizziness swept over her. In an effort to maintain herself in the present, she bit her bottom lip and drew blood. She had to keep moving and staying awake while the person on that chair slept. Her sole hope of surviving lay in getting to the door and leaving.
She stumbled to her feet and fell into the nightstand when another wave of vertigo sent her falling to the side. On it, something trembled. Kara held her breath while she awaited the outcome, her lungs becoming completely frozen. The chair's shape stayed still, but she felt eyes on her, which caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.
She didn't see any motion or hear any noise until a warm hand unexpectedly grabbed her elbow. She threw herself back and let out a piercing shriek. She moved so quickly that she overturned the nightstand. Whatever was sitting on the nightstand toppled over into the glass, shattering it. Whatever else was on the nightstand tumbled to the floor with dull thuds.
"Easy," a voice reassured. You're secure here, therefore it's all right.
Kara inhaled deeply as she struggled to make out the man's face who was holding her. He leaned over to her and his chest touched her arm. Before he turned on the light, a surge of heat swept over her, and she recognized the person in front of her.
When Lucian's face was lit by the overhead light, Kara became utterly motionless. He looked at her, and she quickly put her palm to her lips so she could see what his sunglasses had been hiding. His eyes were unlike any she had ever seen. She couldn't decide whether they were the rich red hue of blood or a deer's eyes since they were such a gorgeous blend of red and brown.
The blood analogy was supposed to make her feel uneasy, but instead, it piqued her interest as she saw the colors blend more intricately until they took on a rich crimson color as he observed her.
When she realized she was gazing at him, heat began to spread through her cheeks. When she lowered her eyes to reveal that he was shirtless, it didn't get any better. To her astonishment, as she took in the sculpted muscles of his wide shoulders, chest, and abdomen, her mouth really started to wet.
When the hunters were practicing, she had previously seen men's chests, but none of them had ever impacted her in this way. He had no hair on his chest, but a trail of dark brown hair stretched from his belly button to the border of the low-rise pants that he was wearing. She barely managed to keep her fingers from following that route before using her tongue to trace the lines etched into his abdomen. She was aware that he couldn't be in the sun since he was a vampire, but the bronzed color of his skin reminded her of the sun-kissed beaches she had heard about but had never seen.
She had seen a lot of paintings and photographs of males, but none compared to the specimen in front of her. Kara moved toward him as she was unable to resist the peculiar draw he had over her. How could she feel such intense desire for someone she hardly knew and who was capable of killing her with the flip of his wrist?
After last night, she began to believe that her knowledge about vampires was inaccurate—or at the very least, incomplete—and she had a gut feeling that he would not harm her, no matter what he was. However, she wasn't going to throw away her 23 years of upbringing just because she was now more drawn to a man's touch, exploration, and kiss than she was to air.
His lips, with its rigid upper lip and big bottom lip, caught her attention. As she imagined what he might taste like, she was on the verge of licking her lips. He would be delectable if he tasted as wonderful as he smelled.
Kara mentally shook herself before dragging her eyes back up to his eyes. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her weird desire for him. Sadly, the gesture made his eyes lock onto her lip, and hunger erupted in his eyes. However, it wasn't a thirst for her blood. Oh no, as he was watching her, she saw and felt the want in him. Her toes curled against the silky carpet, making her breath catch. Her nipples tightened as his hand scorched into the flesh on her elbow, and she struggled to remember how to breathe from moment to moment.
Kara's eyes darkened and her attention once again turned to his lips while Lucian stared. As she placed her arm across his chest, he drew nearer. When he knelt over her, his fingertips moved over her elbow. His lips were only a few inches above hers, and he never took them off of her.
When she remembered to use common sense, she stepped back just as his lips reached out to contact hers. Why was she not well? Her intelligence had been utterly shaken by being assaulted by a vampire and having quarts of blood taken. After what Joseph had done to her loved ones, she should be attempting to stake every vampire she saw rather than considering kissing one!
She seemed to be at this man's apartment alone. She would either die or wind up in a bag of vampire blood if she didn't stay smart.
When she tensed against him, Lucian reluctantly released her arm and moved away from her. She was moving farther away from him despite the fact that he didn't want her to fear him. "There is no need to be afraid; I won't hurt you."
Her chin grew up. "I'm not scared,"
He became much more alluring when he smiled a little. She thought, "Ugh, she was a mess." Her heel subsequently made contact with something on the ground. As she remembered the bandage on her neck, she saw the lamp she had thrown off the nightstand as well as the medical equipment that was lying on the floor. She also noticed the light and the medical supplies that had been used on her.
Monsters didn't aid in the recovery of their victims. Or maybe they did; she didn't know. Her brain cells weren't exactly functioning at their best at the moment since she had no prior experience with any of this and had considered licking the vampire.
"Wound up where?" Did she ask?
You are now in our house.
Before returning to him, her gaze briefly passed over the locked door behind him. Who lives here?""
"We do, Lucien, Saxon, Killean, Declan, Marta, and Baldric. Nevertheless, Lucien has recently been lodging elsewhere.
"Why is that?"
"Because he must be somewhere else, for that reason. Let me realign your shoulder for you.
She glared at him, and Lucian prepared himself for her rejection. Then, as if just remembering it, she cast a quick look at her drooping shoulder.
She said, "Yes, that must be done.
It will be painful.
She looked at him, and a muscle in her face moved. I am pain-tolerant. Are you capable of doing it?"
"I've fractured and dislocated more things than I can recall. Some of them required assistance, but I did most of the re-positioning alone. You would probably prefer not to visit the hospital for it because you hunt.
"Could I go to the hospital, please?"
Taking a step back, Lucian swayed. He tried to reassure her but was unable to do so without lying to her. "No. I'll make sure you're secure before I release you, but I won't leave you in human hands. Even if you are more human than I am, they would be quite intrigued by the contrasts between you and them.
"I can look after myself."
More than that, he wasn't ready to let her go, but he didn't say that. "I'm sure you can, but I won't risk your life in such a way." He was unable to discern whether she was afraid of him or apprehensive of the whole scenario since she already seemed to be getting ready to run away.
"None of this makes any sense," she said.
To you, I guess it doesn't. Maybe it'll make sense by the time you go," she said, her lips forming a tight line. "Your shoulder," he poked.
"Yes, of course," she mumbled.
Turn around and hold onto the wall, please.
Kara swallowed hard and turned to follow his advice. Although she could take discomfort, she was not at all looking forward to this. But if she wanted to protect herself, her shoulder had to be put back in its proper position. She didn't fool herself into believing she could take a vamp out on her own, particularly not this one, after what had occurred with Joseph.
Every other vampire she had seen was weak in comparison to him. She had a sneaking suspicion that she had just scratched the surface of Lucian's potential, but she was prepared to battle to the last end if she turned out to be the victim of a hoax.
Lucian grabbed her arm and shoulder. She bent her head, allowing her braid to fall forward and expose her neck. Her exposed flesh caught his attention as he imagined stroking her with his lips. She would taste good on his lips and tongue. He knew her blood would be a thrill unlike anything he had ever felt before, and he couldn't get enough of hearing the sexual screams she would make.
He shook his head to get his thoughts out of it and released her arm. The room rang with a loud snap. He felt his blood start to boil as she let out a low scream. She turned her shoulder back and he let go of her, glaring at his hands for hurting her.
He almost punched the wall with his fist. He fought the tumult that was coursing through him and drew it back at the last second, resting it on the wall. He would never make her problem sound that way again.
Around her, he suddenly felt too big and heavy. She wasn't a little or delicate lady, yet he could easily shatter her. What would he do to her if he fell over the brink while she was here? He was on the verge of becoming Savage.
The shadows bordering her eyes highlighted their blue color as she peered at him over her shoulder. As he stared at her, the emotions that had been pounding him subsided, and a sensation of calmness crept over him.
He said, "I'm sorry I wounded you.
After those five sentences, Kara was quite convinced her eyebrows would never leave her hairline. He'd expressed regret to
She winced and turned her shoulder again, "It needed to be done." By tomorrow, all will be all right. I heal quickly.
He said, "Hmm," as she turned to face him.
Although I am aware that you are Lucian, what is your complete name? Kara questioned. Or do they not have last names at all?"
One of his canines could be seen sticking out of his lopsided grin. Even if his fangs weren't fully extended, his canines were still more acute than hers. Strangely, the sight of that lesser fang didn't make her feel uneasy.
I need to leave this alone, she thought. No, she repeated to herself, "vampire." She expected that the remembrance would make her despise this person, but it didn't.
She had left the fortress in less than twenty-four hours and was quickly losing all memory of her childhood. Instead of considering how his teeth could feel on her flesh, she ought to be thinking of ways to get away.
She backed up till her legs contacted the wooden bed frame.
"We have last names," he said.
"What? She questioned, astonished at his words.
She would have believed it was unthinkable for any vampire, but instead, his grin and eyes grew wider. And when he grinned like that, he seemed vivacious, carefree, and attractive. That grin had undoubtedly melted many ladies in his lifetime, and it undoubtedly did so with her.
Years after my birth, I adopted the surname Caomhánach as my own. I adopted the name as it was becoming more common for people to have more than one name since vampires must be as close as possible to resemble humans. The name has been anglicized through time to Kavanagh, so I now go by that.
She looked away from him after saying, "Oh." She was ashamed for having neglected to ask the inquiry and felt rather uneasy after hearing his response. If his last name had started and evolved in this manner, how old did that make him? Old enough for the strength he radiated to make her flesh dance.
And even though I recognize you as Kara, do you have a last name?" Did he ask?
Her thoughts raced as she attempted to come up with a reason why he may be able to use her last name, but she was at a loss for words. Holter, I say.
The name is "Kara Holter."
As he said, her name came out of his mouth more like a caress. Was it the tiniest glimmer of an Irish accent he had, she wondered? When they came to the fortress, she had the opportunity to meet a few Irish hunters. She had been captivated by their accents and their stories about their own countries.
"Kara, it's nice to meet you."
"Lucian, are you going to murder me?" Before she could stop herself, the question sprang out.
His amusement completely left him as his eyes became more tight. Yes, I brought you back here, attended to your needs, and bandaged your wounds all with the purpose of killing you.
His voice was a low growl that reverberated across the space. She realized that he still didn't frighten her despite how enraged he sounded. "I'm unsure about my thoughts. Your thoughtful—"
He cut in, "My kind is not your enemies. No matter what your upbringing taught you, we have never been your adversary.
She spoke, and then her lips shut once again. She was at a loss for words. Her background shouted at her that he was lying, thus she shouldn't have believed him. However, she had a gut feeling that she could rely on him and that he would protect her.
She would already be dead if Lucian had intended her to die. He would be on her right now if he wanted to rape her. She didn't feel like he was playing any kind of mind games with her, but it's possible that he was.
He may have chosen to use her as leverage against her brother and the other people. Although there was a strong probability, it didn't seem quite right. Perhaps she had lost more blood than she had thought, and her exhausted mind was going crazy. The best option, she determined.