CLARA'S POV
I couldn't outrun him if necessary, I needed a vehicle.
He shook his head. "No. They'll have GPS and the last thing we need is for them to track us if we run." And, with a final kiss to my brow, he disappeared into the drilling rain.
I sat up wearily, my gaze on the fire. Taki had saved my life, without question—even as he sprayed blood, I had been thankful he had come for me. But his eyes burned brighter with brutality when he killed, which he did without a second thought, without hesitation. The last man begged for his life. Part of me wanted to run, but Taki, whatever or whoever he was, had my daughter, and I had no choice but to stay until I had Jane back.
Then I could run. I thought carefully.
I looked around the cabin. The quaint space was entirely too secluded and with the rain drumming outside, it was entirely too intimate. Since it was late fall, there was no chance anyone else would be around. I had to find safety.
I moved toward the window, peering into the drizzly grey. The rain peppered the front porch, and a tiny green pot sitting on the railing caught my eye. Sucking in air, I threw open the door and lunged across the wooden planks to grab the plant. An ox-eyed daisy. Left outside to survive when his owners had left for the season. Ass hats.
"It's okay," I crooned, carrying the plant inside the now warm cabin. The daisy hadn't flowered and its dark leaves drooped, but the nights hadn't been cold enough yet to do any real damage. "I'll call you Henry." I grinned, putting the plant in the center of the table.
My stomach rumbled. When had I last eaten? What time was it now? How could I be hungry? To get away from Taki and find Jane, I needed my strength. With that reminder, I began pulling open cupboards to search for food.
As Taki returned, I stirred an aromatic stew on the old stove. Maybe I wouldn't have to kill him. He did save me after all. He walked in, and I turned from the stove, taking in his size, the raw strength swirling around him. I would never be able to kill him—not a chance in hell. Realization settled like a boulder in my stomach, and I clenched my hands together. What should I do?
I watched as he sniffed the savory air and then grinned. "Yes, mate?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he closed the door behind him, muffling the sound of pelting rain.
"Mate? Sounds different than wife." I said confused.
"Both apply to you, darling." He removed his vest and placed his weapons on the mantel above the hearth.
"You washed the blood off," I murmured, my spine straightening, my stance challenging. This man had my child. Did that make us allies or enemies? Either way, I had to get Jane as far away from him as possible.
"The rain did that." His eyes flared in response as he squeezed water out of his dark hair.
"Are you hungry?" I asked trying to retreat from the battle, and trying to add some normalcy to the situation.
"Starving." His eyes flashed fire as they ran over me.
"Sit." I said as I ignored his double meaning, gesturing him to the table, and ladled out two bowls of stew from a can left by the owner. "Um, how do we know more of those guys aren't coming? Do we even have time to eat?" I asked.
He nodded. "I just talked to Dage and had him pull up a satellite for the area. No one is within hundreds of miles. We're also monitoring enemy camps—we'll hear when they're informed about the failed kidnapping." He replied as he dropped into a chair, which squeaked against his weight. "We'll leave when dawn lights, so no worries." He concluded.
I sat across from him and unfolded my napkin on my lap, relaxing my shoulders now that I was safe. For the night at least.
He raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you get the sad plant?" He asked while gesturing to the plant with a nod.
Really. "He's not sad. He just needed some warmth." I replied in a rather soft tone.
"He?" He asked looking confused.
"Yes, he," I said, tossing my head. "So, you're really a vampire?" I blurted out. Damn. I had meant to ease into the discussion.
His chuckle relieved some of the tension in the room. "Not like you think." came his reply.
"What does that mean?" I asked again.
"You've seen my fangs. Sometimes I take in blood." He took a bite of the stew and closed his eyes, his pleasure dancing along my own skin until I pulled mental shields into place. "But only in extreme situations like during battle or sex. We don't drink blood to survive, and we don't melt in the sun. A wooden stake through the heart would kill anybody but us." He explained further.
"You're faster and stronger than most men I've known. And I've never seen metallic eyes before." I said, remembering what happened earlier while he was trying to save me. Plus, he'd killed four dangerous men without breaking a sweat, without receiving one tiny scratch in return.
"Yeah, I assume that's just a difference in our races." He shrugged, shoveling in another mouthful of the fragrant stew.
"But"—I sat back as the thoughts raced through my mind—"don't you think it's odd we have these legends about vampires and it turns out you actually exist?" I said again curiously.
"No. Like I said, our mates have always been human." His emphasis on the word mate brought a flush to my skin and a tingle to my belly.
"Why?" I asked, focusing on his words and not my internal reaction.
He shrugged. "Basic genetics. Human females have two X chromosomes and males have an X and a Y, right?" He said
I nodded.
"In humans, the woman always passes an X chromosome, and if the man passes an X, you create a girl, XX. If he passes a Y, you get a baby boy, XY." He explained as he took another bite. "Chromosome-wise, vampires have a V and an X." He continued.
"You have a different chromosome?" I thought for a moment. "So a human female will pass on an X chromosome to a baby, and you either pass a V or an X?" I asked for further clarity
"No. We can only pass on a V, thus creating an XV baby, which is a male vampire. Nobody knows why." He replied.
"Never, in all of your history, have you created a female vampire?"