Mine to Have
Page 27
“Don’t kill him!” Jane yelled.
“Keira,” the man whispered. The word almost sounded like a prayer.
The name still meant nothing to her.
But that man…his eyes…he mattered to her. She knew it, deep inside.
“Please,” she took a cautious step toward Alerac. “Let him go.”
The floor creaked behind her. Then Liam’s arms wrapped around her once more. “No more head butts,” he snapped into her right ear. “I think you broke my freakin’ nose.”
Alerac’s gaze jerked to Liam’s arms. Then to Jane’s face. “Take Jane back to the main house,” he ordered. “Now.”
The blond man broke free of Alerac’s hold. His fangs flashed—definitely a vampire—as he backed into the far corner. He frowned at her. “Who’s Jane?”
I am.
Liam tried to pull her toward the door. Jane dug in her heels and got ready to do more damage to the werewolf’s nose.
“Let her go!” The sharp order came from the blond vampire. Then he was there, right in front of Jane. He’d moved so quickly. Vamp fast. And he wasn’t waiting for Liam to follow his order. The vampire grabbed Liam’s right arm. Broke it. Then he pulled Jane against his chest.
“You’re alive.” The vampire was trembling against her. His scent filled her nose. He smelled like the ocean. The scent reassured her.
He reassured her.
And she had no memory of him at all.
But she found her hands wanting to rise. Wanting to hold tight to him.
“She doesn’t remember,” Alerac said as the wood of the floor creaked beneath his approaching feet. “You know the spell that was put on her. She doesn’t remember a damn thing, Ryan.”
Ryan. She tilted her head back. Stared up at him.
“I think she remembers me,” the one called Ryan murmured. “Don’t you, Keira?”
There was blood on his mouth. She hadn’t noticed it before. Her gaze dropped to that blood, then she looked over at Alerac.
His neck was bleeding.
The vampire had taken his blood. She’d thought that Alerac was the one attacking, but had he just been defending himself?
The vampires want you dead. Alerac had told her that before.
He’d also saved her life.
And in your visions, he killed vampires.
“She doesn’t remember,” Alerac said again, voice rougher.
Jane glanced back into Ryan’s eyes, so like the ones that she saw when she looked into a mirror. “I don’t remember you,” she told him, almost hating to say the words.
Pain flashed over his handsome face. “But you remember him?” He threw a hard glare toward Alerac.
“She remembers nothing.” Alerac reached for her. His claws were out, but his hands were incredibly gentle as he pulled her away from Ryan. “Lorcan wanted her to be this way. The bastard thought he’d get to her first.”
Ryan’s eyes had hardened. “But you put him out of commission, didn’t you? I heard that you killed five of his closest allies—”
“And I nearly took the bastard’s head,” Alerac finished. “I would’ve…if I hadn’t thought that I needed to keep him alive.”
Her own head was aching. The scent of blood—now she knew that it was Alerac’s blood—that scent was making her hungry.
“I kept him alive because he was the only one left who knew where she was. He killed those who took her to be imprisoned long ago. I needed him.” Disgust thickened Alerac’s words. “But now I don’t need him to live any longer.”
He spoke of death so casually.
To him, it was casual.
Her fangs ached.
Ryan held out his hand. “It’s time for us to go.”
But Alerac pushed her behind his body. “She isn’t going any place with you.”
Uh, she was standing right there.
“I let you live because of your blood bond to her, but I haven’t forgotten,” Alerac said as he squared off against Ryan, “not for an instant, about what you did.”
Her heart was pounding too fast.
“You let them take her,” Alerac continued in a voice that sounded like thunder’s rumble. “You didn’t even try to stop them. Didn’t try to help her.”
She eased away from Alerac. Jane saw the fury on Ryan’s face as he leaned toward the werewolf alpha.
“And she took your f**king punishment,” Ryan fired right back at Alerac. “When she never even knew that you were just using her all along. Seducing her, to get the revenge and power that you wanted.”
The fierce pounding in her chest seemed to slow then.
Alerac grabbed the vamp around the throat. Lifted him into the air. “You’re done here. If I see you on my land again, you’re dead.” His gaze shot back to a watchful—and still bleeding—Liam. “I told you before…get her out of here!”
Liam took her arm. Jane jerked away from him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She was sick. So damn sick of being in the dark. “I want my memories back.”
He’d said that he could get her a witch. If she was under a spell, a witch could break that spell, right? “I want my memories, now.”
“Careful what you ask for. You might be better off without them,” Liam murmured.
That was her decision. Not his. Not Alerac’s.
Alerac tossed Ryan toward the door. No, through the door. The wood broke and shattered at the impact. “Come here again,” he said, “and brother or no brother, you’re dead.”
Ryan cast her one final look. He was just outside of the cabin and—and wolves were coming out from the darkness. They circled him.
The wolves just seemed to be waiting. Their sharp teeth glinted in the light.
“One word from me,” Alerac told Ryan, the words low and vicious, “and they’ll tear you apart.”
Ryan straightened to his full height. “This isn’t over, alpha.”
“Yes, it is.”
Ryan’s gaze darted toward Jane.
Meet me at the stream. Two miles south. Before dawn. Before the sun rises.
She bit her lip to hold back the gasp that wanted to break free. She’d just heard Ryan’s voice—in her head.
Don’t trust the wolf. Or his pack. Traitors want your blood.
“Keira,” the man whispered. The word almost sounded like a prayer.
The name still meant nothing to her.
But that man…his eyes…he mattered to her. She knew it, deep inside.
“Please,” she took a cautious step toward Alerac. “Let him go.”
The floor creaked behind her. Then Liam’s arms wrapped around her once more. “No more head butts,” he snapped into her right ear. “I think you broke my freakin’ nose.”
Alerac’s gaze jerked to Liam’s arms. Then to Jane’s face. “Take Jane back to the main house,” he ordered. “Now.”
The blond man broke free of Alerac’s hold. His fangs flashed—definitely a vampire—as he backed into the far corner. He frowned at her. “Who’s Jane?”
I am.
Liam tried to pull her toward the door. Jane dug in her heels and got ready to do more damage to the werewolf’s nose.
“Let her go!” The sharp order came from the blond vampire. Then he was there, right in front of Jane. He’d moved so quickly. Vamp fast. And he wasn’t waiting for Liam to follow his order. The vampire grabbed Liam’s right arm. Broke it. Then he pulled Jane against his chest.
“You’re alive.” The vampire was trembling against her. His scent filled her nose. He smelled like the ocean. The scent reassured her.
He reassured her.
And she had no memory of him at all.
But she found her hands wanting to rise. Wanting to hold tight to him.
“She doesn’t remember,” Alerac said as the wood of the floor creaked beneath his approaching feet. “You know the spell that was put on her. She doesn’t remember a damn thing, Ryan.”
Ryan. She tilted her head back. Stared up at him.
“I think she remembers me,” the one called Ryan murmured. “Don’t you, Keira?”
There was blood on his mouth. She hadn’t noticed it before. Her gaze dropped to that blood, then she looked over at Alerac.
His neck was bleeding.
The vampire had taken his blood. She’d thought that Alerac was the one attacking, but had he just been defending himself?
The vampires want you dead. Alerac had told her that before.
He’d also saved her life.
And in your visions, he killed vampires.
“She doesn’t remember,” Alerac said again, voice rougher.
Jane glanced back into Ryan’s eyes, so like the ones that she saw when she looked into a mirror. “I don’t remember you,” she told him, almost hating to say the words.
Pain flashed over his handsome face. “But you remember him?” He threw a hard glare toward Alerac.
“She remembers nothing.” Alerac reached for her. His claws were out, but his hands were incredibly gentle as he pulled her away from Ryan. “Lorcan wanted her to be this way. The bastard thought he’d get to her first.”
Ryan’s eyes had hardened. “But you put him out of commission, didn’t you? I heard that you killed five of his closest allies—”
“And I nearly took the bastard’s head,” Alerac finished. “I would’ve…if I hadn’t thought that I needed to keep him alive.”
Her own head was aching. The scent of blood—now she knew that it was Alerac’s blood—that scent was making her hungry.
“I kept him alive because he was the only one left who knew where she was. He killed those who took her to be imprisoned long ago. I needed him.” Disgust thickened Alerac’s words. “But now I don’t need him to live any longer.”
He spoke of death so casually.
To him, it was casual.
Her fangs ached.
Ryan held out his hand. “It’s time for us to go.”
But Alerac pushed her behind his body. “She isn’t going any place with you.”
Uh, she was standing right there.
“I let you live because of your blood bond to her, but I haven’t forgotten,” Alerac said as he squared off against Ryan, “not for an instant, about what you did.”
Her heart was pounding too fast.
“You let them take her,” Alerac continued in a voice that sounded like thunder’s rumble. “You didn’t even try to stop them. Didn’t try to help her.”
She eased away from Alerac. Jane saw the fury on Ryan’s face as he leaned toward the werewolf alpha.
“And she took your f**king punishment,” Ryan fired right back at Alerac. “When she never even knew that you were just using her all along. Seducing her, to get the revenge and power that you wanted.”
The fierce pounding in her chest seemed to slow then.
Alerac grabbed the vamp around the throat. Lifted him into the air. “You’re done here. If I see you on my land again, you’re dead.” His gaze shot back to a watchful—and still bleeding—Liam. “I told you before…get her out of here!”
Liam took her arm. Jane jerked away from him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She was sick. So damn sick of being in the dark. “I want my memories back.”
He’d said that he could get her a witch. If she was under a spell, a witch could break that spell, right? “I want my memories, now.”
“Careful what you ask for. You might be better off without them,” Liam murmured.
That was her decision. Not his. Not Alerac’s.
Alerac tossed Ryan toward the door. No, through the door. The wood broke and shattered at the impact. “Come here again,” he said, “and brother or no brother, you’re dead.”
Ryan cast her one final look. He was just outside of the cabin and—and wolves were coming out from the darkness. They circled him.
The wolves just seemed to be waiting. Their sharp teeth glinted in the light.
“One word from me,” Alerac told Ryan, the words low and vicious, “and they’ll tear you apart.”
Ryan straightened to his full height. “This isn’t over, alpha.”
“Yes, it is.”
Ryan’s gaze darted toward Jane.
Meet me at the stream. Two miles south. Before dawn. Before the sun rises.
She bit her lip to hold back the gasp that wanted to break free. She’d just heard Ryan’s voice—in her head.
Don’t trust the wolf. Or his pack. Traitors want your blood.
