A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark 2)

"You're at Kinevane. You're safe. Nothing can harm you here."

"Did you kill all of them?"

"Aye."

She nodded, clearly satisfied.

"Do you know why they would attack like that?"

"You're asking me?" She tried to rise.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, pressing her back down.

"I need to call home."

"I called your home last night."

Her eyes went wide with apparent relief. "You swear? When are they coming to get me?"

He was disappointed by how happy the thought of leaving him made her - but he couldn't blame her. "I spoke to Annika, and now I know what they are. What you are."

Her face fell. "Did you tell her what you are?"

When he nodded, she turned away, flushing, he realized, with shame.

He tried to tamp down his anger. "It shames you for them to know you're with me?"

"Of course it does."

He grated, "Because you see me as an animal."

"Because you're the enemy."

"I've no quarrel with your family."

She raised her eyebrows. "The Lykae haven't fought against my aunts?"

"Only at the last Accession." Just five hundred years ago.

"Did you kill any of them then?"

"I've never killed a Valkyrie," he answered honestly. But he admitted to himself that this was probably because he'd never faced one.

She raised her chin. "And what about that thing inside you? What's it been up to?"

19

Emma still got chills thinking about what she'd seen in the midst of the vampire attack.

Unfortunately for her, she now knew exactly what Lachlain looked like when he changed. It had been like a shaky projector image, flickering over him, illuminating something feral and brutal that had peered at her with absolute possession.

And now she was in its bed.

"Emma, what you saw last night - that's no' what I am." The firelight cast shadows across his face, reminding her. "That's only a small part of me, and I can control it."

"Control?" She nodded slowly. "So you made a decision to attack me in the field and in the hotel room in Paris? You meant to strangle me?"

She thought he stifled a wince. "I need to explain something to you. You know I was imprisoned by the Horde, but you doona know that I'd been...tortured. It affected my behavior, my thinking."

She had known he'd been tortured, just not how. "What did they do to you?"

His expression grew guarded. "I will never burden you with those details. Why did you no' tell me you were part Valkyrie?"

"What difference would it have made? I'm still a vampire, and my aunts are still your enemies."

"No, they're no'," he insisted. "I doona count among my enemies wee fey women who live on another continent."

His dismissive tone rankled almost as much as if he'd admitted to being their enemy. "When is Annika coming for me?"

His eyes narrowed. "You made a promise to me to stay until the full moon."

Emma gasped. "You didn't...she isn't coming for me?"

"No' at this time."

Her lips parted as disbelief hammered through her. "Incredible! Because you're from the past, I'll hip you to some rules. One rule is that when Emma is nearly killed by vampires, she gets a get-out-of-jail-free card from the Lykae's little playdate." She held up two fingers. "Another rule? Now that my aunts know what you are, they will kill you if you don't send me to the coven immediately. Your best bet is to let me go as soon as possible."

"If they can find this place, they deserve to try."

Realizing how resolute he was about this, she felt her bottom lip trembling. "You would keep me from my family when I need them the most?" A hot tear tracked down her cheek. Before, he'd appeared revolted by her tears. Now he looked...tormented, quickly reaching forward to brush it away.

"You want to go home and you will, but no' for just a few days more."

Not bothering to hide her frustration, she asked, "What difference will a few days make?"

"I ask you the same."

She gritted her teeth, fighting aggravation, fighting her useless tears.

Chapter 13

He cupped her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. His voice sounding rough, he said, "Lass, if I have you here for such a short time, I doona want to quarrel with you. For now, let me show you Kinevane." He rose to cross to the thick curtains, opening them wide, then returned for her. Though she stiffened and leaned away, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her across the spacious room to the balcony. "You'll be surprised to know that it's still mine. No Wal-Mart."

Outside she saw the moon rising over a stately castle, lighting its ancient bricks and magnificent lawns. A fog was rolling in and carried a hint of brine.

He pointed off into the distance. "You canna see the walls surrounding the property, but know that whenever you are within them, you are protected."

When he sat her on the railing, her legs immediately threaded through its marble balusters even though he held her hips.

She saw he noted this with a frown but didn't comment on it. Instead, he asked, "What do you think?"

He appeared proud, as he should with a place like this. Amidst the stone frontage of the castle were stunning herringbone formations of brick that framed the windows and matched the walks and even the back of the huge fireplace in this bedroom. The gardens were immaculate, and if the rest of the castle was decorated as sumptuously as his bedroom, then this Kinevane was a testament to luxury. Her Valkyrie sensibilities couldn't help but appreciate it.