His only consolation was that while he might have stolen her innocence, he hadn’t committed the ultimate sin of taking her virginity.
Why was that so important?
Caine grimaced, not wanting to consider the dangerous question. It was easier to tell himself that he was simply being noble. That he wanted to wait until Cassie was out of danger and capable of considering the consequences with a clear mind.
He didn’t want to acknowledge the tiny voice that warned taking her virginity would somehow tie him irrevocably to the beautiful Were. And that once he’d truly made her his lover he would never, ever be willing to let her go.
No matter what she wanted.
Mate . . .
With a low growl, he fiercely squashed the terrifying word.
Nope. Not going to go there. Things were bad enough.
As if to emphasize the point, Cassie turned in her sleep, her slender body snuggling into him with a trust that made his heart shift in his chest.
Hell. He should never have allowed her to climb into bed with him. Not just because he was a full-blooded male not a damned saint, and the feel of her warm curves covered by nothing more than the tiny teddy he’d been stupid enough to buy was destined to keep him hard and aching throughout the long night. But because the sheer intimacy was touching him places he didn’t want to be touched.
Of course, it wasn’t as if he’d had a choice. One pleading glance from those big emerald eyes and he’d been a lost cause. Pathetic. With a rueful smile, he buried his face in the silken softness of her hair. What was a poor man to do?
Absently running a soothing hand down her back, Caine was near the point of drifting off when he abruptly felt Cassie’s muscles tense. He frowned, lifting his head. Was she dreaming or had his slight touch wakened her?
He had his answer the moment her eyes opened to reveal the beautiful green was already veiled by a disturbing white film.
“Cassie.” He grasped her shoulders, ridiculously attempting to shake her awake. “Cassie.”
Oblivious to his presence, Cassie shrugged off his hands and scooted off the bed. Then, with mechanical movements, she headed out of the bedroom.
“Shit.” Leaping to his feet, Caine rapidly pulled on his jeans and a sweatshirt that had been tossed on a nearby chair. A loaded Glock was tucked at his lower back, then, yanking a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, he hurried in her wake.
There was no use trying to stop her. Lost in the power of her visions, she wouldn’t halt until she’d reached her goal. Whether that goal was standing in the sitting room to weave one of the strange, shimmering glyphs that revealed a foretelling. Or dragging him halfway across the country.
All he could do was keep her from hurting herself. He entered the sitting room only to find it empty with the door standing open. With a curse he jogged into the hallway, at last catching up with her as she stepped into an empty elevator.
“Hold on, baby, I’m with you,” he muttered, entering the small cubicle at the same moment she hit the button for the lobby.
She stared straight ahead, her face blank even when he tucked her into the robe and tied the belt. He grimaced. At least the hotel was nearly silent. Well, if one didn’t count the hideous music being pumped into the elevator.
It was that strange hour just before dawn.
The window of time when even the most hardened of gamblers had returned to their beds and the early morning workers were still gulping down their first cup of coffee. He and Cassie wouldn’t be bothered by unwelcomed gawkers, and more importantly, there would be no crowds an enemy could use to disguise their approach.
The elevator at last gave a subtle shudder as it slowed, the metal doors sliding open. Without hesitation Cassie stepped into the lobby, her feet moving at a measured pace across the tiled floor and out the glass doors to the street.
Staying at her side, Caine shook his head at the uniformed driver who was leaning against his limo in the off chance of a fare, and captured Cassie’s arm as she started to step off the curb, directly in the path of an oncoming taxi.
“Wait,” he commanded, refusing to release her until he was certain the coast was clear.
She stood passively beneath his touch, waiting in silence for him to at last release his grip so she could continue across the road and toward the edge of town at a swift jog.
Caine sighed as he followed behind. If the whole knight protector gig crapped out he might just have a career as a crossing guard. Something to consider.
Focusing on the absurd thoughts to keep from panicking as Cassie remained locked deep in her vision, Caine nevertheless was on full guard as they circled the edge of the airport and headed into the desert.
Not that there was much to guard against. A few coyotes, lizards, snakes . . . Nothing that could harm a pureblooded Were. Thank the gods.
Eventually, the perpetual glow of the city was left behind and all signs of civilization were lost to the barren desert. Still, Cassie continued forward, indifferent to the cool breeze and the thick silence.
Where the hell were they going?
It took another half hour before the question was answered, and even then it didn’t make any sense.
Halting in the middle of a flat basin, Cassie stood at rigid attention, her pale hair floating on the breeze. Then, as if she were possessed by a sudden madness, she dropped to her knees. Caine cursed, leaping to the side as she grabbed a sharp stone and began to feverishly draw symbols in the arid ground.
Gritting his teeth, Caine tried to leash his primal instincts that demanded he scoop Cassie off the filthy ground and return her to the safety of the hotel room. He even succeeded for several torturous minutes. But when the scent of Cassie’s blood hit his nose, his good intentions were blasted into a million pieces.
Her knees were scraped raw and her hands cut more than once by the stone. Enough was enough.
“Cassie.” He managed to take a step forward when a soft voice floated on the air.
“Do not interfere, Were.”
The sudden sound combined with the scent of brimstone had him spinning around, the Glock in his hand.
His eyes narrowed at the sight of the small creature standing directly behind him. Shit. How had she managed to sneak up on him?
Not that she looked like much of a threat. She was barely over three feet tall with a tiny body currently covered by a white robe that shimmered in the moonlight. Her heart-shaped face appeared almost childlike, with delicate features that gave the illusion of innocence.
At least until one noticed the razor-sharp teeth and the ancient power that smoldered in the black, almond eyes.
Yeah, this creature was about as helpless as a live grenade. Or a nuclear bomb.