Kaitlyn tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable, unable to relax. Every time she closed her eyes, she imagined herself back in that horrible basement, her ankle shackled to the wall, helpless to do anything but watch as Zack and her father fought a dozen men. At the time, she had given little thought to the man she had killed. True, it had been in self-defense, but her main thought had been that his death meant one less man for Zack and her father to defeat. Now, his face haunted her.
Once they had returned to Wolfram, she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Zack. Her mother had followed her up to her room, making soft mothering noises as she helped her out of her bloodstained clothes, found the tools necessary to remove the shackle from her ankle. Kaitlyn knew her mother was worried about her. After all, that’s what mothers did. They worried. Assured that Kaitlyn was fine, Elena had gathered up her daughter’s clothes, together with the long chain, kissed her on the cheek, and left the room.
Kaitlyn had been certain all she wanted was to go to bed and forget the whole terrible nightmare, but once in bed, sleep wouldn’t come. She wanted to be held, only it wasn’t her father’s arms she needed, but Zack’s.
After another moment of indecision, she slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe. Her bare feet whispered on the carpet as she tiptoed down the hallway toward Zack’s room. Dawn was still a few hours away. She opened the door as quietly as she could, in case he was asleep, and stepped inside. Even in the dark, she could see that the bed was empty.
She stood there a moment, wondering where he was. Had he gone hunting? She had no sooner thought of where he might be than she knew. Turning on her heel, she knew he was downstairs.
She paused in the doorway of the great hall. He was sitting on one of the sofas, apparently lost in thought. Maybe he wanted to be alone. Maybe he didn’t want her there.
“I want you,” he said, his voice a low rumble. Glancing over his shoulder, he beckoned for her to join him.
It was all the invitation she needed. She sighed as his arm curled around her shoulders, drawing her close. “What are you doing here?” he asked, a lilt of surprise in his voice.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Me, either.”
Her gaze moved over him. “Are you all right? You could have been killed.”
He snorted softly. “Piece of cake, darlin’. But, not to worry. I’m too mean to die.” He grinned at her. “Of course, if your father finds you here, with me, at this time of the night . . .” There was no need to finish the sentence.
“I think he’d better get used to the idea of you and me,” she retorted with a toss of her head. “Because I’m here to stay, unless you tell me to go.”
His arms tightened around her. “No, not now.” He brushed her hair away from her neck, then rained soft kisses down the length of her throat. “Not ever.”
“Zack . . .”
“Shh. Just a little taste, okay?”
She nodded, her heart suddenly beating triple time as his fangs brushed her skin. She wrapped her arms around him, her eyelids fluttering down as pleasure spread through her, hot and sweet, like honey warmed by the sun.
When he drew back, she moaned softly. “That feels so wonderful.” She ran her fingertips along the side of his neck, her eyes taking on a faint red glow. “My turn?”
“I’ve created a monster,” he said, grinning. “Just remember you can’t take it all.”
Zack stroked Kaitlyn’s hair. Sharing blood with her was an extraordinary experience. She sighed softly in her sleep, a slight smile playing over her lips. She was curled up in his arms dreaming, he thought, dreaming of something nice, and he was just arrogant enough to believe he was the one who had put that smile on her face.
Filled with a tenderness he had never felt before, Zack kissed her cheek, the curve of her throat, her eyelids. He toyed with the idea of carrying her up to his room and seducing her. It would be easy, so easy. If only she wasn’t a nice girl. If only he didn’t love her with every fiber of his being. But someday—someday she would be his, body and soul.
A sudden heaviness in his limbs told him the sun would soon be chasing the night from the sky. His eyelids grew heavy, his breathing slowed.
Time to put Kaitlyn to bed and seek his rest. Cradling her in his arms, he carried her up the stairs. He had just reached the door to her room when her mother appeared at the other end of the hallway.
“Put your mind at ease, Elena. Everything’s okay. We were downstairs, talking, and she fell asleep on the sofa, that’s all.”
“I believe you. I was just coming to make sure she’s all right. I guess I’m being overprotective, but with everything that’s happened . . .” She shrugged. “I can’t help it.”
She opened the door to Kaitlyn’s room, then turned down the covers on the bed.
Zack lowered Kaitlyn to the mattress, drew the covers over her, then bent down and kissed her cheek. “Sweet dreams, Katy darlin’,” he whispered.
Elena regarded him a moment, then said, “I can never repay you for what you did. I don’t know what we’d have done without you.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I’m in love with her.”
“I know. She loves you, too.” It was easy to see why. He was tall and strong and handsome, loyal, willing to risk everything for the woman he loved.
“How do you feel about that?”
“I’m not sure,” Elena replied honestly. “Everything would be so much easier if she’d fallen in love with one of her own people. But I trust her judgment.”
Zack nodded. “Good night, Elena.”
“Good night.”
Elena stood there a moment, gazing down at her daughter. How quickly the years had gone by. Her little girl was all grown up. Once upon a time was past. She just hoped Kaitlyn would find her own happily-ever-after.
Kaitlyn woke in her own bed with no recollection of how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Zack’s arms. She had hoped to wake up there—which probably wouldn’t have been very smart. No doubt her parents would go ballistic if they thought she was sleeping with Zack—an idea that grew more appealing with every passing day.
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand—five P.M. She was the only one in the family who didn’t know instinctively what time it was, though she was able to internally discern whether it was night or day.
Zack would be awake soon. She grinned, thinking how surprised he would be if she was in his bed when he awoke.