Though Devon did not release her, he shifted her subtly, moving his body more in front of hers. He cradled her head gently against his chest, but she was not fooled into believing that he couldn’t move swiftly back into attack mode. She knew the only reason he didn’t attack again now was because of her. He was frightened that next time he would not be able to come back, that next time he would be lost, and that he would hurt her.
Though Devon remained holding her, he took a small step toward Julian, his muscles going rigid. Julian flashed a bright grin, flicking his fingers through his disheveled white blond hair. “Now now Devon stay calm, things are just starting to get interesting.”
Fear flickered through Cassie. Julian was too cocky, too sure of himself. He had to be planning something. “What are you talking about?” Devon demanded fiercely.
Julian’s grin only widened, his eyes flickered behind them. The fear turned into full-fledged panic as Cassie realized that he was not looking at any of them, but over their heads. Foreboding stole through her, twisting in her gut, making it difficult to breathe. A new presence reached her, one just as malevolent and cold as Julian, but this one also emitted a jealousy and loathing so thick that it was nearly choking.
Cassie turned slowly, her fingers digging into Devon’s back as she braced herself for what was to come. She was beaten down, wounded, wary but she tried to gather her strength, and her courage. She knew she would need both.
A woman stepped around the corner of the hall, moving toward them with the eerie grace of the undead. Cassie’s mouth parted slightly, her eyes widened at the stunning beauty of the woman. She was tall, lithe; supple. The black dress she wore swayed gently with her hips and provocative walk. The pale beauty of her face contrasted sharply with the color of her dress and ruby red lips. Her features were delicate, elegant and refined; her cheekbones high, and her nose slender. Dark auburn hair spilled down her back, swaying against her knees in gentle waves as she moved. She looked like a perfect, porcelain doll.
Devon stiffened against her, straightening to his full height as he clung tighter to her. The tension in his body reached a whole new level, anger hummed through him. The woman stopped walking; she lifted a dark eyebrow as she studied them with amused disdain. She had the most stunning, coldest eyes, Cassie had ever seen. They were the color of pure molten gold as they shone brilliantly in the bright light of the hall. Cassie had never seen anything like them before; they were eerily beautiful, yet malicious. Those eyes landed upon Cassie, pinning her to the spot as the full force of the woman’s hatred and disgust blasted against her.
“Forgive me,” Devon breathed in her ear.
Cassie glanced questioningly up at him, but he was not looking at her. Forgive him? Forgive him for what, she wondered in confusion.
His jaw was clenched tight, his emerald eyes flashed with hostility. His gaze was focused intently upon the beautiful woman, his body hard and stiff. “Isla.” His voice dripped icy disdain.
The woman smiled slowly, seductively, revealing her already extended fangs. “Hello lover,” she purred.
The breath wheezed forcefully out of Cassie, the beat of her heart stopped for a frantic moment as uncertainty and hurt tore through her in equal measures. If his hands hadn’t been clenched upon her, she would have fallen down. Lover? Her gaze darted between them, pain snapped through her with the force of lightning bolts.
She had known that there were women in his past, there had to be. But this woman, this woman! Cassie trembled slightly as she looked back at the stunning doll before her. This woman was something Cassie had never even remotely fathomed. She was exceedingly beautiful and radiated a raw sexuality and poise that Cassie could never possess. How could she possibly compete with her? Her confidence shaken, her world a crumbling mess, Cassie simply tried to breathe through the tight constriction in her chest.
Struggling to stay composed, she met Isla’s feral gold eyes once more. From the gleam in those eyes Cassie knew she had already let too much of her emotions slip.
CHAPTER 16
Devon felt the tremor that rocked through Cassie, the anguish that tore through her body. His hands tightened around her as he cradled her head tighter against him. He wished that he could take her away from all of this. Take her somewhere that she would be sheltered from the hurts and cruelty of the world. Somewhere she would be sheltered from the mistakes and wrongs of his past.
But there was no escaping this, and it seemed as if his past had come to a head with his future, in of all places, the hallway of a freaking high school. Hatred blazed through him as he met Isla’s malicious golden gaze. Merriment and fury radiated from Isla as her small smile widened and she tilted her head slightly to the side.
“You were right Julian, she is delicious,” Isla purred, licking her lips. Devon stiffened, a small growl escaped him. “Such a little innocent though, how could she possibly satisfy your twisted needs Devon?”
Self hatred and fury tore through him as Cassie trembled again, her fingers dug briefly into his back. He had done this to her, he was causing her this pain. Isla took a step closer; hunger throbbed out of her in rolling waves. Chris and Melissa instinctively moved closer, their eyes darting briefly, frantically toward him. Devon kept his gaze focused upon Isla, but with his mind he monitored Julian’s movements, which were still none. He had been injured, but Devon was not fooled into thinking that he was incapable of fighting.
Devon didn’t know why Julian was not rushing into the fray, or why he had been studying Cassie so intently. There had been no desire in his gaze, no bloodlust as he had watched her keenly, apparently trying to decipher something about her. What that something could be Devon didn’t know, but Julian’s hesitance and scrutiny were unsettling. Just what was Julian’s plan, and why was Isla here?
“What are you doing here Isla?” he demanded coldly.
She shrugged an elegant shoulder, tossing her long hair over her shoulder with a flick of her blood red nails. “When Julian called I just had to come and see if what he was saying was true.” She glanced briefly at Chris, Melissa and Cassie. “I had to see for myself that The Hunter line had survived, that they were here, and that they were thriving. How could I turn down the offer of so much power? Such a tempting treat?”
She licked her lips again. Melissa moved even closer, her shoulder brushed up against Cassie’s. “I also had to see her.” The deep purr left Isla’s voice as her gaze once more locked upon Cassie with an intense hatred that infuriated him. He would have attacked her, destroyed her, but he could not bring himself to release Cassie when she was so shaken.