Page 15 of Immortal Hunter
“Protect myself? Yer stronger than me by ten-fold. I dinnae want to kill ya’, luv, but I certainly willna let ya’ kill me either.” He strode to the door, his jacket in one hand, the silver chain in the other, held out between them. “I revoke yer invitation into my room. And if ya’ come into the pub and make trouble, just know I’ll be wearin’ this from now on.” Looping the chain around his neck, he stepped out into the dawn and took off at a run.
She followed him for three steps until the sun broke through the trees and singed her bare toes. With a yelp, she raced back inside, locked the door, and crawled back into bed.
Her phone was still in her coat pocket, and she retrieved it from the floor and dialed McCann’s pub. After the answering service played its automated message, she said, “Ewan, please…give me another chance. I know I shocked you, but I…need…to explain. I cannot come to the pub until dark, but Iwillcome. Give me one more night, and if you still do not want me, then…you will never see me again.”
As Kára disconnected the call, her eyes started to burn, and her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. She’d ruined everything. If she could not convince Ewan to mate with her, she would have to glamour him and send him far away. Somewhere Hagen could never find him.
Wrapping her arms around her pillow, she breathed in Ewan’s scent. Even if he refused her, she’d never want another.
Please, Ewan. Wait for me.
* * *
Ewan
As he fell into bed a little before 7:00 a.m., he couldn’t think of anything but Kára. The way her body felt under his, the way she laughed when he kissed his way up her thighs. The way she seemed to be made just for him. But…she was a vampire, and if he agreed to mate with her, he’d turn into one too.
Declan and Riley had taught him that not all vampires were evil, that not all vampires killed. But that didn’t mean he wanted tobecomeone. A creature of the night. Never seeing the sun again. Never eatingrealfood. And blood. He’d need to learn to drink blood.
No. This was not the life he’d envisioned for himself when he’d fled Dublin. He’d wanted to be free. To leave the world of death and blood and vampires and magic behind.
Punching his pillow, Ewan tried to get comfortable, but the pain in his chest wouldn’t go away. He wanted Kára. Hell, heneededher. His dick ached, but it was more than that. His heart did too.
“No. I’m no one’s mate,” he muttered to himself as he rolled over. Fingering the silver chain around his neck, he wondered if it would be enough to keep him safe. Probably not. He pulled the blade from under his mattress and slid it beneath his pillow instead. It wouldn’t kill a vampire like Kára, but it would at least slow her down.
No. He couldn’t harm her. No matter how scared he was. Despite his fears, hecaredfor her, and as he tried to convince his brain to fall asleep, he had no idea what to do next.
* * *
His hoursof broken sleep didn’t bring any clarity. Only memories of tortured dreams. Some big arsehole with an attitude wielding a thick leather strap as Kára screamed. The sounds of chains rattling. Of other women whimpering softly.
He stumbled downstairs a little after noon, slipped behind the bar, and poured himself two fingers of scotch. The liquor burned the back of his throat, but it did nothing to dispel his memories.
“You’re starting a little early today, son,” Alfie said from the corner of the empty pub. “You know that comes out of your pay, right?”
Ewan pulled a twenty-dollar note from his back pocket and slapped it onto the bar. “It’s either the drink or me sanity.”
“That bad? Must be over a woman.” Alfie pushed to his feet with a quiet groan and shuffled over to join Ewan. “Well, go on, then. Pour us both another. On the house.”
He did as he was told, and after he and Alfie had emptied their glasses, Ewan dropped his head into his hands. “Do ya’ believe in fate?”
The old man nodded. “If I didn’t, I never would have hired you. Fate introduced me to my Helen when we both lived in Ontario. We had thirty years together before She intervened again and took her from me. But I have my memories.” Alfie pulled out his wallet and removed a faded, wrinkled photograph. “Our wedding day.”
Ewan brushed his finger over their happy faces. “She was a bonny lass, sir.”
“That she was.” Alfie sighed, but his wrinkled lips curved into a smile. “She was also from a very wealthy family. But me? I didn’t have a dollar to my name when we met. Her parents tried to keep us apart—said they’d disown her if she kept seeing me—but when I asked her to marry me, she suggested we elope. We came to Newfoundland, settled in St. John’s, and worked our way up from nothing to owning this pub. Every single day with her was a gift.”
The empty space where Ewan thought his heart should be ached more with every minute he spent away from Kára. “If ya’ had it to do over again, sir…?”
“Not a damn thing I’d do differently, young man. Your heart,” Alfie poked Ewan in the chest, “is usually a hell of a lot smarter than your head…at least when it comes to love.”
Taking the bottle of scotch and tucking it back onto the shelf, Alfie headed into the kitchen, leaving Ewan more confused than ever.
Chapter Seven
Ewan
He tookhis break just before sunset, hoping to escape any potential confrontation with Kára. When she came for him, he wasn’t certain he could avoid succumbing to the connection between them. But in the pub, with all of the people around him and drinks to serve, maybe he’d stand a chance.
