Page 18 of Eternally Bound
He felt too large around her suddenly, too cumbersome. She was not a petite or fragile woman, but he could break her so easily. He teetered on the edge of becoming a Savage, what would he do to her if he plummeted over that edge while she was here?
She looked at him over her shoulder, the shadows lining her eyes emphasizing their blue hue. The breath rushed out of him as the emotions battering him eased and a sense of calm stole through him while he gazed at her.
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he murmured.
Kadence was pretty sure her eyebrows were never going to come out of her hairline after those five words.Hehad apologized toher.
“It needed to be done.” She rotated her shoulder again and winced. “It will be fine by tomorrow. I heal fast.”
“Hmm,” he murmured as she turned to face him.
“I know you are Ronan, but what is your full name?” Kadence inquired. “Or do vampires not have a last name?”
His crooked smile revealed the tip of one of his canines. His fangs weren’t extended, but those teeth were still sharper than her canine teeth. Oddly, she wasn’t unnerved by the sight of that smaller fang.
I have got to get away from this man, she realized.No, vampire,she reminded herself again. The reminder didn’t have the effect of making her hate this guy like she believed it should.
Less than twenty-four hours away from the stronghold and she was already forgetting her entire upbringing. She should be plotting how to escape, not pondering what his fangs would feel like running over her skin.
She moved further away until her legs hit the wooden bed frame behind her.
“We have last names,” he said.
“What?” she asked, completely confused by his words.
His smile widened; his eyes actuallytwinkled. She would have thought that impossible for any vampire. Not only that, but he looked young, carefree, and irresistible when he smiled like that. She was certain that smile had melted more than a few women in his lifetime; it certainly melted her.
“My original surname was Caomhánach, a name I assumed years after my birth. No matter how small a thing it is, vampires must blend in with the humans the best we can, and I assumed the name when it was becoming more popular for the humans to have more than one name. Over the years, the name has been anglicized to Kavanagh, and that is what I go by now.”
“Oh.” She glanced away from him, embarrassed she’d forgotten she’d asked the question and more than a little unsettled by his answer. How old did that make him if his last name had originated and changed in such a way? Old enough to make her skin dance from the power he emanated.
“And I know you are Kadence, but do you have a last name?” he asked.
Her mind spun as she tried to figure out if there was something he could use her last name for, but she couldn’t think of anything. “It’s Holter.”
“Kadence Holter.”
Her name sounded more like a caress as it rolled off his tongue. Was that the faintest hint of an Irish accent she’d detected from him? She’d met a few hunters from Ireland when they visited the stronghold. Their accents had fascinated her, as did their tales of their homeland.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kadence.”
“Are you going to kill me, Ronan?” the question popped out before she could stop herself.
His eyes narrowed as all amusement vanished from him. “Yes, I brought you back here, dressed your wounds, and took care of you, all so I could kill you.”
The deep growl of his voice vibrated through the room. No matter how angry he sounded, she realized he still didn’t scare her. “I don’t know what to think. Your kind—”
“My kind isnotyour enemy,” he interrupted. “No matter what you were raised to believe, we never have been your enemy.”
Her mouth opened, then closed again. She didn’t know what to say. She shouldn’t believe him; her upbringing screamed at her he was a lying. But instinctually sheknewshe could trust him and that he would keep her safe.
If Ronan wanted her dead, she would be already. If he intended to rape her, he would be on her now. She didn’t sense any kind of mental games going on here, didn’t believe he was toying with her, but maybe he was.
He might have decided to leverage her against her brother and the others. That was a good possibility, but it still didn’t feel right. Maybe she’d lost more blood than she realized and her deprived mind was having a breakdown.Best possibility yet, she decided.
CHAPTER 11
“I think you should rest some more. Your coloring is still off,” Ronan said as her eyes went between him, the door, and her coat.
