Page 25 of Eternally Bound
It had been years since he’d jerked off, centuries maybe, he couldn’t really recall. He still got erections, but he’d felt no compulsion to ease them with a woman or with his own hand. A long time ago, his need for sex had been eclipsed by his never-ending need for death, and he hadn’t missed it.
Until now. With images of Kadence in mind, he found himself becoming more aroused than he’d been in years. His hips thrust as he imagined it was the muscles of her sheathe gripping him. Throwing his head back, the cold water hit him in the face as he found his release.
His muscles quaked, his head tilted back down, and he gazed at his still hard dick in his hand. He’d just come, yet he craved more. He wantedherholding him now, not himself. His mind whispered at him to go to Kadence, to wake her and claim her. She didn’t know what to make of everything, but she wouldn’t turn him away.
Through sheer strength of will, he remained in the shower. After another half-an-hour passed, and he jerked off again, he shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. He still felt as tense as a wild, caged animal as he strode over to pull a towel from the rack and dried himself off, but at least he trusted himself not to crawl back into bed with her and take her.
Stepping before the mirror, he wasn’t at all surprised to find his eyes more red than brown right now. That demon part of him was still close to the surface, and like him, it wantedher. Neither of them could have her though.
She was a hunter, but she’d grown up sheltered from the true brutality of the world her brother lived in. Sheltered from the worldhelived in. She deserved better than someone who had killed more vampires and a couple of hunters than he cared to recall. He wasn’t proud of any of the deaths he’d delivered, but he was proud he’d kept many innocents safer throughout his life.
Turning away from the mirror, he ran a hand over the stubble lining his jaw before grabbing his jeans off the floor. He hastily pulled them on and stepped from the room. His heart clenched when he found Kadence still sleeping. What would it be like to find her like this every day for the rest of his life?
Before he could think about the fact that thought had even entered his mind, never mind how much he found himself wanting to know the answer to it, a faint knock sounded on the door. He hurried to open it before it woke Kadence. Declan stood on the other side, looking far more relaxed than Ronan felt right now. Declan’s hair was still damp from a recent shower, one Ronan was certain had been nice and hot.
“What is it?” Ronan demanded as he slipped into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind him.
“Aren’t we testy. Did you not get enough beauty rest?”
“I slept fine. Why are you here?”
Declan flashed a grin as his eyes danced with merriment. Out of everyone, Declan could get away with pushing him the farthest. He’d earned that right after their many centuries together, but he was grating on Ronan’s nerves.
All amusement vanished from Declan’s face as he glanced at the door. “We were curious about what was going to happen with the hunter.”
Ronan ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He’d prefer not to leave her, it might scare her to wake up alone, but he had to deal with this. “I’ll meet you and the others in the dining room after I speak with Marta about Kadence.”
Declan’s eyes took on an odd gleam as he appraised Ronan. “Kadence, is it?”
“It is her name,” Ronan bit out.
“You like this girl.”
“She will be taken care of while here. She’s been through a lot.”
“We’ve been together a long time. I’ve never seen you like this with a woman.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Declan held up his hands and backed away. “My mistake then. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Ronan noted the amusement in Declan’s eyes before he turned and strolled down the hall.
***
Nathan paced the grounds of the stronghold. His tracks taking him from the front gate to Kadence’s window. He scowled at the rose trellis beside her window. Surveillance video revealed nothing of her, but he suspected she’d climbed down it last night. Someone most likely would have at least seen her exit the house otherwise.
Somehow, she’d managed to take one of the cars from the garage, punch in the gate code, and leave the stronghold all before he’d left to go hunting for the night. He only knew that because he recalled the white Ford sedan she’d taken already missing from its space when he left, but he’d assumed one of the other hunting teams had taken it.
They’d located the car near the club and brought it back. He’d still been here when Kadence left the stronghold, and he’d never known it. She must have parked somewhere and waited for them to exit before following them.
Over the years, he’d taken her driving around the stronghold and taught her how to use a vehicle. Those drives had been the only times he’d really seen her laugh or smile as they’d traveled through the hundreds of acres of woods and dirt roads crisscrossing the property.
Most of the women weren’t taught how to drive, there was no real reason for them to be, but when Kadence had asked him to teach her five years ago, he couldn’t resist. There were so many things she was denied; he saw no reason to deny her that too.
Now he was kicking himself in the ass for it. He didn’t think she’d asked him to teach her with escape in mind, but now she was in danger, possibly dead, because of his lessons.
What he didn’t know was how she had discovered what the gate code was and managed to stay off camera? Those were questions only she could answer, but he was curious about them. If Kadence had managed to do it, then others could get past their defenses too.
