Page 9 of Eternally Bound
Later, when she was alone, she would kick herself in her stupid ass for finally encountering vampires in the world and turning into a complete idiot because one of them fascinated her. For now, she had to completely ignore her bizarre reaction to Ronan as the other two did absolutely nothing for her.
“The fight is a draw. No more blood has to spill,” she said. “We have the one we came for. There will be other nights to continue this.”
“And more innocent deaths before then!” Nathan sneered.
“Nathan, please, I can’t lose you too!” she cried.
So the hunter, Nathan, was her lover or husband, Ronan realized. He eyed the vein in Nathan’s throat and licked his lips as he contemplated ending his competition for her.
“Get out of here, Kadence!” Nathan yelled at her.
A low growl emanated from him over the way Nathan spoke to her. Declan and Killean exchanged startled glances, but neither of them could be as surprised as he was over it.
Nathan tightened his hold on Joseph’s throat. He seemed to think Ronan was going to charge him to take Joseph back. However, Ronan had no intention of going anywhere near Nathan, not if it meant leaving Kadence unprotected.
“Nathan—” Kadence started.
“I saidleave!”
The roared order echoed throughout the alley. Kadence preferred not to see the bloodbath she was certain was about to unfold, but she wouldn’t let it happen if she could somehow stop it. Her fingers slid away from one of her stakes as she looked to Ronan, whose head was turned in her direction.
Everything she’d been taught over the years told her he was evil. However, something within her said he wasn’t. That belief might get her killed tonight. If it did, then she well deserved to die for her stupidity, but she couldn’t bring herself to attack someone who hadn’t come after her.
“I’m not leaving,” she declared as she looked back to her brother.
Nathan’s eyes widened. Declan glanced over his shoulder at her, an approving smile curving his full mouth. Before she could think about what that smile meant, a large hand enclosed on her arm. She spun to face the two men who materialized from the shadows behind her.
The one holding her stared back at her. His pitiless black eyes caused chills to run down her spine. His sandy blond hair framed his handsome face as his upper lip twisted into a sneer of disapproval.
She didn’t have to see his fangs to know this was another vampire. Dread flared through her as his grip became bruising. The other vamp who had appeared with him moved forward to join Ronan and his group. Kadence’s heart sank as she realized the hunters were now outnumbered.
She didn’t get any murderous vibes from Ronan, but she had no doubt the vamp holding her would break her neck and step over her dead body with the same amount of consideration he gave to pulling on his socks.
“Hello, boys,” the vamp holding her greeted, his voice as glacial as the rest of him.
“About time you showed up, Lucien,” Killean said.
“Looks like Saxon and I are just in time, Killean,” Lucien replied with a shrug. “Quite the pickle we’re all in. Especially Joseph there,” he nodded to the vamp Nathan held. “Looks like everyone’s after your blood, asshole.”
Joseph opened his mouth to respond, but only a chokedughsound came out. Hatred churned in her gut as Kadence gazed at the vamp who had killed her father. She knew his name now, but to her he would always be the vamp who had torn her world apart. The one who had propelled her into breaking free of the boundaries she’d chafed against her whole life.
“Let go of her!” Nathan snapped at Lucien.
“Is she what I think she is?” Lucien inquired, completely ignoring her brother’s command as he bent toward her to inspect her more closely.
“She is a born hunter,” Killean answered.
Kadence leaned away from him and, before she could think about it, kicked him in the shin. Lucien jumped and surveyed her with more interest. “Feisty little hunter, aren’t you?” he murmured.
“Let go of her, Lucien,” Ronan said. “She has no part in this.”
Kadence gawked at him. Was Ronan, thevampire, trying to protecther? Even Nathan looked confused by his words.
“From what I can tell, they have Joseph and we have her, so I think she has a big part in this,” Lucien replied. “Not to mention,noone has seen a born, female hunter. She may be something we can use to our advantage against these do-gooder, idiotic pricks.”
Ronan spun toward them. The fury emanating from his body caused her to step back. Lucien squeezed her arm, eliciting an involuntary wince from her. Adrenaline spiked through her as Ronan stalked toward them with menace exuding from every inch of him. She’d been wrong about him; he was going to drain her dry before tossing her lifeless body aside.
Kadence refused to cower from his approach as she defiantly lifted her chin. She’d put up one hell of a fight against him, though she was certain he could crush her skull with only one of his hands. Her fingers twitched toward the stake at her side while she awaited her opportunity to inflict as much damage as possible. Ronan would remember her years after he’d killed her, she’d make sure of it.
