Page 18 of Bound by Vengeance
Feeling stable enough to face her, Nathanturned away from the window and leaned against the sink. He foldedhis arms over his chest and crossed his legs. She lifted her legsand hugged them to her chest again.
“And you did destroy him,” Nathan said.
“Yeah,” she murmured.
But now what?She didn’t feel readyto return home, to face her siblings and her parents, to hug hernieces and nephews. A part of her still felt too dirty or wrong orbroken or whatever she was to do any of those things.
“You don’t smell like a Savage,” hesaid.
“It’s been seven months since I killed. Mysiblings said I smelled different to them afterward, but it’sfaded.”
He studied her golden skin as a sinkingrealization settled in his gut. “Ronan told me the vampires whokill can’t tolerate the sun as much.”
“True.”
“You have a beautiful tan, Victoria,” hemurmured.
A muscle in her cheek twitched.
“Are you punishing yourself by exposingyourself to the sun?” he asked.
“The sun doesn’t hurt as much as it usedto,” she murmured. “Like the smell of rot on me, the pain of UVrays, and from a tanning bed, have faded.”
“You will stop that!”
The vehemence of his words stunned her.“Nathan—”
She didn’t have a chance to respond beforehe was in front of her. Vicky nearly toppled backward off the wall.Some vampires didn't possess the speed he’d displayed. Every inchof him exuded wrath as his hands slammed down beside her and heleaned over her.
“Back off!” She bared her lengthening fangsas he lowered his face until it was only inches from hers. Hisanger wasn’t directed at her, not really, but she’d be damned ifany man got in her face.
“Youdidnotdeserve what theydid to you,” he bit out. “And you have no reason to punishyourself. Youwillstop it.”
Before she could reply, or punch him in thenose, he turned and stalked away from her.
CHAPTER 9
Pacing before the sink, Nathan ran his handthrough his hair as he shot her repeated disgruntled looks.
“News flash,” she said in a low, lethal toneof voice. “I’m not one of your demure little hunter women. I willnotbe ordered around by anyone, and certainly not byyou.”
He stopped pacing to face her. Planting hisfeet apart, he stood and stared at her as he tried to calm himself.“You didn’t deserve what they did to you, and you don’t deservewhat you are continuing to do to yourself.”
“I’ve always enjoyed being tan,” she repliedflippantly, her anger with him easing as she realized his worry forher drove him. Vicky felt herself slipping back into a role she’dperfected since her freedom. The role of the carefree girl she’donce been, though she certainly didn’t feel like that girl anymore.“I’m known as quite the diva in my family.”
A small smile curved the corners of hismouth as some of his tension eased. “I never would have guessedsuch a thing.”
“I know, it’sshocking.”
His smile slid away as he studied her. “Howdo you feel now that Duke is dead?”
“Somehow, I expected more,” she admitted.“To feel relieved or vindicated orwhole. Instead, all Ifeel is a strange emptiness, and now I have no purpose.”
She’d spoken his greatest fear out loud.Since Joseph ruthlessly slaughtered his father, he’d been driven bythe mission to one day destroy the Savage, but once it was done,what would he have to live for? Fighting? Death?
It’s all he’d had before his father died,but for some reason, such a future seemed bleak to him.
The elder hunters would soon pick a wife forhim. He suspected it would be Kadence’s friend, Simone, who was asdemure as she was beautiful. Simone had been raised to be theperfect wife, and she’d excel in it.
