Page 99 of Bound by Vengeance
They entered the hotel and strode across themain lobby. Sheets, coated with dust, covered the furniture andmain desk. “Where are we going?” Vicky asked.
“Kadence and Declan are in the sunroom,”Abby replied.
“Where are Lucien and Killean?” In the moodshe was in, Vicky didn’t want to run into either of them.
“They’re around here somewhere,” Brianreplied.
“Scaring the hunters?” Vicky quipped thoughshe felt anything but amused right now.
Last night had been the best night of herlife, but there were no promises between her and Nathan, and shedidn’t expect any. Still, she wished she could have held onto himfor one more day or fallen into a contented sleep in his arms onemore time.
The increasing pressure for her to make himimmortal and seal their bond was already building within her liketwo tectonic plates pressing against each other. She’d known lastnight would escalate it, but shedespisedthis horrible,clawing sensation growing in her chest. It would be her new normal,except it would only get worse.
“Probably,” Abby said.
They entered a glass-encased room at the farend of the hotel. Vicky imagined breakfast was once served here sothe guests could eat while watching the flow of the sun-kissedocean beyond the windows.
Kadence and Declan stood outside the room,staring at something Vicky couldn’t see from here. Crossing theroom with Abby and Brian, she opened the glass door and steppedoutside to join Kadence and Declan. The salty scent of the seafilled her nostrils as she listened to the waves lapping againstthe shore. The receding tide had left seaweed and a treasure troveof seashells behind.
The hunters were gathered on the beach, alarge fire burning in the center of the circle they’d created. Lastnight’s storm had washed the air clean, leaving the day warm andthe sky a pristine blue. On a perfect spring day like this, thefire seemed an odd choice, but then, Vicky didn’t understand theways of the hunters.
When the hunters all joined hands, sherealized Asher and Logan stood outside the circle with their armsover their chests.
“What are they doing?” Abby inquired.
“We’ve always celebrated Mayday,” Kadencereplied, yet she appeared as perplexed as Asher and Logan lookedpissed off.
“I didn’t even realize it was May first,”Vicky muttered. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost complete trackof the days.
“Yeah.” Kadence’s lips pursed when pink andblue ribbons were brought forth.
Asher and Logan started shaking their headsas they spoke with each other. Asher said something to one of thehunters in the circle, but Vicky was too far away to hear him. Theother hunter glanced at him and stepped away from the fire, as acouple of young women strolled into the center of the circle.
“Shit,” Kadence muttered.
Asher and Logan moved forward. Their voicesgrew loud enough for Vicky to pick out some of the words, but notenough to understand what was happening. Kadence turned toward her,opened her mouth to speak, and then gawked at her.
Vicky lifted her chin when she realized whathappened; Kadence had been too absorbed in whatever was going on tonotice Nathan’s scent all over Vicky or the fact she was wearinghis clothes, until now.
Kadence’s gaze flashed to her neck, butNathan’s shirt covered most of what remained of his fading bite.Still, Vicky hadn’t been able to completely cover the bite he’dmost recently given her. A look of sorrow flashed through Kadence’seyes before she glanced back at the beach.
“Is Nathan with Ronan?” she asked Vicky.
“Yes,” Vicky said.
“I have to speak with him.” Kadence restedher hand briefly on Vicky’s arm before rushing from the room withDeclan trailing behind her.
Vicky exchanged a confused look with Abbybefore turning back to the beach and the rising voices there. Shewatched as one twenty-something man stepped forward. Some of theolder hunters used the pink and blue ribbons to bind his hand andarm to a young woman.
Vicky’s heart sank when she realized thehunters had turned this Mayday into more than a celebration ofspring.
Three more women remained standing therewaiting for their prospective grooms. One of the older women turnedto speak with Asher and Logan, gesturing them forward. Two womenfor them, one for Nathan. She nearly choked on the lump cloggingher throat.
• • •
Nathan strode through the halls with Ronantoward the sunroom. Vicky’s scent drew him onward at a faster rate.So focused on getting to her, Nathan nearly collided with Kadenceand Declan when he turned a corner.
His sister took a step back, her eyesinstantly going to his neck. His shirt hid Vicky’s bites on him,but he suspected that’s what she searched for.
