Page 23 of Bound By Blood
He felt only atwinge of remorse when she issued a small, sharp cry, and the swordclattered to the ground. He spun her around, catching her arms andpinning her back to his chest.
Caro kicked backwith her foot, connecting with his shin while she smashed her headoff his chin. White lights exploded before her eyes, but she didn’tlet the pain slow her as she lurched forward to break free of hisgrasp.
Except, there wasno breaking free of the solid muscle locking her into a vice-likegrip. When she tried to kick back again, he shifted his stance andbraced his legs further apart, so she missed him.
Biting her lip tokeep from screaming, she refused to acknowledge that the wall ofmuscle enveloping her did funny things to her insides. His crisp,sweet scent was oddly familiar despite never having smelledpeppermint so intensely on someone before.
The last thing sheshould experience was desire for the man treating her like a child,but her dumbass body had different ideas.It’s the lack ofsleep. Except, she didn’t buy that for this.
“Stop fightingme,” he snarled in her ear.
“Fuck you!” shespat.
Saber’s armstightened on her, but he wasn’t sure if it was from frustration orbecause she smelled and felt so good.
CHAPTER 17
Unable to resist,Saber moved his mouth closer until his lips brushed her ear. Herinherent scent of the ocean and salty air filled his lungs. Thesecond his skin touched hers, something warm and unfamiliartraveled from his lips, through his torso, and into his veins.
He closed his eyesas he breathed her scent into every fiber of his being. She smelledof freedom, days spent in the sun, and endless possibilities.Possibilities heneverwould have dreamed about untilholding her.
She smelled ofsunshine and laughter… andhope. She smelled of things heonce possessed and enjoyed, but those days were long gone, and he’dgiven up any expectation of ever experiencing them again.
But holding her,those centuries-old, dead dreams rose from the ashes to shinebefore him. There was a time when he loved sitting in the sun on abeach while listening to the waves crashing.
And then there wasa time when the sun would have killed him on contact. At night,instead of wondering what lay beyond those waves and the creaturesswimming beneath them, he’d sit in the sand andloathetheendless flow of those waves.
Now, for the firsttime in centuries, the scent of the ocean calmed instead ofincensed him, and he found himself dreaming of things oncemore.
When the intrudersbanged on the door again, those dreams evaporated like spray on theair. And once again, he was reminded of the things he would neverhave. He was not a man who was capable of dreams anymore. He couldonly fight and kill; it was his purpose for being.
Lifting his head,Saber scowled at the door as it shuddered in its frame. His fangslengthened; he would kill whoever was out there.
“They’re Savages,”he stated.
“And how do youknow that?” Caro demanded.
“They’re toodemanding.”
“Their knocksounds like yours did. And you’re not a… Savage?”
It occurred to herthat he’d informed her Savagescouldbe in the sun, but hesmelledwaytoo good to ever be one of those things. Butwhat if they could still smell normal until they fully tipped overto the dark side?
Her blood ran coldas the possibility rendered her motionless in his arms.
“Not anymore,” hesaid.
Caro blinked athis response, and her mind spun as she tried to process it.Notanymore! What does that mean?
Before she couldsay anything, the loud banging echoed through the store again. Thistime, a command accompanied it.
“We know someone’sin there. Now, open the fucking door.”
“I didn’t think itwas possible, but they’re ruder than you,” she muttered.
“But they’re notas deadly. Stay here.”
She frowned overhis command as he released her and stepped forward. She would getrevenge for her parents’ deaths, but what if he was wrong? What ifhe wasn’t more deadly than them and they both died today?
