Page 35 of Bound By Love
She felt better and more coherent when she confirmed this for herself. And they were running because….
Small parts of the picture started fitting together. Red eyes glowed from beneath the storm drain, a city full of laughter and good cheer, a loud bang and then spinning, so much spinning.
Her fingers finally worked enough to touch her forehead as the pounding there became a cacophony that drowned out the memories. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to ease the pain.
Sensing her distress, Saber lifted her until her mouth rested against his throat. “Feed,” he commanded.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Despite the agonyof her battered brain, Caro couldn’t refuse the overwhelming temptation of his blood. It pulsed against her lips with every rapid beat of his heart; its scent teased her fangs into elongating.
Running on instinct, she sank them into his throat and groaned when his blood filled her mouth. She drew him closer as his power swelled in her veins and flowed through her body.
While it filled her, her thoughts became less scattered and chaotic. Her memories returned, and the knowledge of what happened hit her like a hammer to the chest.
They’d been attacked, someone was hunting them, and they would die if she didn’t get down and run. Feeling a lot stronger and afraid of weakening him, she released her bite on his neck.
Leaning back, she studied his handsome face as terror curdled in her belly. Anger simmered in his red eyes, and determination etched his features as he sprinted through the woods.
“I’m okay; you can put me down,” she told him.
He glanced at her but couldn’t look away from the forest too long, or he’d plow into a tree. If he did that, he’d cause alotof damage to them, and they’d never get away. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Dirt and leaves kicked up from beneath his feet when he skidded to a stop. He shrugged off her sword and handed it to her before pulling out her phone.
They didn’t have time to waste, but he had to get a message out in case they didn’t escape this. He went straight to her texts; the one she’d exchanged with Willow was still on the screen.
Car down. After us.
It wasn’t much, but they’d get the gist of it. He hit send, clasped Caro’s elbow, and turned her to face the woods. No matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn’t keep holding her while they were running, so he released her as they raced through the trees.
Caro’s heart hammered as she dodged trees, leapt over fallen logs, scaled massive rocks, and clambered up a hill. Debris slid out from beneath her feet as they climbed the steep hill together.
It was so steep, she had to bend forward and use her hands to grasp the sticks and rocks jutting from the earth. She slipped a few times and almost face-planted but managed to catch herself in time.
When they finally reached the top, sweat cleaved her clothes to her body, and her legs ached from exertion, but she didn’t dare rest. During their climb, the woods had gone completely silent.
Not even the rustle of a field mouse could be heard as none of the animals stirred. There were bigger and worse predators than foxes and coyotes out there tonight, and they all knew it.
And that predator was closing in onthem.
Leaving the hill behind, she ran past the blurred trees with Saber a few feet away but parallel to her though he could move faster. She ducked branches that tore at her hair and clothes and avoided boulders that would have shattered her bones.
The branches she didn’t completely miss welted her arms as they slapped against her skin. Some of them broke open her skin, and blood seeped from the welts inflicted on her, but they didn’t slow her.
The sound of running water reached her seconds before they plunged into a small stream winding its way through the hilly and rocky countryside. Their feet kicking and splashing through the water caused her to wince, but they couldn’t do anything about it as they trudged to the other side of the bank and ran onward.
Saber glanced behind him as they skated down another hill; he didn’t see anyone, but their scent gave them away. The Savages were still coming.
They were halfway down the hill when lights shone in the distance and the hum of tires against asphalt drifted in the air. Another road lay ahead; if they could get to it, they might find a ride away.
He reclaimed Caro’s hand, and his body immediately reacted to the warmth of her touch. The blood on his skin from her injuries caused a haze of red to blur his vision. He knew she was hurt; he’d scented it on the air, but feeling it made it worse.
They’d pay for doing this to her, and he would get her out of this. If it was the last thing he did, he would make sure they didn’t get their hands on her.
The idea of those filthy creatures laying one finger on her spurred him faster. She couldn’t survive without him, but he’d sacrifice himself to get her out of here.
