making me jump. "Are you okay? You're white as a ghost. Maybe you're not into fashion after al ."
"I need to rest if you don't mind. The wine's made me a little dizzy." It wasn't the wine, I knew it. I had felt the same way after watching the woman crossing the street with her buggy. The woods made people see strange things, Clare had claimed. Was it true? Could there be a connection?
"I'l accompany you," Clare said.
"No need." I shook my head. Holding on to the cupboard door for support, I avoided touching the red gown again. "I'l find my way. Thank you though." Clare's gaze burned on my back as I hurried out. Several times I stumbled on the way to the first floor, but I managed to prevent a fal . As soon as I reached my room, I dropped on the bed and closed my eyes, nausea building up inside me. I jumped up and dashed for the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to throw up the contents of my stomach.
Chapter 7
Aidan
I paced up and down the carpet, boiling inside, though I couldn't let the others see how much Amber's strol in the woods had maddened me. If she hadn't been there, I'd have won the prize instead of her. Now I had to fathom a way to save her from the dangers her new ability brought upon the winner.
Kieran draped his legs over the sofa and grinned. "Amber's gone. To hel with the wine. Break out something a little more refreshing."
"Not with a mortal around," I said, irritated. I couldn't risk Amber knowing what we were; not before she recognised the bond we shared and fel in love with me.
"Shouldn't you take better care of your employees, Aidan?" Kieran said with a smirk. "Amber's a sweet little thing, and so very mortal. Letting her walk in the woods at night with half the Lore out there, hunting—" he shook his head in mock concern "—let's just say the job benefits you offer suck."
I spun, jaw set. Why couldn't my brother just shut up for a change? "Bro, I swear one of these days I'm going to—"
Clare burst through the door, interrupting my words of promised torture and murder. "She's carrying the prize."
"Wow, you just broke the case wide open, Sherlock Holmes." I cocked a brow. "And you found out how, apart from me tel ing you?"
Clare rol ed her eyes. "You're so bloody arrogant and annoying. Curb it down a little." She leaned in. "I'm stil a little confused though. Why didn't you stop her from entering the shed?"
"Because I didn't notice her since I was busy chaining the Shadows and what else not to a bloody tree." I took a deep breath to control the annoyance rising inside me. "By the time I finished, it was too late."
"Amber's weak." Clare hesitated. "It didn't bother me before, but now that she's carrying the prize it'l be a problem. What're you going to do with her? How did she figure out the riddle anyway?"
A good question. No one ever had. I should've kil ed the mortal right there in the clearing. It could've saved me a lot of trouble. But looking at the soft curve of her neck, I harboured other thoughts. Fate chose her as my mate. If she died, I'd choose to die with her. Like me, she could never love another.
"I say we kil her," Blake said.
Kieran glared at him. "You and your constant need for slaughter. We're not barbarians."
Clare lowered next to him and snuggled in his arm. "I'm surprised you know such a big word."
"I know more than one." Kieran tugged her close. "And I'm more than happy to show you."
"Hey, focus," I snapped. "This is important." Three pairs of eyes met my gaze, eagerly awaiting every word that came out of my mouth. They always let me make the decisions. I tired of it a long time ago. "You forget the Interracial Race rule: once a contestant carries the prize, he can't be stripped off it. Either they give it up within twelve hours, or they carry the skil for the next five hundred years. Let's just hope Amber's compliant and does what we tel her to do, otherwise it might get ugly for al of us."
"You should've seen her upstairs." Clare shook her head.
"I need to rest if you don't mind. The wine's made me a little dizzy." It wasn't the wine, I knew it. I had felt the same way after watching the woman crossing the street with her buggy. The woods made people see strange things, Clare had claimed. Was it true? Could there be a connection?
"I'l accompany you," Clare said.
"No need." I shook my head. Holding on to the cupboard door for support, I avoided touching the red gown again. "I'l find my way. Thank you though." Clare's gaze burned on my back as I hurried out. Several times I stumbled on the way to the first floor, but I managed to prevent a fal . As soon as I reached my room, I dropped on the bed and closed my eyes, nausea building up inside me. I jumped up and dashed for the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to throw up the contents of my stomach.
Chapter 7
Aidan
I paced up and down the carpet, boiling inside, though I couldn't let the others see how much Amber's strol in the woods had maddened me. If she hadn't been there, I'd have won the prize instead of her. Now I had to fathom a way to save her from the dangers her new ability brought upon the winner.
Kieran draped his legs over the sofa and grinned. "Amber's gone. To hel with the wine. Break out something a little more refreshing."
"Not with a mortal around," I said, irritated. I couldn't risk Amber knowing what we were; not before she recognised the bond we shared and fel in love with me.
"Shouldn't you take better care of your employees, Aidan?" Kieran said with a smirk. "Amber's a sweet little thing, and so very mortal. Letting her walk in the woods at night with half the Lore out there, hunting—" he shook his head in mock concern "—let's just say the job benefits you offer suck."
I spun, jaw set. Why couldn't my brother just shut up for a change? "Bro, I swear one of these days I'm going to—"
Clare burst through the door, interrupting my words of promised torture and murder. "She's carrying the prize."
"Wow, you just broke the case wide open, Sherlock Holmes." I cocked a brow. "And you found out how, apart from me tel ing you?"
Clare rol ed her eyes. "You're so bloody arrogant and annoying. Curb it down a little." She leaned in. "I'm stil a little confused though. Why didn't you stop her from entering the shed?"
"Because I didn't notice her since I was busy chaining the Shadows and what else not to a bloody tree." I took a deep breath to control the annoyance rising inside me. "By the time I finished, it was too late."
"Amber's weak." Clare hesitated. "It didn't bother me before, but now that she's carrying the prize it'l be a problem. What're you going to do with her? How did she figure out the riddle anyway?"
A good question. No one ever had. I should've kil ed the mortal right there in the clearing. It could've saved me a lot of trouble. But looking at the soft curve of her neck, I harboured other thoughts. Fate chose her as my mate. If she died, I'd choose to die with her. Like me, she could never love another.
"I say we kil her," Blake said.
Kieran glared at him. "You and your constant need for slaughter. We're not barbarians."
Clare lowered next to him and snuggled in his arm. "I'm surprised you know such a big word."
"I know more than one." Kieran tugged her close. "And I'm more than happy to show you."
"Hey, focus," I snapped. "This is important." Three pairs of eyes met my gaze, eagerly awaiting every word that came out of my mouth. They always let me make the decisions. I tired of it a long time ago. "You forget the Interracial Race rule: once a contestant carries the prize, he can't be stripped off it. Either they give it up within twelve hours, or they carry the skil for the next five hundred years. Let's just hope Amber's compliant and does what we tel her to do, otherwise it might get ugly for al of us."
"You should've seen her upstairs." Clare shook her head.
Similar Books
