vampire community
This was my land. His voice took on an odd shake. This was my home.
I know, she said quickly. I know, and I couldnt let it be sold. When some of us in the region held the memorial service for you and your family a few weeks ago and I learned no one had come forward to claim the land, I purchased the property myself. No one knew. I wanted to put something special on it. I hoped it could be a kind of sanctuary in remembrance of the lives that were lost.
Reichen stared at the model of the tranquil park with its reflection pools and walking trails and meticulously plotted flower beds. The design was lovely. Perfect.
Claire had done this for him .
He was astonished. Struck speechless.
It probably wasnt my place to do it, she said. Im sorry. I just couldnt stand the thought of your homeand your kins livesbeing forgotten or sold off to the highest bidder. It didnt seem right. Then again, what I did probably doesnt seem right to you, either.
Reichen stood there, silent, unmoving To say he was shocked by Claires act of compassion was understatement in the extreme. He was movedmore deeply than he had been in more years than he cared to remember. He stared at the architects model, seeing all the detail, all the care and thought that had been put into the design.
For him, and for the memory of his kin.
He slowly turned to Claire, knowing his face must have been as rigid as stone by the way she took a step back.
Good , he thought. Good. Keep her away .
Because all he wanted to do in that moment was drag her hard into his arms and kiss her until neither one of them could breathe.
But she was Roths mate.
His enemys mate.
And he was still dangerous, still too near the razors edge of hunger. If he touched Claire now, he didnt trust himself to stop there. If hed been honorable at one time in his life, the fire that had been reawakened inside him three months ago had all but devoured that part of him. He was a threat to Claire, in far more ways than one.
I need to be alone, he muttered, a throaty snarl of sound.
He meant that; he couldnt be around her right now. He didnt want to think about the brief but indelible past hed had with her, or how swiftly his bodyhis weak-willed heart, as wellstill responded to the mere presence of her.
He didnt want to look at her now, as she was moving closer to him, her expression tender and caring, her hand held out as if she wanted to touch him. Something he craved in that moment with every selfish fiber of his being.
His pulse hammered hard in his veins. His mouth was wet with hunger for her, his sex going tight and heavy with desire.
Only a single pace separated her from him now. He stopped breathing as she lifted her hand up and gently placed it against his chest. Andreas, Im sorry. I didnt mean any harm
Get out, Claire. He drew in a breath that hissed through his teeth and fangs. Now, goddamn it!
She startled at his thunderous bark of anger, jumping back from him as though he might strike her. She blinked up at him for a long moment, her lips parted but unspeakingThen she fled the room without a word. When he was certain she was gone, Reichen drifted over to the library doors and shut them tight. He told himself he was relieved that she was gone. If she valued her well-being at all, shed leave the house and run as far away from him as she could get.
He only prayed hed be strong enough to resist going after her between now and sundown, when he would have a chance to go out and slake his blood thirst on someone else anyone else but her.
CHAPTER
Six
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
L ucan Thorne pressed his mouth against the warm, soft skin just behind his Breedmates left ear. Standing with her in the living room of their private quarters within the subterranean compound
This was my land. His voice took on an odd shake. This was my home.
I know, she said quickly. I know, and I couldnt let it be sold. When some of us in the region held the memorial service for you and your family a few weeks ago and I learned no one had come forward to claim the land, I purchased the property myself. No one knew. I wanted to put something special on it. I hoped it could be a kind of sanctuary in remembrance of the lives that were lost.
Reichen stared at the model of the tranquil park with its reflection pools and walking trails and meticulously plotted flower beds. The design was lovely. Perfect.
Claire had done this for him .
He was astonished. Struck speechless.
It probably wasnt my place to do it, she said. Im sorry. I just couldnt stand the thought of your homeand your kins livesbeing forgotten or sold off to the highest bidder. It didnt seem right. Then again, what I did probably doesnt seem right to you, either.
Reichen stood there, silent, unmoving To say he was shocked by Claires act of compassion was understatement in the extreme. He was movedmore deeply than he had been in more years than he cared to remember. He stared at the architects model, seeing all the detail, all the care and thought that had been put into the design.
For him, and for the memory of his kin.
He slowly turned to Claire, knowing his face must have been as rigid as stone by the way she took a step back.
Good , he thought. Good. Keep her away .
Because all he wanted to do in that moment was drag her hard into his arms and kiss her until neither one of them could breathe.
But she was Roths mate.
His enemys mate.
And he was still dangerous, still too near the razors edge of hunger. If he touched Claire now, he didnt trust himself to stop there. If hed been honorable at one time in his life, the fire that had been reawakened inside him three months ago had all but devoured that part of him. He was a threat to Claire, in far more ways than one.
I need to be alone, he muttered, a throaty snarl of sound.
He meant that; he couldnt be around her right now. He didnt want to think about the brief but indelible past hed had with her, or how swiftly his bodyhis weak-willed heart, as wellstill responded to the mere presence of her.
He didnt want to look at her now, as she was moving closer to him, her expression tender and caring, her hand held out as if she wanted to touch him. Something he craved in that moment with every selfish fiber of his being.
His pulse hammered hard in his veins. His mouth was wet with hunger for her, his sex going tight and heavy with desire.
Only a single pace separated her from him now. He stopped breathing as she lifted her hand up and gently placed it against his chest. Andreas, Im sorry. I didnt mean any harm
Get out, Claire. He drew in a breath that hissed through his teeth and fangs. Now, goddamn it!
She startled at his thunderous bark of anger, jumping back from him as though he might strike her. She blinked up at him for a long moment, her lips parted but unspeakingThen she fled the room without a word. When he was certain she was gone, Reichen drifted over to the library doors and shut them tight. He told himself he was relieved that she was gone. If she valued her well-being at all, shed leave the house and run as far away from him as she could get.
He only prayed hed be strong enough to resist going after her between now and sundown, when he would have a chance to go out and slake his blood thirst on someone else anyone else but her.
CHAPTER
Six
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
L ucan Thorne pressed his mouth against the warm, soft skin just behind his Breedmates left ear. Standing with her in the living room of their private quarters within the subterranean compound
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