Read Online Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) by H.N. Sieverding - Free Book Online
Authors: H.N. Sieverding
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She rolled her shoulders inward and squeezed
ahead of them. Some of the men glared at her, but she didn't look at them.
Instead, she ran toward the back room.
Aiden stood up from his seat at the Council's table, a giant
smirk filling his lips as he turned to the Count. "Your grace, what brings
you—?"
"The girl." Chase's voice was stern. He didn't
look friendly, his angry eyes burning into Aiden's.
"Councilman Vessling ?"
Aiden sat down and motioned for Anthony to speak.
"We were just speaking of the matter." Anthony
stood and briefly glanced toward the room into which Ashleigh had disappeared.
Ashleigh shut the door to block out the conversation and
jogged over to Caleb, who was lying on the table. He was whining as his father
tapped a wet cloth over his bare back. His skin was blooded and ripped.
Lucas quickly turned to Ashleigh. "What are you doing
here?"
"Caleb…" Her slender fingers covered her lips as
she slowly advanced. She grabbed a chair and sat at his side. "Are you all
right?" Her hand reached up to his face, her touch lightly kissing the
surface of his skin.
"Yeah." Caleb managed to laugh, but it was a
forced one. The smile that followed was coated in tears. "I'll be fine.
Why'd you come here?" He gazed into her sad eyes as his bottom lip
quivered. "I didn't want you to see me like this."
"I had to." She leaned forward and gave him a
quick kiss. Then, she turned to Lucas. "Some big shot is here—maybe you
should go out and see."
"What?" Lucas studied her suspiciously then went
back to what he was doing. His large hands were gentle as he cared for his son.
Though his voice didn't show it, Ashleigh noticed the glassy surface of Lucas'
eyes and knew he had been crying. "Big shot?"
"Your grace… That's what you call a Count, right?"
"Damn it…" Closing his eyes for a few seconds,
Lucas tried to calm himself. When he had, he quickly motioned for Caleb to sit
up.
Caleb moaned as he did so reluctantly. He squeezed
Ashleigh's hand so tightly her knuckles turned a whitish hue. His voice was
whiney and strained. "Fuck that hurts."
"I thought you would learn last time this happened not
to disobey the Council again." Lucas motioned for Ashleigh to help him
bandage Caleb's back. "This is not your fault, Caleb."
Ashleigh sniffled. There was a great anger in her soft words,
"It's that bastard Aiden's—"
"Now, stop blaming people." Lucas began wrapping
gauze around Caleb's middle to hold the giant piece he had placed over Caleb's
back. "That's not going to help, right now."
"Oh, Caleb…" Ashleigh grabbed Caleb's arm and
looped hers in it. She was sobbing now, unable to hold back the guilt she bore.
"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry." Her fingers hooked into his.
She now wore her engagement ring that Caleb had had custom made, something she
hadn't done for the past few months.
"It's fine. I told you…" Caleb laughed as he
turned his head to her. His free hand reached up to her face and cradled her
cheek. "I've been through this before. No sweat." His thumb wiped
away some of her hot tears, the tips of his fingers disappearing under the brim
of her hat. "It's all good, I promise." He picked up their joined
hands and kissed hers. "So, don't cry. You know me. I can handle a little
pain."
"I'll be right back." Lucas spoke to them, but
neither was listening. Shaking his head, Lucas let out a tired sigh and left
the room.
"I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms loosely
around Caleb's neck. Her words were choked as she continued to cry. "This
is all my fault."
"No," Caleb cooed to her, closing his eyes as he
took a few deep breaths. He was in a lot of pain, but he was hiding it well.
"Come on, don't cry."
He leaned forward and began kissing her. His action was
slow, his kisses tender and weak. He wasn't the playful Caleb he usually was,
the loss of blood making him dizzy and slightly disorientated.
"Caleb?" She pulled away from him and studied his
worn out expression. She pushed up her coat to reveal her
ahead of them. Some of the men glared at her, but she didn't look at them.
Instead, she ran toward the back room.
Aiden stood up from his seat at the Council's table, a giant
smirk filling his lips as he turned to the Count. "Your grace, what brings
you—?"
"The girl." Chase's voice was stern. He didn't
look friendly, his angry eyes burning into Aiden's.
"Councilman Vessling ?"
Aiden sat down and motioned for Anthony to speak.
"We were just speaking of the matter." Anthony
stood and briefly glanced toward the room into which Ashleigh had disappeared.
Ashleigh shut the door to block out the conversation and
jogged over to Caleb, who was lying on the table. He was whining as his father
tapped a wet cloth over his bare back. His skin was blooded and ripped.
Lucas quickly turned to Ashleigh. "What are you doing
here?"
"Caleb…" Her slender fingers covered her lips as
she slowly advanced. She grabbed a chair and sat at his side. "Are you all
right?" Her hand reached up to his face, her touch lightly kissing the
surface of his skin.
"Yeah." Caleb managed to laugh, but it was a
forced one. The smile that followed was coated in tears. "I'll be fine.
Why'd you come here?" He gazed into her sad eyes as his bottom lip
quivered. "I didn't want you to see me like this."
"I had to." She leaned forward and gave him a
quick kiss. Then, she turned to Lucas. "Some big shot is here—maybe you
should go out and see."
"What?" Lucas studied her suspiciously then went
back to what he was doing. His large hands were gentle as he cared for his son.
Though his voice didn't show it, Ashleigh noticed the glassy surface of Lucas'
eyes and knew he had been crying. "Big shot?"
"Your grace… That's what you call a Count, right?"
"Damn it…" Closing his eyes for a few seconds,
Lucas tried to calm himself. When he had, he quickly motioned for Caleb to sit
up.
Caleb moaned as he did so reluctantly. He squeezed
Ashleigh's hand so tightly her knuckles turned a whitish hue. His voice was
whiney and strained. "Fuck that hurts."
"I thought you would learn last time this happened not
to disobey the Council again." Lucas motioned for Ashleigh to help him
bandage Caleb's back. "This is not your fault, Caleb."
Ashleigh sniffled. There was a great anger in her soft words,
"It's that bastard Aiden's—"
"Now, stop blaming people." Lucas began wrapping
gauze around Caleb's middle to hold the giant piece he had placed over Caleb's
back. "That's not going to help, right now."
"Oh, Caleb…" Ashleigh grabbed Caleb's arm and
looped hers in it. She was sobbing now, unable to hold back the guilt she bore.
"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry." Her fingers hooked into his.
She now wore her engagement ring that Caleb had had custom made, something she
hadn't done for the past few months.
"It's fine. I told you…" Caleb laughed as he
turned his head to her. His free hand reached up to her face and cradled her
cheek. "I've been through this before. No sweat." His thumb wiped
away some of her hot tears, the tips of his fingers disappearing under the brim
of her hat. "It's all good, I promise." He picked up their joined
hands and kissed hers. "So, don't cry. You know me. I can handle a little
pain."
"I'll be right back." Lucas spoke to them, but
neither was listening. Shaking his head, Lucas let out a tired sigh and left
the room.
"I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms loosely
around Caleb's neck. Her words were choked as she continued to cry. "This
is all my fault."
"No," Caleb cooed to her, closing his eyes as he
took a few deep breaths. He was in a lot of pain, but he was hiding it well.
"Come on, don't cry."
He leaned forward and began kissing her. His action was
slow, his kisses tender and weak. He wasn't the playful Caleb he usually was,
the loss of blood making him dizzy and slightly disorientated.
"Caleb?" She pulled away from him and studied his
worn out expression. She pushed up her coat to reveal her
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