Read Online Once Forbidden by Hope Welsh - Free Book Online Page A

“Explain.”
    She
shrugged. “I was in my room and he just walked in the door with the knife. I
don’t know how he got it. I suppose he could have broken the locks.”
    “We
need to go check, Sarah. And we need to get you some clothes.” He bent to the
side of the bed and picked up the robe that had been discarded hours earlier. “Put
this on, and I’ll get dressed.”
    He
climbed from the bed and dressed in black quickly. He had a bad feeling, but
didn’t want to worry her until he knew for sure what was going on. When he was
dressed, Devlin took her hand in his. “Just flow with me. I’ll drive,” he said,
not wanting to take the chance of her getting lost. “Don’t try to get there
yourself.”
    “Okay,”
she said, sensing his urgency.
    When
they materialized in her apartment, somehow it didn’t seem like home anymore. Everything
looked foreign to her. Devlin released her hand and she walked to the closet
and pulled out dark clothes, deciding that it was better for night travel. She
wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but decided he’d dressed in black for a reason
so she followed suit.
    He’d
left her in the room, and she heard him cursing. She walked to the living room.
“What’s wrong?”
    “No
one broke in, Sarah.”
    She
frowned. “But how— Devlin, I didn’t let anyone in. I swear I didn’t.”
    He
walked to her quickly. “Shh, I know, love. I know. But someone did.” He showed
her the door, where the safety chain was still firmly in place.
    Sarah
paled. “Oh God, what is going on? Are there vampires trying to kill me? What
have you dragged me in the middle of, Devlin?” she asked.
    Devlin
frowned. As much as he wanted to blast her for blaming him—she was right. This
obviously had something to do with him. The only one who knew that he was with
her was Carina. “Carina!” he snapped.
    Sarah
frowned. “Who is Carina?”
    “She’s
the one that changed me, Sarah. She knew about you. Hell, she told the Elders
about you.”
    “An
old girlfriend?” Sarah said. “Someone almost killed me because an old
girlfriend is upset about me?” She was confused. He’d never mentioned another
woman to her—though of course, he’d had lovers over the years.
    Devlin
walked to her and pulled her into his arms. She stiffened and he cursed. “She’s
not a girlfriend, Sarah. She’s never been my lover,” he said quietly.
    Sarah
looked up into his eyes. “But it was a man, Devlin. A woman didn’t attack me.”
    Devlin
frowned at that. “It still could have been a Hunter. The Elders have suspected
for some time that there were a few rogue vampires with them. A vampire let him
in, Sarah. For all I know, it could have been a human she’d entranced.”
    Sarah
pulled back from him. “You mean that a vampire can force someone to try and
kill for them?”
    “Yes”
he said quietly.
    “And
you’re sure it was this Carina?” Sarah asked carefully.
    Devlin
released her to pace. “Hell, I’m not sure of anything, Sarah—except that I’ll
find whoever is responsible. Is there anything you need? We need to keep
moving.”
    Sarah
shook her head. “I’m staying here, Devlin. I can protect myself.”
    “No,
Sarah. You can’t. Not against Carina. She’s an Elder. She’s got more power than
you do.”
    Sarah
sat heavily in a chair. “Why would she be after me?”
    Devlin
knew he’d have to explain to her. “Sarah, Carina saved my life. I was in a
carriage accident and near death. She changed me to keep me from dying.”
    Sarah
waited, watching him. There was something he wasn’t telling her, she was sure
of it. When he said no more, though, her temper frayed. “Well? What did you
do?”
    Devlin
sighed. “It was years before I forgave her. But I could never be what she
wanted. I think she loved me, but I never returned the emotion,” he admitted.
    Sarah
laughed bitterly. “But you were angry when I was upset? When you know what it’s
like to wake up and…I guess it doesn’t matter now.