Kendra. He didn’t
gawk at her like Lou. He nervously glanced around the room, shifted on his
feet, and seemed anxious to get on with something.
Kendra had no doubts these three men
were Ravens, and Liam was right: Any human who didn’t understand the truth
would take one glimpse at them and cower. They were brooding and enigmatic. It
was difficult to believe they were actually the good guys.
She glanced at Liam as he watched her.
She focused on the men who assessed her.
“Don’t mind their stares,” Liam
muttered, “we don’t come across many Raven females.”
His words didn’t make the moment any
less awkward. In fact, not coming across many “females” sounded creepy.
Kendra wiped her brow and fanned herself
for a second before realizing how strange that may come across.
“You feel it, the heat?”
She nodded.
“It’s the energy we emit. It’s
electro-magnetic heat. Every Raven emits a very mild amount from their pores
all the time. It attracts other Ravens, it lets us know when others like us are
close. Almost like a scent, a pulse, or a sensation. I dunno; it’s hard to
pinpoint.”
Despite lacking an official term, the
strong scent was there. She sensed it. With so much Raven energy surging
through the room, Kendra felt it in the pit of her being. It drew her to the
others like a startled magnet, but the strongest pull emanated from someone who
wasn’t even in the room. Julie’s energy through their blood-bond pounded around
Kendra. She knew it belonged to Julie because flashes of her face blurred her
vision. She blinked them away.
A dizzy spell hit. Her stomach churned,
and a strange heat washed through her. She grabbed onto the back of the couch
behind her and doubled over in pain.
“Darling?” Liam went to her. He crouched
down to her level.
He placed his left hand on her shoulder
and his right hand on her arm. Skin-to-skin contact caused an onslaught of
fusing energy between him and Kendra. The touch sent a wave of tremors through
her, worsening her reaction, and igniting the second step in her
transformation. She became a trembling mass in his arms.
“Sorry,” he muttered and moved his hands
to her back and hip, avoiding her skin. “Seem to forget my abilities around
you.”
“It’s starting to hit her.” Nathan took
a step toward them. “Get her off her feet before she passes out.”
“Too late,” Kendra mumbled as things
distorted, and her world went black.
The heat swirled around in her head as
her vision grew hazy. The voices clashed until everything hummed. She collapsed
in Liam’s arms. He caught her. Kendra was weak, defenseless, and on the verge
of unconsciousness in an alien world, trapped in an apartment with four husky
strangers, one of whom happened to be her captor and borderline stalker.
Liam swept her into his arms, and
carried her to the bedroom.
“Where are you taking her? Why don’t you
just settle her down on the couch so we can get going?” Nathan asked.
“She’s going to help us find Julie, and
she needs to change.”
“How’s a newcomer gonna help?” Mark
muttered.
Liam retreated into the room next to
his, the bright one. He placed Kendra on Julie’s bed to allow her blood to
settle and her psyche to regain balance. He rummaged through Julie’s closet in
search of raid-appropriate attire.
Kendra moaned. She pushed herself onto
her elbows, but was too weak to sit up. She felt high or drunk, or what she
imagined those things felt like. Whatever the strong feeling, it wasn’t
pleasant.
She watched Liam push through the
hangers as she frantically attempted to stay alert and coherent. She couldn’t
tell if he was aware of her by being in her mind. She stared at his tattoo-engraved
triceps and the mesmerizing play of his back muscles against his shirt.
Liam whipped around, holding onto a pair
of jeans. “What size are you, darling? You might be about Julie’s size.”
He tossed the jeans onto the bed at
Kendra’s feet without
gawk at her like Lou. He nervously glanced around the room, shifted on his
feet, and seemed anxious to get on with something.
Kendra had no doubts these three men
were Ravens, and Liam was right: Any human who didn’t understand the truth
would take one glimpse at them and cower. They were brooding and enigmatic. It
was difficult to believe they were actually the good guys.
She glanced at Liam as he watched her.
She focused on the men who assessed her.
“Don’t mind their stares,” Liam
muttered, “we don’t come across many Raven females.”
His words didn’t make the moment any
less awkward. In fact, not coming across many “females” sounded creepy.
Kendra wiped her brow and fanned herself
for a second before realizing how strange that may come across.
“You feel it, the heat?”
She nodded.
“It’s the energy we emit. It’s
electro-magnetic heat. Every Raven emits a very mild amount from their pores
all the time. It attracts other Ravens, it lets us know when others like us are
close. Almost like a scent, a pulse, or a sensation. I dunno; it’s hard to
pinpoint.”
Despite lacking an official term, the
strong scent was there. She sensed it. With so much Raven energy surging
through the room, Kendra felt it in the pit of her being. It drew her to the
others like a startled magnet, but the strongest pull emanated from someone who
wasn’t even in the room. Julie’s energy through their blood-bond pounded around
Kendra. She knew it belonged to Julie because flashes of her face blurred her
vision. She blinked them away.
A dizzy spell hit. Her stomach churned,
and a strange heat washed through her. She grabbed onto the back of the couch
behind her and doubled over in pain.
“Darling?” Liam went to her. He crouched
down to her level.
He placed his left hand on her shoulder
and his right hand on her arm. Skin-to-skin contact caused an onslaught of
fusing energy between him and Kendra. The touch sent a wave of tremors through
her, worsening her reaction, and igniting the second step in her
transformation. She became a trembling mass in his arms.
“Sorry,” he muttered and moved his hands
to her back and hip, avoiding her skin. “Seem to forget my abilities around
you.”
“It’s starting to hit her.” Nathan took
a step toward them. “Get her off her feet before she passes out.”
“Too late,” Kendra mumbled as things
distorted, and her world went black.
The heat swirled around in her head as
her vision grew hazy. The voices clashed until everything hummed. She collapsed
in Liam’s arms. He caught her. Kendra was weak, defenseless, and on the verge
of unconsciousness in an alien world, trapped in an apartment with four husky
strangers, one of whom happened to be her captor and borderline stalker.
Liam swept her into his arms, and
carried her to the bedroom.
“Where are you taking her? Why don’t you
just settle her down on the couch so we can get going?” Nathan asked.
“She’s going to help us find Julie, and
she needs to change.”
“How’s a newcomer gonna help?” Mark
muttered.
Liam retreated into the room next to
his, the bright one. He placed Kendra on Julie’s bed to allow her blood to
settle and her psyche to regain balance. He rummaged through Julie’s closet in
search of raid-appropriate attire.
Kendra moaned. She pushed herself onto
her elbows, but was too weak to sit up. She felt high or drunk, or what she
imagined those things felt like. Whatever the strong feeling, it wasn’t
pleasant.
She watched Liam push through the
hangers as she frantically attempted to stay alert and coherent. She couldn’t
tell if he was aware of her by being in her mind. She stared at his tattoo-engraved
triceps and the mesmerizing play of his back muscles against his shirt.
Liam whipped around, holding onto a pair
of jeans. “What size are you, darling? You might be about Julie’s size.”
He tossed the jeans onto the bed at
Kendra’s feet without
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