was
a good plan, especially since I wouldn’t listen.” Kahli’s arms
folded over her chest, her anger fading. “It made sense then, but
it doesn’t anymore. Tell me what I need to know. Don’t expect me to
blindly follow you, because I can’t. And, now, if you say my name
again for any reason, whatever relationship we have is over.”
Instead of asking the obvious, Will caught on
the thread Kahli never wanted to acknowledge. “What is our
relationship, exactly?”
A chill sprang from her stomach. Kahli
stepped back, as Will tilted his head and looked up at her. “I’m
seriously asking you. Based on everything you said, and everything
that’s happened, I have no clue where we stand. You have no reason
to believe anything I say, and yet—you’re still here.”
He was right. Her actions made no sense. “Our
relationship doesn’t matter,” Kahli finally said. Kahli watched
him, his blue eyes locked with hers.
His voice brushed against her mind,
whispering to her . It matters to me. Kahli wondered if he
knew that she heard him. She pressed her lips together and looked
away.
“I mean,” she offered, correcting herself,
“what we call it doesn’t matter.”
“How many rules are you willing to break?”
The pitch of his voice, the intensity of his gaze made her heart
lurch. Kahli could feel her body being pulled to his like a magnet.
She took a step back, but Will took a step closer.
“As many as it takes to win.” She stepped
back again. The room was large and sparsely furnished. Will
advanced every time he spoke and Kahli retreated in response.
“You’re all about winning,” he grinned,
stepping toward her.
“I’m all about surviving,” she corrected,
stepping away.
“What about living?” he asked, advancing
again. “When does that matter?”
“Surviving is living,” she said, and
stepped back.
Will stepped toward her, “No, it’s not. It
means running, hiding. It means no friends, no home, no hope.
Tomorrow’s a promise you don’t have.”
“Oh, and you do?”
Will nodded. When Kahli’s back hit the wall,
Will reached for her. “As long as you’re here, I do.”
Kahli’s heart felt like it was going explode.
She knew Will could feel her panic mingling with the lust swimming
through her veins. There was something about him, something that
called to her and she couldn’t ignore it—the way his eyes drank her
in, the way his lips curved into a perfect grin when he saw her. If
he was human, she would have wanted him. The again, if Will was
human they wouldn’t be in this mess. If Will was human, they’d both
be dead.
Kahli took a steadying breath. “What do you
want from me?” He was so close, Will’s body nearly brushing against
hers. They were a breath apart.
“There’s a rule you need to be willing to
break for our plan to work.”
She couldn’t breathe, “Which rule?” Will
couldn’t mean what she thought. Her mind protested his proximity,
but as Kahli breathed him in, her arms refused to push him away.
She pressed her palms to the wall at her sides to keep from
touching him. Everything she’d ever learned was eradicated and
blasted away. Every lesson her mother drilled into her head, every
prejudice she held against the vampires, against their kind
vanished. For a moment, he was just Will and she was just
Kahli.
His dark gaze pinned her in place. “You know
which rule.”
CHAPTER 10
The following sunrise, things at the palace
went crazy. The new dusting of snow covered the events from the day
before, but Cassie knew too much. She remembered the King entering
her room and dragging her from her bed the night before. It had
taken forever for her to drift off to sleep. Kahli hadn’t returned
and neither had her other roommates. Every single one of them went
to the King’s chambers and didn’t come back.
Cole found his sister as early as possible,
and beckoned her into the main sitting area. The white couches were
empty. The drapes covering the windows
a good plan, especially since I wouldn’t listen.” Kahli’s arms
folded over her chest, her anger fading. “It made sense then, but
it doesn’t anymore. Tell me what I need to know. Don’t expect me to
blindly follow you, because I can’t. And, now, if you say my name
again for any reason, whatever relationship we have is over.”
Instead of asking the obvious, Will caught on
the thread Kahli never wanted to acknowledge. “What is our
relationship, exactly?”
A chill sprang from her stomach. Kahli
stepped back, as Will tilted his head and looked up at her. “I’m
seriously asking you. Based on everything you said, and everything
that’s happened, I have no clue where we stand. You have no reason
to believe anything I say, and yet—you’re still here.”
He was right. Her actions made no sense. “Our
relationship doesn’t matter,” Kahli finally said. Kahli watched
him, his blue eyes locked with hers.
His voice brushed against her mind,
whispering to her . It matters to me. Kahli wondered if he
knew that she heard him. She pressed her lips together and looked
away.
“I mean,” she offered, correcting herself,
“what we call it doesn’t matter.”
“How many rules are you willing to break?”
The pitch of his voice, the intensity of his gaze made her heart
lurch. Kahli could feel her body being pulled to his like a magnet.
She took a step back, but Will took a step closer.
“As many as it takes to win.” She stepped
back again. The room was large and sparsely furnished. Will
advanced every time he spoke and Kahli retreated in response.
“You’re all about winning,” he grinned,
stepping toward her.
“I’m all about surviving,” she corrected,
stepping away.
“What about living?” he asked, advancing
again. “When does that matter?”
“Surviving is living,” she said, and
stepped back.
Will stepped toward her, “No, it’s not. It
means running, hiding. It means no friends, no home, no hope.
Tomorrow’s a promise you don’t have.”
“Oh, and you do?”
Will nodded. When Kahli’s back hit the wall,
Will reached for her. “As long as you’re here, I do.”
Kahli’s heart felt like it was going explode.
She knew Will could feel her panic mingling with the lust swimming
through her veins. There was something about him, something that
called to her and she couldn’t ignore it—the way his eyes drank her
in, the way his lips curved into a perfect grin when he saw her. If
he was human, she would have wanted him. The again, if Will was
human they wouldn’t be in this mess. If Will was human, they’d both
be dead.
Kahli took a steadying breath. “What do you
want from me?” He was so close, Will’s body nearly brushing against
hers. They were a breath apart.
“There’s a rule you need to be willing to
break for our plan to work.”
She couldn’t breathe, “Which rule?” Will
couldn’t mean what she thought. Her mind protested his proximity,
but as Kahli breathed him in, her arms refused to push him away.
She pressed her palms to the wall at her sides to keep from
touching him. Everything she’d ever learned was eradicated and
blasted away. Every lesson her mother drilled into her head, every
prejudice she held against the vampires, against their kind
vanished. For a moment, he was just Will and she was just
Kahli.
His dark gaze pinned her in place. “You know
which rule.”
CHAPTER 10
The following sunrise, things at the palace
went crazy. The new dusting of snow covered the events from the day
before, but Cassie knew too much. She remembered the King entering
her room and dragging her from her bed the night before. It had
taken forever for her to drift off to sleep. Kahli hadn’t returned
and neither had her other roommates. Every single one of them went
to the King’s chambers and didn’t come back.
Cole found his sister as early as possible,
and beckoned her into the main sitting area. The white couches were
empty. The drapes covering the windows
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