Read Online Winter's Kiss by Felicity Heaton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Felicity Heaton
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smiled. “I’m sorry… I should’ve told… you about pact. Wanted to. Willem forced… everyone silent.” He drew a long slow breath that spoke of pain and closed his eyes. A tear slid down his temple from the corner of his eye. “Made me call you back… from city… so he could… have you. Sorry… I gave you… promised you… to him.”
Nika stared wide-eyed in horror as it all sunk in and her father slumped in her arms, limp and cold. She swallowed reflexively, not seeing her father’s pale face, but seeing all the times that she had passed in the village. They had always treated her differently since the wolf attack when she was a child. Everyone had been so kind to her since then. They had looked after her, each family treating her as though she was one of their children. Was this the reason why?
Her father had promised her to a werewolf in order to protect the village?
A cold chill settled in her bones and her skin turned to gooseflesh. She closed her eyes against the knowledge of what her father had done and the price the village had paid. Her father’s pact with this Willem had only delayed their deaths. Her father’s betrayal had left her feeling more alone than ever.
Grabbing his shoulders, Nika shook him, angry and confused by everything. “I don’t understand. Why?”
His still face mocked her.
She shook him hard, tears blurring her vision and stealing her breath. “Why? Why! How could you do that to me? Didn’t you love me? You gave me away like an animal. You never told me. Why? Tell me why!”
Sobs wracked her. She bent over her father’s body, still shaking him, trembling so badly and so weak that it was hard to hold him.
“Why?” She shook him again and then stopped when Winter touched her shoulder.
His un-gloved hand claimed hers, his skin cold against her.
Her eyes met his. “Why?”
“I do not have an answer.” There was regret in his eyes again, anguish that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand anything anymore. He cast his gaze down, away from her, as though he didn’t want to look at her. “He cannot answer you either. He is dead, Nika. It is too late for anger. We must leave.”
She glared at Winter, focussing all of her anger on him.
“Why didn’t you change him for me?”
“That was not the answer. He wanted to die.”
She couldn’t believe those words. “Why? Why would he want to die?”
Winter stood and towered over her, menacing in the warm firelight, more frightening than he had ever been in the darkness. His dark eyes shimmered whenever the light caught them, focussed intently on her.
“Nobody wants to die, Winter!”
He frowned. “Sometimes, they do. We must leave.”
Sometimes they do? Nika looked hard at him, wondering if he had been one of those times. From what she had learnt of vampires from movies and books, humans had to die to become them. He had died once. Had he chosen to die and had awoken as a vampire? Was he speaking of himself or someone else?
She looked down at her father. Had he wanted to die? Why would he want to? Why would anyone?
Laying her father’s body down on the snowy ground, she stared at him a moment longer, mulling over the questions in her head and growing slowly aware of how cold it was. Her knees were damp where they pressed into the dirt and her bones felt cold enough to snap in two should the slightest breeze blow.
Looking up at Winter, she tried to figure him out and understand why he believed her father had wanted to die. The strange look was back in Winter’s eyes as he watched the fire, the warm light on his face. Her new senses told her that he was on edge and, in her heart, she knew that it wasn’t just the wolves that had rattled him. There was something else. There was so much pain in his eyes, pain that had she had seen in the square too. Why had the fire upset him and why had he wanted to die?
She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.
“It was his penance, Nika. He chose
Nika stared wide-eyed in horror as it all sunk in and her father slumped in her arms, limp and cold. She swallowed reflexively, not seeing her father’s pale face, but seeing all the times that she had passed in the village. They had always treated her differently since the wolf attack when she was a child. Everyone had been so kind to her since then. They had looked after her, each family treating her as though she was one of their children. Was this the reason why?
Her father had promised her to a werewolf in order to protect the village?
A cold chill settled in her bones and her skin turned to gooseflesh. She closed her eyes against the knowledge of what her father had done and the price the village had paid. Her father’s pact with this Willem had only delayed their deaths. Her father’s betrayal had left her feeling more alone than ever.
Grabbing his shoulders, Nika shook him, angry and confused by everything. “I don’t understand. Why?”
His still face mocked her.
She shook him hard, tears blurring her vision and stealing her breath. “Why? Why! How could you do that to me? Didn’t you love me? You gave me away like an animal. You never told me. Why? Tell me why!”
Sobs wracked her. She bent over her father’s body, still shaking him, trembling so badly and so weak that it was hard to hold him.
“Why?” She shook him again and then stopped when Winter touched her shoulder.
His un-gloved hand claimed hers, his skin cold against her.
Her eyes met his. “Why?”
“I do not have an answer.” There was regret in his eyes again, anguish that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand anything anymore. He cast his gaze down, away from her, as though he didn’t want to look at her. “He cannot answer you either. He is dead, Nika. It is too late for anger. We must leave.”
She glared at Winter, focussing all of her anger on him.
“Why didn’t you change him for me?”
“That was not the answer. He wanted to die.”
She couldn’t believe those words. “Why? Why would he want to die?”
Winter stood and towered over her, menacing in the warm firelight, more frightening than he had ever been in the darkness. His dark eyes shimmered whenever the light caught them, focussed intently on her.
“Nobody wants to die, Winter!”
He frowned. “Sometimes, they do. We must leave.”
Sometimes they do? Nika looked hard at him, wondering if he had been one of those times. From what she had learnt of vampires from movies and books, humans had to die to become them. He had died once. Had he chosen to die and had awoken as a vampire? Was he speaking of himself or someone else?
She looked down at her father. Had he wanted to die? Why would he want to? Why would anyone?
Laying her father’s body down on the snowy ground, she stared at him a moment longer, mulling over the questions in her head and growing slowly aware of how cold it was. Her knees were damp where they pressed into the dirt and her bones felt cold enough to snap in two should the slightest breeze blow.
Looking up at Winter, she tried to figure him out and understand why he believed her father had wanted to die. The strange look was back in Winter’s eyes as he watched the fire, the warm light on his face. Her new senses told her that he was on edge and, in her heart, she knew that it wasn’t just the wolves that had rattled him. There was something else. There was so much pain in his eyes, pain that had she had seen in the square too. Why had the fire upset him and why had he wanted to die?
She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.
“It was his penance, Nika. He chose
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