Faith Revisited (10 page)

Bale snorted, folding his arms across his chest, but it was Remy who spoke, his voice soft with warning. “Levi, we've already had this conversation. Don't make me repeat myself.” Remy glanced around, his gaze sweeping over every male in the room as he added, “And let's not make our guest's opinion of us sink any further than it already has.”

As Remy turned toward the door, the other males followed suit, and Hope knew she was busted. With a sigh, she stepped into the doorway. She glanced quickly at each male before her gaze settled on Bale.

“Faith would appreciate the chance to get cleaned up. I thought maybe she could borrow some clean clothes from the female who lives here. And she's also hungry.”

Hope watched Bale's reaction to her announcement in surprise. The male turned a sickly shade of white, and his eyes filled with what appeared to be fear. His reaction did not coincide with her words, leaving Hope with a sense of unease.

“Again?” he inquired quietly.

“Again?” she repeated in confusion, uncertain which statement Bale was questioning.

“Your sister requires nourishment again?”

Hope watched Bale visibly swallow. “Well, yeah,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “She hasn't eaten since before our encounter with the demon.”

Bale shook his head vigorously. “No,” he insisted definitively. “I fed her only a couple of hours ago. How often does she need to feed?”

He made it sound like Faith was a huge imposition, and her eyes narrowed in anger. “Not blood.
Food.
You know, that stuff you buy? It comes wrapped in plastic or in cans?” she drawled, sarcasm dripping from her words.

One of the males—she thought it was the one named Kash—snickered, but she wasn't certain. It could also have come from Levi. He stood next to Kash, a dumb-ass grin on his face.

Then Bale made a noise that caught Hope's attention. It sounded suspiciously like the growl of a werewolf.

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“We didn't know your sister would need actual food,” Arak said apologetically, his hand wrapping around Bale's bicep, stopping the other male from advancing forward. “Why don't you and I see what we can find for your sister to eat while Kash sees if Penny has anything Faith could wear?”

Hope was pretty certain Arak gave Bale a slight push as he moved around the other male.

She ignored the display, chalking it up to one more oddity about these males that left her eager to get her sister far away from them, and followed Arak out of the room. They traveled silently through the dining hall to a doorway at the other end.

A large butler's pantry lay between the hall and the kitchen. It was lined with shelves on one side that housed dry goods and cabinets on the other. Hope paused, peering through the glass doors at the items arranged neatly inside. Both the china stacked together and the crystal lined in rows appeared to be old.

Once again Hope wondered exactly who or what these males were. If not for the fact that they all appeared around the same age, she would have suspected werewolves. But this was no wolf pack. She figured it was possible they might be some feline variety of shifter. She glanced at Arak, who stood in the doorway, watching her curiously. Felines could mate with human females, so where were these males' mates? Was the female, Penny, a mate? She'd never heard of felines living in packs…but maybe.

“Do vampires have any dietary restrictions?” Arak asked, turning from her and entering the next room.

Hope followed him into the large kitchen and watched as he opened the Sub-Zero refrigerator and began rummaging through containers of prepared food.

“Dairy will make Faith sick. And she'll require larger quantities of red meat cooked to rare.

Otherwise she can eat most things. There are certain items a vampire will crave that are unique to him or her. But that is something one develops over time.”

Arak nodded as he pulled out a container and poured it into a pot. “Chicken soup, then. For dinner, I'll have Kash grill steaks.”

Hope leaned against the counter as Arak slowly stirred the soup. “Since we are experiencing this bonding moment and all, how about you explain to me why you lied to your friends about my sister's recovery?”

The spoon clanked against the metal pot as Arak turned toward her, his face lined with surprise. Hope figured he would soon learn she wasn't the nice, quiet twin.

“I don't understand. Your sister is still very ill.”

“And you are full of shit. You and I both know Faith is doing far better than she should.”

With an arched brow, she added, “Why is that?”

Studying Hope for a moment, Arak folded his arms across his chest. “Let's just say, right now I think Bale needs your sister as much as she needs him,” he finally stated and then turned back to the stove, adding, “maybe even more.”

Hope's snort of disbelief had him glancing back at her. “And I should give a shit about him why?”

Arak's eyes narrowed briefly, and then he shrugged. “Maybe he will be an important part of Faith's life.”

40

Madelyn Ford

“If you have something to say, be a man,” Hope taunted. She realized Arak had an agenda, and she meant to uncover it. “Otherwise I'm getting my sister out of here as soon as she's dressed.”

“And risk your father's wrath?” he retorted, the dare blatantly evident in his eyes.

“Yes, I would more than willingly face his anger than place my sister in danger,” she replied, with every intention of meeting his challenge.

Arak's gaze bore into hers for a moment; then, as if he recognized the truth behind her words, he nodded. “Maybe, just maybe, Bale is your sister's mate.”

Laughter bubbled up from Hope's throat at the idiocy of his statement. “We are vampires, not werewolves. You should get your paranormals straight,” she replied with a smirk. “We don't have mates.”

“I must be mistaken,” Arak said quietly, turning his attention back to the stove.

“Yes, you must be,” she responded, watching him pour the soup into a bowl. “So why not explain to me the real reason?

Arak placed the bowl on a tray, then moved back to the refrigerator. “I did. You choose to disregard it.”

As he set a glass of lemonade on the tray, Hope tried to beat down the anger she felt rising in her chest. Flying off the handle would not get her the answers she wanted, but she knew Arak was playing her.

“You lie,” she stated, forcing her voice to remain neutral. “If Faith was Bale's mate, he would not let her leave. I've seen it with the wolves and suspect all shifters are the same. But Bale can't wait to wash his hands of Faith.”

Hope watched as surprise flittered across Arak's profile, and then he asked, “Why do you say that?”

“I heard your friends earlier,” she said, her tone an accusation. “Bale did not deny it.”

“No, he wouldn't,” Arak agreed softly. “But that doesn't make it any less true.” He turned, tray in hand, and met Hope's gaze. “You mentioned other shifters, as in there are other varieties?”

“Some feline breeds,” she answered, watching Arak closely for any indication that she just might have guessed correctly. “Lions, tigers, cougars…” Hope shrugged. “Supposedly there are several.”

“Lions are cool.” Arak grinned, holding the tray out to her.

With a snort, Hope grabbed the tray and stomped from the room. She was rounding the corner and approaching the stairs when she encountered Bale leaning against the banister.

“And it just keeps getting better,” she mumbled as he straightened, blocking her path. The way he stared down at her had Hope immediately on the defensive, and she struck first. “You know, my sister is not a party favor you can pass around to your friends. I won't let you use her as your personal little play toy.”

Bale's eyes narrowed, and his gaze swept over her frame. His sneer said he found her vastly lacking. “You'll stop me how?”

Hope took an involuntary step back, finding herself suddenly face-to-face with the warrior who had defeated an Alu demon single-handedly. Bale was not one of the vampires simpering The Watchers: Faith Revisited

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under her father's command. No, it was in his eyes… Six and a half feet of stone-cold killer towered over her.

“I guess I can't,” she conceded, lifting her chin defiantly. “But you didn't let us die in that alley, so I figure you must not be the unfeeling bastard you appear to be.”

Bale snorted as he ripped the tray from her hands. “You just can't help insulting people, can you, little girl?”

“I am not a little girl.”

His gaze made another insulting trail over her body before it met her eyes.

“Go to hell,” she hissed.

“Honey, this is as close to hell as I ever intend to get,” he said with a snide smirk, surprising her. Then he turned and proceeded up the stairs.

By the time Hope caught up with him, he was slamming his bedroom door in her face and locking her out. “Bastard,” she hissed.

“That he can be,” a voice acknowledged from behind her. Hope turned to find Kash standing in the middle of the hallway. “But he will take care of your sister.”

“And how can you be so sure?” Staring at him, Hope rested her hands on her hips.

“Because Bale won't allow another woman to die,” Kash answered softly, focusing on the wooden door.

“Another?” An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

Kash nodded, his face suddenly lined with a deep sadness. “His wife,” he whispered in reply. With a gasp, Hope turned back to the door. Kash only shook his head, taking her arm and guiding her gently away from the room. “After you and your sister arrived, Remy brought me the coolest-looking weapon to try to repair. Kind of looks like a boomerang—”

“Oh, you found it!” Hope interrupted happily. “How much damage is there, and can you fix it?”

The excitement in her voice brought a smile to his face. “It is yours?” At her eager nod, he continued, “Very cool. I would love to see a demonstration.”

Kash led her down the stairs and out of the main keep. Several of the males were mingled in a large grassy area, obviously training as the clashing of swords rang out. Hope watched for a moment as Remy and Levi paired off, the sweat on their bare chests glistening in the sunlight. If she hadn't been so eager to feel the cold steel of her blade returned to her hand, she could have watched the two males all day. She had never seen as fine a display of male specimens in her life. And sadly, she guessed she never would again.

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Madelyn Ford

Chapter Five

Bale was just setting the tray down on the bed, wondering why Faith's sister seemed to bring out the worst in him, when the bathroom door opened and Faith stepped into the room. He barely noticed her wet hair or flushed skin, his gaze fixating on the way the thin cotton top stretched tightly across her chest. He had seen the same top many times on Penny, but it had never left his mouth dry and his tongue tied in knots.

“Please thank Penny for me,” Faith said softly as she moved across the room, toweling her red curls dry. “It was kind of her to loan me these clothes.”

Nodding absently, Bale swallowed with difficulty as he dragged his gaze away from her.

He had heard Penny's name and assumed she had mentioned the borrowed clothing, but truthfully he had listened to very little of her statement. The only thing his mind could grasp at the moment was how the thin strip of abdomen peeking out from above low-riding jeans was turning him into a giant, quivering mess. He looked away as he imagined how easy it would be to strip the loose jeans and tight top from Faith's delectable body and lose himself between her lush thighs.

“Is she the mate of one of the males here?”

Bale blinked, her question registering, and he returned his gaze to Faith, inhaling deeply as he was once again sucker punched by a wave of desire.

“Who? Penemuel?” he asked, his voice sounding hoarse to his own ears. He glanced away, coughing behind his fist to clear his throat. “No, she is Grigori. Why would you think she is a mate?”

Faith moved past him, then carefully sat on the edge of the bed so as not to spill the contents of the tray. Her gaze remained fixed on her hands, refusing to meet his. Bale whispered her name softly, moving to stand before her. Gently he grasped her chin, ignoring her small shrug as he lifted her face. He studied her a moment, unsettled by the uncertainty in her eyes.

She was afraid, and for some reason it involved Penny. Then it dawned on Bale why she seemed upset, and he thought he should be outraged. But instead he was pleased.

“Do you really believe I would be here with you if I had a mate?” he asked quietly, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear before sliding his finger down her cheek in an intimate caress. At Faith's slight shrug, he continued, “Well, I would not. There has been no one but you for centuries.”

As soon as the words left Bale's mouth, he regretted saying them. They revealed far too much, leaving him feeling vulnerable, exposed. He abruptly released her and backed away.

“Eat,” he ordered gruffly.

Her gaze held his for just a moment before she nodded. Glancing down, Faith picked up the bowl and began to slowly consume the soup. Her hand trembled each time she lifted the spoon to her mouth, causing Bale to curse softly and kneel in front of her.

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“It is almost dark. I must meet with the others and then head out for the night. I have a couple of contacts I want to question…see if I can discover why the Alu demon was topside.

And I promised I would terminate your Lilu demon. I will begin tracking him tonight.” He paused long enough to take the bowl from her hands and set it back on the tray. Then he buried his fingers in the back of her hair, massaging gently. “If you need anything, Arak will remain behind. One from our order, Zeke, was also ambushed last night and is in the infirmary. If he awakes, he might like the company.”