Grave Attraction (18 page)

Too bad it hadn't stopped the Reverend Finch from accusing her and Christopher of witchcraft.

Adam set the beer between his legs and rested his hands on his thighs. Some of the tension had bled from his features, but he still didn't seem anywhere near relaxed. “Did he know about you? I mean, what you are?”

Marlena nodded. She'd only thought it fair to let him know what he was getting himself involved with. “I told him after he proposed, but he wouldn't believe me until I showed him.”

“What did you turn into?”

“A wolf.” At the time she didn't know anything about leopards. Looking back, she was amazed that Christopher hadn't shot her on the spot. “After I shifted, he ran out of the house like a scalded cat. I didn't see him again for a week.” She chuckled at the memory. “But when he came back, he asked me to marry him again, and that time I accepted his proposal.”

His family had been scandalized by the news of their oldest son sneaking off to marry the daughter of a dirt-poor farmer. But by the time they found out, the marriage had been consummated, and they grudgingly accepted their new daughter-in-law into the family.

The year they spent together as man and wife was the happiest of her life. Every day Christopher worked at the family smithy, and every night he came home and made love to her with a passion that left her breathless and limp. She had a roof over her head, food on the table, and most important, a man who loved her for who and what she was.

“Why him?” Adam asked. “Why not marry another shifter?”

She stared at him like the answer was obvious. “Because I loved him.”

Adam's gaze dropped as he picked at the label on his beer bottle. “So what happened to me—I mean Christopher? How did he die?”

“He was burned at the stake for witchcraft.” Inside, she cringed at the memory. She tossed back the rest of her drink and set the empty glass on the counter. “After the crops failed for two seasons straight, the local pastor got it in his thick skull that witchcraft was somehow to blame. With the town's blessing, he hired Reverend Finch, a witch finder who claimed to have cleansed two counties in England. By the end of the first week, seventeen people were arrested, and the village broke into hysteria. The next week, thirteen more were accused. They'd already executed twenty-eight people by the time Christopher and I were taken into custody.”

Bile rose in her throat at the memory of being stripped naked in the village square and searched for the devil's mark. Of course, they'd found one in the form of a mole on her hip, and she was convicted of consorting with the devil. In spite of the torture, she'd refused to implicate her husband, but that hadn't stopped them from convicting poor Christopher and condemning him to burn alongside her.

Even now, she could smell the smoke and charred flesh, and she could hear the taunts of the crowd.
Witch! Devil's whore! Burn in Hell!
Her stomach churned and her eyes stung. “Please don't ask me to tell you the rest.”

Before Adam could say anything, Marlena bolted for the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Dropping to her knees in front of the toilet, she tried throwing up but nothing came out. Nauseous and trembling, she leaned her head against the wall and willed her stomach to settle.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Adam stepped inside. He didn't speak a word, but the sympathy in his eyes spoke volumes.

“How did you get in?” She wiped the tears from her face with a swipe of her hand. “I locked the door.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips as he knelt beside her and gathered her into his arms. “I'm a reaper, remember? Breaking and entering is part of our job description.”

Try as she might, she couldn't remember the last time she'd allowed a man to hold her. He felt so warm, so strong. For what seemed like an eternity, he gently rocked her back and forth while stroking her hair and murmuring words too low for her to make out. It felt so damn good to be held, to be comforted, that she closed her eyes and snuggled against him like a frightened child during a storm.

When her heart no longer felt like it was about to explode, she pulled away from his embrace. Already, she missed the feel of his arms, the strength of his body, the beat of his heart against her ear. His masculine scent still surrounded her and she inhaled deeply, drawing it into her lungs.

“Thank you,” she said, suddenly feeling foolish for having a minor meltdown on the bathroom floor.

Adam reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “What for? Telling me what I wanted to know?” He stood and brushed his hands against his jeans. “I'm the one who should apologize for making you relive that.”

“It was the only way for you to know what happened.” And now that he knew, she'd never have to relive it again. Words failed to describe how much that relieved her. She took the hand he offered, and he hoisted her up from the floor as if she weighed nothing. “It's not like there's anyone else around to tell you.”

He didn't say anything right away. Instead, he stared straight down at his shoes, a conflicted look on his face. “I wish you would have told me before,” he finally said. “You have no idea how much it sucked to hear it from somebody else.”

“I'm sorry. It wasn't fair for you to get blindsided like that.” She reached out and gripped his hand, the simple contact soothing her nerves. “When I first sensed the mate bond, I didn't know what to make of it. Then I realized you had Christopher's soul, but you're so different from him, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't attracted to you just because of who you used to be. And once I realized my feelings for you were genuine, I didn't know how to tell you everything without sounding like I was some kind of lunatic.”

Adam rubbed his hand across his face and let out a rough exhale. “Well, when you put it that way, I guess I can understand why you didn't tell me. I'm still not happy about it, though.” His dark eyes lingered on her face. “No more secrets?”

“None, I promise.” It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and for a moment, it left her feeling giddy. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

Tilting his head, Adam smiled down at her. “I've got about ten thousand questions burning through my brain, but we've covered enough ground for one night. Tomorrow I'll hit you with more. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough.” Rising on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss against his cheek.

His gaze met hers, and an unmistakable flare of desire pulsed between them. After so many years of feeling empty inside, it felt foreign to want a man so badly. She licked her lips, and his eyes darkened with an intensity that bordered on savage. But when she tried to slip her hand around his neck, he caught her wrist and held it against his chest.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Not tonight. I want you, but not while you're thinking of him.” Lifting her hand to his mouth, he pressed a lingering kiss against the backs of her knuckles before letting go. “Get some rest, Marlena. We've got a lot of catching up to do.”

M
arlena sat on the couch with her feet tucked beneath her, a pillow hugged to her chest.

An action movie played on the television, but she paid no mind to the exploding vehicles and ridiculously choreographed fight scenes. Instead, her mind kept obsessing over what had happened a few hours ago with Adam.

On the bright side, everything was out in the open. No more secrets, no more lies of omission. No more having to tiptoe around the mate bond and their prior life together. Only now she had to deal with the aftermath. Once he had time to digest everything, would he embrace their connection or reject it? The possibility of him denying the bond was enough to rip a hole in her chest.

And then there was Cassie to contend with. Try as she might, she couldn't understand why her daughter had betrayed her. Not only did it sting, but it also pissed her off. How dare the little witch jeopardize her future by sharing such sensitive secrets?

The sound of the front door opening caught Marlena's attention. It was Cassie, home from her shopping expedition. She waved to her friends outside before closing the door, her arms weighed down with bags. She acted as if she didn't have a care in the world, and her cheerful attitude made Marlena even angrier.

“Have fun?” she asked when Cassie breezed into the living room.

“Oh, yes.” If the witch noticed the sarcastic tone in her voice, she didn't let it show. Cassie shooed the cat off the coffee table to make room for the spoils of her shopping. She flashed Marlena a saccharine smile as she dug into one of the bags. “I found the cutest outfit for you at Kohl's. If you don't like it, I can always bring it back, but I just—”

“That's not what I meant, and you damn well know it,” Marlena snapped, her control on her temper slipping.

Cassie had the nerve to look genuinely puzzled. “I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Oh, really?” Teeth clenched, Marlena rose from the couch. She stalked toward her daughter until she was close enough to see the pulse beating at her throat. “After what you pulled, you've got a lot of gall to play dumb. How dare you tell him?”

In an instant, Cassie's expression went from surprised to defiant. As a teen, she'd reacted the exact same way when Marlena caught her smoking behind the roller-skating rink with her friends. “Tell him what? About his past? I only did what needed to be done.”

“It wasn't your place to tell him.”

Cassie cocked one hand on her hip. “Somebody had to do it, and it didn't seem like you were going to get around to it any time soon.”

For a second, Marlena's vision flashed red. She dug her fingers into her palms as she struggled to keep her anger in check. “I was waiting for the right time.”

“Oh, and when exactly would that be?” Judging by the tone of her voice, she didn't think much of Marlena's plans. “What's done is done, and now that he knows, the two of you can move forward. Isn't that what you wanted?”

“That's not the point. I should have been the one to tell him.”

“Well, there's nothing you can do about it now, so you might as well get over it.”

It took everything Marlena had not to scream. “Don't you get it? He's never going to trust me again.” The thought left her cold inside. How could they build a future together without a foundation of trust and respect?

Emotionally spent, she plopped down on the couch and buried her face in her hands.

Cassie sat down beside her and placed a hand on her back. “Just give him a little time to work things out in his head. It's a lot for a man to digest. Once he does, he'll be back. You'll see.”

“I hope you're right.” Living four centuries without the love of her mate had been difficult enough. To find him again, only to lose him, was unthinkable.

The next morning, Adam was still trying to wrap his brain around everything he'd learned about his past. He'd already moved past denial and anger, and was in the middle of trying to figure out what it all meant.

It didn't help that he'd barely slept the night before. Every two hours, he'd dragged his ass out of bed to make sure Samuel drank Cassie's potion. Thankfully, the boss hadn't bitched too much, only grumbling from time to time about the liquid tasting worse than death. When Adam left the house earlier that morning, there was still enough potion left in the jug for two, maybe three doses. Once it was all gone, it was up to Dmitri to ensure Samuel bathed in the herbs and powders according to Cassie's instructions. He shuddered to think of what might happen if Samuel gave the former reaper an attitude.

Adam yawned, wishing he had time for a nap. Unfortunately, he didn't, so he finished his coffee and signaled the waitress for another refill. At the rate he was going, he'd have enough caffeine in his system to give a rhino the shakes. With the breakfast rush over, the diner wasn't crowded, and the waitresses didn't seem to mind if he and Martin burned time there before their next appointments.

Glancing down, he checked his phone for messages again and breathed a sigh of relief when he found none. No messages meant no emergencies, which was good because he didn't have enough energy to deal with them.

Martin returned from the bathroom and reclaimed his seat across from Adam. Since his next reap was down in the tourist corridor, he was dressed to blend in a pair of cargo shorts and a Universal Studios T-shirt. The waitress had dropped off their orders while he was gone, and he drenched his pancakes in a river of syrup before digging in. “When's your next appointment?” he asked between bites.

“Eleven thirty. You?”

“About an hour.” Which explained why he was bolting down his breakfast like he hadn't eaten in a week. To make it across town with enough time to spare, he'd have to get on the road soon. He shoveled another forkful of food into his mouth and washed it down with a big swig of coffee. After swallowing, he glanced up at Adam. His expression shifted to one of concern. “What's up with you today? You've been acting weird since you got here.”

Adam lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Nothing. I just didn't sleep well last night.”

That was an understatement. And even when he'd managed a few minutes of shut-eye, he'd dreamed of the sexy shifter. But instead of appearing as she did today, she'd looked younger, sweeter, and with a lot more spirit in her eyes. Her hair had also been longer, hanging a few inches past her slim waist. Was the image the product of his wild imagination, or was it a memory from the time they were married? He'd have to ask the next time they spoke.

Martin stared at him for a few seconds before shaking his head, his bangs falling into his face. “No, it's more than that. Talk to me, man. What's going on?”

He so wasn't going there with Martin, not when he could barely understand it himself. Fighting the urge to squirm in his chair, he met the other reaper's questioning gaze. “It's no big deal. Just women stuff.”

Martin nodded as if that explained everything. “Ah. Gotcha. Is it the new waitress at Shackles? I saw you scoping her out last week.”

“Nah, different one.”

Martin froze, a forkful of pancakes halfway to his mouth. “Damn, you work fast. Does that mean I can move on the waitress?”

“Sure, go for it.”

“Huh,” Martin said between bites. “Must be serious.”

“To be honest, I don't know what it is.”

When he finished his meal, Martin wiped his mouth and dropped the napkin on his empty plate. He drank one last swig of coffee before standing. “If you decide you want to talk, I'm a phone call away.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

The second Martin was out the door, Adam picked up his phone and dialed Marlena's number. She answered on the second ring, her voice sounding kind of rough.

“Did I wake you?” Adam asked.

“No. I'm just tired.”

Good to know he wasn't the only one who hadn't slept well. “I dreamed about you last night.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I'm not sure. Was your hair longer when we—” He stopped himself, cursing under his breath. “When you were married to Christopher?”

“Yes. Back then I wore it down past my waist.”

Adam's heart thudded in his chest. In his dream, he'd wrapped her hair around his hand and used it to pull her head back. She'd gasped with surprise and then purred with pleasure as he'd ravished her mouth, her neck, before taking them both to the floor. Was it just a dream or a memory from the past? Body tight, he shifted in his seat. “Why'd you cut it?”

An uncomfortable silence stretched out before she answered. “It wasn't my choice,” she finally said. “Most of it burned off in the fire.”

Way to go, dumbass. Why don't you ask her what it felt like to be burned alive while you're at it?
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir up bad memories.”

“No, it's okay.” But she didn't sound okay. Her voice sounded thin, diminished, and it pained him to know he'd been the cause.

“When can I see you?” he asked, determined to set things right. “Tonight?”

Another pause. “I can't. I have plans with the twins.”

“Cancel them.”

“I can't. I promised—”

“Marlena,” he said, not bothering to mask his impatience, “After everything I learned yesterday, the least you could do is clear a few hours on your calendar.”

He could have sworn he heard her growl.

“I'd love to see you,” she said, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice, “but I have obligations that require my attention.”

“Like what?”

“Like making sure no one I care about gets kidnapped and murdered.”

“Oh.” Great. Now he felt like a selfish ass.

The waitress stopped by to top off his coffee and drop off the check. Adam mouthed a quick thank you before directing his attention back to Marlena. “How about after? Can I see you then?”

“I'm not sure when I'll get back to the apartment.”

The apartment? Adam straightened in his chair. “Why aren't you staying with Cassie? It's not safe at your place.”

She made a dismissive sound. “Relax, everything's fine. The window's been replaced, and I installed new locks and an alarm.”

The thought of her being alone in the apartment triggered every protective urge he possessed. “Call me when you get there, and I'll come over. I want to make sure you're all right.”

A laugh came over the phone. “You don't give up easily, do you?”

“What can I say? It's how I roll.” His father had called it perseverance, while his mother had preferred the term
pigheaded
. From the sound of Marlena's voice, he could tell she was wavering, so he decided to move in for the kill. He knew his shifter had a sweet tooth, and he planned on using it to his advantage. “Come on, what do you say? If you let me come over, I'll bring strudel.”

She made a throaty sound at the mention of strudel, and he couldn't help but smile.

“Well, I suppose. But if I'm late getting home, we'll have to settle for another time.”

“How late is too late?”

She huffed. “What is this, a negotiation?”

“No, I'm just being thorough. You wouldn't want me waiting all night by the phone, would you?”

“I seriously doubt you're the kind of guy who waits by the phone for any woman.”

“I am when it comes to you.”

She didn't say anything for nearly a minute. “Ten o'clock. If I'm not home by then, we'll have to meet another time.”

“Sounds good.” He fished his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out enough cash to cover the bill and the tip. “But I still want you to call me, no matter how late you get in. I won't be able to sleep until I know you're safe in your apartment.”

Her voice softened. “Okay.”

“And, kitten?”

“Yes?”

“Get some rest. I'll see you soon.”