JUMP (The Senses) (29 page)

“Fuck. I’ll kill the arrogant bastard,” Edan ranted and quickly made a sweeping movement with his hands and he was clothed.

She stood at the edge of the room, her hands gripping her jeans and the pain written all over her face. She knew the moment Edan looked at her that he sensed her love for Waleron. It was impossible to hide when it leaked from every pore of her body. No matter what she did, she would always love him. She had walked away from him, told him that he meant nothing to her, but they were words. And Edan knew.

“He doesn’t love you, Delara.” Edan looked damn pissed and he had every right to be. “I won’t put up with this for long. You will let him go or . . .”
He paused, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know how long I will be,” he said.

He walked over to her and took hold of the back of her neck, her short hair brushing across his knuckles. He lowered his mouth, his tongue sweeping over her velvet cave, lingering
, seeking warmth and showing possession.

Soon this would be over.

He released her abruptly, strode to the door and put his hand on the doorknob. Without turning, he said, “I won’t stand for being second, Delara.”

She had no response. She was sleeping with the wrong man and she could nothing about it.

****

Danielle walked into the kitchen to find Hannah and Ryker making out. They took their time separating, Hannah with a slight flush on her cheeks and her eyes scintillating with mischief and obvious love for the man
who held her fiercely in his embrace.

“Sorry
, I . . .”

“Oh don’t be silly,” Hannah said, shoving Ryker’s domineering hands away and coming towards her. “My sweet adoring husband sometimes forgets that we live with others.”

Ryker grinned, his eyes scrutinizing his wife’s body. It was apparent that the guy was completely besotted.

“We apologize for the disturbance this morning,” Hannah said. “Rather unexpected
, considering we’ve been diligent about watching them for the last three days. We hadn’t anticipated this new attack, or them reaching the house. I hope all is well?”

“Yes, but I don’t understand how they managed to get into the house when you all have, you know, capabilities?” Danielle asked.

Hannah poured her a cup of coffee and passed it to her. “When I left you last night I thought I’d heard something. It turned out to be a rush of footsteps coming towards the house.” She gave a half laugh. “Ryker was miffed I woke him. Weren’t you sweetie?”

Ryker grunted.

Hannah cuddled in closer to him. “My brave and relentless man managed to get his ass moving and warned the others. We underestimated them. It won’t happen again.”

“They seemed pretty threatening,” Danielle said, remembering the needle coming close to plunging into her neck. “Who were they?”

Ryker put his hand on Hannah’s arm when she went to answer. “We’re uncertain as of yet,” Ryker said.

Danielle swore she saw a flicker of uncertainty pass across Hannah’s face. Was she hiding something? Why
, if they knew who these barbarians were, would they not tell her?

“Maybe you should call the police or something,” she suggested.

Ryker laughed. Hannah gave him a playful punch in the arm and he grabbed her and swung her around so her back was against his chest. His arms locked her in place. It was the way he placed the soft kiss on the top of her head that Danielle knew this man loved Hannah more than anything.

Ryker spoke, “We fight our own enemies.” He made a bow with his head. “But I must apologize for the nuisance. And for Kilter’s
behavior.”

Nuisance? Is that how they saw it? Yeah, from the way they were relaxed and unperturbed
, when an hour ago their house was turned into shambles. Crap, she’d nearly been injected with God knows what.

She wanted to tell them what a dick Kilter was and normally she would’ve except
that, despite the guy’s lack of cordial words, he had saved her life. She was glad he had disappeared after the cave incident because she had no desire to see him ever again. He was almost worse than Waleron. Actually, he was worse, she decided. Waleron might be cold and heartless, but Kilter was cold, heartless, rude and deadly. She was positive that the guy killed without a second thought.

It was a difficult goodbye. Hannah shed a few tears as they hugged. They both had felt the instant friendship between them. Danielle rubbed the bracelet on her wrist that Hannah had given her. It was for luck
, she’d said. Well, she needed a little luck. No, a hell of a lot of luck.

No one said it, but they all felt the threat
looming. Thunderclouds drifted in a steady stream across the sky, lightning flashing. They had received no word from Waleron, but Keir had called informing them the plane was in Newfoundland airspace and would be cleared to land shortly. She heard Balen ask about Waleron, but there was no answer as to his whereabouts.

Balen was tense and disconcerted about something. When she asked what was bothering
him, he somehow got around answering her with a kiss instead of an answer.

The white pearls around her wrist glowed soft lavender
, and Danielle felt a comfort seep into her veins as they walked out to the car. Hannah had said it would ease her mind and help her when the time came. She was uncertain what she had meant, but whatever it was, she did feel something comforting as soon as the bracelet was placed on her wrist.

“So we have what . . . two hours of driving. Plenty of time to spill our deepest
, darkest secrets,” she said. “How about a game?”

“Game?” Balen raised his brows as he started the car.

“Hmm, yes. My father and I used to play it at the hospital when my mom was sick. I ask one question that requires a one-word answer, and then you get to ask a question. I’ll start. And I’ll make it easy. Favorite food. So I must answer first and then you. Mine is poutine.”

“You,” Balen answered without hesitation.

Danielle laughed. “Not fair. A food, dingbat.”

“Dingbat? What is that you call me?”

Danielle smothered her laughter with her hand. “Figure it out. Now, your favorite food, besides me, and it can be anything in this world.”

“Ruffles sour
cream and onion potato chips.”

She laughed. “Really? What about Lays? They
are thinner, easier to put more in your mouth at once than Ruffles. But if that’s your choice . . .” She shrugged. “Who am I to say which chip is better? Now you go, but remember you must also answer the question you ask.”

Balen watched the road
, his fingers tapping the steering wheel as he contemplated.

“Oh
, come on. Hurry it up,” Danielle said, crossing her arms.

“Most delectable smell.” He turned towards her and said, “I would hear your answer first.”

“That is so not fair,” Danielle protested. “But I will allow this, considering this is your first time and you are perhaps shy about giving your answers.” She smiled when he flinched at the word
shy
. Well, maybe next time he’d step up to the plate and go first. She had an answer but it was two words and therefore void. “Cinnamon.”

She heard his chuckle and smiled. Okay, it wa
s working the tension from the corners of his mouth. His eyes flashed brilliant green, different than what she had always painted; instead of sorrow, she saw an ease and comfort. “Why are you laughing? I love cinnamon.”

“Cinnamon is a sign that love is near.”

“Really? Well, isn’t it funny that it was only recently that I really became fond of the spice. Odd how that is, isn’t it?” she said.

“Hmm, yes
, quite,” he said.

“Okay, now you go
, and you can’t say me.” She pinched his arm.

“But you are the most delectable smell,” Balen said. “But if those are the rules . . .”

“They are.”

“Well
, in that case, I will have to say the smell of your pulse beating beneath your skin.” He put his finger on her throat. “Right here.”

“But that’s cheating. It’s still me and a pulse doesn’t have a smell.”

“Oh, but it does and you forget I am a Senses, my dear. I can smell your pulse beating faster right this second. It releases sweetness from your pores. One I’d like to taste right now.” He grinned and leaned over and nuzzled her neck.

Danielle gasped.

The flash came barreling into her like a Mac truck. She pushed him away and put her hand to her throat as the memory came spiraling to the surface. Ryszard biting her neck, pain, blood rising to the surface and then . . . Balen coming towards her, his eyes filled with anguish, the words floating over her mind. “I’m sorry, little one,” he had said.

“Yes,” Balen said
, his voice calm and quiet. “I took your blood that night. I had to, or Ryszard would have . . . kept you for himself.”

“He . . . he bit my neck and then you . . . you . . . you drank from . . .” She looked at him with horror. “I passed out. You nearly killed me.”

Balen swung the car over to the side of the road and threw it in park. Danielle raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. “You bastard. You nearly killed me. How could you? How could you do what he did? You knew I hated it when he bit me. You heard me screaming for him to stop, yet you did it yourself.” She fumbled with the door handle. She was suffocating, her head reeling with confusion.

“Danielle, no.” Balen grabbed her arm before she had the chance to escape.

“Let me go.” Danielle punched him in the jaw and felt satisfied when he grunted. “I need a minute, okay? I’m not going to take off into the bloody woods and disappear. I can’t—remember? We’re Bonded.”

****

He dropped her arm and she jumped out. He followed but remained standing at the hood of the car, watching as she paced back and forth. He heard her swearing and kicking stones with her running shoes. Shit, this was bad. He should’ve told her ages ago. He knew her memories were returning and she’d eventually find out.

She stopped and raised her head to look at him and then frowned and began pacing again. He leaned against the bumper and crossed his arms. Okay, she was pissed. Maybe he deserved it for not telling her, but he’d done it to save her from Ryszard. It had been Ryszard’s plan
—consume the vampire blood and then drink Danielle’s to heighten his taste for the wicked stuff. It had almost worked. He’d fought the craving every second of every day. The memory of her sweetness on his tongue, the thirst being quenched, the power it gave. But he survived it. He drove it from him until not an ounce of the urge to taste another was left lingering.

After ten
minutes, she climbed back into the car, slamming the door. He said nothing as he came around to the driver’s side, got in and started to drive down the highway, waiting for the words that he knew were inevitable. Danielle rarely remained silent on any issue.

“Why?” she asked.

“I had drunk Ryszard’s blood. Keir and the others were coming and he knew that if they got to me, the chances of me turning would be greater if I had tasted your blood.”

“Turn?”

“Become like him. Drinking their blood, willingly, changes us. We grow fangs, seek blood, become evil. He needed me to be rescued, healed, and then keep him informed of the warriors’ plans in order to get to Anstice. By forcing me to drink from you, it would heighten my thirst for blood, therefore turning me quicker. Otherwise, it would have been weeks before I completely turned.”

“Why did he want Anstice so badly?”

“She is a Healer. Her healing is powerful, and any vampire would want to make good use of her to Heal them. As of right now, they do not have any who is a Healer. Once they had, a long time ago.”

He waited for her to say something, to understand. To know why he did it, but even to this
day, he remembered her horror when he leaned over her.

“Don’t do it again,” Danielle said.

“That’s it?” He had meant to say it in his mind, but he was so surprised that he let the words tumble forth.

Danielle nodded. “You had no choice. I hated it. I hate that you did it, but I understand why. Just don’t do it again. Okay?”

He gave a single nod.

“So, what age did you have your first kiss? I was fifteen.”

“Twenty-five,” Balen answered. She was like no woman he’d ever encountered. She accepted and let it go. Most women would keep you on burning rocks for days.

“No shit,” Danielle said. “Why so late? I mean
, don’t all guys kiss a girl when in high school?”

He shrugged. “I was training to be a warrior. I had no interest in girls at the time.”

“What was her name?”

Balen shook his head. “That is two questions, my dear. Wait your turn.”

They played the game for a while longer and then stopped at Tim Horton’s for coffee and muffins before arriving at the airstrip in Newfoundland where the private jet waited on the tarmac.