Sarah McCarty (16 page)
“I’m going for a walk.”
To his credit, Slade didn’t say what he had to be thinking. He didn’t call her a coward. He merely looked over his shoulder with that expression on his face that said he was employing telepathy. Even the word freaked her out. Almost as much as the concept intrigued her.
“You’re talking to Caleb, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Looking back, she saw Slade’s brother come up behind Allie and put his arm around her shoulder. Between Slade’s reasoning and Allie’s subsequent pleas, Jane hadn’t stood a chance not promising to help. Part of her resented the manipulation. The other part was resigned to it. “Have him tell Allie that I keep my promises. I’ll be back. It’s just that I . . .”
“Need a minute,” Slade finished for her. She could have kissed him for understanding.
There was another second of silence, and then Allie lifted her hand and waved.
Jane smiled. “She’s a heck of a person, isn’t she?”
“Yeah.” Slade nodded. “Allie has principles. She believes in the Karmic good and keeping the balance.”
“She says she doesn’t believe in might makes right.”
“Nope. She and Caleb had problems with that when they first got together.”
“You’re not going to tell me he brought her around?”
He chuckled and fell into step beside her. “No, I’m not going to tell you that.”
“You’re not going to tell me
she
brought
him
around?” She could see a lot of things, but the hard-eyed Caleb as a pacifist? Not hardly.
she
brought
him
around?” She could see a lot of things, but the hard-eyed Caleb as a pacifist? Not hardly.
“I’m not going to tell you that, either.”
Her hands ached. Opening her fingers one by one, she released the tension. “Good, because that would totally blow my first impressions of the man.”
“Yeah. Caleb doesn’t bend easily.”
Whereas Jane’s impression of Allie was that she could bend like a willow.
“They’re very different, aren’t they?”
“In some ways. But in others, the important ones, they’re very much alike. They protect each other, take care of each other.” His gaze met hers. “They’re both good people. And they deserve better than this.”
And he wanted to give it to them. It was becoming evident to her that Slade had a highly developed sense of responsibility.
“But this is what they got.”
“Yeah. And it’s not a mess to make a meal of.”
The old-fashioned phrase made her blink. “How old are you?”
“In this century or the last?”
Turning, she braced her feet and squared her shoulders. “Are you trying to shock me?”
“Just trying to ease into the subject.”
“Thanks.” He didn’t say anything more. She stared at his lips, which were just like the man. Always tempting and never delivering. Yanking her gaze from his mouth, she asked, “How did you all come to be vampires?”
“Way back in 1862 Caleb was out riding fence. Someone bushwhacked him, gut shot him, and left him for dead. A pretty little vampire came along. Asked him if he wanted to live. He thought she was an angel and said yes.”
“It must have been quite a shock later when he realized she hadn’t been an angel.”
“You could say that. Tore up the family for quite a while.”
“Was he the one who changed you?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ask him to?”
He glanced at her. “That’s a sore point I’d advise you not to be bringing up too often, if you know what’s good for you.”
Apparently she had an idea what was good for her because the urge to throw herself into the man’s arms and cry “Take me, fool!” just wouldn’t go away. For God’s sake, she hadn’t even known she had a floozy gene and now it wouldn’t shut up.
She started walking again toward the row of houses that formed the edge of the compound, frustration fueling her strides. Between the structures corrals perched. Horses occupied most of them. From all indications Slade’s home was also a working ranch. Cowboy vampires? The facts kept getting more strange. Slade kept pace easily, and that just annoyed her more. Did he have to match her at everything? “How can I know what’s good for me here, where nothing makes sense?”
“By following my lead.”
“You’re the man who’s keeping me hostage.”
“I’m the man keeping you safe.”
“From Sanctuary.” The mythical evil Sanctuary whose society she hadn’t yet figured out. It could consist of just the members she’d already met.
His fingers flexed and his mouth set in a straight line. “Yes.”
“If you want me to believe you, you might have to be a bit less ... reserved in your answers.”
“Fine. No. We didn’t ask to be converted, but it’s always been the Johnsons against the world, ever since our folks died, so it was only right that Caleb brought us over rather than going on alone.”
She stopped, planted her feet again, and caught his eye. He had the most beautiful eyes, even when they were narrowed with caution. “Just for the record, so there’s no misunderstanding, I don’t agree with that. I think people should have a choice. If they say no, it should be respected.”
“You didn’t have to say that.”
Even from here, she could feel Slade’s energy reaching out to her and that strange sensation in her mind that she was beginning to realize was his mind touching hers. “Yeah. I think I do. And while we’re on the subject, I don’t like you frolicking in my mind like it’s your personal playground.”
“I’ve never done that.”
“Yes, you have. You’re doing it right now.”
“I can’t help it if you project.”
“Try.”
“I am.”
She shoved her hands back into her pockets. “Try harder.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds. You’re very appealing, and for vampires, sharing thoughts with a mate is as natural as breathing.”
There was that word again.
Mate
. As if uttering it explained everything, when, in reality, all it did was complicate things. She wasn’t a stupid woman. She didn’t buy into the whole “I’m safe” image Slade was trying to project. Beneath that calm logic, there was a definite edge to his personality. A danger that appealed in a way she’d long since thought she’d put behind her. “Work on it.”
Mate
. As if uttering it explained everything, when, in reality, all it did was complicate things. She wasn’t a stupid woman. She didn’t buy into the whole “I’m safe” image Slade was trying to project. Beneath that calm logic, there was a definite edge to his personality. A danger that appealed in a way she’d long since thought she’d put behind her. “Work on it.”
“Done.”
They reached the edge of the yard. She stopped and looked back. “Who lives in all these houses?”
“The McClarens.”
“These houses are full of werewolves?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re the only vampires?”
“We don’t seem to fit in with other vampires.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Vampires are made, not born.”
She opened her mouth. He cut off the question with a lift of his hand.
“The rarity of Joseph’s existence is one of the reasons that Caleb didn’t want you here. He’s proof to Sanctuary that vampires can be born. And if they find out how he was conceived, there won’t be a human woman alive who will be safe.”
From what?
“How was he conceived?”
“How was he conceived?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Is that because of some kidnapper code?”
He cocked his eyebrow at her. “You know, you could just decide this is an extended vacation rather than a kidnapping.”
If she were delusional. “A working vacation?”
“Yeah.”
“My imagination’s not that good.”
“I told Allie you’d feel that way.”
“Allie’s a smart woman.”
“Yeah. All my brothers’ wives are.”
“All? How many wives are there?”
Slade blinked and then the right corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile as he recognized how she’d taken the question. “Only one each. The Johnsons are a loyal lot.”
“I’m sure their wives are glad to hear it.”
“Wait until you meet Raisa and Miri.”
“Who are they?”
“My brothers’ wives.”
She didn’t want to get that cozy with his family. She didn’t really want to get that cozy with the whole situation. She heard a whicker in the darkness.
“You raise horses?”
He took her hand and led her to the right. “Yes. Some of our best are in the corral right over here.”
So there was. She could make out the bars of a corral and the shape of a wooden bench. She sat on the bench. It felt completely normal when he sat beside her and took her hand. She removed her hand and rubbed it on her thigh.
“You still haven’t told me how you came to be living with werewolves.”
He shrugged. “It’s more natural.”
“That needs an explanation.”
“I suppose it does.” He ran his hand through his hair, causing some to fall over his forehead. Her fingers tingled to push it back. “We grew up in the eighteen hundreds. Things were different then. Simpler.”
She could appreciate the appeal of simpler. Tugging her jacket tighter around her she said, “I’m listening.”
“We grew up with rules our pa gave us.”
“Which were?”
“You protect what’s weaker. You keep your word. You stand by family.”
Jane thought for a moment about what she knew of vampires. Of the powers she’d seen them wield. “And wolves live by these rules and vampires don’t?”
Slade shrugged. “When a human becomes vampire, it’s like being told there’s nothing between you and anything you want.”
“Absolute power.”
“Yeah, and there’s nothing that corrupts more absolutely.”
“But wolves don’t get corrupted?”
“Wolves are born, not made, and they have a highly structured society.”
That made sense. “So you’re saying all vampires are corrupt beings.”
“No. I imagine there are a few good ones somewhere, but around these parts, they either hooked up with Sanctuary or Sanctuary killed them off.”
“Sanctuary didn’t kill you off.”
“Johnsons are tough to kill. Plus, we kept to ourselves.”
“You didn’t bother anyone?”
Standing, Slade put his foot up on the corral fence. A big roan came over immediately and ducked its head. He scratched it behind the ears. “We did have to kick a bit of Sanctuary butt when Jace and them had a misunderstanding, but after that they pretty much left us alone.” Patting the horse’s neck, he added, “Of course, back then, they weren’t that powerful.”
“When did they get powerful?”
“About fifty years back, when they got a new leader. Smart guy. Genius.” He cocked a brow at her, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Your sort.”
As if Slade were lacking in the brains department.
“And then it all began to change,” Slade continued.
“But they still left you alone.”
“Yeah. For the last one hundred and fifty years, we’ve just been concerned with our little nook of the world, pretending to be descendants of ourselves, doing what we do best—raising horses.”
“What happened?”
“Allie.”
“Allie?”
“The woman may look serene but she’s a hell of a catalyst.”
“You’ll have to explain that.”
“Another time.”
Silence fell between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable. But she had more questions. “So you joined forces with the McClarens because their values matched yours?”
“And because Caleb saved Derek’s life back during the time when we were still bumbling along, trying to figure out what being vampire meant. To tell the truth, I think Caleb was just spoiling for a fight and when he came across five vamps on one werewolf, he decided to even up the odds.”
“Protecting what’s weaker.”
Slade chuckled and patted the roan’s neck. “Don’t say that within earshot of Derek.”
The proud were wouldn’t appreciate it for sure. “It’ll be our little secret.”
He smiled and pushed the horse away. “I appreciate that.”
“So, how did Allie’s arrival change anything?”
“Vince—”
“Vince?”
“He was the head of Sanctuary.”
“Was?”
He cast her a wry glance. “If you keep interrupting, I’m never going to get to the end of this tale.”
“Sorry. What happened to Vince?”
“He kidnapped Allie.”
A three-word sentence that neatly summed up a very messy end, she was sure. Rubbing her temple, she sighed. “I think I’m getting a headache.”
It wasn’t a lie. The headache that had started when she’d turned away from Allie just kept building.
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