To Die For...excerpt...

He could’ve left her at home for the other vampire to finish off. He didn’t have to insist she come along so she would be safe. If killing her wasn’t his intent, then what was it? What did he want from her?

She turned the knob to his bedroom door and quietly slipped inside. Bright moonlight shone through the windows, lighting the bed where he lay silently. The sheet was bunched around his waist, and his brow was covered in a bead of sweat. Moonlight glistened on it, and she had a sudden urge to walk over and wipe it away.

Blood soaked the bandage on his chest, and she frowned, concerned at the amount that continued to seep through the covering. Why was he bleeding again? When vampires took a blow that close to the heart, it took a while to heal. Was that what was wrong? The silver had also complicated things, according to Vincent.

Deciding to do something for him, she began to cross the room when the door behind her opened. She jumped and found herself staring at Vincent’s surprised face. “What are you doing in here?”

“I thought I heard him stirring,” she lied, unsure if she wanted to tell him the truth.

Vincent went past her to the bed and scowled at the bandage. “What the hell did you do?” he demanded at Kaelen. “Didn’t I tell you not to get out of bed until that thing healed?”

Kaelen growled. “Don’t yell so loud.”

Amy blinked in surprise at their exchange. She had assumed Kaelen had been asleep. Apparently, he was awake. Or at the very least, he was awake now.

“I’m not yelling,” Vincent snarled. “But I may yet. You’ve set yourself back at least a day.”

“Is it that bad?”

“No, you’ve just reopened the damn thing.” Vincent bent forward and grasped the bandage. “This is gonna hurt, Kaelen, but it’s no less than your stubborn ass deserves.”

Giving it a tug, he ripped it from Kaelen’s flesh harshly. Kaelen gasped, then let out a string of Romanian words that made Amy’s eyes widen in surprise. He sounded angry, and she’d bet at least half those words were words that would make a navy man blush.

Despite her anger toward the handsome vampire, she winced at how much that must’ve hurt. “Vincent,” Amy chastised.

“Damn it, Vincent. Take it easy. What the hell are you trying to do? Skin me?”

“I’m trying to get through to that thick head of yours. When I say stay in bed, it means exactly that. Stay in bed.”

“I did stay in bed,” Kaelen growled, but Amy didn’t miss the fatigue lacing his voice.

“Amy said she heard you stirring.”

“I didn’t get out of bed, Vincent,” Kaelen replied tiredly as he sent Vincent a pointed look Amy wasn’t quite sure she understood. For that matter, she didn’t understand the two of them, either. They growled at each other, snapped at each other, yet Kaelen had asked for him when he needed help the most.

“Then what were you…” Vincent turned and stared at Amy. He sighed as though he’d finally figured it out, then turned back to the table next to Kaelen’s bed and grabbed another bandage. “Amy, you should probably go back to bed. Kaelen will be fine.”

Amy nodded without another word and left the room. She really didn’t want to be a part of that conversation anyway, nor did she want to explain to Kaelen why she’d been there, and she most definitely didn’t want to hear Kaelen say he’d been seducing her in her dreams. To hear him actually say it would make it way more real than she wanted to deal with right now.

 

Kaelen watched her go and swallowed. She knew. Why else would she have been in his room? And for that matter, what the hell was she doing here? Vincent had told him earlier he’d brought him to England, but he’d never said a word about Amy being here. She’d been so close, it was no wonder his mental connection to her had been so strong. He’d initially thought she was still at home and had been shocked to see her standing in his room, watching him warily.

After a dream that vivid, he had no doubt she knew. Unfortunately now so did Vincent. With a quiet sigh, he braced himself for the rant. He didn’t have to wait long.

“What the hell are you doing, Kaelen? Were you in her head? Is that why you’ve had a setback without even getting out of bed?”

Kaelen closed his eyes. “Don’t start with me, Vincent.”

“Not only do I plan to start, I plan to finish it. I told you once already, she’s off-limits. I don’t care if you can get into her mind.”

Kaelen rolled his eyes. “It’s my life and none of your—”

“Don’t even go there with me, Kaelen. Need I remind you that you came to me for help? I had to come halfway around the world and drag your ass back, toting Amy to boot. Don’t you dare tell me to stay out of your life. I have your life in my hands, and that girl is my soul mate’s best friend. I’ll be damned if I’ll sit back and allow you to screw her up.”

“I’m not going to—”

“I’m not finished,” Vincent growled as he placed the clean bandage on Kaelen’s still-seeping wound and pressed down hard. Kaelen growled low in his chest at the pain that, at the moment, he felt he deserved.

“That girl has no idea what it means that you can get into her head, but I do. Do you really plan on making her your mate? Turning her so she can spend eternity with you?”

“I don’t know, Vincent,” Kaelen said with a sigh. “For God’s sake, I’ve hated humans my whole life, and now I find myself mentally connected to one. Can I at least have a fucking day to try and figure this shit out before you take my damn head off?”

“I have the perfect solution for you. Leave her alone.”

“How can I know if I leave her alone?” Kaelen argued.

“You already know, Kaelen. If you can get into her head, then you know.”

“I was shocked that I found myself there,” Kaelen murmured, growing tired from the additional loss of blood. “I was sleeping. Then the next thing I know, I’m with her.”

Vincent sighed and studied him silently as he continued to clean him up. He remained silent as he attached another bag of blood to the IV in his arm. Kaelen knew Vincent meant well. He cared for Amy and didn’t want to see her hurt, but if she became his mate, there would be a good chance she would be.

“I was shocked when you told me to bring her here.”

Kaelen glanced at him in surprise. “I did what?”

“You don’t remember?” Vincent asked, frowning. “You told me to just before you passed out. You said whoever attacked you might go after her because she might’ve seen something.”

Kaelen frowned, trying to remember. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

“No, and neither does your mentally connecting to humans. You’ve not acted like yourself since the day you met her, if you ask me.”

“Well, I didn’t ask you.”

“Too bad. You’re getting my opinion anyway. Free of charge.”

Kaelen snorted. “I’ll pay you to shut up.”

Vincent ignored him and continued on. “You’ve got to stop doing it, Kaelen.”

“I can’t stop it,” Kaelen snapped. “Hell, I couldn’t even get out once I was in.”

“That’s probably because you’re weak. You’re going to have to control it until you heal. Every time you do this, you’ll set yourself back. To mentally link with her physically drains you. Just don’t sleep when she sleeps.”

Kaelen rolled his eyes. “Oh, well, if it’s that easy…” Kaelen again sighed and clenched his jaw tight. This whole thing was nothing if not a nightmare. A human. A fucking human.

“You wanted her brought here,” Vincent pointed out.

“So you say,” Kaelen said quietly. He looked up at Vincent. “What would you do if you fell in love with a vampire?”

Vincent smirked. “Shoot myself.”

“Damn smart-ass,” Kaelen snipped. “You’re real funny. You’re supposed to be helping me here.”

Vincent grinned just a little. “I am helping you. Your feelings you’re just going to have to figure out on your own. If it was anyone other than Amy, I would find this funny as hell. You hate humans, despise them, yet here you are unable to keep your hands off one.”

“A fitting punishment?” Kaelen asked sarcastically.

“You’ve done a lot of bad things in your life, Kaelen. Most of which were done for a good reason. Most of the punishment you inflicted was deserved.”

“Most?”

Vincent inclined his head. “Probably all.”

“So are you trying to say that deep down I’m a good guy?”

Vincent snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

Kaelen grinned despite himself and decided it would best to change the subject. “Has anyone found Merrick yet?”

“No. Jason is still looking for him and is getting concerned. Stacy wonders if it’s possible that they were after Merrick to begin with and not you.”

Kaelen shook his head. “Who would want to kill Merrick, Vincent? It was me. It’s always me.”

“Which is why you need to stay away from Amy. The only way you can take on a mate is if you’re willing to leave the life you lead. No more investigations for the council, no more assassination assignments, no more putting yourself in the line of fire just for the hell of it. You would put her life on the line just by mating with her, and you know it.”

Kaelen nodded again, knowing deep down Vincent was right. He had to stay away from Amy. He wasn’t good for her and would get her killed. Just like the other night. He’d been lucky the vampire hadn’t tried to kill her too, for he’d been in no shape to help her. Not to mention this whole vampire-human thing. Of all people to connect with, why did it have to be a human?