so thirsty. All of the musky bodies damp with perspiration didn’t help. If he was newly changed, the smells would have damned him by now. Stronger than that, he thought of Eagle Lake, the way the forest sang to him at night and how the foliage was some of the most beautiful he had ever seen.
If Liz could see him there, see who he truly was – not this stressed out, uptight dick he had been behaving as, maybe she would want to be with him too.
If she can give me a chance to explain...
Like he would ever want a woman like Maze. It surprised him that he didn’t notice as soon as she walked into the room. Lacking emotion or warmth, the creature existed only to feed and screw. The look in her eyes when she realized he didn’t want her was the most surprising. She was actually confused.
What an existence. I pity her.
After an hour of waiting, Braden smelled Liz before he even saw her. Her perfume carried on the breeze. Hoping she would at least hear him out, he went to the passenger side door of the car and waited. Glancing up, he watched as she and Riley walked over. Although his brother was smiling, Liz’s expression was a little more pensive.
Before he could even say anything, Liz stepped into his arms. Hugging him tightly, her face burrowed into his chest. Braden anchored her in place with an arm around her waist. Tilting her chin up, he saw the moisture in her eyes – the relief. If she only knew how much it matched his. There was nothing about her he didn’t want – nothing at all. Maze could shift into Scarlett Johansson or a half a dozen other people and Braden would want only Liz. The feel of her against his skin was welcoming and desirable all at once.
“I’m so sorry about earlier,” he whispered.
“It’s okay,” she replied. “You don’t have any reason to apologize.”
There was still a touch of hurt in her voice. It was there, beneath the surface. Liz sank against him; her body fit so perfectly against his. He needed her to hear it – the truth, how he felt.
“I didn’t know she was a shifter. When she kissed me, I thought I was kissing you.”
“She’s a shifter,” Liz repeated, the information sinking in. Suddenly, her head popped up and her eyes met his. “You thought we were kissing? In your bed?”
Braden nodded guiltily, not sure how to explain. Still holding her to him, he hoped she wouldn’t pull away.
A sheepish grin crossed her face as she snuggled closer. “Did you want us to be kissing in your bed?”
Every cell in his body was in overdrive just because he was near her, and she had to ask that? Pressing his lips against the top of her head, he mumbled, “Hell yeah.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Kiss me.” Beckoning him closer, she tilted her chin.
He could feel her pulse under her skin. Racing and warm, it mimicked his own. Bending forward, his lips brushed her, tentatively at first, before his need took over, and he couldn’t hold back. With her body against his, he drank in the taste of her. Every cell sang with energy as his mouth moved against hers. The inside of her lips were sweet, sweeter than he could imagine.
“I hate to break up your cuddle time, but we need to jam,” Riley said rolling his eyes. “As long as there is no more cutesy talk, you can ride with us.”
Braden looked at his brother. For the first time since their arrival in Canada, he didn’t want to tear his throat out.
“Speaking of talks, you and I still need to have one,” Braden said, setting the record.
Tossing the keys in the air, and catching them again, Riley wagged his eyebrows. “Night’s young, brother. Wouldn’t miss it.”
19
LIZ
Back at the rest home, the draugar were fully awake when the Porsche pulled into the parking area. As soon as they disembarked from the car, hoots and screeches from the doorway and rooftop signaled to those inside they returned.
Despite a few of the demons sitting in the darkened corridor, like the night before, they mainly huddled in the former dining room. Tonight the floor plan was laid out different. The kerosene heaters were in full force, but rather in spots around the room, they were lit in a straight line and running down the length of the great room. Parallel to the heaters were