Bound by Danger (The Alliance #6) - Brenda K. Davies Page 0,51

her distance. She was fine when they entered the lobby; something had changed after that. He recalled lifting his head from the young woman’s neck to discover her gone. He’d nearly shoved the woman away from him in his rush to find her.

And there she was, standing outside, staring at the horizon. She’d been distant and cold ever since.

“I have to feed if I’m going to survive,” he said.

Callie’s fingers dug into the blankets. She did not want to talk about this. “I know.”

Lucien turned toward her, but she remained on her side with her back to him. Her body was rigid beneath the blanket.

He didn’t know what to say that would bridge the growing gulf between them. His hand stretched toward her before falling a couple of inches away from her.

“I’m sorry you had to witness it,” he said.

Callie stared at the curtains covering the picture window across from her as she tried not to recall the clerk’s erotic moan, but it was all she could hear. She resisted the urge to hit something.

She’d been through so much these past few months. Her life was finally getting back to normal, and now she was lying in bed with a vampire who made her more jealous than she’d ever been in her life. She had to say something; he couldn’t know she’d been jealous of that woman. It was humiliating.

“It’s fine,” she said.

Lucien didn’t have much experience dealing with women, but he knew those two words were never good.

“I won’t let it happen again,” he said. “I’m more in control now. I’m still thirsty, but it’s not the same.”

He said those words, but he was aware his eyes were still red. He didn’t know how much blood it would take to get them to return to normal. Or maybe it wasn’t blood he required for them to return to normal; perhaps they would remain red until she was completely safe.

That possibility was like a slap upside the head. He should have realized it sooner, but though he was feeling ten thousand times better, he still wasn’t up to his full strength, and his mind was a little sluggish to catch up.

“It’s fine,” she repeated.

“Obviously, it’s not. You’re angry at me.”

Callie ground her teeth together and closed her eyes as she willed herself to stop acting like an idiot. She had to get past this, or else he would suspect the truth. “I’m exhausted.”

He didn’t believe her. She’d been exhausted when they were walking into the motel too, but she’d still talked to him and allowed his touch. Now, when he lifted his hand and settled it against her side, she stiffened beneath him.

He removed his hand. “Callie—”

“I just want to sleep, Lucien.”

He decided against pushing her further. With a sigh, he pulled back the bedspread and blanket before sliding beneath them.

He hated sleeping in his jeans, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate it if he pulled them off to sleep nude beside her. In fact, she’d probably run screaming from this place if he did. If she were his mate, he’d better get a whole lot better at understanding women real fast. His mind churned with things to say, but they all sounded stupid to him.

She turned the TV down and set the remote beside her, but with his acute hearing, he still heard every word as its flickering glow played across the ceiling. He twisted the blanket in his hands as he resisted his impulse to touch her.

She belongs to me. Maybe that was true, but it didn’t mean she wanted to belong to him, and even if it destroyed him, her happiness would come first. If she decided to walk away, he would let her.

The possibility caused his fangs to lengthen as anger coiled inside him, but he worked to suppress both reactions. He’d tasted her blood, which meant his need to complete the bond would only intensify. However, he’d taken her blood from her by force; he wouldn’t take anything else from her unless she gave it willingly.

“How come you didn’t call your friends?” she asked.

“They don’t allow long-distance calls. I’ll get a cell phone from someone here tomorrow. I can’t chance going into a store and being caught on camera to buy one.”

Callie didn’t speak again, and when he shifted on the bed, she realized he was only a foot away from her. The hair on her nape rose as she became acutely aware of his nearness, the fresh scent of soap, and how easy it