His Captive Mortal A Vampire Romance - Renee Rose Page 0,47
to crack bones. Three against one makes it difficult, but I channel the rage inside me. Forget all concern for myself. I have to get to Aurelia to disable the glamour that left her frozen and vulnerable. I twist and kick the wiry vampire named Andre, but take a hard blow to the gut from Abe, and the third vampire slashes at my throat with a broken bottle.
The glass catches the tendon between my neck and shoulder, missing my vital artery. I catch Aurelia’s face in my hands, taking the few seconds necessary to release her from the thrall. “Bubble up, make no eye contact. Run as fast as you can.”
The distraction costs me, as the three undead attack at once. One catches and holds my arms back as the others kick and punch me in the gut. I lift both feet and kick the immortal in front of me square in the chest then slam my head backward to bash the nose of my captor.
Aurelia makes a bubble, but she doesn’t move; she stands staring in horror.
“Run!” I bellow. Dammit. I should’ve enthralled her to enforce her obedience.
My attention on her causes the vampires to adjust their focus, one of them turning to her while the other two continue to fight me.
The broken glass slashes his forearm, but I tackle Andre to the pavement and bash his head repeatedly against the asphalt.
“Charlie!”
Aurelia’s scream makes me jerk my head up in time to see her hurling a ball of light squarely in Abe’s face. The furious vampire lunges towards her with a roar.
I blur between them, catch Aurelia up around the waist and try to trace, but I can’t focus. Abe’s fangs bite into my back, ripping my shoulder.
Aurelia throws a bubble of protection around both of us, and the vampire falls back.
“Hey,” two big guys round the corner. They’re huge and covered in tats—most prominently a wolf paw tattoo on their right shoulders. “You leeches aren’t welcome. Get the fuck outta here.”
Great. The werewolf patrol. I better get us out of here before they call Lucius, and the vampire king imprisons and tortures us all. There’s a reason I’ve been trying to lay low. Vampire politics are bad for my health. Bad, as in deadly.
I close my eyes and calm myself, picturing Aurelia’s living room as I pull her into the ether.
When we materialize, I feel her tremble.
Fuck. I almost lost her back there. I haven’t been so afraid since...probably since I was mortal.
“What the hell were you doing?” I snap. “First of all, I told you I didn’t want you walking around alone at night. Secondly, I told you to use your bubble and run.” I toss her over my shoulder and carry her to the bedroom where I drop her on the bed. “When I give you an order, I expect you to obey it, especially when it’s for your own damn safety!”
She lies still, watching me with wide eyes.
“Why didn’t you go when I told you to?” I demand.
“I wasn’t going to leave you!”
Something painful turns in my chest. Was it just a few hours ago I’d believed her to be selfish?
I was dead wrong.
“I am a vampire, love. Immortal. My wounds heal unless I am decapitated or I bleed out. You, my dear fairy, are not. And those vampires wanted to drain you for your power. I warned you of that.”
Tears shine in her eyes, and I freeze.
Oh hell. A wave of her emotion rolls over me—regret? Despair?
I drop on the bed beside her to cradle her in my arms. She burrows against me, clinging to my neck and nestling her face against my chest. I brush her tears away as I stroke her back. “Shh, love. You’re safe now. Did those thugs scare you?”
She shakes her head, pulling back to look at me, tears still spilling out of her eyes and dripping down her cheeks. “I can’t believe you did that.”
What did I do? I rack my brain. “Those vampires--”
“I don’t care about them. I’m talking about you!” She slaps her hand against my sternum. “You walked away again!” She strikes me again. “You always just disappear, and I’m left trying to figure out what I did wrong and how to fix it.” She smacks my chest again and again, saying, “I don’t. Want. You. To leave.”
I catch her two wrists and hold them in one hand against my chest. “Okay,” I whisper hoarsely, her distress shaking me. I thumb away another tear and