Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,31

her head then moved out of the track without hurry. A moment later, Alanna drew in a breath as a stag bounded out of the trees, touched down directly in front of the Rover’s grill, and then, with one leap, cleared the foliage on the other side and disappeared again.

“Wow,” she breathed. Niall gave her a sidelong glance and a half smile, then returned his attention to the road.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was an arse.”

She shook her head, denying the need for the apology, but it made something loosen in her chest, especially when he reached out, touched her knee. Glancing behind her, she saw Evan still writing. It reminded her of Lord Brian’s preoccupation with his research, how often Debra handled communication because he was deep in his head. “Don’t be fooled,” Niall advised. “He doesn’t miss anything.”

“No, I don’t,” Evan said, not looking up. “You acting like an ass is such a common occurrence, I didn’t figure it required any comment on my part.”

Niall shifted gears, making the Rover jump and rev with a brief spurt of gas. Alanna saw Evan lift his pencil a mere second before it happened, preventing a jagged slash across his paper, then he calmly went back to scribbling. “I think you just underscored my point.”

“Numpty.” Niall snorted.

“Best you can do? Noshech kariot.”

“That part’s mostly your fault, isn’t it? Och, weel, you wur brocht up mair refainit than me then.” Niall nodded out the window. “Look, Alanna.”

She jerked her astounded attention to the front again, in time to see a possum scurrying across their path. It paused, baring its yellowed teeth in a hiss, then continued across.

“During the birthing season, she might have a wee one or two clinging to her, if they’re not inclined to ride in her pouch. The bairns are cute as kittens. The adults are almost as cantankerous as I am.” Seeing her blank look, he grinned. “Numpty is the Scots term for idiot. He called me a pillow biter in Hebrew. I think you can figure out the rest.”

She wasn’t sure she could.

A few moments later, Niall turned off into another small clearing, this one ringed with trees that hid the mountain view. “We hike from here,” he advised.

The men donned the two large backpacks holding the equipment, Niall refusing to let her carry anything but the small pack with snacks and her chosen book. “You’ll have enough to do, keeping pace,” he promised, and he was right.

She realized she should bring up the rear, so she wouldn’t delay the men, but Niall took that position, the two of them flanking her. Determined not to be a burden, she pushed herself to keep up with their longer legs. However, the steep grade began to take its toll within a couple of miles. As a servant, she’d maintained a strict workout and diet regimen to stay in excellent shape, but she hadn’t had time to restore her strength properly, even by human standards.

Never in her life had a complaint passed her lips, and today wasn’t going to be the first time. She tried to focus on her surroundings, how the forest canopy occasionally thinned enough to show her the moon, or a glimpse of the mountains off the steep decline to her left. It was as if they were traveling through a woodland tunnel, granted the occasional window of the world outside of it.

There were all sorts of sounds. Niall told her the short grunts or gusts were deer, and they had to stay cautious of them during rutting season, which was almost upon them. A chittering noise turned out to be a pair of raccoons climbing a nearby tree. Pointing, he showed her the shadows of their movements along the bark. The moonlight was sufficient to light the way of a vampire and third mark; she understood better now why they were having her walk between them, because though the light wouldn’t have been enough for her in that regard, it was enough to stay aligned with their track. She wanted that second mark. It might augment her strength, and it would definitely help her night vision. As well as her sensitivity to temperature.

As the night deepened, it also cooled. She’d worn only the pants and serviceable long-sleeved T-shirt, because the men were in similar outfits. With the exertion of keeping up, it wasn’t a present concern. But she reminded herself it wouldn’t matter anyway. She’d been cold plenty of times.

Stumbling, she caught herself on a branch,