“Holy shit,” I exhale when he finally frees me.
“There’s nothing holy about what I want to do to you,” Brackwell growls, bringing his forehead to mine, lost in the sound of our breathing.
Finally, having regained a somewhat normal state, Kai pulls me up with him. I realize then that my shirt is shredded. But before I can protest, he’s already tossing his leather jacket over my shoulders.
“Thanks,” I whisper, suddenly shy.
“Let’s go, Princess.”
“But what about you? We can go to my room,” I offer, looking down at my feet, but his hand lifts my chin, forcing me to meet his sinful gaze.
“I don’t need anything. You coming undone for me, because of me, is enough.”
And just like that, I want to be on my knees for him.
“What if I want to?”
Kai’s eyes darken. A slow, predatory smile flashes, revealing his sharp canines. His strong build flexes beneath his t-shirt, the hunter, no doubt, and I’m wet again.
But then the strange chill from before seeps through my bones, leaving me shivering. I glance over my shoulder toward the trees. Nothing is amiss until I spot a tall silhouette in the shadows. And it’s growing, getting closer, larger.
Kai notices the shift in me. Following my gaze, but just before he can see what scared me, the figure vanishes. Instead, a black raven flies out of the tree. It perches itself on the hood of my Jeep.
Neither of us moves.
The bird’s piercing emerald eyes lock on us, sharp and knowing, sending a chill down my spine. This is no simple raven. As the realization settles, the air shifts, as if all the warmth got sucked out of the night.
“Don’t move,” Kai murmurs.
But the corvus doesn’t care. It swoops fast, talons aimed right for his head. Kai ducks just in time, as a rough croak cuts through the silence. The bird circles above, eyes with a deadly shine.
“Avilyna. Bike. Now.” No question, I jump on the engine, no time for helmets. Kai follows suit, leaping on it before we’re tearing through the trees. The branches scrape us as the raven’s cries from above, a warning. The forest swallows us in no time, losing sight of the corvus.
Once we’re clear, Kai slows down, and I finally let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Good thing he’s the one driving because I can’t see shit, and that’s seriously adding to my nerves
“What the hell was that?” My voice is rough, shaken. “That was no regular bird.”
Kai’s tone is all Corporal, “ Avampyr.”
I blink.
“Aren’t they supposed to turn into bats?”
“Bats, cats, panthers, ravens, anything black, anything nocturnal. Once they choose a form, it’s permanent.”
“Why?”
“Shadow powers.”
I swallow. “And sunlight burns them?”
“Exactly.”
“And they drink blood.” Kai nods again. I log all this information in as we zoom through the wooded trail toward the veil.
We pullup to the manor by a path I never knew existed. Lifting an eyebrow, the question hangs in the air.
“It’s glamoured,” Kai says, his voice dropping low. “A back door. In case things go sideways. You never know when you’ll need to disappear.” There’s weight in his tone, not just caution, but knowing, experienced. Sharing this isn’t small, I know trust isn’t easily given; in this world, it’s a gamble, a weapon.
