Ronan folded his hands behind his back.“What was in this drink?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“You drank something without having any ideawhat was in it?” Ian demanded.
She shot him a look. “I was told it was anenergy and vitamin drink that would help with my fighting and helpme to withstand a vampire’s abilities. Nabel said it consisted ofvegetables, fruits and herbs, but I didn’t ask for the exactmixture or ingredients.”
A vein throbbed to life in his forehead.“They could have given you anything,” he grated.
“You didn’t live through what I did, Ian.You can’t know, or understand what it is like to lose someone youlove, to live in constant terror, and then be offered a chance toavenge that death and find safety. I would have done or takenanythingthey gave me for the chance to have what theyoffered.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist andpulled her close against him. Kissing the top of her head, heinhaled her fragrant scent as he sought to control the steadyunraveling growing within himself. He didn’t know this Ronan,didn’t trust him. He could have killed Paige already if he’d trulywanted to, but having her so close to the man rattled his control.He’d seen what Ethan had gone through when Emma had been uncertainabout their future together, but he’d never felt that unravelinghe’d witnessed with his brother. He could feel it in him now, feelrage simmering beneath his surface, the growing urge to killsomething building within him. He didn’t know if he could protecther from Ronan, and he didn’t like it, not one little bit.
“Do you mind?” Ronan inquired of Ian.
Ian’s upper lip curled into a sneer. “Whatdo you intend?”
“Only to smell her.”
Paige rested her hand reassuringly on hischest. “It’s fine.”
Ian didn’t protest when Ronan took a stepcloser. The aged vampire leaned over Paige and inhaled deeply. Alow rumble worked its way up Ian’s throat; he somehow managed tokeep himself restrained from making a move toward Ronan, but hismuscles quivered from the effort.
“Hmm,” Ronan murmured. “I smell applesmostly but also spinach along with acerola berries, the herbsborage, devil’s claw, and…” His eyes closed as he inhaled deeplyagain. “And saffron spice. It’s an interesting combination of fruitand herbs. One that would aid in your fighting and the sorenessthat follows physical combat.”
“Is that combination enough to block us frombeing able to change her memories?” Ian inquired.
“I don’t think it’s that combination; Isense something else inside of her,” Ronan replied.
Paige glanced worriedly at Ian. The huntershadn’t been what she’d believed them to be, but had they also donesomething to her? “What is it?” she croaked out.
“I believe it’s their blood,” Ronanreplied.
Paige took a startled step back. “No. Inever gave them permission to do that.”
“I suspect that didn’t matter. Not once youagreed to join their ranks,” Ronan replied and stepped away fromher. “They weren’t going to take any chances you could be persuadedinto bringing a vampire back to where you met with them. Theyweren’t so much concerned you would reveal anything about them, Idoubt you know much.”
“I don’t,” she admitted.
“What are these hunters?” Emma inquired.“Where did they come from? How is it possible their blood couldcounteract a vampire’s abilities.”
“They are the mortal version of a vampire,”Ronan answered. “Vampires got the more demonic side, thebloodthirsty side when the first humans and demons mated. Huntersdon’t have our thirst for blood; they don’t have the restrictionssome of our kind have when they kill too much, and they canwithstand our powers of persuasion. However, they do age, albeitmuch slower than a human, but they will eventually die from aging.They’re also not as fast or as strong as we are, but they could goone-on-one with, and survive, a fight with a new vampire. They knowof our existence and have hunted us from the beginning. I’m notsure if they realize not all of us are killers, but they kill usall without hesitation.”
“Do they also have mates?” Aiden asked.
“I don’t know. That is what I do know aboutthem, and only because I have access to all of the documents,studies, and libraries vampires have kept since our creation. It’staken that long for us to know that much about the hunters. I doubtthey know much about us either.”
Ronan looked pointedly at Paige when hefinished speaking. “I really wasn’t told much,” she admitted.
“I believe you.”
Before Paige could stop herself she blurteda question, “Why do you believe me so easily?”
A small smile curved the corner of his fullmouth. “It’s very easy to tell when a human is lying. However, yourheart rate hasn’t increased, your voice hasn’t changed, no sweat isbeading across your brow, and I smell no heightened body odor fromyou.”
A vampire human lie detector, that’sfreaking awesome,“Well that’s a good thing, I suppose,” shemuttered.
“It’s a very good thing. If I suspected youwere lying to me, I would get the answers from you one way oranother.” She didn’t quite know how to take that, but she was gladshe didn’t know anything that would have caused her to lie to theman. “I suspect the combination they gave you is given to allmembers of the human race they bring into their fold. It would alsohelp to make you a little stronger and faster. I doubt you weregiven much of their blood, or you would have tasted it even overthe obvious abundance of apples they put in the drink, but it wouldhave enhanced you a little. How did they find you?”
