Page 35 of Bound By Blood

She put on clean underwear, pulled on a pair of black sweats and a pink T-shirt, then ran a brush through her hair. Maybe it wasn’t just lust she felt for Zack, she mused as she went into the kitchen. Maybe it was love. She smiled as she put two slices of bread in the toaster. In love with Zack. The mere thought filled her with a delightful warmth from head to heel.

“I love him,” she said, hearing the wonder in her voice. “I love him.”

Hard on that realization came the unwanted thought that he might not love her in return, that he was just toying with her affection, that she was just another in a long string of women. After all, he had lived for centuries. He must have had dozens—hundreds—of women in that time. How could any woman resist him?

She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. And whether he loved her or not didn’t change the way she felt about him. He was gorgeous, yes, but he was also sweet and kind, and funny in his own way. He had been the soul of patience last night, not to mention brave, to let her drink from him. Even though he had insisted he hadn’t been in any danger, she might have drained him dry.

She wasn’t sure exactly what had transpired between Zack and Korzha since Zack had not elaborated, but it was obvious they had fought and Daryn had lost. Perhaps Zack had saved her life. At the risk of his own. She wondered again about Daryn Korzha’s intentions. What would her fate have been if Zack hadn’t come to her rescue the night Daryn drugged her? And why had Daryn attacked her in the first place?

Would she ever know?

She buttered the toast, daydreaming while she ate it—she pictured herself spending the rest of her life with Zack, maybe here, in the States, maybe in Romania, although she doubted there was much chance of that. Hatred for the Others was deeply embedded in her people. She shook her head. The war between her kind and the Others had ended centuries ago. It seemed an extraordinarily long time to carry a grudge.

She wondered if Zack liked being a vampire. What was it like, to have your whole world turned upside down?

She could relate, in a way. After all, her people were mortal for a time. Still, they knew the change was coming, knew it was normal and natural. There was no fear involved. Had Zack been afraid? Or was the change something he had wanted? If not, did he yearn to be mortal again?

Once the questions started, they just kept coming. Did he kill to survive? Did he miss the taste of food? He could tolerate wine, but what about milk and water? Had he ever been married? It was believed the Others couldn’t have children. If that was true, did he regret not being able to father a child?

He was much in her mind that day, whether she was trying to watch a movie, folding a load of laundry, or fixing an early dinner since she hadn’t bothered with lunch.

Time dragged. Finally, she picked up a book and settled down on the sofa to read.

She woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. A glance at the window showed the sun was down. Smiling with anticipation, she ran a hand through her hair, then hurried to open the door.

“Zack, hi!”

He kissed her soundly. “HI, yourself. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

“What’s on the agenda tonight?”

She shrugged. “I’m in the mood for a walk. How about you?”

“Fine by me.”

Something was up, Zack mused as they strolled down to the lake. He could sense the tension in her although he had no idea what was causing it. He didn’t think she was upset by what had happened last night. She had enjoyed it too much. Maybe she wanted another taste and was embarrassed to ask. No. He was pretty sure that wasn’t it.

When they reached the bench, she sat down and after a moment, Zack sat beside her. “Okay, what’s up?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t said a word since we left the house. Whatever’s bothering you, just spit it out.”

“Nothing’s bothering me except, well, I still don’t know very much about you.” She raised a hand, staying his comment. “I only know you’re young and single and rich. And you taste good.”

“Want another bite?”

“Not right now.” She stared out at the lake a moment. “Do you like being a vampire? Was it something you wanted?”

“Is that what’s got your panties in a knot? You’re worried about whether I’m happy being a vampire?”

“Of course not. Like I said, I just want to know more about you.”

Zack shook his head. Women. “In the beginning, I hated it and I hated the vampire who turned me, but once I got the hang of it …” He shrugged. “It took some getting used to, but I’ve got no complaints now.”

“Have you killed very many people?”

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