Page 57 of Bound By Blood

“It is Zack Ravenscroft, of course,” he muttered irritably.

“Ah.” No surprise there, she thought.

“Yes, ah! Dammit, I like him.”

“Really? Well, that does make things more difficult, doesn’t it?”

“You have no idea,” he said, his voice little more than a growl. “He seems honest and forthright. If he was lying to me, I could not tell.” He blew out an impatient sigh. “He claims to love Kaitlyn.”

“Claims to love her? Honestly, Drake, why else would the man come here? If he intended to harm her in any way, I’m sure he’s too smart to try it here, under your very nose! Besides, if he meant her any harm, wouldn’t he have done it before this?”

Drake glared at her.

“You know I’m right, so you might as well admit it.”

He shook his head in resignation. In all their years together, he couldn’t recall a time when she had ever been wrong. It was galling. And endearing.

Pulling her down into his lap, he kissed her soundly, then shook his head, his expression rueful. “Tell me, wife, what do you think it will cost me to make this right with our daughter?”

Kaitlyn’s demands were few.

“I want you to release Zack immediately. Let him shower. Provide him with clean clothes. Give him a comfortable place to rest during the day. And get used to the idea that, for the foreseeable future, I intend to spend every possible minute with him.”

“Is that all?” her father asked dryly.

“He’ll need something to drink.”

Drake nodded. No doubt providing fresh nourishment should be their first priority. Being in pain always heightened his own hunger. He guessed the same was true for the Others.

“I think you’re getting off easy,” Elena remarked.

“Hush, wife.”

“Hush yourself. I think you owe Zack Ravenscroft an apology.”

“I think so, too,” Kaitlyn said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Torrance.”

With an effort, Zack gained his feet when he heard Kaitlyn’s footsteps. She wasn’t alone. The human, Torrance, was with her. He wondered what that meant.

Kaitlyn smiled at him as she hurried toward the cell. “I’ve come to get you out of here,” she said as Torrance unlocked the cell door.

“What about your father?”

“I have his permission, of course.” She hurried into the cell after Torrance, waited impatiently as he unlocked the shackles around Zack’s ankles and removed the chain from around his neck. “Thanks, Torrance. That’s all.”

With a nod, the man left the cell.

“So, what changed your father’s mind about me?” Zack asked.

“I don’t know.” She slipped her arm around his waist. “Lean on me and let’s get out of here. How did you stand the smell?”

“It wasn’t easy.”

“I have a room for you upstairs. Once you’re cleaned up, Northa has offered to let you feed from her.”

Zack came to a stop. “What?”

“She won’t mind,” Kaitlyn assured him.

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