Page 26 of Taken By the Vampires
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? You were distressed enough to wake. I told you I would do anything to provide you comfort. Sometimes that means more than mere physical comfort,” Davon said.
My fingers curled slightly in his shirt. “I don’t want to put you out. I’m fine. Really.”
He tipped my chin up so I had no option but to look at him. His grip was gentle, yet firm. “You can never put me out, remember that. The other thing I want you to know is that sometimes you need to let others care for you. It’s okay to lean on others when it is needed. Just as you care for people, allow them to do the same for you. It is a gift when offered. Accept it graciously.”
I had to wonder how he became so wise. His eyes gleamed as something deep within shifted. He’d known pain as well as anyone, yet he was still offering me comfort. A stranger. Contrite, I finally nodded. Where others simply didn’t care, for him it was an insult.
My heart tripped over its sudden swelling. I ducked my head, fearing he’d read any vulnerability on my face. I told myself to stay strong, waiting to rise and fall over the wave of raw emotion that came from nowhere. How could he know that his words had affected me so deeply?
I drew in a deep breath. “It didn’t make any sense. There was this woman, a crazy woman. And you three were all there. She did something to you, something not nice. You were…all in great pain and she kept laughing and laughing as though causing you pain made her happy.”
His hand faltered before picking up his stroking again. “What did she look like?”
“She was dressed in a historical costume. A dress like a pioneer might wear. Someone from the eighteenth century but it was charred and burned in places. There was this pyre behind her, burning and falling apart. It really doesn’t make much sense, but what nightmare does.
His hand has stilled, cupping my shoulder. “Did she say anything to you?”
I didn’t think I would ever forget. “She said ‘Now my pain is yours.’ Like I said, it didn’t make sense, but what nightmare does?”
Davon drew in a sharp breath, his fingers tightening slightly. I rose so I could look at him. He let me slip from his grasp. His lips were straight and tight, his eyes unfocused. He was taking this a little seriously. “Davon? It was just a dream. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s gone now. I’m fine, really I am.” His reaction left me a little unsettled and I had to wonder if being out here in the wilderness was making him – them – all a little crazy. “It’s okay, Davon. Really.”
I shifted to release myself from his embrace. He stirred, his eyes sharpened and focused on me before his arms tightened, pinning me against him. “Forgive me. I became caught up in my own thoughts.”
I regarded him for a moment. “What were you thinking of? It looked serious.”
“Just something that happened a long, long time ago.” He sounded tired. I understood that thread in his voice. I wanted to say something to him to make him feel better, to make him sound as energetic as he usually was. This was a side of Davon that hurt my heart to see.
“Sometimes you have to forget about things, because if you let all of the bad things in the world drag you down, you’d never be able to get up in the morning,” I said.
He smiled, little lines fanning from the corners of his eyes. “A philosopher, I see.”
The warmth in his gaze melted my heart that little bit more. I did wonder, that when the time came, whether or not I’d be as enthusiastic to leave as I thought I might be.
“Not a philosopher. Just a realist.” I wish I’d had the opportunity to be more of a philosopher. To think and create, but a girl like me in a town like Conway didn’t have that sort of chance.
I’d denied a big part of me but just being here, having a few days of reprieve, brought it all back. That yearning formore.
And now that I’d had that taste, how could I ever go back to living life in the vacuous life of Conway?
Chapter Eighteen
“Is Ella all right?”
Cassius stepped through the door, followed by Xander. Both men studied me. I tensed, not understanding what they were doing here. As though hearing my thoughts, Xander said, “We heard you cry out.”
“We were worried,” Cassius said.
A part of me eased while another part, the part closer to the surface, remained uncomfortable. I really was extremely vulnerable and they filled the room with such strength. A strength my deepest femininity responded to. I did my best to ignore it, shoving it aside. I pushed up on one arm and moved my legs to sit up. “Stay with me, Ella,” Davon said.
I hesitated, wanting to seek the comfort and warmth of Davon’s embrace, but still uncertain of doing so in front of the others.
Xander waved a casual hand. “Rest, Ella. You’re still recovering. We’ll just sit here and keep you company. Won’t we, Cassius?”
Cassius had taken a step in my direction, but at Xander’s words, backed up and slumped into one of the winged-back chairs, hooking a long leg over the armrest. “Of course, we will.”
I stifled a smile at his petulant tone. “It’s okay. I’m awake now.”
“Come, Ella. Lay back down and relax. Tell us news of the town,” Davon said.
