Page 27 of Blade's Battle
“Blade won’t hurt me if that’s what you’re concerned about.”
“A feral shifter is dangerous. More dangerous than you can possibly know.”
The way he said that made her want to ask the alpha what he was talking about, but the dark look in his eyes made her remain silent. “Please, Alpha. Let me see him. He saved my life today when the mercenaries were shooting at us.”
“You can see him, but you’re both staying the night.” It wasn’t an option, but a declaration. That wasn’t good.
“Kendra, take her to Damien’s scout.”
Kendra brought Anna to a small cabin down a path not too far from the center compound. There were two guards, one by the entrance and another by the house’s only window. With a quick word to the guard from Kendra to move aside, he let Anna enter.
The door closed behind her. The cabin was rectangular shaped with a fireplace in the center of the left wall, a bed pushed back against the wall opposite the door, a wood table barely big enough to hold a plate and a glass. The place was dull, without much color or life to it. Not even a chair to sit and eat at the table.
Past the fireplace in the back corner, there was a door that probably led to a bathroom. In all, the cabin wasn’t quite a holding cell, but it wasn’t a home either.
Blade lay stretched out on the bed. His shoulder had been bandaged and his skin had returned to its natural color. He’d showered and wore a fresh pair of jeans. He looked good, really good, though not relaxed despite the casual way his right arm slung over his eyes.
Anna released the breath she’d been holding. Only a few hours had passed since they had been separated. She resisted the urge to slide onto the bed next to him, to place her head against the well-carved muscles of his bare chest and listen to his heart beat. A strong heart, one that wouldn’t succumb to sickness.
Slowly, Blade lowered his arm. Dark eyes drank her in. “I didn’t think you’d come,” he said, with a definite darkness to his voice.
“Lot of knots to detangle,” she said, sifting her right hand through the nearly dry mass.Of all the things to say. . .
Blade eased off the bed and stepped toward her with a determination that made her shiver with anticipation, need, maybe even fear of what she wanted with him.
“Are you okay?” she asked finally.
“Why do you care?” His tone was clipped as his finger trailed down her arm to her ring finger. “You’re married.”
“And a married person can’t care about anyone else?”
“Do you though? Care about me?”
His lips neared hers. She could still feel the warmth of his tongue on her lips, stroking, caressing her. “I barely know you,” she whispered as his finger moved to her jaw, then her lips, tracing the contour of each slowly, almost hypnotically.
She found herself leaning toward him when she should be pulling away. This wasn’t right.
“Where is he?” Blade demanded, his voice heavy with anger now. “Did he go to the police or his pack for help to look for you? Did he do anything to find you? My pack heard nothing of a shifter’s mate being kidnapped. We only knew about you because of Tess. She cared, Anna. Enough to hound me, our alpha, and his second. She hounded everyone until I was sent in to free you. Your husband though, he doesn’t care about you, not if he left you to a fate with Drake.”
Kurt would have moved mountains to find her.
“It’s bad enough he didn’t protect you, but he didn’t even try to get you back, did he? The shifter’s a coward. You deserve better, Anna.”
“Better?” she repeated, stunned by his accusations. How could Blade say such things about her sweet Kurt?
“A shifter who cares about you would defend you, keep you safe. What kind of shifter leaves his mate in the hands of others to be abused?”
“The dead kind!” she blurted out as she slapped him across the face. She thrust her face into her hands, crying as all the images of Kurt wasting away flooded her brain. Bile rose in her throat as her knees gave way.
Strong arms pulled her tight against a warm body that felt so right against hers. One that wasn’t frail and riddled from disease, one that could touch and make her feel alive again. It was a dream, a tease, and soon she’d wake up in the dark cave, cold and alone, and Kurt would still be dead.
Blade cupped the back of her head. Her cheek, wet from her tears, pressed against cool flesh.
“I’m sorry, Angel. I shouldn’t have said that. I was angry and made assumptions I had no business making. I didn’t know, but that’s not an excuse. Forgive me.”
Anna wanted to look at Blade’s eyes, but she never made it past the bright-red handprint she’d left on his cheek. She’dstruckBlade, the shifter who’d literally killed for her.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, her shaking hand caressing the reddened area.
