Page 18 of Claimed By Blood

He must have used one of the other rooms along the hall. Narrowing my eyes, I ignore his offered arm and stride past him.

“Where are we going?” I demand.

“Not far.”

I could curse him for his ambiguity, but instead I just grind my teeth and allow him to take the lead.

He doesn’t take the elevator, surprising me as he heads for the stairs.

Does everyone know my weakness now? That’s bad news, and I make a mental note to work on it as soon as possible as we make our way through the lobby and across the crowded street.

“The park?” I scoff. “Why?”

Draven just grins, taking my hand in his. “So I can do wicked things to you against a tree.”

Really? I roll my eyes, about to tell him to piss off, when he squeezes my hand rhythmically.

It’s been centuries since I first learned Morse code, so I have to concentrate on making out each letter.

We have a tail.

Barely resisting the urge to glance behind me, I squeeze back once to show I’ve understood and allow him to lead me beyond the tall, cast iron gates and into Eden Park. As soon as we leave the crowds behind, I can hear our pursuers.

Two of them. Both vampires.

Draven better have a plan to deal with this.

If he does, he’s not giving it away. The path we’re taking seems aimless, until we turn a corner and reach a bridge. Without warning, he pulls me over the edge, landing both of us in the ankle-deep water below.

Damn. If he’d warned me we were going paddling, I would’ve worn boots.

He didn’t.

The ice-cold liquid rushes into my running shoes, filling the spaces between my toes and making me gasp.

My mouth opens, intent on lecturing him about giving me somewarningnext time. Before I can do more than squeak, he drags me upstream, forcing me to tap into my supernatural speed to keep up.

The banks on either side of us grow steeper and steeper, until we’re walking along a small ravine.Did he know this was here the whole time?He must have, because he stops abruptly, grabs my waist, and jumps over the bank, revealing a quiet wooded glade surrounded by ancient trees.

“What’s this all about?” I demand, the moment we stop moving.

He offers me a sardonic raised brow. “I’m not sure what you mean, doll.”

“Nice try.” I stand my ground as he prowls closer, staring into his eyes without flinching. “I want to know what’s going on.”

“Will you believe me if I tell you?” he asks, instead of answering me.

Shrugging, I glance away, because in truth, I probably won’t. “That depends on what you tell me.”

“Before I spill my soul”—his eyes darken as his tone loses its mocking undertone for the first time this evening—“I want to know what you want.”

The impossible. “I want to serve my sire and uphold his law in his glorious new world.”I yearn to escape him.“I want to hunt down Frost and the other traitors and serve him their heads.”I would kill to be held by Finn and Silas and the rest of the pack again.“Anything else is immaterial.”

“Au contraire, doll. Your wants are the only thing I care about, although the fact you just lied out of your ass to me does sting a bit.” He prowls closer, and I finally give ground, taking a step back.

Only to come up against a tree.

Draven’s smirk grows as he rests an arm on the bark above my head. “Shall I tell you what your little bond just told me?”

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