“Trust me,” Saintcrow said, with a wry grin. “You’ll know what to do when the time comes.”
Conor started to reply, then groaned as pain ripped through his insides.
“Hang on,” Saintcrow said. “You’d be hurting a lot worse if you hadn’t been turned by a master vampire.” Stepping away from the camper, he focused on a middle-aged woman sitting alone. Letting his mind brush hers, he called her by name.Lena, come to me.
She slowly gained her feet and walked woodenly toward him. No one paid her any attention, no doubt thinking she needed to relieve herself in the bushes.
“Couldn’t you have found someone a little younger?” Conor asked. “And less...smelly?”
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Saintcrow replied. “You’ve gotta learn to take the bad with the good.”
Conor’s whole body tensed as the woman stopped in front of them. Everything else faded into the distance and there was only the woman and the tantalizing scent of her blood. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his whole body clenched. His eyes felt funny all of a sudden. He muttered, “what the hell,” when he felt the prick of his fangs against his tongue. Fangs!
His hunger grew stronger, irresistible, and instinct took over. He spoke to the woman’s mind reassuringly as he folded his hands over her narrow shoulders and sank his fangs into her throat. Fresh hot blood ran over his tongue and slid down his throat. The taste was unlike anything he had ever known. It didn’t matter that her skin smelled of dirt and sweat, or that her hair was tangled and filthy. All that mattered was the blood. He was shocked when pictures flashed through his mind. He knewsomehow that he was seeing images of her past. The warmth of her life’s blood flowed through him and he closed his eyes, thinking feeding was almost better than sex.
“Conor. That’s enough.”
Saintcrow’s voice penetrated his mind, harsh, commanding.
For a moment, Conor was sorely tempted to keep drinking. He wanted to take it all, to glut himself on her blood, to drink her warmth, her very life.
“Conor.”
Reluctantly, he lifted his head. Saintcrow wasn’t only his father, he was now his sire and as such, he had to be obeyed. He watched silently as Saintcrow released the woman from his thrall and sent her away.
“Conor? Son, are you okay?” his mother asked. She placed her hand on his arm, her gaze searching his.
He took a deep breath as the tension drained out of him. “I’m fine.”
“No regrets?” Saintcrow asked.
Conor considered the question a moment, then shook his head. “No.”
“Let’s go home,” Kadie said.
Later, while discussing the night’s events with his parents, Conor suddenly remembered Brynlee, her beauty, the sweetness of her kisses.
What would she think of him now?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brynlee blew out a sigh as she shut down her computer for the night. It had been three weeks since she and Raelynn had left Morgan Creek. Since then, she had spent every spare moment at the hospital with her mother and Raelynn. It had been touch and go for a while. Bryn had stayed with her mother until her father came home, but was now back in her own apartment.
In an effort to forget about Conor Saintcrow, she had given up her no-dating decision and gone out on a couple of dates. After all, she was twenty-three years old and most of her friends were getting engaged or married, and while she wasn’t quite ready to settle down, she very much wanted to find that special someone who liked the same things she did, wanted the same things, believed the same things. Her last two dates had been pleasant company but she hadn’t felt any burning desire to see either one of them again. She had another date tonight with the brother of Raelynn’s best friend.
Rob was due in fifteen minutes. She took a last glance in the mirror, checking her hair and makeup. When she heard a knock at the door, she took a deep breath, hoping that Rob would be as wonderful as her sister had promised.
Bryn gasped in surprise when she opened the door and came face to face with Conor Saintcrow. For a moment, she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, could only stare at him. Dressed in black jeans and a white shirt, his long black hair brushing his collar, he looked even sexier than she remembered.
He whistled softly. “Wow! You look wonderful.”
“I have a date,” she blurted, and felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. What was wrong with her? Why hadn’t she just said hello?
“I don’t suppose you’d dump him and go out with me instead?”
“I don’t think so.” If Rob had been anyone but the brother of Raelynn’s best friend, she would have cancelled the date in a heartbeat.
“So, who’s the lucky guy?”