ask, then? Why not just
take what you need from me? My blood. My self-respect. I thought you were a
monster, Alaric.”
Alaric looked up, eyes going electric. “Are you offering?”
Why isn’t he attacking me? Gideon had seen him behead someone. He’d seen Alaric attack
another man and drink his blood. He’d threatened Hannah. “I don’t understand
you,” he said wearily.
“Are you offering me your blood, Gideon?” Alaric asked, very
formally.
“No,” Gideon said immediately. When Alaric looked away, guilt
pricked at him. This is ridiculous. I don’t owe him my blood. I shouldn’t
help him. He’s a threat to Hannah. “Why do we need to be afraid of this
Brosius? What is he to us?”
“Someone who will kill you and not even think about it,” Alaric
said, closing his eyes as if exhausted. “He will kill you simply because I
kissed you tonight. He will smell me on you, and it will be over before you
even know what is happening.”
Gideon sensed a lie, but he didn’t feel like arguing. “We’ll get
you to the church, but that’s it, Alaric.
Alaric shook his head. “Not the church. He probably knows I visit
there from time to time. It won’t be safe.”
Exasperated, Gideon propped him against the wall by the door.
“Where then?”
“We’ll go to my apartment,” Hannah said, pushing past Gideon.
“It’s not far.”
* * * *
Hannah led them down the alley. The darkness pressed in on her,
thick and ominous. It was after midnight now, and she wasn’t usually this
nervous walking home, but Gideon’s uncharacteristic anger unsettled her. Well,
that, and Alaric, she thought. She didn’t normally invite strange,
beautiful men into her home. And even weirder, she swore she could sense him in
her mind. He felt both comforting and scary, like an electric blanket that
could either warm you or electrocute you, depending on the situation.
“It’s not much farther,” she said softly, pushing those thoughts
out of her head. She glanced at Gideon, but his face didn’t tell her anything.
Soon, she would be in her tiny, studio apartment with the two of them. That was
more men than she’d ever had in her home, ever. Gideon had never been to her
place before, and this situation certainly wasn’t the scenario she’d envisioned
in her fantasies with him.
“Shh,” Alaric said groggily.
Hannah pursed her lips and walked faster, hoping Gideon could
manage with Alaric. It had rained earlier and the sidewalks were slick. She
knew she was too small to be much help. When they finally reached the back door
to her building, she scrabbled in her pocket for her key.
Gideon glanced back, then dragged Alaric closer to the brick wall.
His head lolled heavily against Gideon’s bicep, showing the strong lines of his
neck. She stared. She wanted to lick that smooth skin.
“Someone’s coming,” Gideon said tersely, interrupting her reverie.
“Get the door open, Hannah.”
What’s wrong with me?
I’m not usually this distracted. She nodded and shoved the key into the scratched metal doorknob.
The moment it unlocked, Gideon pushed it open and dragged both her and Alaric
inside. He slammed it shut and locked the deadbolt.
“The other tenants can’t get in if you do that,” Hannah said,
reaching out to unlock it.
Gideon caught her hand and shook his head. “It’s safer this way.”
He hauled Alaric up over his shoulder. “Damn. He’s out cold.”
Stunned by his casual strength, Hannah licked her lips. Her skin
felt itchy. Prickly. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so aware of
her body. Was this what arousal felt like? She wasn’t sure she liked being so
out of control of her senses. And when Alaric had been awake, she’d felt him
like a living flame against her mind — hot and confusing. She had to take
several breaths before she could think what to do next. “This way,” she said,
heading for the stairs.
She lived in an old brownstone that had been converted to
apartments
take what you need from me? My blood. My self-respect. I thought you were a
monster, Alaric.”
Alaric looked up, eyes going electric. “Are you offering?”
Why isn’t he attacking me? Gideon had seen him behead someone. He’d seen Alaric attack
another man and drink his blood. He’d threatened Hannah. “I don’t understand
you,” he said wearily.
“Are you offering me your blood, Gideon?” Alaric asked, very
formally.
“No,” Gideon said immediately. When Alaric looked away, guilt
pricked at him. This is ridiculous. I don’t owe him my blood. I shouldn’t
help him. He’s a threat to Hannah. “Why do we need to be afraid of this
Brosius? What is he to us?”
“Someone who will kill you and not even think about it,” Alaric
said, closing his eyes as if exhausted. “He will kill you simply because I
kissed you tonight. He will smell me on you, and it will be over before you
even know what is happening.”
Gideon sensed a lie, but he didn’t feel like arguing. “We’ll get
you to the church, but that’s it, Alaric.
Alaric shook his head. “Not the church. He probably knows I visit
there from time to time. It won’t be safe.”
Exasperated, Gideon propped him against the wall by the door.
“Where then?”
“We’ll go to my apartment,” Hannah said, pushing past Gideon.
“It’s not far.”
* * * *
Hannah led them down the alley. The darkness pressed in on her,
thick and ominous. It was after midnight now, and she wasn’t usually this
nervous walking home, but Gideon’s uncharacteristic anger unsettled her. Well,
that, and Alaric, she thought. She didn’t normally invite strange,
beautiful men into her home. And even weirder, she swore she could sense him in
her mind. He felt both comforting and scary, like an electric blanket that
could either warm you or electrocute you, depending on the situation.
“It’s not much farther,” she said softly, pushing those thoughts
out of her head. She glanced at Gideon, but his face didn’t tell her anything.
Soon, she would be in her tiny, studio apartment with the two of them. That was
more men than she’d ever had in her home, ever. Gideon had never been to her
place before, and this situation certainly wasn’t the scenario she’d envisioned
in her fantasies with him.
“Shh,” Alaric said groggily.
Hannah pursed her lips and walked faster, hoping Gideon could
manage with Alaric. It had rained earlier and the sidewalks were slick. She
knew she was too small to be much help. When they finally reached the back door
to her building, she scrabbled in her pocket for her key.
Gideon glanced back, then dragged Alaric closer to the brick wall.
His head lolled heavily against Gideon’s bicep, showing the strong lines of his
neck. She stared. She wanted to lick that smooth skin.
“Someone’s coming,” Gideon said tersely, interrupting her reverie.
“Get the door open, Hannah.”
What’s wrong with me?
I’m not usually this distracted. She nodded and shoved the key into the scratched metal doorknob.
The moment it unlocked, Gideon pushed it open and dragged both her and Alaric
inside. He slammed it shut and locked the deadbolt.
“The other tenants can’t get in if you do that,” Hannah said,
reaching out to unlock it.
Gideon caught her hand and shook his head. “It’s safer this way.”
He hauled Alaric up over his shoulder. “Damn. He’s out cold.”
Stunned by his casual strength, Hannah licked her lips. Her skin
felt itchy. Prickly. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so aware of
her body. Was this what arousal felt like? She wasn’t sure she liked being so
out of control of her senses. And when Alaric had been awake, she’d felt him
like a living flame against her mind — hot and confusing. She had to take
several breaths before she could think what to do next. “This way,” she said,
heading for the stairs.
She lived in an old brownstone that had been converted to
apartments
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