invitation, but he debated for a moment what he should do.
Finally he leaned toward her and met her lips with his own, offering a soft kiss that had her moving into him just little, returning the pressure.
When he drew back, she lifted her glass. “Here’s to puppies everywhere.”
He lifted his tumbler. “And to the universe waiting to be discovered by young girls.”
He clinked her glass and they both drank.
Then his phone rang. After he fished it from his pocket, Rumy’s voice came on the line. “You need to get back here. I’ve got news.”
“We’ll be right there.”
After paying the bill, he took Claire back to their room where Rumy waited for them, pacing once more.
Lucian could feel that he was revved up. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve just received top-notch information that there’s an extinction weapon hidden somewhere here in the Como system.”
* * *
Back at the beige room, Claire found it difficult to process what Rumy was saying, in part because only a few moments before she’d been listening to music, enjoying a drink, and kissing a vampire.
But apparently, the agitation cycle had decided to start up again. She worked to refocus her thoughts away from Lucian, puppies, and her almost-date to once more pursuing the extinction weapon. “And you’re sure this isn’t some kind of prank?”
Rumy shook his head. “No, this is solid information. You have to remember, I have a spy network more powerful than your CIA.”
Claire believed him, yet something didn’t feel right. “If you have this information, isn’t there a strong possibility that Daniel will as well?”
“If he doesn’t have it now, he soon will.” Lucian held Claire’s gaze. “Would you be willing to see if we can track it together?”
“Of course.” Could they truly form a tracking pair? She’d soon find out.
For some reason, her words stopped Lucian. He stared at her unblinking for a long moment.
“What is it?”
Finally he gave himself a shake, but what she felt from the chains was a strong sense of disbelief.
At that, her lips curved. “Should I be offended that you’ve thought so little of me? I told you I would help you, but it appears you didn’t believe me.”
“I’ll admit I’m surprised. I thought by now, after all that you’ve been through back at Daniel’s cavern system and even here”—he waved toward the bed, referring to the recent feeding—“you might want to take off and frankly, I wouldn’t blame you.”
“I won’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind, especially given the numbers that Rumy so recently shared with me. But I want to be here, to do what I can. And yes, I realize that the odds are against my friend still being alive. Still, maybe once we’ve followed this current lead, we can use the same tracking ability to find Zoey.”
“Absolutely.” He took her hand once more. “Again, I’m so sorry Claire, about all of this.”
She looked into his eyes and believed him. The more she knew about Lucian, the more she saw him as someone very heroic in his world. He wasn’t anything like she’d expected, on any level, starting with his sheer size. But he was a good man, one she could trust.
Yet he was also a vampire, something she needed to remember. It wouldn’t do any good to get attached to the man, not when her heart still lived in Santa Fe, with her mom and dad and her two younger brothers, where she’d been building a life as a social worker and trying to make a difference in her community. For the past two years, she’d envisioned returning home—and that dream, more than anything else, had kept her alive and moving forward despite her captivity.
She nodded several times, drawing her hand out of his clasp. “I think we should get changed, then figure out how to track this weapon.”
CHAPTER 3
Lucian watched the auburn-haired human gather up her clothes and disappear into the bathroom. He was stunned at her resolve. She’d
Finally he leaned toward her and met her lips with his own, offering a soft kiss that had her moving into him just little, returning the pressure.
When he drew back, she lifted her glass. “Here’s to puppies everywhere.”
He lifted his tumbler. “And to the universe waiting to be discovered by young girls.”
He clinked her glass and they both drank.
Then his phone rang. After he fished it from his pocket, Rumy’s voice came on the line. “You need to get back here. I’ve got news.”
“We’ll be right there.”
After paying the bill, he took Claire back to their room where Rumy waited for them, pacing once more.
Lucian could feel that he was revved up. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve just received top-notch information that there’s an extinction weapon hidden somewhere here in the Como system.”
* * *
Back at the beige room, Claire found it difficult to process what Rumy was saying, in part because only a few moments before she’d been listening to music, enjoying a drink, and kissing a vampire.
But apparently, the agitation cycle had decided to start up again. She worked to refocus her thoughts away from Lucian, puppies, and her almost-date to once more pursuing the extinction weapon. “And you’re sure this isn’t some kind of prank?”
Rumy shook his head. “No, this is solid information. You have to remember, I have a spy network more powerful than your CIA.”
Claire believed him, yet something didn’t feel right. “If you have this information, isn’t there a strong possibility that Daniel will as well?”
“If he doesn’t have it now, he soon will.” Lucian held Claire’s gaze. “Would you be willing to see if we can track it together?”
“Of course.” Could they truly form a tracking pair? She’d soon find out.
For some reason, her words stopped Lucian. He stared at her unblinking for a long moment.
“What is it?”
Finally he gave himself a shake, but what she felt from the chains was a strong sense of disbelief.
At that, her lips curved. “Should I be offended that you’ve thought so little of me? I told you I would help you, but it appears you didn’t believe me.”
“I’ll admit I’m surprised. I thought by now, after all that you’ve been through back at Daniel’s cavern system and even here”—he waved toward the bed, referring to the recent feeding—“you might want to take off and frankly, I wouldn’t blame you.”
“I won’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind, especially given the numbers that Rumy so recently shared with me. But I want to be here, to do what I can. And yes, I realize that the odds are against my friend still being alive. Still, maybe once we’ve followed this current lead, we can use the same tracking ability to find Zoey.”
“Absolutely.” He took her hand once more. “Again, I’m so sorry Claire, about all of this.”
She looked into his eyes and believed him. The more she knew about Lucian, the more she saw him as someone very heroic in his world. He wasn’t anything like she’d expected, on any level, starting with his sheer size. But he was a good man, one she could trust.
Yet he was also a vampire, something she needed to remember. It wouldn’t do any good to get attached to the man, not when her heart still lived in Santa Fe, with her mom and dad and her two younger brothers, where she’d been building a life as a social worker and trying to make a difference in her community. For the past two years, she’d envisioned returning home—and that dream, more than anything else, had kept her alive and moving forward despite her captivity.
She nodded several times, drawing her hand out of his clasp. “I think we should get changed, then figure out how to track this weapon.”
CHAPTER 3
Lucian watched the auburn-haired human gather up her clothes and disappear into the bathroom. He was stunned at her resolve. She’d
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