winced every time she turned the steering wheel.
“You need to get that wound treated,” he said. It wasn’t Adam’s place to care for her, but he didn’t like to see her hurt. Especially since she’d been injured helping him.
She kept her eyes glued to the highway in front of them. “It's not as bad as it looks,” she said, silence filling the air between them again when he didn’t respond.
After a few minutes, he realized that she was taking him back downtown. Adam hadn’t meant to get in her car back at the hotel—he hadn’t intended to see her again after tonight. But then Okano had succumbed, and nearly taken Marigold out in his madness.
He’d never seen it happen like that. Most tales of blood madness were just stories passed from vampire to vampire. They knew it existed, but to see the exact moment it took hold was rare. It had happened so fast that he’d acted on his instinct to protect both Marigold and Wendy from a dangerous threat.
Marigold pulled downtown and parked her SUV right outside of his bookshop. It was just after midnight according to the clock on the dashboard, and the town was deserted.
For the first time since they’d gotten in the car together, she turned toward him, her eyes hard, and said, “This ceasefire ends at sunup.”
Was that what this was? Merely a ceasefire?
Yes, he’d tried to feed from her, but other than that, he’d done her no harm. He hadn’t come for her people, or for anyone else in this town. And when he found a threat, he helped her to eliminate it, or at least he’d tried to. Still, she could only see him as a vampire.
“Marigold—” he began before she cut him off.
“Just Gold,” she said.
“What?”
She rolled her eyes. “Only my grandma calls me Marigold. It makes me sound like a pony or something."”
Adam smiled. “Very well, Gold .”
“Thank you,” she bit out. “Now go.”
Adam couldn’t leave it at that. “Would you believe that I don't kill people?" he asked. He didn’t want to act as ambassador for the ‘good vampires,’ but the thought of Gold thinking that he was a monster caused his soul to ache.
Gold narrowed her eyes and scowled. “You're Adam freaking Luther. I know what you are.”
So she knew of his exploits and of his past. Wonderful. But he was not that man any longer. Adam shook his head and said, “Not for a long time.”
She didn’t buy it. She pointed her finger toward his door. “Out. Now. I'm not going to argue with you.”
Adam didn’t want to leave. Despite the fact that she clearly hated him, despite the fact that she promised to kill him, and despite the fact that they were natural enemies, he wanted to see if he could make her smile. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, if ever.
She’d probably call him delusional for thinking there was anything other than hatred there, but Adam could feel it. It was real, he was certain.
He reached for the handle, but turned back to her before he opened the door. “Okano's gone blood mad. He'll terrorize the town,” he warned. The vampire would be motivated only by his hunger. There would be no reasoning with him, no threats. Only violence.
“We—” Gold stuttered and corrected herself, “ I can take on a single vamp.” That “we” she’d almost said wasn’t referring to the two of them. She was protecting someone, probably multiple someones. It didn’t surprise Adam. After all, it would be suicide to hunt vampires and other monsters alone.
Still, Adam’s eyes fell to her wounded chest. He’d been trying to ignore the siren scent of her blood filling up the vehicle. His fangs ached, the pressure growing with his own need for blood to heal himself. Her blood had been so powerful the night before that he knew it would only take a couple of sips from her to sate him.
Who was he kidding? Once he sank himself deep into her, he’d never be satisfied with only a taste.
“Just go.” She sounded exhausted and her shoulders were
“You need to get that wound treated,” he said. It wasn’t Adam’s place to care for her, but he didn’t like to see her hurt. Especially since she’d been injured helping him.
She kept her eyes glued to the highway in front of them. “It's not as bad as it looks,” she said, silence filling the air between them again when he didn’t respond.
After a few minutes, he realized that she was taking him back downtown. Adam hadn’t meant to get in her car back at the hotel—he hadn’t intended to see her again after tonight. But then Okano had succumbed, and nearly taken Marigold out in his madness.
He’d never seen it happen like that. Most tales of blood madness were just stories passed from vampire to vampire. They knew it existed, but to see the exact moment it took hold was rare. It had happened so fast that he’d acted on his instinct to protect both Marigold and Wendy from a dangerous threat.
Marigold pulled downtown and parked her SUV right outside of his bookshop. It was just after midnight according to the clock on the dashboard, and the town was deserted.
For the first time since they’d gotten in the car together, she turned toward him, her eyes hard, and said, “This ceasefire ends at sunup.”
Was that what this was? Merely a ceasefire?
Yes, he’d tried to feed from her, but other than that, he’d done her no harm. He hadn’t come for her people, or for anyone else in this town. And when he found a threat, he helped her to eliminate it, or at least he’d tried to. Still, she could only see him as a vampire.
“Marigold—” he began before she cut him off.
“Just Gold,” she said.
“What?”
She rolled her eyes. “Only my grandma calls me Marigold. It makes me sound like a pony or something."”
Adam smiled. “Very well, Gold .”
“Thank you,” she bit out. “Now go.”
Adam couldn’t leave it at that. “Would you believe that I don't kill people?" he asked. He didn’t want to act as ambassador for the ‘good vampires,’ but the thought of Gold thinking that he was a monster caused his soul to ache.
Gold narrowed her eyes and scowled. “You're Adam freaking Luther. I know what you are.”
So she knew of his exploits and of his past. Wonderful. But he was not that man any longer. Adam shook his head and said, “Not for a long time.”
She didn’t buy it. She pointed her finger toward his door. “Out. Now. I'm not going to argue with you.”
Adam didn’t want to leave. Despite the fact that she clearly hated him, despite the fact that she promised to kill him, and despite the fact that they were natural enemies, he wanted to see if he could make her smile. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, if ever.
She’d probably call him delusional for thinking there was anything other than hatred there, but Adam could feel it. It was real, he was certain.
He reached for the handle, but turned back to her before he opened the door. “Okano's gone blood mad. He'll terrorize the town,” he warned. The vampire would be motivated only by his hunger. There would be no reasoning with him, no threats. Only violence.
“We—” Gold stuttered and corrected herself, “ I can take on a single vamp.” That “we” she’d almost said wasn’t referring to the two of them. She was protecting someone, probably multiple someones. It didn’t surprise Adam. After all, it would be suicide to hunt vampires and other monsters alone.
Still, Adam’s eyes fell to her wounded chest. He’d been trying to ignore the siren scent of her blood filling up the vehicle. His fangs ached, the pressure growing with his own need for blood to heal himself. Her blood had been so powerful the night before that he knew it would only take a couple of sips from her to sate him.
Who was he kidding? Once he sank himself deep into her, he’d never be satisfied with only a taste.
“Just go.” She sounded exhausted and her shoulders were
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