Fully dressed again, Willow lay on Declan’s lap while his hands ran idly over her hair. She clutched the shirt he’d put back on before removing her blindfold. He hid something beneath it, but she didn’t ask, just as she’d decided not to ask about his “sensing” of things. When he was ready, he’d show or tell her. For now, she was content to learn more about him gradually.
Besides, she had something else to discuss with him. “I know it’s a bit late for this conversation.” She lifted her head to look up at him. “But I’m not on any birth control. I’m not even sure human birth control would work for vamps.” She’d used condoms with her other partners; she wasn’t concerned about diseases, but she was about babies.
“Probably not.”
“You pulled out earlier, but…”
“I didn’t the first time we were together.”
“Yeah.”
“That was a mistake; it won’t happen again. I was… I was…”
“Celibate for five hundred years and a little excited?” she suggested with a teasing smile.
His silver eyes sparkled when he grinned at her. “I could have been celibate for five hours, and I still would have been overexcited with you.”
“So, in the future….”
“I’ll be more careful and more restrained. I don’t want children.”
Willow’s eyebrows shot up. “Ever?”
He didn’t know what to say; chances were she wanted to have a child someday, and he didn’t want to deny her anything, but… “I’d be a horrible father, Willow.”
“You’re kind, patient, and have spent your whole life protecting others. What about those qualities makes you a horrible father?”
His eyes flickered away from her, and he focused on the window. The set of his jaw told her that he wasn’t going to answer.
“Do you want children?” he asked.
“Not now, but yes, one day I’d like to have them.” A muscle in his cheek jumped, and something inside her shriveled as she took in his harsh countenance. “Declan—”
“I’m not the type of man who should father children.”
Willow struggled to understand his words. Did that mean she would never get to experience a child of her own, or would he one day change his mind? Or worse, would he cave to her wishes for a baby and resent her and the child afterward?
As her distress beat against him, Declan closed his eyes. She’d accepted what he was and what he’d done in his past, but this was tearing her apart inside. “If you want them,” he murmured, “then I would have them.”
He realized he’d said the wrong thing when he felt anger spear through her.
“I don’t want to have children with someone who’s only doing it as a favor to me,” she snapped.
“That’s not what I meant.” He pulled her back when she tried to climb out of his lap. “It came out wrong. It’s just.…” His voice trailed off as he tried to think of how to explain it to her. “I don’t want to become my father.”
Some of Willow’s tension eased as she realized that it wasn’t that he didn’t like kids; he was afraid he’d turn Savage.
“But you have me to keep you from becoming a Savage,” she reminded him.
He smiled at her, but it was strained and didn’t reach his eyes.
“I have you,” he murmured. He looked toward the window as the sun started to set. “And I would love to have children with you. You’ll be a fantastic mom, but I’ll….”
He recalled the last time he saw his father, the blood and suffering of those final days with him. Willow would keep him more stable, but he’d vowed never to have children, vowed never to take the chance he would turn into his father with them.
Willow rested her hand against his face when his gaze took on a distant, haunted look. “You’ll be an amazing dad,” she assured him. “But we’ll discuss this later. Like after we make it out of here alive and about ten years have passed.”
Unless I’m already pregnant, but that was something she’d would worry about later. Besides, they had bigger problems to face… like the setting sun.
“That sounds like a plan,” Declan said as he kissed her forehead.
Willow turned her attention to the window as the sun descended lower in the sky. They’d cleaned up the wood shavings and buckets earlier and stashed their stakes in their jackets. Now, there was nothing to do but wait.
The lower the sun descended in the sky, the more Declan’s stress ratcheted up until his muscles were like rocks beneath her. When the sun touched the horizon, a howl reverberated through the houses.
Willow sat on his lap. “Why are they making noise again when they were quiet last night?”
“Because last night they were hoping to take us by surprise,” Declan said.
“And tonight?”
“They’re letting us know they’re coming at us with everything they have.”
Willow was reluctant to leave his arms, but she pulled away and walked over to the window. Gazing out at the street, she watched as a few doors opened, and people poked their heads out as more howls resonated over the land. Some of the doors quickly closed again, but a few brave souls wandered onto their porches.
“Go back inside,” she whispered at them.
From somewhere inside the house, a ringing started. Willow was so intent on willing the people to return to the safety of their homes, she didn’t realize what the sound was until Declan said, “Phone.”
She spun away from the window as Declan opened the door and left the room. She chased him into the hall and down the stairs as he stalked toward the kitchen. They were entering the room when Gus hung up the phone and turned toward them. Alarm registered on his face, as well as the faces of his family, who were sitting at the dinner table.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” Declan told them in a low voice. After bringing the buckets and knives down earlier, he’d left them with no memory of them, instructions not to enter Cheryl’s craft room, and to ignore any sounds they might hear. “Stay calm, and you’ll be fine. Go back to eating.”
The family resumed eating as Declan focused on Gus. “Who was on the phone?”
“Bob.”
“Who’s Bob?”
“He’s the chief of police.”
“What did he say?”
“It was an automated message; they’re doing another search. It said we’re to let anyone who comes here into the house and not to get in their way.”
Willow’s heart dropped into her stomach. They were instructing the entire town to allow Savages into their homes. And if they told Gus to refuse them entry, they would know they were here, and they would punish the family for helping them.
“Is the phone still working?” Declan asked.
Gus lifted the phone. “No.”
Shit, Declan thought, but then, it didn’t matter. Unless Ronan was within a hundred miles of them, it would be too late. He could be ten miles away and still might not arrive in time.
Willow couldn’t tear her gaze away from the phone. They’d been so close to a way out; it had worked. For one brief, shining moment, the stupid thing had worked again. But at least it had alerted them the trap was closing in on them.
Willow walked over to the back door and stared out the window at the warmly lit, cozy homes lining the street. There were so many innocents out there, and all of them were in danger because of them.
The Savages weren’t going to give up and go away; they weren’t going to think their trap hadn’t snared them. They were going to tear this town apart until they discovered them. If they stayed here, they would get caught and sign the death certificates for everyone in this room.
Willow rubbed her arms as goose bumps broke out on them. In the glass, she watched as Declan approached to rest his hand on her shoulder. He didn’t tell her it was going to be okay; he just drew her closer before kissing her temple.
“I’m going to keep you safe,” he vowed.
Willow looked over her shoulder at Gus and his family. They’d stopped eating again and were watching the two of them. If the Savages caught them, she would make sure the Savages never knew where they hid.
“We have to keep them safe too and the rest of this town. They’re in danger because of us,” she said.
“They’re in danger because of the pricks hunting us.” He didn’t want her to feel guilty if something happened to Gus or anyone else in this town. “You never knowingly put anyone at risk.”
“Maybe not, but if we stay here, we are.”
Her eyes were large and soulful when they met his. He hated the idea of taking her out there with those things, but they couldn’t stay here either. His mind spun as he tried to come up with a plan.