Willow woke to discover herself nestled within Declan’s arms again. She’d taken the first watch so he could sleep and woke him at two to take over; she fell asleep before her head hit the ground.
With her height, there weren’t many men who could make her feel small, but Declan was a good five inches taller than her, and she fit perfectly in his lap. Her first instinct was to pull away; she didn’t want him to think she was weak, but she couldn’t deny herself the warmth and comfort of being in his arms. The cool breeze flowing through the woods tickled her cheeks, and she shivered, which was probably why she was in his arms again.
Typically, she was a light sleeper; she had to be after years of her siblings sneaking into her room to put things inside her clothes, shoes, bed, or wherever they could stick things. She once woke to discover worms on her pillow, and that was all it took for her never to sleep soundly again.
But somehow, around Declan, she slept so deeply he could move her, and she never knew it. Maybe it was her lingering exhaustion after everything she’d been through, but she believed it was because she trusted this man.
She barely knew him, but she felt safe around him. He’d followed her over a cliff and into a waterfall; if that didn’t tell her that he’d protect her, then nothing would.
When Declan felt her uncertain emotions about waking in his arms again, he waited for her to pull away, but she remained relaxed against him. A strange feeling of belonging swept through him as he ran his hands over her back while she lay trustingly in his embrace.
If she knew half the shit running through his mind, she’d probably flee him faster than the Savages, but he would never let her know about his incessant need to kill and destroy. If she realized how much it took for him to control his appetite for sex around her, she wouldn’t trust him so much.
But then, maybe she would understand. Willow was a purebred; she grew up around vampires, and her brothers were purebloods too. Female purebreds didn’t have to fight the increase of destructive impulses that the men did when they stopped aging, but she knew what happened to male, purebred vampires after they reached maturity.
“You were shivering again,” he said as he ran his hands down her back.
And a different kind of shiver was making its way through her now as he caressed her. She yearned to feel his hands on her skin, and not just through her clothes. In her dreams, those hands were tender when they stroked her breasts before slipping between her thighs. They were demanding and rough as they moved within her, pushing her closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy.
She always woke before those hands made her come, and she had to finish what the dream started, but this was no dream. They weren’t on her flesh, but those hands were making her heart beat faster, her breathing more shallow, and her body ache for release.
Declan’s dick stiffened when her desire pulsed against him. He didn’t require any extra help to fuel his lust for her, but her emotions dangerously stimulated his. She could so easily make him lose control; if he did, he didn’t know what he would unleash on this world, but he couldn’t release her.
Determined not to become his father or any other Savage, he’d spent centuries learning how to imprison the demon inside him. But this beautiful, warrior of a woman could unravel in seconds all his careful control.
He should get as far from her as possible, but he wanted to hold her for a few more seconds. She’d brought joy to a life devoid of it, and he cherished this time with her.
In a minute, he would set her aside, but when a minute passed, he was still holding her. When he lowered his head and rested his cheek against her temple, he expected her to pull away, but her fingers bit into his back.
Willow couldn’t breathe as anticipation and the aching need of her body built to almost unbearable levels. She lifted her head until their mouths were only inches apart, and each of his soft exhalations was a warm caress against her lips. The touching, yet not quite touching, would drive her insane, but she also enjoyed the exquisite torture.
And then, her gaze lifted to meet his, and the torment she saw in his eyes caused her body to tense in a whole new way. His eyes darkened to the color of mercury. She loved being in his arms, but he looked like it was torture for him.
Sitting up, she placed her hands against his chest and went to pull away, but his arms constricted around her as his gaze fell to her lips. She went completely still when his mouth lowered toward hers.
She should push away and put some distance between them, but she was desperate to know how his lips felt and tasted. Still, she almost turned her head away at the last second, but when his lips brushed hers, she froze.
Little bolts of electricity shot through her, and she felt the contact all the way to the tips of her toes. Something inside her shifted, and she swore her soul released a breath she’d never realized it was holding until now.
Warm and unyielding against hers, his lips were as strong and unrelenting as the man as they took possession of hers. When his tongue entwined with hers, she forgot all about the trees, the cold, and the monsters possibly still hunting them. She forgot her name as his kiss swept her up in a rush of passion, the likes of which she’d never experienced before. The taste and feel of him consumed her; he smelled of the woods and the outdoors, but he tasted sweet.
Declan stopped thinking the second Willow opened her mouth and gave herself over to the kiss. His blood hammered through his veins and flooded his shaft. He’d never been so hard before.
This wasn’t safe. He should pull away, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with her yet. It had been years since he experienced the pleasure of holding another in his arms, and all those women paled in comparison to the way Willow made him feel.
He had to get away from her… in a little bit.
***
Derrick stood in the shadows of the trees, watching the two of them kiss. They were so caught up in each other that he could make his move now and kill the man before they realized he was there, but he hesitated. Even if he killed the man, he still had to face the woman, and he needed her alive.
He had plans for her. He rubbed the handle of the sword he’d removed from the tunnels. His new leader wanted the sword, and he would get it to him, but Kirkau also sought a purebred woman, and he suspected that’s what this woman was. She was faster and stronger than most of the vamps they encountered.
Yes, he’d get the sword to Kirkau, but he’d also deliver her. His new master meant to destroy anyone who got in his way, and that included the Alliance and Nathan. Because of that, Derrick would do everything in his power to help him succeed.
He smiled grimly as he watched the sickening display. Before becoming a vampire, his hatred of them was ingrained into every fiber of his being. He was infuriated when Nathan announced he was forming an Alliance with the vamps; he’d been betrayed by his leader and more than happy to leave the traitor behind.
He’d spent his days at the new hunter location plotting how to take down the Alliance and how to make Nathan pay for his betrayal to their kind and everything they believed. Then, they captured him, and the unfairness of it all furthered his hatred for Nathan and everyone working with him.
Now, he was one of the monsters, and he wouldn’t be like this if it weren’t for Nathan and the Alliance. This was their fault. But no matter how badly he wanted to destroy every last one of them, he had to make sure he captured the woman alive.
If she’d survived this long, she was a strong fighter, and though he was silent, they might sense his approach. He wouldn’t be strong enough to take both of them. He would see every member of the Alliance dead, but he wasn’t stupid or reckless in his determination to destroy them.
He knew how to bide his time and wait for the perfect time to destroy his prey. A better opportunity would arise, and he would be there when it did. He excelled at staying hidden and tracking.
When these two went into the waterfall, he’d left the battle at the top of the cliff immediately. He knew a losing situation when he saw one, and he wanted the female. If he could take them both, all the better, but she was his main concern.
It had taken him a while to find their trail again, but now that he had it, he wouldn’t lose them. They were good but not as good as him, and they would soon learn that. Before these two stopped being distracted with each other, he slipped into the woods. He would stay far back from them to make sure they never knew he was there.