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Chapter Six
William leaned against the door with his head near the partially open window for the last part of the drive. His body hadn't fully cooled from having Emily in his arms and the wind helped to dilute her scent somewhat.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally pulled into the garage and got out of the car.
Emily got out, looked around, and gave him a look of surprise from across the car roof.
For the briefest of seconds, her surprise puzzled him. Then it dawned on him and he gave her knowing smile as he closed his door. "Were you expecting something else?" He quirked one teasing brow.
Emily froze.
She didn't want to offend them.
Again.
But she hadn't covered her surprise well enough, and it was too late to deny it. "Yes, actually," she admitted. "Like castles and moat
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William led her to the spare room, trying to keep his mind clear of the images it seemed determined to show him.Emily followed him around the space, politely nodding while he familiarized her with the room and attached bathroom in the corner.He was not picturing her within the shower; naked and soapy.He was not.A sudden dry lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard. With more speed than courtesy, he indicated fresh shirts in the drawer and left the room as quickly as possible. Being alone in a bedroom while not touching her was torture, and he didn't want to push his shaky control too far.He closed the door behind him and found Paoli waiting in the hall, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "We need to talk," he said solemnly.A glance toward Amber's room showed a wind chime on the knob of the closed door. It was low-tech but they'd hear the sound in a dead sleep. Satisfied, William followed Paoli silently down th
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Emily woke much earlier than usual, feeling trapped and claustrophobic. She made her way to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, then noticed her reflection looked as exhausted as she felt. Her eyes were bleary with dark patches beneath them and her skin was much paler than normal, which gave her an unpleasant pause.How sure was she that no one was feeding on her? She leaned forward, checking her throat carefully in the mirror. There didn't appear to be any bite marks, and the cross was still protectively around her neck, which made her feel better.Somewhat.Cautiously satisfied she was simply suffering from sleeplessness, she got dressed in last night's clothes. What she needed was some space and fresh air to settle herself. Her nerves weren't about to let her get more sleep, and she felt like a caged animal in her room. After a long moment's indecision, she
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“What have you done!?" screamed a shrill, angry voice.The blood-curdling sound woke everyone at once, followed by the loud jangle of wind chimes as the bedroom door was jerked open.Emily leapt from her bed—instantly wide awake, and rushed toward Amber's room, her heart in her throat. She hadn't made it two steps when she heard a dangerous growl. William stepped out from the doorway of his own room to block her path. Before she could open her mouth to demand he move, Paoli was lifting a kicking and fighting Amber into his arms further down the corridor.Paoli carried her back into the room and left Emily alone in the hall with William.William's feet and chest were bare again. His eyes were sparkling a predatory gold as they fixed on her, unblinking.She took a step away from him, uncertain.William noticed her unease. It did nothing to cool his mood. He'd fallen asleep with his body on fire after spending the day in a car with
Shadow Pact Chapter Ten
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"Yes," William admitted quietly. "And like Paoli said, it came with a very high price."Her brows knit together in confusion. "You were condemned as a kid? But how did you continue to age if you were immortal as a child?" she asked."It's-" he began."Don't even say it's complicated," she interrupted shortly. “This looks like a good time for explanations.” She crossed the room to sit down at the table, made an elaborate point of settling back in her chair and gestured to the one across from her.While she was waiting for him to join her, she lifted the lid on the tray and found a delightful dinner of roast beef and carrots.She didn't hesitate to start eating.The food was surprisingly delicious. A sweet glaze on the carrots made them melt in her mouth.William took the seat across from her and leaned back, watching her in a thoughtful silence. Only once she'd finished eating and pushed her plate away did he take a deep, r
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Emily couldn't stifle her gasp of horror.William's arm tightened on her side, almost to the point of pain. His eyes glittered gold and his chest rumbled with a low growl.“It would be a waste, don't you think?” Paoli said quickly, his voice flat and matter of fact. He sounded calm, almost conversational. After her initial gasp, Emily held a blank expression and refused to show fear in the face of someone obviously accustomed to terrifying others. She wouldn't go to her death humiliating herself by screaming and begging. She would face her fate with dignity. No one needed to know it took all of her will to keep her knees from giving out."Lycaon knows; as do I; if you push this issue, Emily will not be the only life lost here today. William and I will die with her. It's doubtful we'll be the only ones,” Paoli said. It was a subtle threat, but a threat, n
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