Twilight's Eternal Embrace (16 page)

Twice now, he
'd
witnessed her being attacked by a blood drinker. Even if he could find a way for her to survive the blooding, what kind of life would she have in his world? He rubbed the tense muscles in the back of his neck.

Loreto would be furious; he stabbed him through the heart. Even though it was well deserved to stop him, Loreto w
ould
think otherwise
and
seek revenge. He may not know it was Adryanna who first shot him, but Fergal did. The male
had seen
her face. He would be able to pick Adryanna out among the Lathe Sith.

"
I should have ended Fergal
'
s life and left him for the sun.
"
If the guards never found the body, they would never know his death was intentional.

As soon as
Twilight
lit the sky, he would deal with Fergal. He covered him with leaves, but maybe the sun
'
s rays would find him anyway. He prayed the
lowly dog
burned in the sun. It would make his life easier. At home, he
'
d have to face Loreto and his parents. No doubt
,
Loreto had already spun a perverted version of the story. Luckily for him, Loreto
'
s tales of woe and pity never fooled their parents. They would want to know his side of the story before a judgment was made.

The creaking of hinges set his blood cold. He flew to his feet. Someone had entered the house. He inhaled deeply, hoping it was Adryanna, but the scent was off. It was woodsier, thicker and…
male
. His ears picked up the uneven gait and he knew it was Adryanna
'
s father. His footfalls halted at Adryanna
'
s door. Bram stood, unmoving, not breathing les
t
her father hear him.

The doorknob turned. He flitted to where he knew he
'
d be hidden behind the door as it opened. The old man stood there for a long moment as if he sensed Bram
'
s presence. Why had he returned home when Adryanna claimed he never came home until the evening meal?

Light shone in the room through the open door, but luckily the sun
'
s rays did not reach where he stood. He would not have to worry about hiding; his burnt flesh would give him away. Adryanna
'
s father took another step inside the room. He could see the back of the old man
's head
. His hair was silver, but strands of gold and red were still evident. He
'
d never seen one of the ancients of the Lathe Sith clan up close.

Loreto had met the parents of his mate. He told him their faces were like withered apples. He boasted how he was glad his mate died on their wedding night so he would not have to endure seeing
her
wither in such a way. However, Loreto was not always a reliable source.

Adryanna spoke of her parents. She never hinted their
features
were repulsive.

Her father cleared his throat.
"
Are you such a coward that you let my daughter hide you away in her room?
"

Bram lifted a brow at the old man
'
s bravery. Adryanna inherited her father
'
s spunk. Bram stepped from the shadows, careful to avoid the light seeping in through the open door.
"
Would you mind if I shut the door?
"

The old man jumped at the sound of his voice, but he didn
'
t skitter away. He turned to face him. The old man
'
s features beheld weathered lines creasing his flesh, but it wasn
'
t hideous to behold. It rather gave his face character, the lines telling the story of his life.

"
You are a looker, I will grant you that.
"
Her father
'
s voice was strong and sure. The old man
'
s expression and unnerving gaze reminded him of his father when he was about to reprimand him.
"
Why are you here, Oiche Sith?
"

He supposed both clans were similar when it came to parents and their children.
"
I overstayed my time in the forest and night turned to day before I knew it. Your daughter was kind enough to give me shelter from the sun. That is all. I will be gone as soon as
Twilight
is upon us.
"

The old man lifted his brows.
"
Do you think me a fool?
"

"
Nay,
"
he said carefully.

"
Then speak the truth.
"

It appeared he could not fabricate a plausible story that would suffice
for
Adryanna
'
s father
;
the old man didn
'
t leave room for half-truths. Bram told him what happened, leaving out the intimate moments he shared with Adryanna. Those memories were his.

Her father
'
s gaze held his as if he were weighing
Bram's
words and his honor.
"
I thank you for saving Talia and Adryanna
'
s lives, but in truth, they were in danger because of you.
"

"
It was not my intention.
"

"
What
is
your
intention, Oiche Sith? Adryanna will not be chosen by the elders. She is my only surviving daughter. You must know this.
"

He nodded.
"
I am aware.
"

"
Then why do you seek my daughter
'
s company when you know nothing will come of it?
"

Adryanna
'
s father wanted to know his intentions and indeed he didn
'
t know what to tell him other than the truth.
"
I love her.
"

The old man
'
s eyes widened at his confession.
"
You love her, you say.
"
He shook his head and sighed.
"
Aye, I believe you. But if you do care for her, you must leave her be. No good can come from the two of you being together. It is forbidden love for a reason. I have lost one child to your clan. I wish not to lose another.
"
He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in.

When he spoke again, dread hit Bram as if the old man threw a punch to his gut.

"
Adryanna
'
s life is in your hands. God knows she does as she pleases and will not heed my warning. I pray you have more sense and will do right by her.
"

Bram
swallowed back the lump in his throat.
Her life was in his hands.
His words echoed
in
his mind and pierced his heart.
"
No harm will come to her,
"
he vowed. If he must never see her again to keep the promise then so be it.

Her father sighed with relief.
"
I thank you.
"
He turned to go, but Bram called him back.

"
I must know. If you do not mind me asking, does it hurt?
"

His gray brows drew together over the bridge of his nose.
"
I do not know what you mean.
"

He pointed with a wave of his hand.
"
The lines on your face. Do they hurt?
"

The old man
'
s lips curved, making him appear years younger.
"
No, lad. These lines are my legacy of what I
'
ve endured. I have earned every worry line and every crease of happiness. Without them, I would not have lived. Let us hope one day Adryanna will have lines on her face to tell her story.
"
Adryanna
'
s father left him with those parting words, closing the door quietly behind him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Adryanna hurried home ahead of her mother, looking forward to seeing Bram before he left for
Dungannon
, but when she entered her room, stillness greeted her. She placed the candle on the end table. The joy of seeing him was replaced by raw disappointment.

They agreed last night that they would not meet for a few days. At least not until he could
gauge
his brother
'
s mood, but she
'
d thought he
'
d
remain
until she arrived home for a proper goodbye
.

Her mind returned to her night with Bram. They conversed
during
what had been left of the night with soft whispers of hopes and dreams. He told her more about his family and how Loreto was not one to forget or forgive so readily. Bram would have to set the events of last night right. There was no telling what tales his brother already spread.

Why had Talia chosen to follow? She ruined everything.
As quickly as the dark thoughts entered her mind, she reprimanded herself. Talia could have been drained of her blood and left for dead. She witnessed the
feral spark
in Loreto
'
s eyes
and h
is friends were no better.

Her knowledge of the Oiche Sith was limited, but there were
noble
and gentle males of the clan, too. Bram never wore such a
n
untamed
look
that promised pain and suffering. He claimed his control was fragile, but she could not imagine him taking pleasure from another
'
s fear. She gave thanks her sister did not end up with Loreto for the blooding ritual. Camden did not have a vicious nature either. She was sure of it. The male held onto her sister
'
s ribbon in memory of her. He may not have loved her sister, but he respected
the
life she gave up for him.

Her hand went to her neck, her fingers gently caressing the tender area. Rather than painful, Bram
'
s bite had been wonderfully erotic. She yearned to have him drink from her again,
but not just a sample. She wanted all of him. She wanted him to make
love to her.

Adryanna
found herself wondering what Bram
'
s blood would taste like. The act in itself was an intimate undertaking. She witnessed it in the way Bram held her, the way his body hummed with energy. She had been only the giver, but it made her feel closer to him. She could only imagine the bond he felt from the taking. 

She sat down heavily on the bed. From the firelight
,
the shadows danced against the walls like mocking black figures. She prayed Bram would set things right with his family soon. Already her heart ached to
be with
him.

The soft knock on her door drew her out of her reverie.
"
Her father peeked in.
"
May I enter?
"

She nodded.
"
Of course, Father.
"

"
I wanted to see if you would like company tonight when you go out hunting. If we hunt for hares, I believe I can keep up and not startle the creatures away.
"

She was not meeting Bram and she would enjoy an evening with her father. They had not spent time
together
in
months
.
"
I would enjoy your company.
"
Her lips curved with warmth.

Her father
's brow smoothed and his sigh spoke of relief, making her believe
he
feared
she would refuse. She
sensed
he suspected her involvement with an Oiche Sith, but he had not pursued his suspicions. She wished she could tell him about Bram. If her father knew him as she did, he would see he was right for her. 

After the evening meal,
she and
her father headed out
;
side by side
,
the
i
r strides took them toward the meadow. She took the finer arrows meant for smaller prey. Her father had his own quiver on his back. Her father had taught her to hunt when she was only five summers. She could barely pull back the bow, but it didn
'
t stop her from trying.
You are made up of determination and spunk
, her father had told her.