Authors: Erica Ridley
“Neither,” he answered, holding fast. “I am a hunter. A warrior whose primary use to his clan is his superior ability to find that which doesn’t wish to be found. Two hundred years ago, I was sent to find Agnes Munro. I have found her. And I will bring her home.”
“That’s it? Your clan just says, ‘Go fetch this woman, dead or alive,’ and off you go for two hundred years?”
“Preferably alive. And yes, that’s what hunters do. Their duty.”
Ellie glared at him. “What do you mean, ‘preferably’ alive? That bit’s optional?”
“The elders mean her no permanent harm,” he answered carefully.
“Ha. Then why did she run away?”
“She’d broken a cardinal rule, which at that time was punishable by death.” The pads of his fingers stroked the backs of her hands. “But times have changed.”
Ellie chuckled bitterly. “Have they?”
Cain’s brow creased, but his answer was firm. “Yes.”
“Then what are the new rules?”
“No more death. There are less of us now than ever before. The elders can’t afford to enforce the old ways. Either we change with the times, or we all die.”
“So her crimes have been forgiven? Or will she spend the next millennium chained to a dungeon, expected to be grateful to still be alive?”
“Ellie.” Cain still knelt before her, Ellie’s hands still clasped in his. “Stop worrying about Agnes and start thinking about yourself. You can’t go back to how things were. And you can’t go back to Aggie. I’m taking her with me. And then I’m going home.”
“What are you suggesting I do?” she demanded, as suspicion began to creep back up her spine. “Go with you?”
“Oh, good Lord, no.” Cain’s surprised laugh was short, but genuine. “When I said vampires were dangerous, I most certainly was not exempting myself. I’ve already taken a bite out of you uninvited. And here I am, making bad decisions worse by abducting you into a piano room and confessing clan secrets you have no business knowing. As I said, if I could have bade you forget, I would have. So to that end, I am no better than Aggie. Going forward, I want you to do whatever it is that
you
want to do. I want you to be safe.”
Ellie shook her head. “But if I’m not with her, and I’m not with you, then I’m alone . . . and how safe is that? I may be legally of age to fend for myself, but with no money and no property and no particular skills outside of reading books and solving riddles, where exactly do you propose that I go?”
Cain dropped onto his haunches and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes were haunted.
“I don’t know,” he said simply. “You’ll have to decide. I have never been in this situation, and even if I had, I would never presume to make your decisions. I have some money. You’re welcome to it. I just need enough coin to return home, which should leave you with more than enough to take up residence somewhere, to be an independently wealthy, thrice-removed cousin of some far-flung nob. For long enough to make a new life, make human friends, and perhaps . . . perhaps even fall in love.”
Love. Her hands still rested in his. Ellie nibbled her lower lip and gazed back into his eyes.
Within days of meeting her, Cain was doing the one thing her own mother hadn’t done in over a century: voluntarily entrusting her with the truth and allowing her the right to weigh the evidence herself in order to make her own choices about her life.
Unfortunately, he was only in possession of half the evidence. As lovely a picture as his words had painted, Ellie was no longer a simple human girl, if she ever had been. And no matter how angry she was with her mother’s decisions, Mama was still the person Ellie cherished above all others. Mama’s life was inextricably tied to hers, and there was no way Ellie would allow either of them to face a vampire tribunal over a lovesick girl’s rash decision two centuries ago. They would slip through the night, as they’d always done. They would hide from hunters—from Cain—forever, if that was what it took. And none of them would ever go home.
“Tell me about Scotland,” she said, surprising herself as much as Cain with the change in topic. Scotland wasn’t home, she reminded herself sternly. She had never had one. She never would.
“Scotland is lovely,” he answered, his voice wistful. “The countryside is more beautiful than any other place in this world. The men are braw and true. The women are bonny and clever. The food is hearty and the ale even richer. The people are strong and proud. Proud of themselves, of the land, of each other.” He dropped his forehead onto her lap. She couldn’t help but brush her fingers over his hair. He didn’t stop her. “Everyone is happy there.
I
was happy there.” He lifted his head to favor her with a crooked smile. “I wish you could see it.”
She smiled back. “I wish I could see it the way
you
see it.”
“If I weren’t a . . . warrior,” he said, his smile fading, “I could take you there.”
Ellie was shocked to discover she wished he could, too. But he was never going to see his beloved country, since he was never going to capture her and her mother. Ellie tried to ignore the guilty pang caused by the realization, but it was no use. She hated to cause him pain. Which meant she was just as bad as her mother—developing feelings for exactly the wrong man.
He was handsome, strong, charismatic. Loyal to a fault. He liked her body and loved her brain. He respected her. He wanted her to be happy. . . .
And he was a vampire warrior planning to lead her mother to an unknown punishment. And he would undoubtedly abduct Ellie as well if he knew she was a forbidden mixed-blood abomination.
But he didn’t know. Not yet, anyway. And if she was addled enough to fall for someone honor-bound to hunt down her loved one, well, that was her problem. She didn’t mind his mischievous run as the most infamous rake in ton history. She didn’t even mind that he was a vampire. If anything, now that her true nature had been revealed, she could scarcely fancy a human, anyway. But even more important than all those very logical truths was one very illogical fact: She was half in love and falling fast. And she was never going to see him again.
Ellie’s shoulders slumped. She’d never enjoyed running away. Although now that she knew the truth and couldn’t agree more with the rationale, her body and her heart still rejected the idea of leaving this man without a second thought. Without a second
chance.
If she was going to be on the run for the rest of her life, then she needed to make the most of this weekend.
She squeezed his hands. “May I beg a favor?”
He smiled. “Anything.”
“Wait until tomorrow.” Hope bloomed when he didn’t immediately respond. “Please,” she added for good measure.
His brows lifted, but his voice was good-humored as he said, “Why do I feel like this is a terrible idea?”
“Because it is,” Ellie answered honestly. “And so is the part where I come to your chamber after nightfall.”
He started. “When you what?”
She took a deep breath. “The house party is over tomorrow. Everyone will go his or her separate paths. If we are going to part ways forever, perhaps we can at least have tonight.”
Before he had a chance to respond, the music room door swung open, and Miss Breckenridge stepped inside.
“Get away from her!”
Cain dropped Ellie’s hands and sprang to his feet, but not before Miss Breckenridge landed a few good whacks with her parasol.
“I’m leaving, I’m leaving.” Sidestepping Miss Breckenridge’s attacks, he managed to trade places with her at the door and shoot Ellie a meaningful glance over Miss Breckenridge’s head. “I’ll be in the conservatory if you need me.”
“She won’t need you,” Miss Breckenridge shot back. She slammed the door in his face, then rushed to inspect Ellie’s neckline. “Are you all right? Did he bite you? What on earth possessed you to enter any room alone with him?”
“He didn’t bite me,” Ellie assured her, before her predilection for honesty forced her to add, “. . . on the neck.”
Miss Breckenridge stared at her in horror. “What? When? Are you a vampire, too? Oh, this is a horrible mess, a horrible, horrible—”
“Forget I said anything,” Ellie interrupted wearily, rubbing at her temples. “Forget anybody said anything about vampires in the first place.”
Blessed silence fell . . . until the noiselessness became more eerie than relaxing.
Ellie lifted her fingertips from her temples and glanced up at Miss Breckenridge, only to find her erstwhile benefactress staring blankly at nothing.
“Miss Breckenridge?”
With a start, her hostess snapped out of her fit. “Miss Ramsay! What are you doing in the music room? You should be abed. May I walk you to your chamber?”
Ellie stared at her for a moment before she realized she’d just Compelled her client to forget their entire agreement. Now she’d never earn those fifteen pounds . . . and now she could better understand her mother.
Mama loved her, and Ellie hadn’t given her a chance to explain. Perhaps she’d never meant for Ellie to forget her father. Ellie sighed. Perhaps it happened in a moment too quick to have been prevented. And once it was done, it was done, leaving her only with regret. And her daughter.
“I think you’re right.” Ellie rose from the bench to accept Miss Breckenridge’s arm. “I should love to return to my mother.”
Chapter Ten
A scant distance into the corridor, Ellie jarred to a halt. She held up a finger to a startled Miss Breckenridge. “Wait.”
There was no way she could return to her guest quarters. Mama would be waiting in her chamber. She would wish to finish their discussion. She would wish to explain. Perhaps to apologize, and perhaps not. But without question, she’d insist on running. Immediately.
Ellie could scarce deny the wisdom behind putting as much distance as possible between her outlaw mother and the clan hunter who sought them, but she was not quite ready to pack her bags. She had told Cain she would meet him tonight, and she meant to. Yearned to.
Needed
to.
He truly cared for her, and she him, star-crossed though they might be. He had answers her mother had not shared. He also had expressive eyes, strong arms, and kisses that set her half-blood heart spinning.
That she would never see him again went without saying. After coming so close to capture, they could never again risk so much as a nodding acquaintance with their new neighbors, wherever they landed next . . . much less house parties or dancing or a beau who stole kisses amongst the flowers.
But they hadn’t left yet.
“What’s wrong?” Miss Breckenridge cocked her head quizzically. “Have you the headache?”
Lifting her brows, Ellie nodded slowly. She had more than enough to make her head ache. The last thing she needed was another confrontation with her mother.
“I think I’d like to be alone for a little while.” She gave her hostess a determined smile. “Don’t worry about me. Why don’t you check on the other guests, or take the evening for yourself? Find something diverting and enjoy yourself. I’ll be fine.”
Miss Breckenridge’s eyes unfocused. Then she nodded once, turned, and wandered off without a word.
Ellie stared after her for a moment, feeling more than a little guilty. Either she’d inadvertently offended her hostess . . . or once again, she’d circumvented her free will with accidental Compulsion. Ellie was definitely going to have to wrangle that skill under control before—No. Mastery over Compulsion wouldn’t matter one jot, once she and her mother were confined to some shadowy hovel in the middle of nowhere.
Sighing, Ellie retraced her steps and headed for the opposite wing. Cain had said he’d meet her in the conservatory. Granted, she’d said she wouldn’t meet him until tonight, but given that her own guest chamber was no longer a viable retreat, the conservatory would be as peaceful a place to wait as any.
When she arrived, she found herself alone amongst the many blooms. The spicy scent of exotic flowers enveloped her. She wandered up and down the lush walkways, ducking low-hanging vines and pausing now and again to run a fingertip along the satin petals of a particularly breathtaking bloom. She was thus engaged when she sensed, rather than heard, a presence behind her.
“You’re early,” he said softly.
Smiling, she spun to face him. “As are you.”
“I couldn’t wait.”
She glanced behind him. “No Mac Eric this time?”
Cain shook his head, his eyes crinkled with laughter. “I tried. But we weren’t five paces from my door when we chanced upon an unaccountably effusive Miss Breckenridge. Quite a departure from her reception in the music room.”
Ellie coughed guiltily. “Amicable, was she?”
“She
hugged
me,” her vampire warrior replied as if he’d never suffered a worse indignity. “I asked her if she’d like to pet the puppy, and she said she’d like to keep
Moch-éirigh
forever.”
“So you’re letting her watch Mac Eric for a while?”
He shook his head. “I let her keep her.”
“But you love that puppy!”
“Trust me,” he said with a long-suffering sigh. “I have no difficulty stumbling across loveable puppies. I’ll probably find another before we even leave the conservatory.”
“Are we leaving the conservatory?” Ellie tried for an arch look, but couldn’t help grinning up at him.
His sea-green eyes were nothing short of smoldering. “Aren’t we?”
She accepted his proffered arm without hesitation. A delicious shiver slid up her spine. Her shoulders rolled backward in response, causing her breasts to rise and her bosom to tighten. She was acutely aware of every inch of her body, of the thin fabric of her chemise brushing against her flushed skin. She felt oddly naked beneath the oppressive layers of lawn and linen and silk. As if Cain’s heated gaze could see right through the lace and flounces and corset to the woman trembling beneath.
Her fingers clutched his arm even tighter. Even voluminous shirtsleeves tucked into a well-tailored jacket could not disguise the strength contained within, the toned muscle of his body. Hard. Strong. Hers.
This was what she’d been waiting for. Longing for. A moment to cherish forever.