Authors: Cassandra Gannon
“Slade?”
His
head snapped around at the sound of his name and the scent of her skin. Jane.
Seeing her, the world made sense again. His irritation melted into longing, as
she drew closer. If she would just stay with him, he would give her whatever
she wanted. They were supposed to do this
together
. Why did she not
understand that?
Her
clothes must have finished drying, because she was back to wearing them. Slade
frowned. Pants were simply not decent on a lady. He’d tried explaining that
to her, but she laughed at him and did as she pleased. At least half the
rebels were staring at her khaki-covered legs. He sent them all a warning look
and they quickly averted their eyes.
“Are
you ready to fly out of here, yet?” Jane demanded, marching over to join him.
The woman was clearly annoyed. He was used to that.
“We
may have another option.” Slade got to his feet. “The rebels tell me there is
a path leading out of the Endless Woods, after all.”
“Since
when?” She demanded skeptically. “Why hasn’t anyone mentioned it before now?”
“It
is hidden.”
“Hidden?”
“That
road is fraught with horrors beyond imagining, milady.” Neville intoned like
some medieval prophet predicting their doom. He was clearly hoping that Jane
could talk Slade out of the plan.
“Don’t
call me ‘milady.’” She told them that fifty times a day but they never
listened.
The
rebels all respected Jane. She intimidated them, but Slade had noticed that they
often went to her when they wanted someone to intercede with his more
controversial rulings. It didn’t bother him, since he liked it when the woman got
involved in village life. It showed Jane cared about their quest. Besides,
she was almost always right. Slade wasn’t sure how that worked exactly, since
he
was always right, but he couldn’t argue with the facts.
“Someone
explain to me what’s going on.” Jane ordered, turning her attention to the
peasants. Melessa would’ve swooned before she talked these grimy rebels, but
it never occurred to Jane to avoid them. She thought everyone should have a
voice and that everyone was important. Slade loved that about her. Though she
tried to hide it, Jane truly did have a soft heart.
“Where
did this path come from?” She persisted impatiently.
Andra
watched Jane with a mixture of hope and fear. “Neville speaks the truth,
milady. No one has ever stepped foot upon the Corpse Road’s horrible surface
and survived to reveal its location. To travel it is certain death.”
Slade
flinched. He’d been hoping to avoid telling her most of that.
All
of
it, actually.
Jane
very slowly turned back to him. “
The
Corpse Road?
”
“Frightening
names are often given to lovely places in an effort to discourage tourists.”
He ventured.
“Well,
it worked because I’m discouraged. We’re flying out of here, Slade. Start
flapping your arms or whatever.”
“But…
I cannot.” It would ruin everything.
“What
do you mean you
cannot?
You told me you could fly, remember? You said
all you needed was my blood.”
“I
can
fly. …But not in Infinia.” Lying to Jane was difficult, but what
choice did he have? Slade needed more time with her, so he could convince her
to stay. “My powers are somehow suppressed in this land.” He shrugged. “We
are stuck on the ground.”
Jane’s
eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”
Damn
it, the woman was so inconveniently smart. Slade refused to back down. This
was too important. “Why would I lie?” He asked, unable to meet her eyes.
“I
have no idea, but I have yet to see
anything
that you couldn’t do once
you decided to do it. You know what that tells me?” She jabbed a finger into
his chest. “It tells me that you could get your cute ass airborne, if you
tried. Only you’re
not
trying, because you don’t
want
to try.”
“I
have
tried and it is impossible.”
The
rebels looked back and forth between them like spectators at a tennis match,
staying out of the fray. It was often that way. The village considered Jane
his queen and Slade did nothing to discourage the idea. This obstinate woman
was his future. Regardless of whatever ridiculous feelings she had for Prince
Charming,
Slade
was the one she was supposed to be with. It was so
obvious to everyone but Jane.
Still,
ruling Infinia with Jane would be far different than ruling the Vampire Isle.
Melessa had never argued with him the way Jane did. It was a refreshing change
to have someone else assuming part of the responsibility and offering fresh
ideas. Slade
liked
having another person care about the kingdom and its
people. …Usually. When his partner wasn’t so bent on wrecking his plans,
anyway.
“You’re
doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Jane accused. “You’re
deliberately
dragging your feet, for some crazy reason.”
“I
have no idea what you’re talking about.” Slade cleared his throat and stared at
a random rock formation like it held the mysteries of the universe. He was not
gifted at deceit, especially not with Jane’s luminous gray eyes watching him so
closely. “I’m simply telling you the truth. We must use the Corpse Road.
There is no other choice.”
Jane’s
temper exploded. “I don’t want to use the Corpse Road! Who the hell would
want to use anything called the Corpse Road?! Maybe you’re okay with living in
Quest of the Delta Knights
, but I’m
not!
I just want to get this
nightmare over with, so you can marry your stupid princess, and I forget I ever
met you!” She gave him a frustrated shove and stalked passed him towards the
trees.
Slade
frowned as something new occurred to him. “Are you upset that I would plan to
wed Allandrina?” He demanded hurrying after her. That idea was sheer lunacy.
The princess barely even registered in his mind. “Jane there is no need. That
woman is
nothing
to me. I have never even met her.”
“Then,
it’s even
worse
that you’d propose.”
“But,
she will not care for me, either. I’ve explained that it is a business….”
Jane
cut him off. “Besides, it doesn’t matter
who
you marry, because I’m not
going to be here to see it.” She waved a disparaging hand. “Go ahead and say
‘I do’ to some girl, because you want a damn castle. I’m sure it’ll work out
great
for you. It did last time, right?”
“I
did
know Melessa!” Slade protested indignantly. “When a Vampire meets
his Eternal-One, he instinctively knows her on every possible level.”
“Really?”
Jane stopped walking to pin him with a glare. The two of them were isolated by
forest now, which suited Slade fine. No man could ogle her… except him. “What
level
instinctively knew
she was going to screw Viktor the Werewolf in
your bathtub?”
Slade’s
jaw ticked.
She
arched a smug brow at him.
“That
was a low blow, Jane Squire.” He finally said. “Melessa’s betrayal was
unprecedented among Vampires. No one could have predicted her actions. She
was my Eternal-One, after all. My destined mate.”
“Oh,
she was not.” Jane rolled her eyes. “‘Cause if she
was
, she wouldn’t
have fucked around on you.”
Slade
blinked at that glib response.
“Face
it,” Jane continued, “on some level you knew she wasn’t the right girl for
you. You only married Melessa to retain control of the Vampire Isle, just like
you’re only proposing to Allandrina to get Infinia. All your weddings are
about real estate. You said yourself you care about business and not romance.”
Slade
had
told her that, but he hated that she’d listened. The words made him
seem so shallow. “Melessa
was
my Eternal-One.” He snapped. “She
had
to be. All the signs pointed to it.”
“If
you say so.”
“I
do
say so. And while Allandrina is simply a means to an end, that
doesn’t mean I am incapable of deeper feelings. I care for you very much.” There
were no words for what he was coming to feel for this woman. “You
know
this, Jane.”
“Yeah,
the situation was real clear to me when you basically suggested I become your royal
mistress.”
“
I
never said that!
” Slade roared, his voice echoing through the woods. “I
have never even
thought
of the situation in those terms!” He wanted
Jane to stay with him, because he could no longer picture an existence without
her. Why did she have to make everything sound so sordid?
She
snorted. “Oh right. Sorry. I
couldn’t
be your mistress, because you
would never lower yourself to actually sleep with the help, right?”
He
leaned closer, pushed to the brink by her refusal to see the truth. “If you
wish, I will show you once and for all how very idiotic that statement is.” Slade
snarled, grasping her wrist. He tugged her hand forward, so it was pressed to
the front of his trousers. “Being around you leaves me in a constant state of
readiness, so just nod your head and I’ll be inside of you. Would that
convince you of my desire?”
Jane’s
eyes went wide as she felt his erection, automatically trying to tug away.
He
wouldn’t let her go. Instead, Slade stepped closer, pressing her hand tighter
against him. “You know full well I would have us both naked the
second
you gave consent. You can
feel
how much I want you, Jane.”
She
swallowed, her fingers resting on the bulge of his manhood. “You want
me?
”
She blurted out as if the idea had never occurred to her before.
Gods,
dealing with the woman drove him mad. How could she be so clever and still
miss everything important? Slade kept his gaze locked on hers. “I have never
wanted anyone the way I want you, Jane Squire.”
Releasing
her wrist would’ve been the gentlemanly thing to do. Instead, he urged her
hand lower so she was cupping more of him through the fabric of his pants. The
silver bracelet moved beneath his grip. The fact that she still wore his gift
made him even more aroused.
She
bit down on her lower lip and he nearly groaned. Jane’s fingers slowly traced
the size of him, her thumb brushing against the tip of his shaft. Slade’s
whole body jolted at the sensation. Her gentle explorations were going to kill
him. He rocked against her palm and she instinctively tightened her grip.
Slade
stared down at her and she stared back.
Now,
everything was perfect.
God,
he’d never felt anything like the connection he had with Jane. Whenever Slade
looked into her eyes, he felt as if he was on the verge of some fantastic
discovery.
That
baffling mixture of aching tenderness and crazed hunger built within him, again.
He was swamped with the seemingly contradictory desires to shield her from
everything and to possess every inch of her body in a thousand shocking ways. He
wanted to talk to her and make her smile. He wanted her weeping from desire.
He wanted her turning to him for comfort and protection. He wanted her to know
that she belonged with him and that he would destroy any other man who sought
to claim her.
He
wanted
everything
.
She
was… everything.
Jane
gazed up at him and Slade lowered his head to kiss her.
For
a moment, it seemed that she might let him. Jane’s mouth parted, her body
softening into his. She leaned up almost imperceptibly, as if she wanted meet
to his lips halfway. It was all exactly as it
should
be.
…So,
of course, Jane had to go and ruin it. The woman was just determined to
complicate every step of their lives.
“No!”
She jerked back, glowering up at him and breathing hard. “I’m
not
kissing somebody who plans to get engaged to somebody else. I’m not touching
him, either.” She yanked her hand free, which made Slade want to curse and cry
and destroy small planets.
“Jane…”
“
No.
You want this kingdom and you’re willing to trade yourself to Allandrina get
it.” She shook her head with the inflexible morality of someone truly good.
“But, I’m
not
going along with it. I’m better than that.” She met his
eyes. “So are you, Slade. You’re so much
better
than this sleazy plan.
I wish you could see that.”
Slade
froze. In a blinding flash of insight, he realized that Jane was once again right.
His plan to wed Allandrina
sounded
sordid, because it
was
sordid.
It was something a Werewolf might plot. How could he possibly do such a thing
and still call himself an honorable man? If Slade proposed to another woman that
he did not love, he would never respect himself.