Intertwined

Why was the forest dangerous for humans? When he realized what he’d just pondered, he shook his head. It was weird being referred to as a human. Even though that’s what he was. “I was looking for you. You left so quickly the other night and I have so many questions.”

“Questions I probably can’t answer.” She plucked a leaf from the tree, crumpled it in her hand and dropped the pieces. They floated to the ground, twisting and twirling.

Curious as he was, he couldn’t allow himself to give up. Rather than push, however, he decided to ask something innocent, something easy. Hopefully, answering him would become second nature to Victoria so he could then tackle the tougher questions. His doctors had used that method on him a time or two.

“Why do you wear robes? I would think you’d want to wear something modern and blend in.”

“Blending in has never been our goal.” She shrugged. “Besides, robes are what my father prefers.”

“And you always do what he says?”

“Those who disobey him end up wishing they were dead.” She turned away. “I should go.”

“Don’t,” he rushed out, stepping toward her. “Wait. Stay with me. Just a little longer. I’ve…missed you.”

That’s not treating a girl like crap, Caleb suddenly piped up.

We’ve talked about this, Eve said. Your crap theory is crap.

Aden’s jaw clenched. “Please, Victoria.”

She stopped, faced him. A thousand different emotions seemed to fight for dominance over her features. Hope, regret, happiness, sadness, fear. Finally, hope won. “Come,” she said. “I want to show you something.”

She held out her hand. He wondered what had caused such turmoil inside her, but he didn’t hesitate to close the distance between them and twine their fingers. The heat of her skin nearly singed him as she led him through the forest, deeper and deeper, the trees thickening around them.

“You’re so hot,” he said, then, to his horror, felt himself flush. “I don’t mean you’re pretty. Wait. You are. Pretty, I mean. Beautiful. I just meant your temperature is hot.” Could he sound any lamer?

“Oh, sorry.” She jerked from his hold.

“No, I like it.” Apparently, he could. He twined their fingers again. “I was just wondering why you’re so…um, hot.”

“Oh,” she said again, relaxing against his hold. “Vampires have more blood than humans. A lot more. And not just because of what we consume. That’s why our hearts work at a greater speed.”

They rounded a corner. He didn’t recognize the area, the leaves hanging from the branches so bright a red it almost looked as though the trees were bleeding. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He hated adding to the distance between him and the ranch, just in case Dan awoke and came gunning for him, but he didn’t protest. Being with Victoria was worth the risk. Any risk.

His ears perked when he heard the nearby rush of water. “There’s a river here?”

“You’ll see,” she repeated.

They broke through a tangle of foliage and what could only be a bathing pool came into view. Boulders were stacked at one side, water cascading from them, bubbling and frothing at the edges. His jaw dropped.

“This was nothing more than a puny pond when I arrived,” Victoria said. “I worked all week to stack the rocks. Riley, my bodyguard, rerouted the water for me.”

Riley. Her bodyguard. He must be the boy Aden had seen her with that morning at the ranch. Which meant they weren’t brother and sister. Worse, they probably spent a lot of time together.

He studied the stones, using the time to tamp down a suddenly blast of jealousy. There were too many to count, all so large no one her size should have been able to lift them.

“You both did an amazing job,” was all he said.

“Thank you.”

It’s so peaceful here. I never want to leave, Eve said.

Maybe she brought you here to make out with you, Caleb said hopefully. Who knew being nice could pay off?

Uh, I did, Eve replied.

Argh! “Guys. Quiet, please. I’m begging you.” His companions grumbled but did as he’d asked.

Victoria’s focus whipped to him. She was frowning.

“Not you,” he told her. “If you want to know who I was talking to, though, you’ll have to trade me for the information.” There. That was how he’d get answers out of her. If she was curious about him. But if she was and he told her the truth, would she decide he was too weird to hang out with, as Mary Ann apparently had?

“I would be willing to trade,” she said, and he wanted to both cheer and curse. She faced the water, her back to him. “We can do so while we swim.”

Wait. What? “Swim? With you?”

She laughed. “Who else? I’ve come here every night. You’ll enjoy the water, I promise.”

“But I don’t have a suit.”

“So?” Without turning toward him, she tugged the robe from her shoulders. The material slid to the ground, and once again his jaw dropped. Never had he seen a lovelier sight. She wore a lacy pink swimsuit—the first time he’d ever seen her in color. First time he’d ever seen a girl so bare in person. She was as white as snow all over, her body perfectly curved, all lean muscle, smooth planes and hollows.

Am I drooling? he wondered.

Dear Lord in heaven, Caleb gasped out. I know, I know. I’m supposed to be quiet. But the words slipped out because—and I could be mistaken here—I think my tongue is hanging out. Never mind that I don’t actually have one.

Aden hated that his companions were seeing her like this. Hated it so much a red sheen of jealousy hazed behind his eyes, and it was far greater than when he’d thought of her and her muscled bodyguard together. All the time. Okay. The red expanded, thickened. He wanted to be the only one to enjoy her. Now and always.

Victoria waded into the pool, droplets splashing, water swallowing her up, not stopping until she reached the center, submerged all the way to her shoulders. Slowly she whirled around, grinning. “Are you coming?”

Hell, yes. The jealousy thing he could deal with later. Aden stripped to his boxers and waded in. The water was cool and caused goose bumps to break out over his skin. He took it like a man, though, and pretended he loved it. No way did he want her thinking he was a wuss. Well, any more of one.

His feet touched in the center, the waterline coming to his shoulders, as well, but he was taller than her and realized she couldn’t possibly reach the mossy ground. Still, she seemed unperturbed by her swishing feet, the water not even rippling.

They circled each other, their gazes never wavering.

“Ready to trade?” he asked. He was willing to do anything, even blab about himself, to learn about her.

She hesitated only a moment before nodding.

“First, maybe we should set the rules.”

“Like?”

“Like, rule one. You’re a girl, so you go first. Rule two. You’ll ask me a question, anything at all, and I’ll answer it. Rule three. I’ll ask you a question, again anything at all, and you’ll have to answer it. Rule four. We have to answer truthfully.”

“Agreed.” No hesitation. “I will begin then. So…who were you speaking to earlier when you said ‘quiet’?”

Of course she’d chosen the most embarrassing question to kick things off. But then, his luck would have permitted nothing else. “I was speaking to the souls trapped inside my head.” Hopefully she would leave it at that.

Her eyes widened. “Souls? Trapped in your head? What do you—”

“Nope,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s my turn. Who do you drink from? And more importantly, do you have many blood-slaves?” In his head, the questions continued. Were those slaves male? And what would he do if they were?

“That’s two questions, so you will owe me. The answer to the first is humans. The answer to the second is no. I have none. I prefer to drink from my prey only once.”