I tugged my arm, but it was no good. He was attached. I’d become too weak, and he was suddenly too powerful. I swatted at him, but my efforts were feeble, laughable. I choked back a sob. I wasn’t going to escape; I was going to die.

But then he froze. He stopped sucking. And just when I thought I’d black out, he shoved me away.

Carden McCloud stared at me, my blood all over his mouth and chin. Some unreadable thing was in his gaze. Was it fury, joy, ferocity, surprise? And then I gasped, realizing what I was witnessing.

Desire.

And then he kissed me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Carden kissed me, and I mean, he kissed me. He grabbed me, and pulled me to him, and took me. A thousand flames ignited to life inside me—instantaneous, searing flares—his touch lighting my body from within.

It was a shock. He was a shock. He was a stranger to me, his mouth, his touch, so foreign; yet his every aspect was suddenly so familiar. Recognition cut through me, something deep in my core knowing him and welcoming him.

I’d fantasized about my first kiss many times—wondering about Ronan, Alcántara, Josh, even Yasuo. But never had I imagined this. This was deep and passionate and hungry, as if he might consume me. Flames danced across my skin, and my woozy head buzzed. I couldn’t get close enough.

He nicked himself with his own fangs, and I tasted the familiar tang of the drink. I felt the familiar kick of vampire blood coursing through me. I rose, needing more, and he met me halfway, pulling me to my knees and then up off the ground, fitting my body snugly, perfectly against his.

I pressed closer, twining my fingers deep in his hair, now so lustrous and thick. He growled with pleasure, and it reverberated through me, echoing in my veins, becoming my pulse, until my every heartbeat affirmed this joining, marking, utterly profound kiss.

Until he shoved me back with a snarl.

I landed hard on my bottom and could only stare, my heart pounding, suddenly bereft to my soul. My hand flew to my mouth. My lips were hypersensitive, still thrumming from his kiss.

Confusion reeled me. Why did he kiss me? Why did I feel this way? Something told me I should run, but I couldn’t bring myself to. My voice came out weak and confused. “Why did you—?”

“What have you done?” He cut me off, sounding furious, his eyes narrowed to hard slits. “What have you done to us, little girl?”

His words were like waves of frigid seawater slapping me and swamping me. “I saved your life.”

“Saved me? You’ve doomed me.”

Despite the kiss, I had to remember he was a stranger to me—a very volatile stranger. And yet I couldn’t run; I couldn’t fight. I scooted away from him, on my guard. “You’re welcome.”

But he leapt toward me, keeping close. “This isn’t a game, girl.” He grabbed my chin and made me face him. “Heed me, because you don’t seem to understand. You must never tell anyone what you’ve done.” He gave my chin a little jiggle. “Swear it. Swear you’ll not tell anyone that you’ve fed me.”

I flinched from his touch, pulling my chin free. I tried to muster anger, but all I felt was this strange desolation. “Fine. I swear.”

“We have to get out of here.” He stood, and even though his words had been harsh, his touch was gentle as he pulled me to standing. “Can you make it?”

I nodded. My pride had been puffed up for some time now, and this talking-to left me feeling stupid and embarrassed. I’d thought I was doing the right thing by saving his life. If feeding him was a mistake, I needed to make up for it.

He wiped the blood from his mouth. “I know you and Hugo had a plan, but now there’s a new plan.”

Breaking from Alcántara’s strategy would be a mistake. It was Alcántara’s opinion that mattered, and he’d be pissed if I improvised. He’d be pissed, and I’d be under scrutiny, and I’d never escape.

But somehow I couldn’t muster a care for all that. Somehow all I wanted was to redeem myself in McCloud’s eyes. He was staring at me, waiting for my reply; he was so big and powerful, I wanted to lean into him.

I gave my head a shake. That kiss. That kiss had done this to me. I struggled to keep a clear head. “What just happened?”

He took my hand and gave it a tug. “Later. There’ll be time to discuss this later. We need to escape now.”

I pulled my hand free. “I’m not budging till you tell me what you did to me.”

“Oh girl, it’s what you did to me.” He stared at me a moment, his expression softening. I expected a different response—something more akin to Ronan’s exasperation, maybe. So, when a smile bloomed on his face, it took me aback. The amusement had returned to his eyes; yet that unsettling sadness remained. “We bonded.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed. “Bonded?”

He took my shoulders and turned me, guiding me out the cell door and talking as he went. “What happened was this: Hugo sent a dangerously untrained child into the world, and now you’ve bonded us.”

“I’m not a child.”

“As you say.”

“I don’t get it. Are you angry?”

He hustled me along, pushing me gently down the corridor. “It appears that, despite my best efforts, I’m not dead yet. So aye, I’m mad as a wet cat. But we McClouds are accustomed to adversity.”

That I’d been the one to piss him off troubled me more than it should have. “Well, excuse me.” I stopped short, and he bumped into me. “I can’t think of many things more adverse than dying alone in a dark cell.”

He barked out a laugh.

“What is so funny?” I thought I was being deadly serious.

“My reprieve has been granted at the hands of a wee spitfire, and I find it funny indeed. It’s an aggravating thing, bonding to a child.” He chucked me on the chin. “But at least you’re easy on the eyes.”

Easy on the eyes. Nobody had ever told me anything like that before, and it confused and annoyed me. I angled my head away. “I am not a child.”

“I was born in 1732. Trust me, you may have a woman’s body”—his eyes raked over me, and I felt those flames flicker again in instant response—“but you’re still a child.” He ran a finger down my cheek. “Shut that mouth before I kiss it again. Now, let’s go surprise Hugo, shall we?”

The slow burn in my body was doused at the mention of Alcántara. How had I forgotten Alcántara and my escape? I stopped short. “Is this bonding thing permanent?”

“Not even death is permanent, girl.” He swatted me on the butt to move me along. “But if we stay here much longer, that’s a theory we’ll have the opportunity to test.”

Never had I ever been swatted on the butt before. This Carden completely threw me off, and his amusement appeared to rise in direct relation to my aggravation, which of course aggravated me further. “I have a name, you know.”

He glanced down at me, his brows raised.

“A name,” I repeated, whispering now, close to the spiral staircase. “I have a name, and it’s not girl.”

“Well?”

I stood as tall as my five-foot-two-inch frame would get me. “Annelise Drew. Acari Drew.”

He chuckled low. “Acari. Such nonsense. Fine then, Acari Drew. Hold on.” He swept me into his arms and swung me up over his shoulder.

I yelped.

“Hush.” He swatted me again for good measure. “We McClouds have a motto, girl. Hold fast.” Guarding my head with his hand, he jogged up the narrow staircase.

I held on, but his shoulder jostled into my belly, and the blood rushed to my head. “Ow…crap…my ribs.” I pounded a fist into his back. “This isn’t necessary.”

He gripped tighter, speaking in the barest whisper. “I’ll decide what’s necessary and what’s not. Let’s call that step one of our new plan.”

I hoped his strategy was more complex than that, because I didn’t think the vampires would let him just jog out of there, with me slung over a shoulder like his Neanderthal bride. We emerged from the stairwell and made it only halfway down the hall before I sensed another presence. He turned his head, whispering to me, and I felt his breath through my dress, hot on my skin. “Hide your blade.”

He stiffened beneath me and slowed but didn’t stop walking. “My new feeder,” he announced. “It was too much for her.”

I went limp, playing dead, but I realized Carden’s mistake the same moment he did: He’d spoken in English.

“Shite,” he cursed under his breath.

“Such a charming accent—you must be McCloud.” I recognized Brother Jacob’s voice speaking in thickly accented English. “What a surprise. Leaving so soon?”

Carden adjusted me on his shoulder, his hand a vice grip on the back of my thigh. “I had thoughts in that direction, aye.”

“But you must be weakened from your captivity. Or did this pretty snack take care of you?” I heard Jacob step closer. “I sense her blood still pumps. You won’t mind if I share?”

“I’m afraid I do.” Carden slid me down his body—his long, muscled body—and set me down, shielded behind his back.

Jacob peered around at me, and his eyes lit. “Ah! Why, it’s our serving girl.”

Carden cursed again, this time in a language I didn’t understand. He kept his hand behind him, gripping me firmly.

I steadied myself on his back, but I had to peek around, stealing a glimpse of the other vampire. Something told me if we were going to make it out of there alive, it’d take both our efforts.

Jacob studied me. “Well, young one, I see you’re not as dumb as you’d have us believe. But how strange you survived a feeding. Tell me, how is it you can stand on your own? Unless you’ve been consuming the blood. Is that so? Has someone been feeding you?”

Before I could answer, he was on us. As he hissed like a spitting cat, his face transformed into a feral mask, and he flew toward us. His hands extended like claws, digging into Carden’s neck.