Kindled (Book 3 The Kindred Series) (25 page)

   “Are you ok?” he inquired softly.

   “Yes.”

  
He ran his hands over her stomach, kissing her softly once more. “Couldn’t sleep?”

   She shook her head as she melted against him, savoring in his strength and comfort.
She could stay like this forever, but
they
had such a short amount of time.
“No.”

   He was silent as he held her, gently swaying her slightly back and forth. Lights splayed across the road, lighting the street as a vehicle turned onto it. Cassie stiffened
as the silver Cadillac Escalade pulled to a stop in front of the house and
doused
the lights.
“They’re here,” Devon said softly.

   Cassie managed a small nod, fighting back the anxiety
and fear
that clutched at
her.
“Yes.”

  The doors popped open,
interior light flood
ed
the car. “Come on.”

   Devon pulled slowly away from her, taking hold of her hand.
Cassie followed silently
behind;
trying hard to maintain her outward composure, while inside she was falling apart
. Her hand tightened around his to the point where she knew it had to be uncomfortable for him, but he did not protest, or try to pull away. They reached the top of the steps as the doorbell sounded.

   Chris appeared in the hallway, his hair disheveled from sleep, his eyes bleary as he blinked up at them. Dani poked her head out from her room. Though her
short
hair was standing straight up, she did not appear to have been asleep as she studied them with wide
,
questioning eyes. “Your friends?” she asked softly.

   “Yes,” Devon answered, tugging gently on Cassie’s
hand as he started down the stairs once more.

   Cassie wanted to jerk him back, she wanted to stop him, but she couldn’t. Though she would have loved a few more minutes to get her thoughts together, and her rolling emotions under control, she knew she couldn’t leave them standing on her doorstep. They were here to help after all.

   Chris watched her, a sad gleam in his
sapphire
eyes. She scowled back at him, hating the fact that he could sense
t
he nervousness, jealousy, and uncertainty
tearing through her. He managed a small nod and a wan smile for her as Devon strode past, his hand still wrapped tightly around
hers. She could only stare helplessly back at Chris while Devon threw the locks and pulled open the door.

   Taking a deep breath, Cassie turned her attention slowly toward the two people on her porch. Her hea
rt plummeted as it flipped over;
a thr
umming tension puls
ed
throu
gh her. “Devon!” the young woman, Annabelle
,
cried
.
S
tepping forward
, she moved
to embrace him, only to halt abruptly. She grinned at him, a strawberry colored eyebrow quirk
ed
in amusement as her full mouth curled into a bright smile that lit her beautiful face
. Her thick
,
strawberry blond hair tumbled in
loose
curls to just below her shoulder blades.

   “Cassie.” Cassie jumped slightly
as Devon turned to her, his emerald eyes gleaming with amusement. “You have to invite them in.”
   “Oh,” she said stupidly, feeling a wave of self consciousness threatening to roll up and consume her. “Of course, umm
,
come on in.”

   She took a step back, releasing Devon’s hand as Annabelle moved through the door, embracing Devon tightly. Cassie looked quickly away, her stomach
twisting
as she tried to keep her jealousy and uneasiness under control. Chris met her gaze for a
moment, understanding and love
radiating from him.

   “You must be Cassie.” Annabelle was suddenly before her. Cassie jolted in surprise as she clasped hold of Cassie’s hands
, enfolding them gently in hers
. Her sea green eyes were bright and clear, a wealth of compassion and car
e
radiated
in
them. Her features were delicate and
perfect;
a hint of freckles spatter
ed
her tiny nose. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

   Cassie stared down at the woman, who was a good five inches shorter than her
.
She
couldn’t help but return
Annabelle’s
radiant smile.
She emitted warmth, friendship, and caring more than
any person Cassie had ever met, and she couldn’t help but instantly like her.
“You also,” she said softly.

   Annabelle’s smile widened, her eyes twinkled as she squeezed Cassie’s hands tight once more before letting go. The tall, slender man that had come with Annabelle stepped f
orward to take hold of Cassie’s hand
.
His dark brown hair fell in waves around his handsome, open face. His startling, oddly silver colored eyes burned into her as he studied her carefully.

   “It’s nice to meet you,” he said softly in a lilting voice
that
held the hint of
a
Midwest accent.

   “You too,” she whispered
,
surprised by the man with the strange silver eyes.
He seemed
nice
and caring
, but there was a shy reservation in him that didn
’
t seem to fit in with the open warmth that Annabelle radiated
.

   “And this is Chris,”
Devon said
, drawing their attention away from Cassie. Chris shook hands with them, exchanging quick, pleasant greetings.

   “Where are the others?” Annabelle inquired softly.

   “Dani should be coming down soon,” Cassie said, surprised to realize that she had not followed them down
stairs
. “Luther and Melissa went home to pack
,
but they’ll be back before daybreak. Though I suppose we can’
t go anywhere till night anyway
.
”

  
“O
f course we can
,” Annabelle
replied
airily. “The windows are fully tinted
so
as long as I stay in the back I’ll be fine.
Besides, Julian will not be able to watch us if we depart during the
daylight hours.
”

   Cassie felt the panic set in again as she glanced wildly at Chris, who looked just as surprised as she felt.
It was too soon to leave; she had been expecting another full day in her home. At least one more d
ay! Devon stepped closer to her;
he
wrapp
ed
his arms around her waist as he pulled her tight against him. He nuzzled her hair
,
pressing his lips gently against her ear.

   “It will be ok,” he promised
.

   Cassie managed a small nod, but she couldn’t shake the knot of tension and terror that was wrapping through her chest. Annabelle was watching them closely, sur
prise and amusement evident in
he
r
sea
green eyes. She cocked a delicate eyebrow as she turned her attention
briefly
to Devon
.

   “I think the sooner the better,” she said softly.

   Devon’s arms tightened around
Cassie
for a moment before he nodded briskly. “You’re right.”

   Clos
ing
her eyes,
Cassie
winc
ed
slightly. She wasn’t ready to be separated from her home, let alone Devon. Her fingers clutched tighter at him, she buried her head against his chest as she simply struggled to keep on breathing.
Whatever amount of time they were apart was going to be pure torture for her.

   “Hello.”

   Cassie lifted her head as Dani appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Her gold streaked eyes were slightly narrowed as she surveyed Annabelle and Liam. “Hello!” Annabelle said brightly, gliding elegantly over to the tiny girl. Cassie was surprised to realize that even with as small as Dani was, Annabelle was smaller
.
Annabelle
seized hold of Dani’s hands, flashing her radiant, loving smile.
“And who are you?”

   Dani studied her for a moment, managing a wan smile. “Dani
elle
,” she said softly.
“But you can call me Dani.”

   “It’s a pleasure to meet you Dani. This is my mate, Liam.”

  
“Mate?”
Cassie couldn’t help but inquire.

   Annabelle flashed a bright grin
back
at
Cassie
.
Liam moved behind
Annabelle
, resting his hands lightly
up
on her
delicate
shoulders.
“Yes, my mate. You haven’t explained this to her yet Devon?”

   Cassie glanced sharply at him, surprised by the hard clench of his jaw and the fierceness in his eyes as he stared
hard
at Annabelle.
“No,” he grated.

   Annabelle’s frown intensified, her eyes became dark and turbulent as she glanced swiftly between the two of them. “I see,” she whispered.

   Cassie’s fingers tightened on him, confusion rock
ed
through her. What was it that he hadn’t told her? What could he possibly be keeping from her? “What is a mate?” Chris inquired
,
confusion marring his forehead as he glanced worriedly between Cassie and Devon
.

   “It is what a vampire takes
, or the bond that they create,
when they find the person
,
or vampire
,
that they wish to spend eternity with. It is a very profound experience.”
Annabelle’s
eye
brow
s
w
ere
furrowed with worry
as she met Devon’s
gaze
again. “And it is binding.”

   “So
,
it’s like
,
vampire marriage?” Ch
ris asked in surprise.
“
Cause that sounds a little strange.”

   “And why is that?” Liam inquired in a low, gravelly tone.

   Chris shr
ugged;
he
r
a
n his hand through his hair as
he tugged
nervously
at it. “I don’t know.
I mean you
’
re dead and all, and you do live forever, seems a little strange
that you would
want to be with
the same person that whole time
. Hell
,
I can barely contemplate thirty years
with the same person
,
never mind an eternity with them
.”

  
“Chris!” Cassie scolded shaking her head at him. What Annabelle was describing seemed like a very intense, private experience. It didn
’
t sound like something that should be taken lightly, or mocked.
And it sounded like something that she desperately wanted to experience with Devon.

   “What?” he inquired defensively. “It’s true!”

  
Annabelle merely grinned at him while Liam shook his head.
“When you find the
one
person you can’t spend the rest of your life without you will understand, and believe me thirty years will seem like
a second,” Annabelle replied
. “And the taking of a mate is not something that is entered into lightly. As I said it is binding,
and unbreakable. You are tied to a mate forever.
”

   “
So both mates have to be vampires then?” Chris
inquired
continuing to
star
e
at Cassie
,
and then Devon.

   “Well yes,” Annabelle said softly, her
forehead
furrow
ed
in confusion
. “The bond is created through the sharing of blood and sex.”

  
Cassie felt as if someone had kicked her in the gut
as the air rushed out of her.
E
veryone
else
remained silent as
Annabelle’s
words
sank in. Cassie turned toward Devon, tilting her head to look up at him.
He had taken her blood, but she was acutely aware of the fact that he had not shared his. And neither had they forged a bond through sex. It was not that she was afraid to anymore,
not that she
still
had doubts that she would
n’t
be enough for him, because she knew that she w
ould. S
he just wanted it to happen when there was no one out there trying to kill them.