Alejandro hadn’t gone down easy, as evidenced by the condition of his office. There had been blood, papers, books, and broken decorations everywhere in the room. Had it been more than one who attacked him?
He thought that was more than likely.
If Elena was stubborn enough to return to the compound, he couldn’t stop her, but it wasn’t safe there. He suspected her hatred of vampires would propel her away from him and back toward the safety of where she grew up. Plus, her mother was there, and for all he knew, Elena was someone’s wife and mother.
The idea of her being married to another man caused an involuntary sneer to curve his upper lip. His hands clenched on the cloth before he took it away and placed it back in the bowl. He turned away from her as he labored to suppress the demon within him.
Feeling strong enough to brave the irritation of the woodpecker, Elena dared to crack open an eye. Her blurred vision didn’t let her see much, but the warm washcloth rested against her forehead again.
It had been years since someone had taken care of her. No one, since she left the compound, had taken care of her. Even before then, her mother hadn’t sat beside her bed in years to nurse her back to health. Mainly because, like most hunters, she seldom got sick.
“Mama?” she croaked.
Before the voice responded, she knew she was wrong. The smell of nutmeg didn’t belong to her mother. Her mom smelled of roses and spices and home. This smell, while pleasant, also had an underlying aroma of wildness to it that was intriguing.
“I’m not your mother,” the man replied.
And it couldn’t be her father either. They werefinallytalking again, but there was no reason for them to be at her apartment, taking care of her.
But then, there was no reason foranyoneelse to be at her apartment taking care of her. What was going on here?
When her eyes flew open, the influx of light sent the woodpecker into a demented flurry. It bounced around her brain like it had eaten a ton of Pop Rocks and was about to explode.
She closed her eyes again, but she pushed the hand away when the washcloth settled against her forehead once more. She hated that her attempt to do so was far feebler than she intended.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“I’m a friend.”
“I don’t have any friends,” she muttered.
“You do now.”
She wanted to believe him, but after her time living on the streets, saying she had trust issues was a bit of an understatement. Since the woodpecker wasn’t going to let her figure out what was going on here, she sank back into what she assumed was a bed and gave herself over to the unconsciousness tugging at her.
Chapter Six
It was sometime laterbefore Elena stirred again. When she did, Logan left Asher’s side to settle beside her on the bed. As the mattress sank beneath his weight, her lashes fluttered open to reveal her eyes.
The pure black color of them reminded him of a panther on the prowl, and for a second, he found himself lost to their striking depths. He had a feeling if he got too caught up in them, they might prove to be every bit as lethal to him as the panther.
Her long, dark brown hair with its subtle strands of chestnut at the end fell around her shoulders and across her breasts. Without thinking, he brushed aside the bangs falling to her nose. Her heart-shaped face was beautiful, and the color had crept back into her golden skin.
For a minute, he found himself mesmerized by her, but her narrowing eyes made it clear she didnotfeel the same way.
“Vampire,” she hissed.
“Logan.”
“What?” she demanded.
“My name is Logan Paskin, not vampire. The hunter on the other bed is Asher.”
Elena glowered at him. “I don’t care what your name is.”
She was going to be a fun nut to crack, Logan decided. But then, she’d probably prefer not to be cracked, and she definitely was not going to get to know him better. Why did that realization bother him so much?
“You killed my father,” she said.
