Page 19 of Bound By Blood

“Do you have heightened strength?”

“Yes. All of our senses are heightened as well. We smell things better, we are faster, and we hear things easier. We even feel things differently. Every touch is magnified,” he explained. That was a far easier question to answer.

All of a sudden, a wicked grin spread across her face as she reached across the table, running her finger down his forearm. The simple touch seemed to set his body on fire and awaken things he had thought long since dead. His pants became unbearably tight, and his body erupted in goosebumps, something that hadn’t happened in centuries. His body stiffened as he struggled to contain his dark half.

“So, this? What does it feel like?”

When she moved to run her finger over his flesh again, he snatched her wrist in his hand, preventing her from doing so. His eyes darkened as his gums began to ache. “Don’t,” he warned.

“Or what?” Carly asked, cocking her head to the side.

Landon’s jaw clenched as he stared at her, so many dark and twisted thoughts swirling around in his mind. After a few moments, he finally released her wrist. “Just… just don’t.”

Her touch was too much for him to handle. It was too much sensation, more than he had ever felt. It roused the monster inside of him and had him wanting to bend her over the table. He could vividly imagine what it would feel like to be inside of her, and that wasn’t helping matters.

Thankfully, Doris came back with a plate of food in her hands, completely unaware of the tension pulled taut between them. When she righted herself, she smiled brightly. “Are you sure you don’t want any food, handsome?”

Landon looked over at her and gave her his famous panty-dropping smile. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Thank you, though.”

Doris’ cheeks flushed crimson before she turned and rushed away. It was probably the first time in a long time that someone flirted with her, and while he would never follow through, he was happy to give her that moment of happiness.

“So, you can be nice to her, but apparently not with me,” Carly grumbled under her breath.

Landon cocked an eyebrow. “She is not a stubborn brat. Unlike you,” he retorted.

Instead of responding, Carly bit into her hamburger, chewed, and then swallowed. Landon watched the movement of her neck with rapt attention, noticing the bandage that covered his bitemarks. He didn’t like that. He understood why she did it, but he still didn’t like feeling as though she were ashamed of it.

“I suppose I should just take it as a compliment that I’m still breathing,” she commented, a small smile curving her lips. “Admit it, some part of you likes me.”

“You intrigue me. There’s a difference,” he muttered, refusing to admit that she was right.

Carly smiled and took another bite. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as she finished her meal. Landon continued to watch her closely, trying to figure out what it was that was developing between them. Unfortunately, by the time she was done, he wasn’t anywhere closer to doing so.

Leaning back in the booth, Carly folded her hands over her stomach. “So, what happens now? Like, now that I know everything. What happens to me if it’s against your laws for me to know?”

Landon was shaking his head before she finished speaking. “Nothing. As long as I believe you are not a risk of exposing us and our existence, then no one else has to know that I let you live.”

“So…” She looked down at her hands and swallowed as if the next question was hard for her to vocalize. “Is this the last time I’ll see you?”

Smirking, Landon draped his arm over the back of the booth. “So, there’s a part of you that likes me too. You don’t like the thought of not seeing me again, do you?”

Carly rolled her eyes. “What I don’t like is learning about this secret society of monsters that live in the city, only to go back to my boring and normal life.”

“Well, what else did you expect, sweetheart?” he asked pointedly. “You don’t belong in my world.” She was far too sweet and innocent for that, for the likes of him.

He wasn’t saying that with any form of malice, nor was he trying to instigate her. He legitimately meant what he was saying. She was human, and his world was beyond dangerous, even for him. He couldn’t bear the thought of her getting caught up in the depravity he dealt with on a daily basis.

The sun had started peeking over the horizon, bathing the windows in its glow and highlighting Carly’s more striking features. She shrugged. “Then show me your world, Landon.”

Landon’s jaw clenched again. “I just told you that you don’t belong in it. Why would I show it to you?”

Anger dashed across her face, her eyes narrowing. “Do you think I’m afraid of your world? Of you? Because I can assure you that I’m not. I feel drawn to your world, Landon, and I know there’s a reason for it. If you let me go, I’ll never stop searching for those answers or for a way to be a part of it.”

Landon leaned across the table, his own eyes narrowed. His hands were clenched into fists in his lap to hide the fact that they were trembling. Though whether it was from his anger at her threatening to put herself in danger like that or excitement over the possibility of her feeling the same pull he did, he didn’t know. But he was determined to find out.

“Is it really my world you are drawn to? Or is it me? And I want the truth. If you lie to me, I’ll know, and I will never give you what you want.” His voice had gone low and husky, surprising even him.

Carly looked away from him, color creeping to her cheeks as she fiddled with a crumb on the table with her index finger. It took her a long moment before she spoke again. “Both.”