Page 22 of Bound By Blood

Carly shrugged indifferently. “It was worth a shot. So, no vampire children, but you have a father. Is he your real father, or just the man who changed you?”

He relaxed a little once more, now that the line of questioning had changed again. “He’s my real father, but he’s also the one who changed me after my mother died.”

She took that nugget of information and stored it away in a pocket of her mind that was solely meant for all things Landon Creed. “And when did your mother die?” She knew she was pressing her luck, but she wanted to know more about him. Any answer he gave her, she was interested in.

She sipped her drink, waiting for his answer.

“In the year thirteen-fifty-one.”

“And how old were you when she died?” Was she being insensitive? Yes. Was she prying? Also yes.

He frowned at her. “I was twenty-seven.”

She spluttered into her drink. “You’re almost seven hundred years old?”

“Yes.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” she said quickly, resting her glass on the counter but keeping her fingers wrapped around it. “I just have more questions now.”

Landon nodded as if he expected it. She could tell he was somewhat reluctant but motioned toward one of the leather couches. “Then why don’t we sit down? Clearly, we are going to be here a while, and we may as well be comfortable.”

He led them out of the kitchen, grabbing the bottle of whiskey on the way, and they both sat on the couch, him on one end and her on the other. Once they were both seated and settled, she peppered him with questions about his past. She wanted to know everything. What wars he’d lived through, what plagues he endured, what catastrophes he’d witnessed. He answered without hesitation.

When she was finished with her questions, she leaned forward and placed her empty glass on the coffee table. As she leaned away, she noted how high the sun was in the sky. It had to be past noon. Have they really been talking that long?

Time with Landon passed by quickly, she realized. And she didn’t mind. She felt drawn to him, even looking at him now, watching him study her, she couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the same, so she blurted, “Do you feel as drawn to me as I feel to you?”

She blushed, realizing how forward that must have sounded.

He licked his lips and cleared his throat before setting his glass on the coffee table next to hers. “Yes.”

She found herself annoyed that he didn’t elaborate. She snapped, “Are you going to explain why?” She needed answers. This draw didn’t feel natural. It felt warm, even when he was glaring and growling at her earlier. She trusted him. She felt safe with him, something she’d never felt in her entire life.

“I would if I had the answer to that. I’ve already been to the elders, and they couldn’t tell me either. Though, they gave me the information for someone who can. I just haven’t decided if I’m going to contact her or not.”

She cocked her head to the side. She wasn’t one to sit on something. She’d always needed the answers to her problems, though she wasn’t sure if having Landon was a problem or not. In fact, she rather liked his company. Still, she desired answers.

“What did the elders tell you?” She didn’t know who the elders were, but they sounded rather important. Wise, even.

He leaned back against the plush couch and folded his arms across his chest. “Honestly? I’m not sure you’re ready to hear the answer to that.”

She leaned a little closer to him. “In case you haven’t noticed, I like answers to my questions.”

He studied her for a bit and then shrugged. “Fine. They claim that the reason I couldn’t kill you is because you’re important to me. Though, they didn’t exactly know why. I’m still trying to figure out if they are right or not.” She could tell he was uncomfortable admitting that to her.

The fact that he said she was important to him only made her feel a little giddy inside. It explained why he’d started to feel important to her. She couldn’t explain it any better than he could. She decided to keep that to herself though. “Why wouldn’t you want answers to that? Why wouldn’t you contact the person you could get answers from?”

“I do want answers. Believe me, I don’t like feeling this out of control. I don’t like the unknown, Carly, and that’s exactly what you are. However, contacting Kata is against the rules my father set. If I contact her and get caught, the price I will pay will be with blood. My father doesn’t take someone breaking the rules lightly, even his own son.”

“Lucky for you, I break the rules frequently.” She grinned wickedly. “Where can I find this all-knowing person?” She’d go herself if she had to.

Chapter 9

Landon Creed

For someone who hated it when people pried into his life, Landon felt as though he had been fairly patient with Carly and all of her probing questions. Never, in his vampire life, had he been subjected to such an interrogation. However, he knew it was bound to happen now that she knew the truth about him and what he was.

Landon had made the decision to take her back to his place so that they could talk freely without the risk of being overheard. Especially since he seemed incapable of keeping anything from her. It was as if there was a part of him that actually wanted her to get to know him and who he was. It was a strange feeling, and he didn’t recognize the person he was with her around.