Page 45 of Bound By Blood

He pressed his lips together. “Then what do you want, Carly? Do you really think we can have something when, every minute, you get older and closer to dying? I’m not being an ass here, I really want to know what it is that you want.”

Tears lined her eyes when she eventually looked at him. “A few decades are better than no decades.”

He sighed heavily and pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go talk to Kata first before we begin making big decisions. Okay? I won’t write it off completely, but we need more information first.”

She nodded against this chest. It wasn’t a straightforward answer that he wanted what she wanted, but it was a start. And it wasn’t a flat no, either. She had hope, and it was possible this Kata girl would show Landon that maybe they were meant to be together.

Landon released her and slid her food back toward her. “Eat, Carly. Please.”

She nodded a little, exhaling to relieve the ache in her chest, and picked up her fork.

Chapter 17

Landon Creed

It was mid-afternoon by the time Landon pulled the rental car up in front of the old, decrepit cabin. It was smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but trees and gently rolling hills.

The cabin itself was unremarkable. It was in a state of disrepair with a couple of the front windows cracked or broken. The roof appeared to be one strong gust of wind away from caving in, and the wood that the cabin was made of looked old and rotted in some places. If it weren’t for the fact that he could smell the remnants of recent bloodshed, he’d assume the place was abandoned altogether.

Landon took a few moments to survey the area from the safety of the car. It had been a while since he’d felt anything close to nervousness, but he feared for Carly’s safety. Kata had been on her own for a long time. Bringing Carly with him was like ringing the dinner bell to a banished vampire, but he knew that he would defend her to the death should the need arise. That was the only thought that kept him from turning the car around and taking her back to the safety of their own cabin.

Despite telling her otherwise the night before, Landon had no intention of allowing things to continue between him and Carly. It painted a target on her back, put her in danger, and he wouldn’t do that to her. There was no longer any point in denying it; he cared an awful lot about her, and her safety was his top priority. He didn’t like lying to her. It made him feel dirty, but he just kept telling himself it was for her own good. She’d never let it go if she knew that he was still planning on breaking the bond.

“It looks haunted,” Carly muttered, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He peered over at her to see her staring out the windshield to the cabin in front of them. “In a way, it is,” he replied. “Kata’s been on her own for centuries. There’s no telling what kind of state we will find her in. Make sure you stick close to me. Please.”

There he went using that word again. It was becoming a common thing now because it was the only way to get Carly to see how serious he was about something.

She turned her gaze to him and nodded once. “Pinky promise.”

With her promise still hanging in the air, the two of them climbed out of the car. All of Landon’s predatory instincts kicked into high gear as he surveyed the area. He could tell that the vampire was close. She probably knew the moment they turned onto the lone dirt road that led to the cabin. Problem was he was incapable of pinpointing her exact location. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves had him tensing.

All of a sudden, a blur came out of nowhere, and Landon found himself flying across the drive and slamming into a nearby tree. All the air was forced out of his lungs in a huff, and his head spun briefly, having been caught off guard by the attack.

At the sound of Carly’s scream, his head snapped up to see her on the ground, a rabid-looking woman on top of her. Her claw-like nails were digging into the side of Carly’s neck, piercing the skin and drawing blood. Carly’s pleasing scent filled the air, sending Landon into a frenzy.

Kata was dressed in ratty clothes and a torn black cloak. Her once blonde hair was matted and so dirty it appeared almost gray in color. The vampire was filthy as if she hadn’t bathed in months, and the bottoms of her feet were blackened and calloused as she wasn’t wearing shoes.

It only took a matter of seconds for Landon to regain his composure before he was bolting across the drive. He managed to reach the two women just as Kata’s fangs sank into Carly’s delicate flesh. An animalistic growl escaped his lips as he ripped the vampire off of Carly.

Slamming Kata into a nearby tree, he snarled in her face in warning, hating the way Carly’s blood dripped from her lips. She snarled back at him, and his grip on her throat tightened, cutting off her air supply. Unfortunately, Kata was much stronger than he anticipated, and she shoved him off of her. Her eyes darted back toward Carly, her intention clear. Just as she lunged toward Carly once more, Landon grabbed her and used his enhanced strength to fling her in the opposite direction.

Landon rushed after her, and the two of them began fighting, nothing but blurs shooting around the property due to their speed. His only thought was to keep her as far away from Carly as possible, and thankfully, he was succeeding in that matter.

Kata’s claws scored down his cheek, drawing blood and tearing his skin. He countered with a punch to the woman’s jaw. He heard the bones snap beneath the force of his fist, but vampires healed quickly, and he knew that it wouldn’t stop her.

Kata lunged at him, her legs wrapping around his waist as she tackled him to the ground. He bucked his hips, flipping her off of him before he climbed on top of her and slammed her head into the ground hard enough to dent the frozen earth below.

“Enough!” he bellowed at her, the strength of his voice echoing in the air around them. Kata snarled angrily but stopped fighting him. “We aren’t here to hurt you. All we want is answers. But if you keep going after Carly, I won’t hesitate to end your miserable existence.”

Kata’s chest rose and fell quickly, her eyes searching him. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“My name is Landon Creed,” he replied. “And I already told you; I’m looking for answers.”

“Creed,” she spat. “I don’t deal with Creeds.”

“I know what my father did to you, Kata. I know that he banished you. But I am here because you are the only one who can tell me about the bond between Carly and me.”