AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And why not herself? He knew that’s what she failed to say, knew in her heart that’s what hurt her the most. Why did she live when her family had to die?
“You are not so different from me,” Levka said, kissing her cheek. “I felt the same way concerning the death of my family.”
“You said your father died in the war? Was it the Persian Gulf War?”
“An earlier one in a foreign land. Many battles fought overseas are not even mentioned in the States.” Which was the truth. The Marcher Baron battles along the border of Wales are not in the history books taught in the States. Or at least the classes he took. His extended canines began to recede.
“You said your mother and sister were killed, too.”
“Yes, by an army that slaughtered the innocents along with those of us who fought them.”
“You, you fought these men?”
“Not then, not until I was older.” And then to his horror, he’d come down with the plague. Some had died, and others… He shook his head. Others like him and his friends became a new race. Improved in some ways, cursed in others.
“Levka, do you need us to relieve you sometime during the night?” Arman asked.
“Thanks, Arman, but I’ll manage.”
Levka kissed Caitlin’s lips one more time and hugged her to his chest. “You will be my undoing, siren.”
She smiled sweetly, but the look was too sexy to be that.
“I’ll come for you in the morning. But remember, don’t invite—”
“Vlad in. Yes. I have that down. Thanks for listening to all my woes and still being a friend.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
The door opened and Alicia glared at them. “Out, Levka. If you can throw Dylan out of here…”
“He’s not a creep like Dylan is,” Caitlin said.
Pleased she’d defend him, Levka squeezed her hand. “See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, honey,” Caitlin said to Levka, then gave Alicia a smug look.
Alicia’s look couldn’t have been any more fired up. When Levka shut the door behind him, Alicia said to Caitlin, “Honey? Mate? When my parents hear of your behavior, they’ll ground you until you graduate from high school. And here you’ve always pretended to be Miss Goody Goody.”
Caitlin didn’t say a word.
Levka paced in the hallway outside their stateroom. He had every intention of returning to the room, but should he wait until the girls had gone to bed?
He couldn’t risk it. Invisibly, he returned to the room.
Caitlin was gone. He assumed from the sound of the shower, she was taking one. Alicia was already wearing a long T-shirt and pajama bottoms, pea soup green, sitting on the farthest bed from the sofa, closest to the bathroom, painting her toenails.
Levka retired to the sofa. A little too short for his long legs, but it would have to do. At least while he was in the room, Vlad couldn’t get to the girls.
He yawned. But when Caitlin walked out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, he quickly closed his eyes.
“Bathroom’s free.”
Even though she spoke with annoyance, her voice was like the mermaid’s sweet melody. He fought opening his eyes, gentleman that he was. After nine-hundred years you’d think he could be a bit of a rogue when it came to women.
He couldn’t help himself. She would be his mate, and he wasn’t a eunuch after all. He opened one eye.
Chapter 16
