Page 49 of A Velvet Kiss After Dark

"No." Hostility entered Kane's voice. "And, you won't either, or you'll never get home."

"You don't scare me, wolf. I fight my own battles." Graham winked his way, irritating Kane further.

"Why don't you scout ahead for the vamps you seem to like so much. Let's see what news they bring."

Sighing heavily, Graham nodded, and then a moment later his werewolf form burst forth and off he tore at a fast gait.

Kane sidled up to Tabitha who looked more like a squad command leader than a pencil pusher. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Good, and how's your stomach holding up?" He'd given her a nutritional bar and a bottle of water he carried in his backpack earlier that morning. He knew they tasted like garbage, but it was better than nothing.

"Fine."

He prowled next to her, his disposition souring. After their brief encounter last night in which he helped to bring her out of her anxiety attack, he'd found himself falling in love with her, so close to her, that even through their caked-on clothes of sweat and blood, he'd found himself enamored with her and desiring to place his mouth against hers and feel just how supple they really were. Of course, she'd flailed around instead and screeched in his ear for him to get away as her fear response was still heightened.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "I've sent Graham ahead of us to search for any sign of Alexis and Seth, but we need to quicken our pace, is that alright with you?"

She stomped faster and left him in the dust.

Whistling low beneath his breath, he thanked his lucky stars this woman had grit. If she didn't, she'd never make it beside him, whether in Hell or in regular life.

Kane quickened his stride to easily match her. His mind ran a mile a minute with a thousand questions he wanted to ask her. What kind of music did she like? Did she enjoy dancing? Does she like to gamble? He was particularly fond of gambling. Did she desire to have kids someday? Would she ever date a werewolf? Would she like to live with him instead of moving to another apartment? Did she ever wish to be married? Most people did, so he felt assured about that. What were her fears of the world? Her greatest tragedy? Why did she feel the need to publish junk when she could be writing the next Great American Novel like a John Steinbeck?

Hours passed and Kane had long lost sight of Graham, but he trusted the werewolf with his life. He'd return shortly with news of Alexis and Seth. He remained optimistic that they were close to the Castle of Illusions—whatever the hell that was, but they'd yet to see any signs of roads or life, for that matter, that didn't seek to consume them.

Tabitha teetered as she walked, but furiously trudged on bravely. He had to smile at that, but he dared not show her his grin, for if he so much as looked kindly at her, her eyes raged at him like a spitting mad rattlesnake.

She was beyond tired and had yet to sleep an iota since entering the portal. Neither had he, and he worried much about her welfare and capabilities once things got dicey again, and they always did.

He tried varying forms of topics to get her to speak, but she was locked up tighter than a bank vault. He knew what she was going through. He understood it. Fear and fighting did that to a person, it could change you in an instance and leave you on high-alert for the rest of your days. She'd been imprisoned by a slaver, portaled to Hell, had to fight for her life on several occasions, nearly burned up by a dragon, and eaten by a giant earth worm. This was a dangerous place, and he'd barely been able to keep her alive. Thankfully, she was sharp as a tact, and good with a weapon—all things he adored about her.

"You ever think about marrying?"

She stumbled so fast, he had to reach out to jerk her upright to keep her from falling.

"W-what? Why are you asking me that?" she said, shaking his hand off her.

He'd touched a nerve.

He shrugged. "Just making conversation," he said.

"And that's where your mind is at?" She scoffed. "Please, Kánnérd Gunner, I am not in the marriage market or on any other market for that matter. Just let me be!"

He had no defense to speak of, for that was exactly where his mind was at. In werewolf culture, one must obtain permission from their alpha, if they retained one, in order to facilitate a mating ritual. And having an alpha, and thus a pack at your disposal was necessary for protection from other species like humans or vampires. It gave you more rights, without which you could be robbed and murdered of your life and have none there to defend your name or honor. With a pack, however, you had the fearsome clan of thousands who'd stand behind you with so much as an order from the alpha. It was a powerful thing and not one he took lightly, even as much of a loner and renegade as he was. And, he'd do the same to help his pack, if called upon. Besides, Ezekial had proven to be a true and genuine soul to Kane and thus he had no qualms about lying his blade down to fight for or beside him.

Blasted, but he wanted Ezekial's permission to pursue this woman for a happily ever after of his own. The whole thought had drastically changed him from the moment Ezekial revealed the truth to him—that Tabitha Burke was aligned to be his fated mate. That unveiling reminded him of why he'd wanted to check in on her so frequently, or seek her out for frivolous communications, just to check in on her or flirt, as he'd always found her intoxicating attractive. Now, he understood his feelings for her were far more serious than he'd ever known.

This was why Ezekial had gone (and would go) to the ends of the earth for his mate Olivia. This is why he'd been driven mad when she'd been taken from him for hundreds of years. Now he understood why Ezekial had been driven insane, for if he but had an iota of Tabitha's earthly affections, he feared he'd fall so head-long into love, he'd give up everything to be with her.

So, on they trekked at a brisk pace, his gaze constantly scanning and following Graham's tracks before the wind could sweep them away, and only occasionally eying the petite prize at his side. Smelly or not, he adored her, and he'd be honored to welcome this fighting warrior into his life if she could look past his dark history.

18

A steepled building like that of a church became the focus of her entire world. It sat entrenched by stone walls. The front gate held a portico and drawbridge. The door had been let open, and two guards stood stationed beside it, eying them as she ran for freedom.

Tabitha Burke decimated Kane as she found a surge of energy from inside her to out-sprint him the rest of the way. A town, a village, a city or something! It was here and it must be real and not some oasis of the mind. Holy crud, but she didn't even care at this point if these people had gross, ugly goblins sitting below their city in little hidey-holes and dilapidated tunnels, or slave trafficking, she simply wanted some fresh fruit juice, a clean shower, and new clothes! At this point, she was ready to hold them all at gun point until they handed over every last wish she needed to be filled.

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