Page 81 of Kiss the Dawn
There’s a soft knock on the bedroom door, and Hemlock enters. “Blinds are down,” he says. “If you want to come into the sitting room. I picked up some blood for you too. You’ll need it after…” His gaze drops to Orina. “I’ve sent a message to Ordell letting him know what’s happened and contacted the Order. A white wing liaison will be in touch to confirm that Loviator’s prison is fully sealed now.”
“There must be something they can do about?—”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Ordell and I can live with our curses so long as that bitch never gets free. I do worry about the triplets, though…”
Learning that I was an uncle had come as a nice surprise that was quickly tainted by questions of whether I would have the chance to be in the triplets’ lives. Ordell and Hemlock had assumed that our curses were linked. That once I had my humanity back and Loviator was locked up, then Ordell would be free of his beast and Hemlock free of the destructive power that yearns to course through him.
But it seems that their curses have no relation to mine. The only person that can lift them is Loviator herself. “Maybe there’s time for the white wings to negotiate with her before?—”
“No more deals,” Hemlock says. “It’s over. We should live our lives the best we can.”
His gaze is on Orina as he says this. “She overcame her darkness to save you, didn’t she?”
“Yes.” A surge of love for this woman leaves me breathless. “The spell meant for me almost bled her dry. She was willing to give her life for me. I can’t even…” My throat tightens. “I will honor and love her for eternity. No harm shall befall her. I’ll cut down anyone who tries.”
“Of course you will.” There’s a wistful edge to his smile.
“I want her to be happy. Fulfilled.” I take her handand force myself to utter words that cut deep but need to be said. “If that means she must love more men than just me, then so be it.”
He looks at me with sharp eyes. “What are you saying?”
“I know how you feel about her. I’m not blind, Hemlock. I know she’s mated to Ordell and has feelings for Kaster Black.”
“And Lorenzo Crescent,” he adds.
I stifle a groan of displeasure. “I’ll speak with her once she’s awake and fully healed. I will not keep the woman I love in a cage. Her heart will never be a prisoner.”
“I’ve missed you, brother,” Hemlock says. “It’s good to have you back.”
Although the memories of my past returned to me when Orina pulled me out of my cycle of nightmares, the emotions that accompanied them had been absent. Now, with my humanity restored, I feel them all. I know this man. I love him. My baby brother.
I cross the room and pull him into a hug. “I’m sorry I was gone so long.”
He tenses for a beat and then hugs me back, squeezing me to him. “I fucking missed you.”
A soft groan from the bed has us breaking apart. We rush to Orina’s side as she opens her eyes. It takes a moment for her to focus, and then she looks from me to Hemlock, a small frown marring her forehead.
“Is this one ofthosedreams?”
Hemlock chokes back a laugh, and I don’t bother masking my grin.
She blinks sharply at me. “You have a beautiful smile. You should do it more often…Oh…Oh!” She sits up suddenly, panic tightening her features.
“It’s okay,” Hemlock says, pressing her back onto the bed. “Everything is okay.”
She breathes fast and shallowly as she centers herself. “You best fill me in.”
Hemlock smiles and nods my way, giving me the floor.
I exhale and say the words that will set her free. “You did it, Orina…You broke the curse.”
Her eyes flare, and then she smiles, and I’m bathed in sunlight.
How can watchinga woman take a call be so fascinating? Probably because the woman is Orina, and she’s wearing a loose T-shirt and shorts with fluffy socks that make her look adorable.
She paces as she speaks and plays with tendrils of hair that have escaped the messy knot on her head.
It’s been three hours since she woke, and she’s full of energy. Vampire blood can do that to a human, and she just had her fill of vampire king blood. It’ll take a few days for it to filter from her system.
