Page 86 of A Vampire Bewitched
Emma stomped down the passageway until she had to stop and wait for Nik and the torch he’d snagged off of the wall. As soon as he’d caught up to her, she turned on him. “I’m only going as far as the end of the tunnel. And then I’m waiting for my sister.”
She began walking again, and didn’t give him a chance to reply.
What the hell was Keira doing? She couldn’t really want to stay there with that…that…monster that was Nik’s brother. Could she?
Angry tears ran down her face. She should have fought harder to bring her sister with her. Nik should have fought harder. It washisbrother, after all.
Her mind spinning and her heart breaking in too many tiny pieces, Emma shook with anger as she trekked through the passageway, swiping at the tears that wouldn’t stop.
She couldn’t decide if she was angrier with Nik, with Keira, with Luukas, or with herself.
Nik let her go,not blaming her in the slightest for the way she was feeling, but not knowing what to say to fix it. His own mind was spinning, worrying about Aiden, and worrying about his brother.
The one thing hewasn’tworried about was his brother hurting that female. He’d seen the possessive way he’d looked at her. The way he’d immediately let her go as soon as he’d realized he was hurting her.
No, he wasn’t worried about him harming her.
His brother’s mind, on the other hand—yeah, that was another story. He’d never seen him this disoriented before. Guilt wracked Nik until he could barely breathe. He should have searched every inch of the earth for him. Instead, he’d given up and waited for something to happen.
That wasn’t exactly true, but still, there was no excuse for it. Luukas had obviously suffered severely over the years—more than Nik could ever have guessed—to the point his mind may never be right again. He’d never be able to make it up to him.
And Nik wouldn’t blame him if his brother never forgave him.
They traversed the length of the tunnel, each lost in their own thoughts, until they hit the creek again. Emma picked up speed as the passageway widened and the moonlight lit up the night outside. Bursting out into the fresh air, she followed the shoreline until, with a loud sob, she broke into a run.
With a curse, Nik tossed the torch he carried into the flowing water and picked up his pace. His chest ached with her pain. And his own too.
But he was going to fix it. He was going to fix everything. He knew how to keep her safe, and how to take away her pain. And he would send her sister home to her as soon as he could get her away from Luukas.
He caught up to her just as she stumbled to a halt, but when he reached out to steady her, she slapped his hand away.
“Don’t touch me! Don’t you ever touch me again!”
Though he’d expected it, the force of her anger hit him full in the chest. “Emma…” he pleaded.
Whipping around, she raised her hands and threw all of her weight into shoving him away. “Don’t ‘Emma’ me! You son of a bitch!”
She covered her face with her hands, and Nik gave her a minute to collect herself. He was glad this was happening sooner rather than later. No matter his feelings for her, she would come to resent him for binding her life to his so selfishly. For making her give up her life to keep her captive in his. He knew this, and he couldn’t in good conscience allow her to throw away her life. Not for him. If he did, he would be no better than Leeha.
He was going to break his promise to her.
With a shuddering breath, she dropped her arms down to her sides and stared up at him, her hazel eyes bright with tears. “You left her there. Just left her there withhim. What if he hurts her? He’s your brother! Why didn’t you do something! If not for her, then for me!” she accused.
Nik felt helpless. “No, Emma. No. How could you think—”
“YOU LEFT HER!!” she screamed her anger and frustration at him.
Nik bared his fangs at her, his own emotions getting the best of him. “I did leave her there! I didn’t know what he was going to do! And you wouldn’t STOP, Emma! You wouldn’t fucking STOP! He could have killed you with a fuckingthought. You don’t know what he’s capable of! I probably saved your fucking LIFE!”
She reared back like he’d slapped her.
Stabbing his hands through his hair, he backed off. But when he looked at her again, he knew things would never be the same between them. She was never going to forgive him.
An icy-cold tranquility came over him. Let her hate him. He was good with that.
Nik stepped closer and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him. When her eyes met his, he caught and held them with his own. Ignoring the voice in his head raging against what he was about to do, he burrowed into her mind with his own.
Emma became complacent as all of the tension drained from her body. Her pupils dilated until there was no color left, only black.
