Deny Me If You Can (6 page)

“Luckily, the bond isn't sealed,” Jillian went on. “He wasn't inside of her when they exchanged blood.”

Shane looked worried. “Jaromir?”

“It's none of your damn business what I do or not do, Jillian.”

Jaromir turned around and made sure that Megan stayed behind him. Was he protecting her?

“What is going through your mind, my friend?” Shane asked.

Jaromir hissed.
“She's mine.”

Something inside of Megan hummed from satisfaction.
She did like to hear that she was his because she considered him being hers too, in a possessive kind of way.

Megan tensed.

Damn, that sounded so weird. It had to be the bond talking. What else could it be? She didn't even know the guy for heaven's sake! Yeah, she had gone crazy. There was no doubt about it. That was what happened to you after spending time inside a mad house filled with vampires, she told herself. She and Jaromir were definitely going to have a long and hopefully nice talk when this was over. She was sure that he had used his powers on her.

“It's only a hunt, Jaromir,” Shane said. “The hunt has
awakened primitive vampire traits within you. You should calm down and not touch the human anymore. That way the bond will fade soon.”

Jaromir hissed again, louder this time. He pulled Megan into his arms and held her tight while he glared at Shane and Jillian. “Touch her and you're dead.”

Surprise filled Shane's eyes and he stared at Jaromir. This situation had to be unusual among vampires considering how Shane reacted to Jaromir's words. She had expected anger, and not surprise. Shane looked like as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

But then Shane looked at her, and he looked a little bit too long. There was something in his eyes. At first
there was suspiciousness before a thought of deeper meaning seemed to cross his mind. He nodded to himself and then he looked her over as if he was judging her. Megan gulped. What was he judging her for? This wasn't some kind of beauty contest!

Jillian reacted differently to Jaromir's words. She hissed back before she attacked. Megan hadn't seen it coming, but
thankfully Jaromir had. He pulled her away from him at the same moment Jillian threw herself at him. Megan didn't need to think twice to know that Jillian had aimed for her, but Jaromir had placed himself in the way. Jaromir's hard push made Megan land on the floor.

“Shit,” she cursed and turned her head to watch Jaromir and Jillian.

Jillian attacked him like crazy. She hissed and screamed while pure anger and madness radiating from her. She behaved even crazier than Jaromir had when he had stated that Megan was his.

The world of the vampires became more and more clear to
Megan. Jillian wanted Jaromir for herself, she maybe even loved him. Jillian wasn't going to stand by and watch a human take what was hers. Instead, she would fight to the death.

Jillian turned toward her, ready to attack
. Megan gasped and backed away when Jillian launched at her. Jaromir was faster and grabbed Jillian by the waste to hold her back.

“Run, Megan!” he yelled.

Megan didn't hesitate. She got up on her feet and ran out of the room.

Jillian was no match for Jaromir. She was strong, but he could easily wrestle her down, and that was exactly what he did. He
needed her to calm down, and he needed to calm himself to understand what had just happened.

He grabbed Jillian by the throat and pinned her to the floor. “One move and I will break your neck.”
He looked up at Shane. “Go after Megan. Tell her not to leave. Tell her that the hunt is still on.”

Shane didn't move from the spot. He stared at Jaromir with a serious gaze. His eyes
asked what was going on. He wanted answers. Jaromir looked down at Jillian to avoid Shane's gaze. He had no answers to give right now.

“Go,” he demanded and Shane finally left the room. “Now it's just you and me, Jillian.”

She flashed her fangs and hissed. She was still in a fighting mode, but he had lost all his will to fight. Instead, his head was filled with images of sweet Megan who had driven him into a maddening passion. It had been a bliss, a desire so wild that he hadn't been able to stop himself. He couldn't even remember what had crossed through his mind when he had allowed her to drink from him while he taken her blood. He knew very well that it created a bond, but to exchange blood was also sacred among vampires. It only happened between those who swore loyalty, love and trust to the other for the rest of their life. The bond created a mental connection so strong that only death could break it.  The bond he now had with Megan wasn't set, just like Jillian had said, but it was as strong as any other bond. He didn't want it to fade.

Jaromir closed his eyes and
felt Megan's emotions within him. She was scared, but feisty and filled with determination. But there was also sadness and confusion. It was a mess of emotions, and she didn't know what to do.

Jaromir realized that he enjoyed
feeling her emotions, to feel her this close to him. He also realized that he could keep pushing what he knew aside and pretend like it wasn't happening, but he knew very well what was happening. Every part of his body screamed it. He just had to make his mind understand it as well.

Megan
was
his mate.

That was the only thing that could explain his actions. It was time to stop denying it.
Somehow he would fix all this and make Megan see that she belonged with him. But right now all this was to her was a hunt, a way to save her sister. For him, these few hours had become so much more.

But first ...

Jaromir squeezed his hand tighter around Jillian's throat. “I never believed that you were this stupid, Jillian. Do you think that I will forgive you for walking in on me and Megan?” She opened her mouth to answer, but he didn't let her by covering her mouth. “Save it. I'm not interested in hearing what you have to say.”

Jillian pushed his hand away.
“You are a big liar, Jaromir. You said this was nothing but a hunt, that she would be gone when it was over.”

Jaromir snorted. He remembered saying that, but much had changed since then, even if it was just a moment ago. “What do you have against
Megan? You don't even know her. You haven't even spoken with her.”

“She's a woman, and a human, but a woman above all ... and she's getting something she doesn't deserve.”

Jillian sounded furious and Jaromir could see both pain and anger radiate from her eyes. Jillian was jealous, and it made him sigh heavily. Apparently it didn't matter how many times he told her that it was over between them. She would never accept that, even if they haven't been lovers for almost a decade. He'd had these discussions with Jillian way too many times, and he was sick of them. And above all, he didn't have the time for this right now. The hunt was still on, and he needed to get to Megan. His body was screaming for her, and so was the bond. It was pulling at him, telling him to get up on his feet and go after his woman instead of wasting time on Jillian.

Yes, his woman.

Amazing how fast things could change in a matter of a few hours.

“I'm going to let you go,” he hissed
between his teeth. “And if I ever see you near Megan again ...”

Her eyes narrowed. “Are you threatening me?”

“Oh yes.”

He roughly let go of her throat and stood up.
Jaromir didn't spare Jillian a last look before he left the room.

Megan headed for the stairs. She had to get out of here. She should
never have come here. It had been a huge mistake, and now she was paying for it big time. What had gone through her head when she had drunk from his shoulder? Apparently nothing because she had just done it. Just like that, without asking any questions. That bastard had used his powers on her. It was all his doing. It pissed her off. It made her want to scream out loud, but then every vampire in the building would turn their attention to her, and she didn't want that.

It was all Jaromir's fault that she felt like
she was being torn apart on the inside. All she really wanted was to turn around and return back into that room. She wanted and needed him so badly that it literally hurt. Her heart was beating so fast and hard that she thought it might burst any minute. She wanted to stop thinking and just cuddle in his warm embrace. It had been the most wonderful sexual experience she had ever had, and it didn't matter if he had made her feel like that or not. It had felt real enough.

Megan sobbed and held back her tears. This was no time
for tears. She had to get out of here with her pride intact. The hunt had been a complete failure. She hadn't been able to resist him, not even the tiniest bit. As soon as he had looked at her and touched her, she had turned into an emotional mess. She had found herself within his arms without a second thought. And now her sister was going to die.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she said to herself while heading down the stairs.
“Stay strong. Just stay strong. Collapsing you can do at home.”

She straightened her back and took a deep breath while looking in front of her. Just a few more steps and she would be on the bottom floor. The party going on came into view along with th
e dancing and talking vampires.

“Stay strong,” she repeated to herself, but holding those damn tears a
way was difficult. It was only about a hundred feet to the exit. Once she was out, she could make a run for it and never look back. Jaromir had probably already forgotten about her or maybe he was having a good time laughing about that little human who had tried to take his blood to save her sister.

Megan paused at the last step.
She
had
drunken his blood, his
healing
blood. She raised her arms and looked herself over. The bond was apparently not the only thing that drinking his blood gave. She actually felt great. Her skin looked amazing, and so did her hair when she held it up. Now she at least knew that it worked. She just wished her sister could have been the one to drink it instead. It was so not fair. She, who wasn't ill got to drink his blood, but her sister who was ill didn't.

“Megan!”

Megan turned around and saw Shane heading down the stairs toward her. She tensed. She was in no mood to talk with him right now. “What do you want?” she asked when he stopped in front of her.

“You were leaving.”

“Yeah, what else do you think I was doing? I have lost. There's no point in hanging around here anymore. My sister will die and I will always have to live with the fact that I wasn't able to save her.”

The damn tears were impossible to keep away this time, but Megan
dried her eyes fast. Shane watched her in silence while she put herself together again.

He
took out the vial she had brought from his pocket. It was filled with Jaromir's blood. Megan gasped and stared at it. That vial was her only chance to save her sister, all she had to do was to grab it and ...

“You want this, don't you?” Shane said and snapped
her out of her thoughts.

“It would be strange otherwise
,” she answered. Megan was unable to hold back her anger anymore. The blood that could save her sister's life was in front of her. She knew snapping it from Shane would make things worse, but she needed it badly. There had to be a way for her to get her hands on it. She couldn't give up this easily. She would die trying.

“What are you willing to do, Megan, to save your sister's life?”

Megan glared at him. “Anything.”

“Good.” He placed the vial back into his pocket. “Then finish Jaromir's game.”

Her eyes went big. “The game is over. I wasn't able to resist the feelings he threw at me.”

“Well, you didn't make lov
e so it doesn't count.” He said, and while Megan blushed from his words he stood unaffected. “The choice is yours, Megan. You can walk out right now or you can stay and give it another try.”

“What about the bond?”

Shane's face tensed. It was obvious that he didn't like what Jaromir had done. “You will have to talk with Jaromir about that. I have no idea what he is planning, and honestly, I'm surprised that he even went that far, but creating the bond with you can only mean one thing.”

Megan swallowed hard. “What?”

Shane grinned and something dark flashed in his eyes. “Oh, I'm sure you will find out soon enough. Now finish the game and the blood is yours.”

He left here standing on the stairs
with many unanswered questions. Was there more to the bond than feel each other's emotions?

“I would start running if I were you!” Shane yel
led out without turning around.

His voice made Megan jump. He was right. She needed to find a new place to hide. She would have to save all the questions for later, and who knew, she
might never get the chance to ask them.

Megan looked at her watch
. Almost five hours to go and during that time a lot could happen. A lot had already happened. She would have to find a really good place to hide at this time, a place that would not be easy for Jaromir to find.