Sweetwater: The Kihn (The Sweet Series) (45 page)

I suspect hours have passed since we left the tunnel and set out through the woods. At one point, we cross paths with a group of the Guard that includes Stevie and Fisher. They haven’t seen Lucas since earlier that evening. They suggest we continue to the house. Where is Lucas? I sensed him while we were still in the tunnel, and I’m afraid to think of the reason he hasn’t come for me already. We move carefully until the guardhouse comes into view.

We wait while Quanah moves from cover to cover toward the building. I almost call out a warning when I see a dark shape cross the driveway moving toward him. When neither attacks, I surmise it must be one of the Guard.

Quanah returns and informs us that from this point to the house is clear. The Guard is still searching the rest of the compound for any remaining Kihn.
They have men going through the tunnel, too.

We are a bedraggled-looking group as we walk up that driveway. The bright security lights are turned on, brightening the whole area up as if it were daytime.

“Where’s Lucas?” I ask Quanah.

“Everyone is here,” he answers, “except for Lucas.”

I stop. “What do you mean ‘except for Lucas’?”

Jake and the others stop too. Then Lars continues, with Bobbi and Teresa, to the house.

“Sofie?” Jake questions.

“He was here,” I state firmly, trying to keep the alarm from my voice.

Quanah steps close. “He was. He came back after making the Kihn think he had left.”
My body breaks out in a cold sweat, which is amazing since I’m half frozen. “Ezra… came too. There was fighting and—”

“Lucas fought with Ezra?” I ask with dread.

Quanah looks off in the distance for a moment. “You do not need to fear for Lucas.” His gaze delves into mine.

“
Lucas told me... Ezra is... dangerous,” I say in a choked whisper. There’s only one reason Lucas wouldn’t be here for me. I can’t bear that idea.

“Woman—you need to get warm. Lucas told me not to let anything happen to you. I think you freezing… would be something he would not like.” Quanah turns to continue to the house, but I don’t budge.

Jake lays his arm across my shoulders. “Sofie, I’m sure Lucas is okay. His men wouldn’t be standing around if he were in any danger.”

He has a good point. I’m thinking about what I should do when I hear Lucas call to me. He’s coming through the woods. I shuck off Jake’s arm and take off running toward the dark shape I see through the trees.

“Sofie!” Jake yells, but I pay him no heed.

I’ve only gotten a few yards from the driveway when Lucas is suddenly in front of me. He wraps his arms around me and lifts me off my feet. My arms go around his neck
, and I bury my face against his neck.

“My sweet.” His voice is dark and holds a note of something I can’t describe.

I raise my head and look into his beautiful eyes gleaming silver in the starlight. “I was so worried when you didn’t come for me.”

“I was trying to get to you, Sofie,” he says gently.

My fingers tangle in his hair, and I pull his face close to mine. “Please don’t worry me that way ever again.”

“I’ll try,” he says as his mouth comes down on mine. His hand cups my face as his kiss deepens.

“You two can come up for air now,” Sawyer calls.

Lucas scoops me up. Quanah watches solemnly while the others regard us with wide grins.

“Is everyone all right?” Lucas asks.

Quanah says, “Yes,” with a quick look at me.

Lucas looks into my face. “What happened?”

“Nothing.”
Damn it!
Can’t this wait until later?

“A Kihn attacked her and knocked her down,” Quanah explains.

“I’m okay!” I say hurriedly, seeing his expression. “I just got the breath knocked out of me.”

“Just!” he growls.

I snuggle my face against his warm skin. “Please don’t be mad. I was so scared when you weren’t here,” I whisper in a choked voice.

“Shhh.” Lucas squeezes me tight and kisses my forehead. I can tell he’s not happy, but he lets it go, and we proceed to the house. Lucas looks at Sawyer. “Everything taken care of over at the Zelts’?”

“Yes. They will all be here for the meeting,” Sawyer says. “Sofie?” I look over at him. “Once again, I’m finding out you were where all the fun was tonight.”

The house is full of people, but the meeting will have to wait until those of us who went through the tunnel change into dry clothes. I’m significantly shorter than Bobbi and Teresa, so some of the Guard pull items for them to change into from their own clothing. They want to stay for the meeting, but I can tell Lucas and Max want them gone, so Sam drives them home.

I sit at the island counter with a cup of coffee. Max has prepared a platter of sandwiches, and I nibble on one while I sip my coffee and sit beside Sawyer. Jake pours a shot of whiskey into my cup. I shake my head and try to cover the cup with my hand, but it’s too late.

He grins. “It will help you warm up, and it’ll be good.”

I watch the others talking about the night’s happenings. There are enough of us that some of the Guard spill over into the family room. Lars and Quanah sit at the kitchen table. The back door opens, and Taylor walks in. Behind him are Lucian and Estella Zelt. I sit up straighter. Brit comes in behind them with an unknown man and woman.

The woman looks about fifty and has short gray hair. Grandmotherly looking. The man seems younger, maybe in his forties, with black hair down to his shoulders. When he glances in my direction, I see he has the most unusual eyes. They are almost yellow, similar to a canary diamond. I tear my eyes from his gaze and see Christian and Nick come in right behind them.

Christian goes directly to Lucas to confer with him. Taylor settles the Zelts and their company at the kitchen table with Lars. Quanah moves to stand near the back door, and a look passes between us. I give him a little smile, and I see Nick look between us, catching our exchange.

I say hello to the Zelts. Brit comes to give me a quick hug. Then she gives Sawyer a huge smile and a giggle as if they have a private joke going on. I tell her I’m glad they’re all okay.

“Oh honey don’t ever worry about us we have no problem taking care of ourselves but we did worry about you the whole time and when we found out the whole attack on us was a ruse to lure Lucas away from you and the compound well you can imagine our concern!” She gives me another hug, and she honest-to-goodness blushes when Sawyer tells her to behave herself.

As Brit returns to her family, I give Sawyer a questioning look and he winks. Jake chuckles. Taylor sits by me, giving my shoulder a nudge as he pulls out a stool.

I take a sip of my coffee. “Mmmm.”

“Mmmm told ya,” Jake says.

As I set my cup down, Taylor asks, “Any more of those sandwiches?” I point to them and he scarfs one down while holding a coffee mug.

“Do you want me to get you some coffee to go with t
hat mug?” I ask.

“Nah,” he says as he pushes his empty mug toward Jake. “I want some ‘Mmmm.’”

I laugh and glance at Lucas. His eyes slice to mine, the hard look in them softening. He gives me a seductive smile that causes goose bumps. How does he do that?

And just like that—I know.

My breath lodges in my throat, my stomach turns upside down, everything goes fuzzy black, and I honestly think I might pass out. I grab the counter to keep from falling off the stool. Taylor looks at me and Jake leans into the counter, looking concerned.

“You okay?” Sawyer whispers since Lucas is now speaking. I nod.

The three of them glance at me occasionally, but they keep most of their attention on Lucas. I hold on to the countertop.

I hear Lucas talking, but I have no clue what he’s saying. I can’t focus on anything other than what my mind is trying to piece together. The past couple of months play in my head like a slideshow. Obvious signs and I have remained clueless. Have I been in some kind of subliminal denial? I think about Lucas’ effect on me right from the start. His ability to compel me might not work perfectly, but he can still influence me, if o
nly somewhat. I’ve known he is some type of predator; he let me see that in his eyes. His speed when he moves; one moment he’s across the room and the next, right beside me. He rarely eats. Does that mean—

My heart gives a hard bump. Looking up, I glance at Sawyer. He stares steadily into my eyes as if giving me a cryptic message. He’s letting me know—he knows.

I do a slow blink. Like me, he was in battle with them tonight. And like me, he’s seen what they are. I have no doubt of that. I slowly look around the room. Bodies part enough to let me look right into Quanah’s black gaze. I have a flashback to earlier, by the river.

I peek at Lucas for the first time since realizing what he is. He leans against the counter by the fridge, listening to Lucian Zelt speak. His expression is impossible to read. I lower my gaze. How many times has Lucas made me feel his voice or his eyes as an actual caress? A tremor courses through my body. Are my feelings for him a product of his manipulations? My eyes snap to his face. His head is tilted down as he listens, but he watches me from under his lashes. He lifts his head, and his eyes pierce mine, dark and passionate.

Son of a bitch!

My boyfriend is a vampire.

Crap!

Sofie and Lucas’ story continues in SweetDreams, coming soon.

About the Author

Rivi Jacks lives in a small town, in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri, not unlike her fictional town of Sweetwater. A life-long book lover, she has long dreamed of writing the kind of story she loves to read.

You can visit Rivi at:

rivijacks.com

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Twitter@rivijacks

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