Page 92 of Twilight Destiny

Saintcrow just hoped Kincaid would be in his right mind, able to control the overwhelming need to feed. It had been a long time since he’d had to destroy a friend.

Rosa glanced around the living room, at the boxes piled to one side. She had completely forgotten about the movers. Fortunately, she had given them a key to the house in case no one was home when they arrived.

She stood in the middle of the room, at a loss as to what to do. How was she supposed to worry about what piece of furniture to put where when all she could think of was Jake? Was he still at rest? Would he be all right when he woke? She knew Saintcrow was worried about him, too, but no more than she was.

She dragged her thoughts back to the present, tried to focus on the here and now. They definitely needed to buy more furniture to fill up the room. Hers didn’t take up much space.

Was Jake still at rest?

She wandered down the hallway, wondering what to do with all the extra bedrooms. There would be no children to fill them up, no grandchildren to spend the night.

Luca had put him through hell.Would Jake be the same man she’d fallen in love with? Would she be safe with him now, after what he’d been through?

The movers had carried her bedroom set into the largest bedroom. Too bad they hadn’t assembled the frame. She might have tried to do it, but she had no tools and lifting the mattress was out of the question.

How long until it would be safe to see Jake again?

She drifted into the kitchen. All the boxes marked “Kitchen” had been piled in a corner of the room. She stared at them. What was the point in thinking about furniture or where to put what when it might never be safe for her to be alone with Jake again?

She didn’t have the will to do anything except sit at the table and worry and wonder what would happen when Jake woke from the Dark Sleep. Would he remember what had happened? Would it change him? Had it affected him mentally as well as physically? How could it not? Would Saintcrow be able to control him?

Was it even safe for her to be in Morgan Creek right now?

Kincaid woke abruptly. Hunger clawed at his vitals as he glanced around. Where the hell was he? A deep breath carried Saintcrow’s scent. And Kadie’s. Why was he on the floor in their closet?

Rising, he opened the door and stepped into the bedroom. It was empty, but he knew the vampires were somewhere in the house.

Where was Rosa?

He clenched his hands as pain knifed through him. He needed to feed. But when he tried to leave the house nothing happened.

Muttering an oath, he willed himself into the living room.

Saintcrow looked at him, one brow raised. “So, you’re finally back in the land of the living.”

“Let me out of here.”

“Not right now.”

“I need to hunt.”

“Not right now,” Saintcrow said again. “Kadie, get out of here.”

She didn’t argue but made a hasty retreat.

“What the hell’s going on?” Kincaid demanded.

Saintcrow stared at him. Kincaid’s eyes were blood-red, his cheeks sunken, the skin of his face taut. “What do you remember?”

“About what? Dammit, let me the hell out of here!” he roared.

Saintcrow grunted softly as he rolled up his shirtsleeve, bit into his wrist, and held it out. Kincaid’s nostrils flared, the red in his eyes growing brighter as he lunged across the room and buried his fangs in Saintcrow’s arm.

A minute passed.

Two.

Three.