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"You fainted soon after we greeted Byrne and his men," he told her "This is the keep’s infir andof blood hanging above her on the bed’s IV pole "Is that the first or second unit you’ve given me?"

"The second"

"That would explain the buzz You’re drowning me in the vampire equivalent of liquid cheesecake" With a quick jerk she pulled the IV needle out of her arht, sweetheart, but next time? Use plas back his impatience with her denial of what they were, and what they had to do to survive "You have to feed"

"No, what I have to do is stay alive and keepfaster than I can track and chart it Just write it on your day planner soood, whole blood bad" She dropped the side rail, swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and stood carefully on both feet "Why did I faint during the et this incredibly sexy look on your face whenever you lie to ed into it "I re to the kid… and that’s it, until I heard you and Phil arguing about going home" She looked around the rooht? She around?"

"It is near dawn, and you are still weak" He caught her in his arms before she could walk away froht"

"I need to know exactly what happened, and I don’t want the edited-by-Michael version" She looked up "Did et what I did?"

"I did not remove your memories" He stroked her arms with his hands "I swear this to you"

"You did it before, when you didn’t want ainst him as if she were dizzy "I’m not mad I know you only want to protect ive me back what you took Now"

"If I wished to break hts," he said, "I would use et how Richard hurt you"

"Richard? Please" She began to chuckle, and then so made her stop and duck her head "He knocked me around and clawed up my back; that’s all I’ve been on worse blind dates I was out for a little while, and then… someone took care of me" A line appeared between her brows "That was it"

"You can tell er and fear and kept his voice gentle "Don’t be afraid, chérie I would never blame you for what Richard did"

Alexandra flinched as if he had slapped her "He didn’t do anything else I told you everything Jesus Christ, all that blood you gave ers against her temples "Do we have to stay here? I iven us the best rooms in the Realm" Michael picked her up in his arms "I can take my rest somewhere else, if you wish to be alone"

"No" She encircled his neck with tight arain"

"Alexandra"

"I only want you," she whispered, her breath ragged against his ear "Only you"

Byrne sat alone in the guard’s hall, which had been decorated with trophies of every war in which the ht, save one He needed no reminder of the battle of Bannockburn, or what he had done that day

Still, it came back to him at times like this, when he was alone Like flesh rot, it twisted inside hi hiet

The stink of spilled blood and torn bodies had roused the Kyn froer the Brus had sent to summon them back to action They had been held in reserve, sent out each night to scout and pick off some of Edward’s best warriors Now they were suside the Brus’s troops, for this was to be the last day of the battle With the aid of his Darkyn, their hulish out of Scotland forever

"God curses us, the church reviles us, but the Brus calls us brothers," one of Byrne’s men called out "I will follow Robert to hell and back"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>