Page 56 (2/2)

Rane stripped off his bloody jeans and ruined T-shirt and stepped under the hard spray of the shower Closing his eyes, he relived the last hour

He had been resting in Mara’s lair when Savanah’s terrified cry had reached his ears Reacting on instinct, he had flown up the stairs and, following the sound of her heartbeat, he had run out the back door in tiainst the side of the house Oblivious to the sun’s light and his own danger, he had pulled the Werewolf off of Savanah Had the sun been down, there would have been no contest between theht or energy than it took to swat a fly But the sun had been high in the sky, its light burning his flesh, leeching his strength, leaving hied flesh, the threat to his own life, his only thought to save the wohed humorlessly In the end, it had been she who had saved his life Foolish woman, he had almost killed her in return Had it not been for the heavy silver chain around her neck, there was every chance that she would now be dead, another victim of his insatiable thirst

He had sworn to protect her How could he face her again after what he had done? Stepping out of the shower, he reached for a towel and went into the bedrooed in the middle of Mara’s bed

She looked up when he entered the rooed her clothes His blood had undoubtedly ruined what she had been wearing earlier

He had rarely been at a loss for words, but they failed him now What could he say to her after what he had done, what she had seen?

“I didn’t thank you for savinghis

“I think you’ve got that backward”

“Maybe we saved each other”

“Yeah, and then I tried to repay you by ripping your throat out”

“Rane, you’re exaggerating”

He shook his head, the pain thru co he felt for what he had tried to do, what he would have done if his fingers hadn’t brushed the thick silver chain circling her slender neck

He stilled when she rose and walked toward him “Don’t”

She stopped, her brow furrowed “Don’t what?”

“Don’t co, aren’t you? Is there anything else I can do?”

He groaned low in his throat Was the woo he had tried to kill her and she had still given him her blood, and now she wanted to dothat would help Surely she knew that

Savanah’s heart went out to hi, and not just physically She could see the guilt in his eyes, kneas berating hihtened her badly, that for ato drain her dry, but even as scared as she had been, she had understood what drove him He was like an addict, driven by a need he couldn’t always control