Free Enraptured by Brenda K. Davies

human. She is
working with them though.”
    “She’s human, she’s all but confirmed it,
even if she didn’t mean to,” Ian said.
    Stefan leaned closer to her. Paige
instinctively shrank away from the breath she felt rippling over
her skin. “I’m not entirely sure what is going on here, but I will
tell you we’ll do what we must to survive, and to make sure our
loved ones stay safe.”
    The color faded from Paige’s face. Ian knew
what Stefan was trying to do, knew it had to be done, but a ripple
of annoyance slid over his skin at his intimidation tactics.
Without meaning to, he stepped closer to the bed. Stefan was a
killer, but he wasn’t a cruel man. However, he’d been telling the
truth, Stefan would do what he must to keep everyone in this house
safe. Just as Ethan would.
    Ian’s gaze traveled to his brother, Ethan
already didn’t like or trust Paige. Ethan had killed before, and no
matter how much he struggled to keep it hidden from all of them,
Ian knew a darkness resided within his brother. Emma had helped to
ease it, but Ethan wouldn’t hesitate to kill Paige, and walk out of
here with barely a twinge of conscience.
    Normally Ian would agree, his family had
always been the most important part of his life, but something
about this woman made him determined to keep her safe. He didn’t
have any idea how to go about doing that if they couldn’t change
her memories. She may not know where they were now, or where they
lived normally, but she had far more information than any human
should have about them. Especially any human who harbored as much
dislike for their kind as she did.
    Her refusal to look at him began to try his
already fraying patience. Stepping closer to her, he took hold of
her chin and turned her head toward him. “Why can’t we change your
memories?”
    Paige folded her arms over her chest. The
anger and resentment notched up a level within the room, she could
almost see them debating over what they were going to do with her.
Part of her training had been how to stand up to vampires and the
things they could do to her. She’d withstood torture, been put
through the wringer by Nabel and her father, and she was still
here. Her fingernails had grown back, her bruises and broken bones
had healed; even her shattered heart had a partial scab on it. She
could take whatever these creatures threw at her.
    “I’m not saying anything,” she replied.
    “Son of a bitch,” Ethan growled. “Emma, take
Jill and Mandy into the other room.”
    “She’s a human Ethan; she’s not a major
threat,” Emma protested.
    “I’m not taking any chances, not with
you.”
    Emma shook her head. “No, we’re staying
here.”
    Ethan looked like he was tempted to throw
her over his shoulder and carry her from the room. Emma folded her
arms over her chest and gave him a look that suggested she would
consider castration if he tried it. Ethan shook his head and
stepped further in front of her. Ian’s attention was drawn back to
Paige as she rose to her knees on the bed and tilted her chin
defiantly.
    “So now you plan to kill me?” she inquired.
Ian found her unexpectedly fiery for someone facing four vampires
with nothing more than her humanity to protect her.
    “No one is going to kill anyone,” Mandy
assured her.
    “Not yet,” Stefan grumbled.
    “Stefan!” Jill hissed.
    The hostility surged within the room, it
pulsated against his skin, pricking his appetite and arousing his
murderous impulses. He stepped protectively closer to the bed.
Stefan and Ethan were two of the strongest vampires he knew, but he
wouldn’t let them touch her. There was a shuffling within the hall
as Mike and David stepped forward. “I think we all just need to
relax and take some time to think about this,” David said in a
calming voice.
    “David’s right,” Mike said.
    Turning to face them, Ian nodded toward the
door. “Leave. Let me talk to her.”
    Ethan glanced at him before focusing on
Paige again. His eyes had