Free Holiday with a Vampire 4 by Susan Krinard, Theresa Meyers, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

back.”
    “There are only a few hours’ travel time left before dawn,” he said, ignoring her.
    “And where will you take me?” she demanded. “Have I become your serf now, Kane?”
    “No. Never.”
    “But you’ll take me against my will anyway. If you’re headed southwest, you’ll be very close to the Enclave borders. The first chance I get, I’ll run to the nearest outpost and send them after you. They won’t take any chances with you. They’ll kill you.”
    It wasn’t her threat that cut into his heart but her desperation, her determination to get away from him.
    “I’ll let you go as soon as we’re far enough away that you can’t rejoin your team,” he said, turning to face her. “Or if you’re prepared to accept our help... The Opiri who are against any move toward peace will have sent scouts to pinpoint your position and assess your strength before a direct attack. They’ll likely be coming from the northeast. If we find them first, we can warn your people.”
    Her breath quickened, loud in the silence. “You’re still willing to scout for us?”
    “If you stay with us,” he said. “If you give your word you won’t try to go back until I let you leave.”
    “Are you sure my word is sufficient?” she asked bitterly.
    “Yes,” he said. “And I promise your people will receive any intelligence we obtain.”
    “But not through me.”
    “Alfie and I will make sure word gets to them.” He looked past her in the direction of the house. “You don’t have your pack with you, but we have enough rations for you.”
    “Not hungry?” she asked, her voice sharp with mockery.
    “Our field rations are supplementary. Without blood, we can’t digest them. But you must know that.” He met her gaze again. “We need to get going. I expect another storm to arrive sometime in the next twenty-four hours.”
    Fiona folded her arms across her chest. “If we’re heading back toward the lines, how likely is it that you’ll fall back under your Bloodmaster’s influence? What will you do then? Will you forget you ever ‘cared’ about me?”
    She was right. That was a danger, and he had known the risk from the moment he offered his compromise. He and Alfie could both be caught again. That would be enough to put Fiona in grave peril.
    “If that happens,” he said, “we’ll know it. If I so much as begin to feel his influence, I’ll tell you. You know how to kill an Opir, especially if he isn’t fighting back.” He untied her hands and then pulled her handgun from his belt. “Keep this with you.”
    She took the gun from his hands and stared down at it as if she’d never seen it before. “You’d let me kill you?”
    “Not only for your sake.” He glanced at Alfie, who was pretending to be absorbed in rearranging the supplies in his pack. “For ours, as well. Neither one of us is willing to be taken again.”
    “You think I could do it?” she said, slowly looking up at him again. “You think I could kill you in cold blood?”
    “If it becomes necessary, yes. I would demand it.”
    Her eyes were suspiciously moist, but she holstered the gun and said nothing more.
    Shrugging into his pack, Kane started down the hill again, listening for her footsteps behind him. Every part of him ached with need. He kept on walking so he wouldn’t turn around and pull her into his arms.
    * * *
    Kane moved quickly away from her without looking back, and she knew he trusted her to follow.
    She had given her word. Admittedly, she had pretty much been coerced into giving it, but even so, she knew she couldn’t break her promise. Just as she knew Kane wouldn’t break his promise to get word of any Opiri presence back to her people.
    But he was putting her entire mission in danger because of his desire to protect her. Alfie had told her why. “’E cares too much about ya. ’E just won’t admit it out loud.”
    Of course he wouldn’t. She wasn’t deceived into thinking he wasn’t every bit as much the