Read Alabaster Nights (The Josie Hawk Chronicles) for Free Online Page B

Keller. I’m probably betraying her by telling you that. But you need to know. It’s only part of what makes her so complex and so…difficult. Look, what Josie and I have has taken years to cultivate. She doesn’t trust easily. And she’s more closed off than anyone I’ve ever met.”
    “You think I can’t see that?” Keller paced. “I didn’t choose this. I didn’t choose her. But something tells me I would have if I’d been given a choice. I don’t care what or who she is, and it pisses me off that you would think otherwise. She calms me, Sage.”
    “Um, yeah. I can totally see that. You’re the epitome of calm right now.”
    Keller stood still, glanced at Josie’s sleeping form. When he spoke again, his voice was so quiet he wondered if he’d spoken aloud. “I need her. Am I wrong to think she might need me, too?”
    Sage sat and buried her face in her hands. “You’re not wrong.” She looked up. “Is this what you really want?”
    “She is who I want, yes.”
    “And can you let her be Josie? Can you handle who she is?”
    Keller opened his mouth and then snapped it closed. He wouldn’t lie to Sage. Could he let Josie continue on this dangerous path night after night? She’d nearly been killed by a demon—one that wanted the taste of her blood. Why? Demons didn’t need blood to survive. What was so special about Josie’s blood? Keller made a silent vow to himself before sharing a part of it with Sage.
    “I understand a Huntress has to hunt. I won’t deny her that. But know this…I will do everything in my power to protect her.”
    “Even if she doesn’t want you to?”
    “Even if. She is my mate. I know it like I know I need to feed soon or perish.” The thought of dying without knowing his mate, without touching every inch of her body, without tasting her just one time, unsettled Keller on a level he hadn’t known existed.
    “Have you tasted her blood at all?”
    Keller stiffened, his fangs jutting out of his gums with equal parts need and desire. He shook his head in answer.
    Sage nodded, her expression full of understanding. “That would confirm everything.”
    “It would,” he said. “But I won’t take it until she’s willing.” He had a plan—one that involved trust. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy for either of them. He might not know her well, but he knew with utter certainty, the Huntress was worth waiting for.
    “That might be never.”
    “I understand. If that’s the case, eternity just got a hell of a lot shorter.”
    Sage stood and wrapped her arms around him. “She won’t be easy to love.”
    “Neither am I.”
    “I disagree. But I’ll help you, Keller. You deserve to be happy.” Sage kissed him on the cheek, brushed a hand over Josie’s hair and let herself out.
    Sage was leaving him alone with Josie. It spoke volumes of her trust in him.
    Keller swallowed past the lump in his throat and watched the rise and fall of Josie’s chest. He didn’t deserve happiness, but he wanted it.
     
     

-5-
    The Vampire Sees Red
    The street below remained empty, devoid of life except for the falling snow, but danger lurked somewhere on the outskirts of town. Close, but not close enough for him to do anything about it. Even through his hunger-induced fatigue, Keller could practically taste the sinister thoughts of the dark beings. Perhaps he heard them because he walked on the darker side of the line. Or had until he’d met Josie. But why were they here now? What did they want?
    He stepped back from the window and closed the flimsy blinds against the snow that had been piling up for the last several hours. He slipped into the bed and pulled the cool sheet up to his waist. For the first time in a very long time, he found the quiet of the night unsettling. He missed the rich sound of Josie’s voice. He wanted to wake her, listen to her mordant comments about how she owned the town, how she’d kick his arse to the next county if he didn’t abide by her rules.