Escaping The Beast: A Darkhills Romance (The Darkhills Series Book 2) by Elizabeth Greene (young adult books to read TXT) 📕

be fine,” he replied as he gestured for her to ascend the stairwell that led to her room, ahead of him.

“Do you need to feed or something for it to heal?” She asked, relying heavily on what she’d seen in horror movies.

“I have already fed. I did so while you slept.”

She spun around to face him, he gazed up at her from the steps below where she stood, a look of sadness in his eyes.

“You fed on me while I was sleeping?”

“No, Katherine, I have a regular supply of prepackaged blood available to me. I do not need to feed directly from humans. My kind has developed a more sustainable and, I suppose you could call it humane, way of sustaining our diet.”

She raised a curious brow but turned and continued walking. If he wasn’t really going to feed on her, why was he trying so hard to scare her away earlier?

“So what, you guys just rob blood banks or something?”

“We do not rob. We are, for the most part, wealthy individuals who are capable of providing a financial reward for those who would give their blood to our cause.”

“And what about those of you who aren’t living it up in some castle in the hills?” Katherine asked as she paced along the balcony overlooking the great hall below.

“There are enough wealthy contributors to ensure the charitable arm of the business is able to provide affordable or indeed free, nutrition for those less fortunate,” Lucian explained quietly.

“Why?” Katherine spun round to face him when she reached her door. “Why would you do that? Wouldn’t it be easier for these people to simply hunt humans the old-fashioned way?”

“Many, indeed most of my kind do not enjoy being beasts forced to feed on terrified victims. Many did not sign up for becoming a vampire and resent the thirst with which we live for the rest of eternity. When it became apparent that there were other, more agreeable methods of feeding, those fortunate enough to be in a position of power and influence, sought to make it available to all who required it.”

“So I’m supposed to believe that vampires are upstanding members of the community, who pay their taxes, keep their lawns neat, and don’t hold innocent young women against their will?” She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“For the most part, vampire society is quiet, conservative, and law-abiding. Although, there are the occasional few who prefer to keep to the old ways.” Lucian explained, folding his arms to match her defensive stance.

“And which kind are you?” Katherine asked.

Lucian sighed and looked to the side.

“I always thought I was the former, but perhaps I was mistaken. Goodnight, Katherine,” he turned and walked away from her, and for some reason the sight of his retreating back caused her heart to ache.

“Lucian,”

He turned at her call and stood firmly, waiting for her to continue.

“Thank you.”

A frown creased his brow.

“For what?”

“For coming for me. For saving me from being taken by that dragon. For sharing the truth with me.”

“You seem to live with the expectation that there are deceptions in everything that surrounds you, as though you need to exert your control and hide your vulnerabilities in order to survive. I do not wish for you to be that way with me, but change needs to be reciprocated. I promise to give you upfront honesty from now on, I don’t want you to have an opportunity to see ulterior motives in what I say or do,” Lucian walked forward, returning to stand before her.

“Why? What does it matter what I think?” Katherine asked, a nervousness creeping into her.

“Because you deserve to have the freedom to let your guard down, to have the confidence to trust,” Lucian said, his eyes holding hers once more.

She was already starting to recognize how her body relaxed as though it knew it was safe whenever he looked at her. Something in her was loosening with every shared look. She swallowed past some unidentified lump in her throat as he gently raised her hand to his lips to press a soft kiss to her fingers.

“Goodnight, Lord Nightingale,” she whispered.

“Pleas,e Katherine, call me Lucian. I love it so much when you do,” he replied, keeping his lips close to her fingers, the promise of another kiss hanging between them.

“Well,” Katherine smiled. She actually smiled, the feeling was oddly light and pleasant. “Goodnight then, Lucian,”

He pressed his lips to her fingers and returned her small smile.

“Goodnight, Katherine.”

Chapter Eight

Lucian

Lucian stormed into his suite filled with self-loathing. She hated him. She had told him as much and he didn’t blame her. He was keeping her with him against her will, she wanted to be free to live her life. A life that he had no understanding of. A life that her father seemed to disregard on a regular basis and now Lucian was guilty of the same crime. He hadn’t stopped to think that Kyle Daxton’s daughter would be leaving things behind to give her father a chance to repay his debt. He may have been born in the Seventeenth Century but he was acutely aware that times had changed. He did his utmost to keep up with emerging technologies and trends and yet he had neglected to recognise that Katherine had her own life and was not, and should not be at the beck and call of her father. Nor at the beck and call of him.

Lucian cursed and landed his fist squarely into the plaster of the wall, the surface of the wall crumbling upon impact. Lucian sighed as he looked at the damage. You’d think after two hundred years or so, he would’ve learned to temper his strength, especially when in a foul mood. He’d have Mr. Jones fix it tomorrow, he thought as he shook the dust from his hand and stormed into his shower room.

He needed to wash away the poison from Etienne’s talons that was oozing from his skin. He