Shadow Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 1) by Becky Moynihan (great reads TXT) 📕

“I won’t hurt you,” Lochlan said, drawing my eyes back to his. I frowned and shrewdly studied what little I could of his shadowed face.

“Then why did you say ‘I just don’t want you dead yet’?”

“You said what?” Kade shouted from several yards away, startling me. How had he heard that?

Lochlan huffed a clipped sigh and lapsed into silence again. His thumb absently traced the line of my jaw, his shadows caressing my bare skin like errant fingers. I couldn't decide whether to pull away or lean into the touch.

“Let’s make a deal,” he abruptly said and dropped his hold on me. My body chilled at the lost contact. Frowning at my bodily reaction, I released his jacket and stared at him expectantly. “You let me watch over you as I see fit, and I’ll protect you from the things that go bump in the night.”

“Like the vampire who just tried to snack on me?”

“Like that, yes. Do we have a deal?”

I cocked my head to the side, wondering what he would get out of this deal. An all-inclusive, permission-to-stare pass? I gulped, suddenly uncomfortable in my own skin. To make matters worse, my stupid mouth decided to open, blurting, “But who will protect me from you?”

Was it my imagination or did heat flare in his eyes?

Instead of answering, he rose and offered me a gloved hand. “You should go home. Kade and I need to comb these woods and make sure the threat’s been eliminated.”

I accepted his hand. “Uh, I kind of drove into a ditch, so—” As soon as my feet were under me, he vanished. My mouth popped open. Before I could get annoyed at his swift departure, he was back in a swirl of shadows. My hair blew back from his speedy return and I gasped, clutching at my chest. “How did you—?”

“We’re faster than humans,” he simply said. Well, that was an understatement. “You’re all set to go,” he continued, holding something out to me.

“My phone,” I muttered dumbly, accepting it with numb fingers.

When he offered no further explanation, I started to walk and he quietly trailed me. I passed the charred body, focusing on Kade nearby so I wouldn’t freak out. Beyond him was my car—which was miraculously on the road again. I stopped and gaped at it.

“We’re also stronger,” Lochlan supplied, an even bigger understatement. He’d just pulled a car out of a ditch at lightning speed, for fate’s sake! When I slid into the driver’s seat, making sure the engine was still working, he placed both hands on the roof and peered down at me. “It’s imperative that humans don’t know about our presence here.”

I blinked up at him, catching the veiled order for my silence. “And what if they do?”

“We take care of it.”

I gulped. “What, like kill them?”

His lips thinned. “Not unless we have to. Normally, a quick memory wipe does the trick. But if the whole world were to find out about us, war would ensue.”

“Oh,” I replied weakly, imagining him ripping the heads off the people I knew for uncovering his secret. What would he do to me if I betrayed his kind?

14

A dark hand reached for me, curling around my neck.

I stared into the man’s red eyes, unafraid.

Until his grip tightened. And tightened.

The shadows receded to reveal an unfamiliar face.

One filled with hunger.

He opened his mouth, exposing two fangs glistening with blood.

My blood.

In a flash, the fangs descended, biting into my neck.

“Kenna. Kenna, wake up!”

The screaming in my head abruptly stopped. My eyes flew open and I struggled to inhale. Something was still squeezing my neck! I glanced down, startled to see that it was my own hand. I quickly released my throat, blinking up at Aunt Tess’s worried face.

“It was only a nightmare,” she said, brushing damp strands of hair off my face. My throat was scratchy when I swallowed. Had I been screaming? After a long pause, Aunt Tess added, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Yeah, that would be a big fat no. Every time I talked about things that freaked me out, we ended up moving. Sometimes talking wasn’t even necessary. She’d take one look at me and just know.

It’s how we had ended up in Rosewood days after my encounter with Shadow Man—er, Lochlan.

I quickly shook my head, murmuring, “No, I’m okay.” I wasn’t, of course, but I still didn’t want to move despite the danger I’d been in hours ago. Did that make me crazy?

Without comment, Aunt Tess stood. After a moment, I realized she was watching me nervously fiddle with my bracelet. I tucked my hands under the blankets. Her mouth silently worked, like she wanted to tell me something. Then, with a sigh, she merely whispered, “Goodnight, Kenna,” and headed for the door.

Long after she left, I stared up at the ceiling and replayed the frightening dream. I’d felt so helpless tonight. I was no match for a vampire’s superior strength and speed. If Lochlan hadn’t stopped that man, I was certain I’d be dead right now.

And what the man had said about my blood continued to nag at me. Was there something different about it?

All I knew was that I’d somehow attracted the attention of vampires. And if more of them were out there looking for me, I needed to protect myself the only way I knew how. Picking up my phone, I scrolled to Lochlan’s number and sent him a one-word text.

Deal.

* * *

They were waiting for me when I arrived at school Monday morning.

Not in the hallway this time, but in the freaking parking lot. Both were doing that leaning against the car thing, which was super hot for whatever reason. The second I left my Honda, they lazily peeled themselves off their car and sauntered my way. Even in jeans and shirts casually unbuttoned at the neck, they exuded a natural confidence most men twice their age couldn’t pull off.

Under their watchful gazes, I tried not to do anything