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

“Give Loch a chance.”

Swallowing too fast, I choked on a wedge of strawberry and practically hacked up a lung. Kade did his speedy vampire thing, pressing a bottled water into my hand a second later. I guzzled it while he hovered nearby like he was considering doing the heimlich on me.

“Do you do that a lot?” he asked when it was obvious I could still breathe.

“What, choke? Or react strongly to shocking requests?”

“Both. I’m always surprised by how fragile non-vampires are.”

“Nice one. You managed to avoid the word human there. You know, since I’m supposedly not one.” I stared at him pointedly, then stuffed a rather large bite of cheesecake into my mouth.

His grin returned and he went back to eating his cheesecake. “You’re good at deflection. I still need an answer though. Will you give Loch a chance or not?”

I frowned, more than a little afraid of where this was heading. “A chance to do what exactly?”

“Get to know you, vice versa. That’s all he wants.”

I continued to frown at Kade’s earnest face, completely nonplussed. After a moment of consideration, the only thing I could think to say was, “But why? Why me?”

He set his fork down and leaned both hands on the countertop, all humor gone from his face. This was it, I realized with a start. Kade was going to tell me. I would finally find out why they were—

The heavy front door banged open and I almost tumbled off the barstool.

“Change of plans, Kade,” called a voice from the foyer. A very familiar one that shot equal parts dread and excitement through me. “Everett is coming for a visit. He heard we were staying here, so we need to—” The voice abruptly cut off.

Kade’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, something whirled me around so fast, I almost flew off the stool. Righting myself, I gasped as Lochlan’s face appeared within inches of mine. Used to his aloof expressions, I shrank back from the pure fury in his dark eyes.

“What. Is. She. Doing. Here?” he said in clipped tones, the usual smoothness nowhere to be found.

Although he was looking at me, the question was clearly for Kade. Which was a relief, since my tongue was currently plastered to the roof of my mouth. “We were only discussing the general history of our kind, Loch,” Kade replied, his voice calm but with a wary edge. “She needs to know these things—”

“So you brought her here?” Lochlan snarled, making me recoil even more. The counter dug into my spine as I tried to create distance, but he only leaned closer, gripping the island on either side of me.

“You’re scaring her, Lochlan,” Kade warned.

“Good,” Lochlan bit out, his nostrils flaring. “Maybe this’ll teach her to stay away since nothing else has.”

My body flushed hot, then cold. I was shocked, hurt, and furious that he would storm in here and treat me like this. Regardless of the consequences, I snapped, “My reply to your earlier request, Kade, is no. He doesn’t deserve it. As for you, Lochlan, I’m breaking our deal. You want me to stay away? Well, listen carefully. Stay. Away. From. Me.”

With an ear-splitting crack, the island counter severed in two.

“Lochlan, stop!” Kade roared. In a flurry of movement, I was suddenly alone in the kitchen. An explosion of sound came from the living room as Kade threw Lochlan against the fireplace. The mantle splintered. Pieces of wood shot through the air like missiles. “Kenna, get out of here!”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I was up in a flash, then flinched at the sight of a wooden fragment protruding from Lochlan’s back. I hesitated for a split second and his eyes found mine. When I saw that they were still cold and unyielding, I raised my chin defiantly and marched out the front door.

He didn’t come after me.

And I was never coming back.

15

“So pigheaded.”

I stormed the length of my living and dining room, pacing back and forth in an attempt to cool my rage. Aunt Tess had left me another note on the table, saying she’d be out until late tonight, so the first thing I did was call Isla and ask her to come over for pizza. I seriously needed someone to vent to. Screw Lochlan and his warning not to tell anyone about his kind. Besides, Isla practically knew anyway.

“Oh, and let’s not forget domineering. And arrogant. And cruel. And—” Tears sprung to my eyes and I furiously blinked them away. “What the crap! I will not cry.” Especially not over him. He didn’t deserve them. They were angry tears, I told myself. Perfectly justified. No one had ever treated me the way he had.

But no one had ever come to my rescue like he had either. Or had I only imagined that he cared about what happened to me? Had I been too ignorant to see that he didn’t want me in his personal business?

“Whatever,” I grumbled, whirling to stalk the length of my house once more. “I won’t be going anywhere near him again.” Not when he turned into a monster every time I did something he didn’t approve of. I was not okay with that.

The doorbell rang, then. Still in a mood, I answered the door to greet Isla.

“What’s wrong?” she asked the second she saw my face. I touched my cheek and my fingers came away wet.

“For fate’s sake,” I muttered, scrubbing my skin dry as I ushered her inside. “Sorry, Isla. It’s been a stressful twenty-four hours for me. I don’t usually cry. Like ever.”

When I turned from shutting the door, she wrapped me in a tight hug. “Girl, tears are like Drano. They clear the emotions clogging your body. It’s healthy to pour those suckers out once in a while.”

I released a loud snort-sniffle. “I think I’m more of a verbal vomit girl.”

“That works too. Just let it