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

seatbelt was buckled and door shut before I could twitch a muscle. I glanced over to see Lochlan in the driver’s seat, revving the engine. He shot out of the parking lot, tires squealing as he raced down the road. The car rumbled with power, the scenery whipping by way too fast.

I stared at his shadowed profile, not at all bothered by the inhuman sight. When had it become normal to me? I started to ask where he was taking me, but groaned instead as fire ate at my insides.

“You’ll get through this. I’ll make sure of it,” he said, but my spine pressed further into the seat as he sped up even more.

“S-slow down.”

“No.”

I gritted my teeth. “I need to check that Peyton is okay. Turn around.”

“Kade will take care of her.”

“Isla will wonder where I am.”

“Kade will take care of her too.”

“I lost my mother’s bracelet. I need it.”

A pause. Then, “Kade will find it.”

Anger suddenly ripped through me and I snapped, “You’re so stubborn and rude and infuriating!” The car careened around a corner and I clutched my seatbelt for dear life.

When he didn’t reply, I inwardly called him more names and fumbled for the window switch. When I found it locked, I growled, “It’s hot in here. I need air now.” Fates, I was beyond cranky.

“Fresh air will only trigger the change faster.”

“Change?” My shoulder rammed into the window as he barrelled around another corner. I bared my teeth at him, like a freaking dog. I gripped my suddenly pounding head and groaned, “What is happening to me?”

“Your skin made contact with a werewolf’s,” he calmly explained, as if mentioning werewolves was a commonplace thing. Seriously though. He just said werewolf. “I don’t know how long you touched her though, so the side effects you’ll endure is undetermined. But there’s a full moon tonight. Expect some discomfort.”

I snorted. Discomfort? I was way beyond that already. “I’m assuming by werewolf, you mean Peyton?”

His silence was answer enough.

“This is crazy, you know,” I said, my ire returning. “First vampires, now werewolves? What’s next, ogres?”

“Ogres aren’t real.”

“Good to know,” I grumbled, tugging at the strings of my vampire cape. The material slipped off my shoulders and pooled at my waist.

“What are you doing?” Lochlan said warily.

“I’m freaking burning up. What does it look like I’m doing?” I snapped, not caring one bit how ornery I sounded. Fiery heat was pulsing down my spine and all I could think about was fresh air. I lifted my heavy mass of hair to cool off my neck.

Lochlan’s gloved fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He jerked the car left and I fell against the window again. “Stop driving like a maniac!” I was seriously going to tear his throat out. Then eat it! Wait, that sounded weird.

“Only if you keep your clothes on,” he replied sharply.

Seriously? My annoyance at him boiled over. “Well, you won’t let me open a window, so what happens next is on you.”

Grabbing the top of my bodysuit, I yanked. The zipper whined. The material ripped from my body, top to bottom. The car zigzagged and I shot Lochlan a look, catching his fiery gaze on me.

“Eyes on the road,” I barked, too hot to bother with blushing at his perusal. In fact, I didn’t care at all that I was practically sitting naked in front of him. Pulling my boots off, I sank back against the seat, bare except for my lacy red underwear.

Why had I worn lacy red underwear?

I waited for cool air to hit my skin, but relief never came. “It hurts,” I finally choked out, desperation tightening my throat.

“I’m going to help you, McKenna,” Lochlan said, switching to his soothing voice. “We’ll be there soon.”

“Where?” I gripped the door handle and squeezed.

“Somewhere safe.”

Safe. Safe sounded good.

Because I didn’t feel like myself anymore. It felt like my body didn’t belong to me and I was just along for the ride.

17

I must have passed out at some point.

One minute, I was drifting in a haze of searing pain, and the next, cradled in Lochlan’s arms. I looked down at myself, surprised to see my cape tucked around me. I struggled to remove it and Lochlan pressed me closer to him, stilling my movements.

“You’re killing me,” he muttered, quietly enough that he probably thought I hadn’t heard. But that was the thing. I could hear everything. The loud crunch of his boots. The wind whistling shrilly in my ears. His breathing.

His heart.

Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump.

Louder than a drum.

Overwhelmed by the intense noises, I pressed my ear tighter to his chest and closed my eyes, focusing on his heartbeat. Only his heartbeat.

The second I relaxed in his arms, the pain returned tenfold. My spine arched as every bone in my body spasmed. My eyes flew wide and I gasped. Or tried to. I couldn’t breathe. Frantic for air, I thrashed in Lochlan’s arms, so hard that he almost dropped me.

“McKenna, look at me.”

Obeying the command in his voice, I focused on his glowing eyes, straining to see past the tears blurring my vision.

“Breathe,” he ordered, his voice a firm yet soft caress.

I immediately dragged in air, choking as it went down too fast. My body screamed at me when the coughing jarred my inflamed bones. A strangled cry tore from my lungs. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. Lochlan walked faster, which only made me hurt more. I whimpered, not caring how loud or pathetic it sounded.

“We’re here,” he said.

The sound of crashing water reached my sensitive ears, then I was being submerged. A blissful chill curled in and around me, dousing the heat. I heaved a sigh as the water chased the pain away. I let my head fall back, soaking my hair and immersing my ears. The blaring sounds dulled and I sighed again, closing my eyes.

For several minutes, Lochlan held me, allowing the water to cool my hot skin. Pain continued to seize me, but not as intensely. When my teeth started