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

McKenna. You’re free to leave upon waking. Kade will take you home. On your list, you asked if there was a way to defend against vampire thrall. In the vial I’ve left for you is my blood. One drop consumed daily will protect you from all compulsions, including mine. I have also returned to you your bracelet. Unfortunately, it’s broken. I believe it was spelled to protect the wearer against vampire thrall, perhaps even more. If you have access to another, I encourage you to wear it. —L

The glass vial and broken bracelet were now tucked away in my borrowed pants pocket. The red rose I’d also found on his pillow was currently being twirled between my fingers while I recalled yesterday’s events. Surprisingly, I had woken with my memories intact. Every. Single. One. But when I’d found myself alone in the bed, I’d only felt confusion.

After everything Lochlan and I had experienced together this weekend, his abrupt departure left me shaken. My chest had ached the minute I’d discovered him gone. It still did, two hours later.

Did he regret sleeping beside me? Touching me? Admitting how his body had reacted to mine? Was he too ashamed to face me now that the werewolf symptoms had lessened? At least I was no longer oozing mating call pheromones, as Kade had so eloquently informed me.

The rumble of Kade’s electric blue Mustang died as he turned off the engine to face me. “Got everything? Need me to carry you?”

I shook my head with a small smile. “No, I’m fine.” He’d been acting like a mother hen all morning, doting on me hand and foot. I had already told him several times that my head injury wasn’t his fault, but he still looked guilty.

He appeared to be unscathed from last night’s fight though. Not a single bruise or scratch on him. The cabin hadn’t fared so well. Nearly every room had been destroyed, like a tornado had ripped through them. When I’d expressed my utter shock, Kade had merely waved a hand, saying, “A maid will take care of it.”

I rubbed at the seam of my right palm for the umpeenth time, still amazed that the cut had disappeared so fast. “Werewolf healing,” Kade had explained, which made me want to ask a dozen more questions. I hadn’t though. Asking them would require energy that I didn’t have. As soon as I drove my car home from Isla’s, I was taking an extra long nap.

When Isla came bursting through her front door though, I knew the nap would have to wait a little while longer. As she hurried down the driveway, reality hit me. My throat tightened. “Does she know about what happened?”

“Yes.”

Sweat dampened my palms. “You won’t make her forget everything, will you? She’s . . . I need her.”

“We know.” Kade cast me a sympathetic look, and I fought off a sudden urge to cry. “With her father being the county sheriff though, it’s a huge risk letting her know the truth. Most humans who know about vampires want us dead, so we keep a pretty low profile. But we know what she means to you and that you need someone to talk to. Well, someone human anyway. You can always talk to me,” he added with a wink.

A tear slipped free and I quickly brushed it away. “Thank you. You’re a good friend, Kade.” Vampire or not, he really was.

His face split into a huge grin. “I know. But don’t thank me. Loch gave the green light—which he never does, by the way.”

The master of secrets had allowed Isla to keep her memories? Warmth filled my chest when I thought about what that could mean. Flustered at my reaction, I ducked my head. A couple days ago, I’d been mad at Lochlan, even disliked him. But after this weekend, that anger and dislike seemed petty after all he had done for me. I felt so many other things now, so many that I was having trouble sorting through them.

Isla tapped on the passenger side window, and I set aside my conflicted emotions for later. When I stood from the car, she took one look at my disheveled appearance and wrapped me in a tight hug. “Girl, I’ve been so worried about you. Kade told me what happened. I can’t imagine going through all that.”

My face flushed and I had to clear my suddenly dry throat. “Uh, what exactly did he tell you?”

She pulled away to look me in the eye. “It’s okay. I know that your touch affects supernaturals and that you absorbed Peyton’s werewolf. I can’t believe she kept that a secret from us all this time! We could have helped her. Thankfully, that won’t be a problem anymore.”

I frowned. “What do you mean? Lochlan told me she was fine.”

“Oh, she is. More than fine. You fixed her!” Isla said, squeezing my arms as if to thank me. When I stared at her quizzically, she bent to scowl at Kade still in the car. “You didn’t tell her?”

“Whoops. Slipped my mind,” he muttered sheepishly.

She straightened with an eye roll. “When you and Peyton touched, you ended up sucking all the werewolf toxin out of her. She’s just a regular old human again.”

My mouth fell open. “W-wait. She didn’t turn into a werewolf this weekend?”

“Nope. All her symptoms went away. The heightened smell, hearing, animal urges—everything. She’s completely back to normal. And she’s been begging to see you all weekend, by the way, wanting to thank you for curing her.”

Holy. Freaking. Fates.

I poked my head into the car and gave Kade the stink eye. “You didn’t think I’d want to know about this right away?”

He coughed uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. “I’ve kinda been distracted.”

“You suck.” I ignored his spluttering and straightened, my next question aimed at Isla. “How did Peyton become a werewolf anyway?”

Her dusky blue eyes brightened. “Girl, Peyton gave me the full scoop. So get this. On your first