Cursed: Brides of the Kindred 13 by Evangeline Anderson Read Free Book Online

corner of the room, diagonally across from the sleeping platform he was cuffed to. Though he could feel her physical weariness, she sat up straight, still holding the projectile weapon in her hand. She pointed it at him and made a slight motion.
    “Okay, it’s just you and me and Mr. Glock, big boy. So settle down for the night.”
    “I am well settled,” Stavros growled. “You saw to that yourself.”
    “Yeah, well…” She shrugged her slim shoulders.
    “Are you well?” he asked, knowing full well she was not. He had felt the intense, stabbing and grinding pains that tore at her lower abdomen at intervals. Indeed, the pain was so bad it was difficult to block out even when he gave the effort his whole concentration. Clearly something was wrong with her—he just didn’t know what.
    “What do you care if I’m ‘well?’” she snapped. “If you’re waiting for me to pass out so you can get away, give up now, buddy. I’m not going anywhere.”
    “I was just…concerned about you,” Stavros said stiffly. Strangely, it was true. He was still furious that she had captured him—but more at himself than at her. After all, he had been distracted and allowed her to get the drop on him. He also didn’t like being restrained but he understood why she had done it—clearly he represented a threat to her. Despite the fact that she had him cuffed to her sleeping platform and was holding a loaded weapon on him, he found himself interested and worried about her.
    Clearly, though, she didn’t believe him.
    “Concerned. Yeah, right.” She made an incredulous noise in the back of her throat.
    “It’s true,” he insisted. “It’s obvious you are in some kind of pain or difficulty.”
    She frowned. “No, it’s not obvious. Or it shouldn’t be.”
    “Then what—”
    “Fine,” she snapped. “I’m fine so drop it.”
    It wasn’t true but he let it pass and simply studied her instead.
    Now that she had changed out of the tight suit and jacket she had been wearing, she looked more approachable. The soft pink of her shirt emphasized her creamy complexion and the black, elastic trousers she had put on clung lovingly to the curves of her full hips and ass. She had let her hair down as well and it fell in silky waves around her heart shaped face. Despite the fact that she was pointing the weapon at him, Stav found her distractingly lovely.
    There’s something about her…but what?
    Whatever it was, it had caused his body to react. And not just his cock, which was still semi-hard from having her slim little hand down his leathers. It had also caused his fangs to sharpen—enough that he had cut his own lip without even knowing it.
    Stavros ran the tip of his tongue delicately along the still-sharp edges. All Blood Kindred had a double set of fangs where humans had their canine teeth. Though he was one of the Cursed, his physiology didn’t differ much from the others of his kind which was why his current state disturbed him greatly.
    A Blood Kindred’s fangs didn’t grow sharp enough to pierce flesh until he met the female he wished to claim as his mate. Stav’s had remained blunt and dull his entire life…up until the little female got close to him and put her hand down his leathers. Then they had suddenly become razor sharp and they showed no signs of dulling again.
    This is ridiculous, he lectured himself. I cannot claim a bride. It would not be fair to form a permanent soul bond with a female—not when I know I will not live past my fortieth cycle. And even if he would allow himself to form a bond, he certainly wouldn’t pick a female who had taken him prisoner, bound him to her sleeping platform, and was currently holding a projectile weapon on him—would he?
    His body seemed to think otherwise. His fangs throbbed and they weren’t the only part of his anatomy that was interested in the human female. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing his underbriefs were made of a thicker material— like solid