Blood, Body and Mind by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page A

there and get you.”
    He hoped that it was a very large towel. He wasn’t sure he could handle anything less than a thick comforter. The thought of what she may or may not have under the towel was making him hard. He did not want her to see him like this, especially with a room full of people. No, a small towel, or better yet, no towel, was better left to when they were alone.
    When the door pulled open, there she stood. His breath caught and he stilled. The towel was not big enough, he decided as soon as he saw all that creamy skin. She was beautiful, simply... What the fuck? he thought as he looked at her reflection in the mirror behind her, and stepped closer to her. It was not the sight of her wrapped in one of his towels, God knew that alone was enough, but she had been beaten, and badly. Her back was covered in bruises from neck to what he could see of her legs. When she turned and looked over her shoulder, their eyes caught in the mirror. He knew in that moment she realized he could see what she had been trying to hide. When she took one, then a second step back, he snapped.
    “ No. Don’t move back. Turn around, Sara. Turn around and let me see.” Anger made his voice hard, and he knew he was frightening her, but right now he could not help it.
    “ It’s all right, really. That isn’t what hurts. Not now, anyway. I’m fine, Aaron. I’ll...I need to get dressed. If you would all just step...” She tried to step back and close the door in his face.
    “ Turn around, Sara. Now.” He took another step toward her and felt his fangs drop in anger. His anger was turning him, his dark side was showing, and his beast was rising.
    Aaron needed to make her understand it was not her he was angry at, but at the person who had done this to her. Mine, his mind screamed at him, and he wanted to hurt whoever was responsible.
    Aaron growled to Duncan to get them out, all of them out. He too had caught the horrific details in the mirror, Aaron saw. As Duncan turned to usher the group away, he noticed April pale and Demetrius’ own anger pulse through the room. It seemed everyone now knew the extent of her injuries.
    “ I’ll not leave just yet, Duncan, old man. Something is going on and I want to hang out for a bit. You understand?” Aaron heard Colin say to Duncan.
    “ Colin, go with Duncan please. I’ll deal with this. I’ll explain when I come down shortly.” Aaron did not take his eyes off Sara. She had backed all the way into the bathroom. Now she was standing against the far wall.
    Aaron knew that Colin would not go far. The two had become fast friends during the seventeenth century when a still human Colin had taken a beating for a young woman who had stolen bread for her small child. It had touched something human in the vampire’s soul. Colin near death, Aaron had offered him eternal life in exchange for him helping to serve and protect the then Master of the Realm, a respectable vampire by the name of Vald deMorass.
    Aaron was beyond caring what anyone said or did now; all he could think about was this badly beaten person in front of him. And how much he needed to heal her, to touch her, and Christ, he needed to taste her.
    “ Duncan, I want you to call Thomas Reilly, and have him get over here right now.”
    “ Yes, my lord. I’ll call him immediately. Sire? Is there...I mean...” Poor Duncan, he thought. He was as lost as Aaron was.
    “ No, Duncan, I’ll take care of her. Just call Thomas for me please. Tell him to hurry.” The door clicking closed resounded through the room.
    “ No, please, don’t do this. I’m used to this. It’s fine, really. I’m okay, much better in fact. It’s not what you think, honestly. I want to go. You can’t make me stay. I need to go. I can’t let him find me here. There’s too much at stake. Just, I’m begging you to give me my clothes and I’ll go away. He’ll kill you. Please?”
    Aaron watched as tears streamed down her face. His first instinct was to