Blood Fever: The watchers by Verónica Wolff Read Free Book Online

will teach you
trust
,” he added, his voice heavy.
    I knew who I’d find when I turned. I’d felt him coming even before Ronan had seen him.
Carden.
    I braced. But I could do all the loin-girding in the world and I’d never be prepared to face my blood-bonded vampire.
    Yes,
my
vampire.
    I tried to be cool as I peeked over my shoulder, but what I really wanted to do was fling myself into him.
    Carden’s eyes were pinned on me, but his words were forRonan. “Tell me, Tracer. How is it that every time I see you, you are with our Acari Drew?”
    “I’m her teacher,” Ronan said tightly.
    “Yet she always seems so distressed in your presence. Odd, that.” He stepped closer, close enough to cast me in shadow.
    Easy on the testosterone, guys
. I glanced at Carden to give him a quelling look, but what I saw stole my breath.
    Like a peacock spreading his wings, Carden had plumbed some serious vampire mojo. It wasn’t that he’d changed his appearance in any way, but suddenly he radiated power. He seemed about ten feet tall, all broad-shouldered, fierce Vampire.
    Carden reached toward me, and I fought to stand upright. It felt as though there was an invisible cord connecting me with the vampire. I felt its pulse low in my belly. I fought not to sink into him.
    I inhaled with a hard sniff, gathering myself. It was the blood bond. What I felt for Carden wasn’t true attraction.
    Right?
    He brought a gentle fingertip to tilt up my chin. Carden was big, and my eyes had a long trip up that buff body to his face. He studied me, and it felt like a caress. “What lessons have you to teach this gifted creature?”
    Gifted creature.
He’d meant
me
. My mouth went dry.
    Ronan’s response was brisk. “I teach her fitness. Ann—
Acari Drew
,” he quickly corrected, “did not know how to swim when she arrived. We have been spending a lot of time in the water.”
    Carden’s lips curled into a smile. “I’d like to see that.”
    I’d
rather die.
    I almost said it—I
would
have said it if Ronan hadn’t beenstanding there. But something told me I couldn’t let him see how informal I’d gotten with Carden.
    “You are welcome to join us anytime, Master McCloud.”
    That cleared the fog from my brain. I jerked my head to look at Ronan, dragging my chin from Carden’s grasp in the process.
Wow.
He had to call Carden by his formal title,
Master McCloud.
    I could tell by the furrow in his brow that Ronan had noticed me noticing. “Curfew is soon,” the Tracer told me. “Be careful. Until we learn who killed Trinity, there is a killer on the loose.”
    There was an unspoken challenge in the words, but Carden didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he gave Ronan a jaunty smile. “If you’re done here…?” He waited for Ronan to get the hint.
    Ronan gave a curt nod. “Of course. Tomorrow at seven, then, Acari Drew.” And then he left me alone with my vampire.

CHAPTER SIX

    I felt a peculiar twinge in my chest as I watched Ronan walk away. He was one of the few people on this island who cared about me, and I wasn’t entirely sure why. Would those feelings change if he discovered I’d bonded with a vampire?
    It was a wonder he hadn’t figured it out already. Carden’s posturing wasn’t exactly subtle. “Way to keep our bond secret,” I chided him. “Maybe you should just brand me.”
    Carden scoffed at that. “He’s but a boy. He doesn’t see what’s right in front of his face.” The way he traced his finger down my cheek implied that I’d been what was in front of Ronan’s face only to be ignored.
    The notion stung. I lashed out. “He behaves better than you do.” I bit my tongue, regretting the words at once. I’d seen how angry these vampires could get.
    But Carden shocked me with a rollicking laugh. “You’re pretty when you’re peevish, little one.” With a glance right andleft, he tugged my hand. “Come,
eilean mo chridhe
, let me feed you. It will ease your mind.”
    I felt the tug of his hand like