Darkness Awakened (Primal Heat Trilogy #1) (Order of the Blade) by Stephanie Rowe Read Free Book Online Page A

gaze, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. “I need your help.”
    His face grew hard and unreadable, and she flinched at the sudden thread of warning in the air. Get the hell away from me. The message was clear and it was pushing at her like a hot poker, driving her to jump to her feet and run to the door.
    But she had no choice. He was her last option. There was nowhere else to go. She braced her feet on the floor and ordered her body to stay where it was. “No.”
    His brow wrinkled in a brief show of confusion. “No, what?”
    “I’m not getting the hell away from you, as you so eloquently put it.”
    Tension snapped through his body and he jerked upright. “ You heard that?”
    “Of course. How could I not? I’d have to be dead not to.”
    He cursed and shoved to his feet with a groan of pain that made her frown. “Are you all right?” she asked.
    He ignored her question, running his hand through his hair in agitation. “How the hell did you hear my thoughts?”
    She blinked. “Your thoughts? You didn’t say that out loud?”
    “No. I didn’t.” He leaned over her suddenly, his hands on the blankets on either side of her hips, invading her space. “Tell me—” He stopped suddenly and he bent closer and inhaled. “You smell unbelievable.”
    “I can’t read thoughts,” she whispered, her heart racing at the intimacy of his position. His face was inches from hers, his lips barely a breath away. She could feel the heat from his body radiating through the air like a hot wind on her face. Her spine curled at the deep rumble of his voice, at the intensity of his emotions, stripping right through her and burning her skin.
    She edged backwards, even as she wanted to lean into him, to press her nose against his neck, to inhale the scent that was him. Her response to his nearness was terrifying. What was wrong with her? Was her reaction simply because he was a Calydon? She’d heard they were intensely sensual, but he made her feel like she was spinning out of control, catapulting down a crevasse to fall under his dangerous spell.
    He cursed and stood up, jerking his hands back to his sides. His jaw was clenched, shadowed with coarse whiskers. The fire gave enough light that she could see now that his jeans were black, and his hip-length leather jacket was creased, battered and ripped to shreds over his left forearm. It looked like it had been worn so much that it had become part of his body. Like it belonged on him.
    He shifted and a flash of pain crossed his features before he could school them into a neutral expression.
    “You’re hurt?” Concern flared inside her and she grabbed his hand instinctively before she could think about it, her fingers closing over the roughness of his palm. Shock rattled her as soon as their skin touched, and she was falling—
    His hand tightened around hers, and his eyes darkened. For a moment, the world fell away and it was just him, just the heat of his hand and—
    He growled and yanked his hand out of hers. “You need to leave. Now. I have...things I need to do. Someone to find and kill.” He added the last as if trying to scare her, then he turned away, grabbed a heavy parka from a corner armoire she hadn’t noticed, and held it out. “This will keep you dry and warm. Now, get out.”
    She stood up and faced him, making no move to take the coat, realizing she probably had about two seconds before he picked her up and tossed her out the door. Here was her moment. Succeed or fail. It was now. “I’m here because I need your help finding my sister.” She couldn’t keep the fear, the anguish, and the worry out of her voice. “She’s missing.”
    Softness flickered through those dark eyes, and his hand went to her face. His fingers drifted over her cheek with the lightest touch, making her throat tighten at the tender intimacy. She froze, afraid any movement from her would destroy the moment, drive him away.
    Then he cursed, dropped his hand and