Frailty: The Darkshine by Jenika Snow Read Free Book Online

pulled out several more outfits until finally she found a skirt that wasn’t transparent and a shirt that went past her navel. She found no undergarments.
    After dressing, Helina went out of the cave and saw Gaijryc leaning against a tree. Smoothing her hand down the light pink knee-length skirt, she watched him. He stared at her before clearing his throat several times. “Thank you for the clothes.”
    Pushing himself away from the tree, he walked toward her. His big body circled hers, very slowly, before he stood in front of her again.
    “You are most welcome. This color suits you.” He said the words as he ran his finger over the hem of the lace shirt, his fingers skimming along her collarbone. It was her turn to clear her throat as she started to feel the familiar stirrings of desire wash through her. “Do all your women wear those kinds of clothes?”
    “What do you mean?”
    Closing her eyes as he moved his finger across her exposed flesh, she had to bite her inner cheek to keep from moaning. “The clothes you brought me. All of them aside from this outfit are transparent. Do all your women wear clothes like that, material you can see right through?” He laughed and moved away from her, holding his hand out for her to take. Helina glanced into his eyes. He smiled gently and she slipped her palm along his. He led them away from the cave and, although Helina should have felt fear for being exposed, the emotion wasn’t present. She could see the campground ahead and she became tense. She tried to tug her arm away, but his grip was like steel. “Wait. No, stop. I don’t want to go.”
    He instantly stopped, not letting go of her hand as he stared at her with concern. “What is it, Helina? Why are you so frightened?”
    He was taking her out of the comfort of her surroundings; the woods that made her feel sheltered and covered. She didn’t want to be exposed, and if he kept on this same path, they would soon meet the road, which would also mean they would be out in the open.
    “I don’t want to be seen. What if someone spots me?”
    She was frantic, her heart beating fast, the flight or fight instinct burning brightly within her. He didn’t speak for a suspended moment and she looked back and forth, making sure no one could see her, hoping no one was around.
    “Who has caused you to be this frightened?”
    His tone made her stop her examination of the surrounding and brought her attention back to him. Is he fucking kidding me? “Well, let me see. I had to flee my home because vampires apparently decided to kill off my species. If that wasn’t bad enough…” She looked around again, her breathing increasing as fear assaulted her. He looked down at her with a dark expression on his face. She took a step back, thankful when he let go of her hand.
    “That isn’t what I asked you. Who has caused you to be this frightened, Helina?”
    She couldn’t believe he would ask her such a thing, again. After what his kind had done to everything she had ever known. Maybe he wasn’t the one who had killed her sister, but he was just as much to blame as they were.
    “I can’t believe you just asked me that again. Look around.” She gestured around the quiet forest, with not even the sound of a squirrel or bird to break the silence. “What do you hear?” He didn’t answer, just stared at her with a stoic expression. “Nothing. The answer is, you hear nothing.”
    Tears prickled her eyes but she willed herself to stay strong. Her anger fueled her and gave her the courage she so desperately needed. Helina didn’t want to take it out on him, not after how sweet and kind he had been to her, but she wasn’t able to control it.
    He shook his head, but she knew he was very aware of what she was speaking about. Swallowing roughly, she gripped the edge of her shirt, her anger starting to subside as she watched the look of defeat cross his features. He moved away and sat on a boulder, his head hanging down as he clenched