Finding Amber (Book 5) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 10

Amber

I don’t know if it’s fear or attraction that leads me to kiss him, but whatever the cause, he’s pure bliss. I think I can determine without a doubt he’s here to help, not hurt me. 
He pulls me in like he hungers for me. Right now, he’s far from the indifferent, single-minded soldier he was just minutes ago.
I must be out of my mind. I’ve never done anything like this. But it feels so good. Estevan is different from anyone I’ve ever known. He’s worldly, handsome, and probably an ancient relic! That should turn me off, but it doesn’t.  It’s all part of his lure, and I’m just a helpless, hungry fish.
Where did he learn to kiss like that?  Today, I learn the difference between a boy and a man. He makes me feel… Alive, and the risk we’re taking gives me a thrill when it should terrify me, but I’m not scared because I know he’ll protect me.
He mumbles something in a foreign language that sounds like a question, and then he does the unthinkable… 
he calls me by someone else’s name!
A name I recall from the day I met him.
Barely holding back a slap, I shove off him with a sound of protest. His look of confusion pisses me off even more.
“Devlin? What am I? Like an out-of-state booty call?”
He raises his brows, opening and closing his mouth several times while I pace with anger.
“It’s not like that.”
Really? He’s lived at least two centuries that I know of, and I’m sure he’s had plenty of women throwing themselves at him. I’m such a doofus. 
“Okay Casanova, what is it like?” I ask with irritation. He scoffs.
“That’s so far from the truth, Amber. I’m no Casanova. This is hard for me to admit... That story I told you. It wasn’t a story at all... it was part of my past.”
I fold my arms and roll my eyes.
“Yeah, no shit.” I blurt. He snaps his mouth shut in surprise. I storm off with nowhere to go but the corner of the cave. Giving him my back, I sit and stew. I’ll admit my anger isn’t all about him. It’s been brewing for a while. The fact I was turned, my lack of food; er drink, missing my life; I can never return too. God, all of that hasn’t even sunk in yet. 
A few minutes later, I hear him approach.
“I’m sorry.” he says.
It’s simple and heartfelt. Although it doesn’t fix the way it made me feel, it’s the best I can ask for. I mumble a thank you and sneak a peek at him. Why does he have to look so attractive? And he’s always brooding. Guys like that make me roll my eyes. With him, it’s like chocolate on a diet. You know it’s bad, but it tastes so good. One nibble and the next thing you know, the bars gone.
“We should get moving. It’s dark now. They’re more than likely gone.”
I give him a nod and follow him out. Estevan pushes me behind him as we exit the cave. He does a scan of the area before he moves forward.
I’ve got a bad feeling I can’t get rid of; I hate that feeling. I had it just before I was turned and woke up in the dome.
“Let’s stick to the shadows and walk lightly.” 
Estevan whispers in my vicinity while looking up. He seems to be feeling the same way, but he’s seeing something I’m not.
It’s eerily quiet, and my hair is standing on end. Now that I don’t have Estevan’s tongue down my throat, I’m able to re-evaluate our situation:
The land isn’t thriving with people, and cannibals live here: double bad. 
As long as the clouds stay this thick, we’re able to move around anytime; good. 
“Move faster.” 
Estevan interrupts my thoughts, pushing me forward. I hear crunching in the snow that doesn’t belong to us and stop; looking around for the source. My throat gets tight and hot like I swallowed a scorching poker. A mist surrounds us, and I realize that’s what’s making me queasy. It grows much denser as we make our way through. This isn’t normal fog. It’s coming from above the snow-covered valley, not below. 
Thinking is becoming increasingly harder, and I feel sluggish. Estevan keeps looking back to check on me. He’s just as shaken by the situation as me. I don’t know what’s in the thick fog, but my intuition tells me it’s meant to sedate a human or maybe even kill them. 
They think we’re human? I stop moving when I hear footsteps behind me, and there’s no sign of Estevan.
I panic, calling out for him. It’s a stupid move that has me moving forward, blindly searching for him. When the fog begins to clear, a loud horn sounds. 
I see Estevan come running toward me. Before he can get to me, they descend on us, separating Estevan from me. 
Estevan charges the sickly creatures that are headed in my direction. Panic takes hold, and I freeze with my heartbeat pounding in my ears so loud it’s all I can hear.
The last thing that penetrates the deafening beat is Estevan’s one worded plea:
“RUN!”