Blood Bond . Amy Blankenship

and took her other arm in a strong grip when she almost stumbled in her high heels.

      “Have you seen him?” Tabatha asked looking up at Kane.

      Kane shook his head sadly, “No I haven’t.” He refrained from telling her that the last time he’d run into Dean he could smell Kriss on him… the fallen was fine.

      “He’s gone,” Tabatha swiped childishly at the tear that had finally managed to escape. “What if Misery ate him?”

      Kane tried not to chuckle in the face of her drunken but sincere question. “Misery thinks the fallen taste foul,” he recited Misery’s own words.

      “Then why didn’t he say goodbye?” Tabatha lowered her gaze to the floor as they walked.

      Kane didn’t answer as he got Tabatha into her car and went around to the driver’s side. Images of ripping those silky soft wings off of Kriss' back were running amuck through his head but Kane pushed them aside. Revenge could wait… right now he needed to get his personal angel home safe and sound before his revolving door of a personality shifted back to the dark side.

      Tabatha stayed quiet as they drove, the blue of the dash lights giving the inside of the car a soft glow as if daring her to look at the man driving. She’d never really been one to turn down a dare and, although she could hold her alcohol better than the normal person… the drinks did help to suppress a healthy fear.

      She slowly turned her head and bravely looked directly at Kane, “Why did Misery say that I belonged to you?”

      Kane’s head quickly whipped around to pin her with a hard stare. She wasn’t supposed to remember what happened that night… he’d taken it from her memories. How in the hell did she recall something she was supposed to forget? Seeing car lights shine on her face, he glanced back at the road and swerved just in time to avoid hitting an oncoming car.

      Her hand went to the door handle out of instinct when she saw his reaction to her question but she stilled herself. She wasn’t quite drunk enough to jump from a moving car. The twinge of fear that crawled up her back only served to boost her courage level to the point of stupidity.

      “Pick a lane,” Tabatha grinned then blinked wanting to smack herself. ‘Crap,’ she thought mentally. ‘Way to go dummy, piss off the guy with pointed teeth.’

      “You remember that night?” Kane asked before he could stop himself.

      “So what,” she said and mentally shrugged. “Big deal, I remember. Well… most of it anyway. Maybe you’re not as good at putting people under your thrall as you think you are.”

      “Maybe next time I won't be so gentle,” Kane warned and watched her shiver at his dark words.

      Tabatha narrowed her gaze at his stoic expression. How dare he call her bluff.

      “Well, before you try to brainwash me again, how about telling me the answer to Misery’s riddle?” she demanded and crossed her arms over her chest knowing she was taking her anger over Kriss' abandonment out on Kane… then again, maybe Kane deserved it. For all she knew, Kane was the one who had eaten Kriss.

      “Either you tell me what she meant, or I swear I’ll hang a big juicy cow heart around my neck and pimp myself out to Misery so I can ask her myself.”

      She gasped and quickly grabbed hold of the dashboard when Kane jerked the wheel, making the car swerve to the side of the road and over the curb. He slammed on the brakes and slid across the dirt embankment, making the car do a complete one-eighty before coming to a skidding stop.

      Kane was hovering over her before the car stopped moving. Tabatha couldn’t help looking up at his face and admiring the strong planes of his jaw… the amethyst color of his eyes. Her gaze lowered to his perfect lips and she wondered if they would be cold as ice or hot as fire.

      Kane was beyond angry and wanted to throttle the woman for even thinking such a thing. Biting his own tongue, he waited until he could taste the quick flow of blood before taking Tabatha’s lips in a searing kiss. Under normal circumstances he would kill to be able to do this… then again, she would have to be sober for it to count. The only reason he was kissing her so deeply now was to clear her mind of the dangerous plans the alcohol had put there.

      Hot, his lips were hot and the lovely heat was spiraling through her to center between her legs. Tabatha suddenly felt the fear she’d been lacking just a moment before. It washed over her in vengeful waves and she felt her toes curl at the exact same time panic settled into her stomach. Her mind chose the fear and she started pushing against him as hard as she could. Unfortunately, it had the same effect as an ant trying to lift a house.

      Kane felt her hands push against his chest, but if this was going to be their last kiss, then he was going to savor it for a moment longer. He breathed in her warm breath as he softened the kiss only for him to quickly deepen it again.

      Tabatha was assaulted with the sweet, salty flavor of Kane’s blood and the overwhelming need to climb deep inside him overrode any lingering fear. That need intensified when his hand curled around her hip and raised her off the seat, pressing her against him as much as the small confines of the vehicle would allow. Her thighs went up in flames and, before she could stop herself, one of her hands slid up his chest to curve around his neck were she gripped his snow white hair in a tight fist.

      Kane shivered when he felt her nails scrape against his sensitive skin, making his hips reflex and a growl form deep in his chest. He wanted her… god he wanted her so bad. A car horn blared and Kane was quickly reminded of where they were. It took more strength than he thought he had to release her body and practically slam himself back into the driver’s seat.

      “Sober yet?” he asked. The muscles in his jaw flexed and his knuckles turned white where he was gripping the steering wheel as he restrained his hunger.

      Tabatha brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she thought about the strange question. After a couple seconds she nodded with a frown on her face. “Yeah, what are you, instant coffee?”

      “What are you?” Kane mocked her. “Bloody insane is what you are… talking about cow hearts and demons.”

      Tabatha’s eyes widened when a flash of lightning caught her attention as it lit up the street. She licked her bottom lip still tasting him then looked down at herself to make sure her thighs weren’t really on fire. The lightning flashed again and she leaned forward, looking up at the sky to search for the storm clouds. Seeing none, she looked back at Kane and realized it was him making the storm.

      “I think you might want to calm down. I was wrong… you’re not instant coffee, you’re instant storm,” she said and straightened herself in the car seat. She hadn’t noticed it before, but when Kane had leaned over her, her dress had slipped up nearly showing the frilly lace of her panties.

      Kane rubbed his temple with his fingers and closed his eyes… he had to. “Just do this one thing… stay away from Misery.”

      “Is that how you healed me in Warren’s office?” Tabatha whispered, somehow knowing his blood had just killed every drop of alcohol she’d consumed tonight. She missed the lack of inhibitions already but wasn’t about to call him a party pooper with the mood he was in. But, she had to admit, that if he hadn’t stopped the kiss it would have led to other things.

      To say he was unstable would have been an understatement if the way he was gripping the wheel gave her any indication. After what she’d just been about to do… maybe they were both unstable.

      When he didn’t answer but just stared straight ahead and shrugged, Tabatha found herself getting angry all over again. “Fine, just take me home… or better yet, get the hell out. I can drive myself now.”

      Tabatha was slammed back against the seat when Kane put the car back in gear and gunned the engine, bouncing over the curb and reentering traffic… or what little there was this time of night.

      “Maybe you should go find whatever bird’s nest Kriss is in and join him since both of you obviously