Hannah frowned as she studied him. "I'm not in love with her, I never have been," he told her as he sensed the direction of her thoughts. "It was never like that between us. I didn't want to lose her, but even more than that I couldn't let her family lose her. They may have thought they could handle that loss but I knew they couldn't. David would have unraveled and the rebellion would have suffered greatly as a result. I couldn't allow that to happen. It was selfish, I know it, but I wasn't willing to lose David as a friend, I wasn't willing to lose my home, and I was determined to make sure the fight against my father continued. I said some horrible things to Aria when I discovered her with Braith again months later, but again I didn't understand what was between them or how much they loved each other. I thought Braith was only going to end up hurting her. I didn't think there was any way that they could be together. Thankfully, I was wrong."
"They must have hated you," she said softly.
"They weren't pleased with me, and Braith was probably tempted to beat me into a bloody pulp more times than not, but no, they never hated me."
Her fingers fiddled with the edges of her sleeves as she glanced at the door. "That's good."
He waited for her to say more but she seemed lost in her own thoughts as she tugged her hands inside her sleeves. The curve of her delicate neck drew his attention but he didn't feel the burning hunger take hold of him again as his eyes locked onto hers. She was so different than anyone he'd ever known before, she was delicate and yet a well of strength flowed through her.
There were things in her life that he wished he could take from her, sadness that he was determined to ease. Something strange was in his chest, a feeling he didn't recognize as her head tilted to the side and she watched him with an air of someone that was waiting for a bomb to go off. Was this what love was? Was it more than just the link drawing him to her, was this feeling in his chest, this desperate need to keep her safe and happy actually love?
He found the thought wasn't anywhere near as dumbfounding or unpleasant as he'd thought it would be. It was the last thing he'd ever expected, and the first thing he'd thought he'd run from, but with her, all he desired was to get closer. There were so many disappointments in her life, he was determined not to be one of them.
"I've had a difficult time staying away from you Hannah, I've tried and I've told myself it would be better for you, for me, but I can't." She finally looked at him again; he hated the haunted look in her eyes, the confusion and distress that emanated from her in waves. "I don't want to."
"Jack, you're a prin..."
"Don't!" he interrupted harshly as his hand slammed down on the bureau. "That has nothing to do with this. Nothing. Don't even bring it up again. That is not my life, it certainly has nothing to do with anything between us, and neither does what you consider to be your defect. It's not a defect, it's a part of you but it is not what defines you, just as my title does not define me."
"It may not define you but one day you will return home, you'll have to. I can't go with you, it's impossible."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Her frown deepened as she shook her head. "What are you saying? That you plan to stay here? That you think that we're connected in some way by this bloodlink thing?"
"I think we may be."
***
Hannah wouldn't have been more flabbergasted by something he did or said if he'd taken her and heaved her out the door into the sunshine. She tried to rise but her legs refused to cooperate with her. Thoughts flipped through her mind so quickly that for a minute she felt dizzy. She grabbed hold of the mattress in order to regain control of herself.
"I've never drank blood from another vampire before Hannah, I've never even been remotely tempted to do such a thing. With you it's all I can do to stay away."
Something inside of her rejoiced at his words, but she had no idea where all of this was going. "Is that what this bloodlink does, it makes you covet my blood?"
"It's more than that. It's a primal connection between two vampires that binds them throughout their lives. It is said that one cannot live without the other."
She sat back as the words sank in. To be tied to someone for the rest of her existence was something that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Even if she had been forced to marry Calvin she'd go into it assuming that one day it would end and she would be set free when he found someone else. She had no doubt she would be forced to stay until he tired of her, and that they would be wretched years, but there would be freedom at the end. If he just didn't find some reason to kill her instead. Vampires weren't exactly known for staying with each other for extended periods of time, never mind an eternity. The prospect of such a thing was completely daunting but at the same time the prospect of such a thing with him was actually pleasant.
"I see," she said thoughtfully. "And when you drank my blood you created this bond?"
"No, it has always been between us, but when I drank from you I expedited the bond, my reaction to it, and the necessity to seal it."
"How is it sealed?"
"Through an exchange of blood on both of our parts and through sex."
It wasn't the prospect of sex that caused her eyebrows to nearly leap into her hair as he revealed this last tidbit, but the fact that he would be willing to allow her to drink from him. She almost would have thought this was some kind of scheme to get her into bed, but not if he was suggesting that she drink his blood also, and truth be told he didn't really have to have a scheme for that. To exchange blood though, was a bond that was irreversible, not only would he be able to find her through her blood, but she would always be able to find him. Granted she was pretty much confined to this town, but she thought that even if she could move freely he would still be saying these things.