Kiss of Midnight_ A Midnight Breed Novel - Lara Adrian [782]
The realization cut deep, despite the fact that he’d earned her cold shoulder. Hell, he’d earned much more than that where Claire was concerned. He’d upended her whole world, put her in the crosshairs of a deadly personal war. Worse by far was the fact that he’d come back into her life only to drag her into the center of his conflict with Roth.
“Claire,” he said softly, words intended for her ears alone. “There is so much I want to apologize to you for—”
“Please, don’t.” She glanced up at him in the darkness, gave him a faint shake of her head. There was no condemnation in her voice, no raw hurt. Only quiet resignation. “Do you really think I’m looking for you to tell me you’re sorry? I’m not, Andreas, not anymore. Especially not right now. When this is all over tonight, then you can say whatever you need to say to me.”
She worried that he was walking into his death, and maybe he was. He blew out a slow breath, amazed as always by the strength that she carried inside her. He caressed her for only the briefest second, memorizing the velvet texture of her warm, honeyed skin. “I’ve always loved you, Claire. You know that, don’t you?”
She pressed her fingers tenderly against his lips. “Don’t you dare pretend this is good-bye,” she whispered fiercely. “Damn you, Andre, don’t you dare.”
Reichen kissed the soft pads of her fingertips, then hooked his arm around the small of her spine and brought her up against him. Hunger seared him, blood and desire inflamed together, twin needs that centered on the woman who felt so right in his embrace.
“You’re mine, Claire,” he growled into her mouth as he kissed her, long and deep. All around them, the warriors were preparing to fan out and begin their search of the outlying forest. Reichen took a step away from Claire, feeling the gap of space like a sudden gust of chill air. “I have to go now.”
“I know,” she said softly. “But you’ll come back to me, right? This time, promise me, Andre … you will come back to me.”
He cast a quick glance into the dark woods, his senses prickling with the knowledge of a hard battle soon to come. He looked back to Claire and drank in the sight of her. His beautiful, extraordinary Claire. After tonight, she would be free of Roth for good. Reichen would make certain of that. After tonight, Claire would be safe, no matter what he had to do to ensure it.
“I have to go,” he said again.
Her gaze was imploring, a blade twisting below his sternum. “Andre…promise me?”
“Stay safe, Claire. I love you.”
He fell in beside Tegan and the other warriors and didn’t look back.
Claire stood there for a long moment, watching numbly as the forest swallowed up Andreas and the other warriors. She’d kept up her brave front longer than she thought she could, but now that he was gone, her spine felt less solid, her legs a bit unsteady beneath her. She started when a hand touched down lightly on her shoulder.
“Hey.” It was Dylan, her expression soft, sympathetic. “Come on back to the Rover, Claire. It’s warmer inside. Rio and I will keep you company until this is over.”
She let herself be led around to the waiting vehicle, realizing belatedly that Renata had joined the warriors as well. Inside the Range Rover, Rio was on two-way tactical communication with each member of the mission, including Andreas. The connection to him, even electronically, gave her a small degree of comfort. At least she could hear his voice from time to time, and know that he was still with her. Still alive.
She refused to consider the many terrible ways this night could end. Instead she clung to the remembered warmth of Andreas’s embrace, his passionate kiss, his loving words.
He had to come back to her.
He had to survive.
As she held those thoughts close to her like a shield, Tegan’s deep voice came over the receiver mounted to the Rover’s dashboard.
“Fuck, I think we’ve got something out here.” There was a rustle of movement in the background, the sound of boots traipsing carefully over dried leaves. The warrior dropped his voice to a low whisper. “Oh, hell yeah … we got something, all