Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

claims where the bond was strong. But he hadn’t claimed her and she hadn’t claimed him. If the desire was this strong now, what would it be like if they actually mated and bonded with one another?
    He moved his gaze back to the window and thought about how it had felt to taste his blood on her lips. Overpowering. The desire he felt for her had spiralled out of his control and he’d been on the verge of completely surrendering to it when he’d remembered that they weren’t alone. When she was near him, there was nothing but her. Years of training and lessons on keeping his senses open at all times was forgotten and his guard dropped. His focus became trained on her, leaving him open to attack and danger. Not that he was in danger with Mia and Dmitri, but it was a hazardous way to feel.
    All it would take was for him to become this distracted when they were out in the open alone and it would give someone the perfect opportunity to attack undetected. Caden would be first to take advantage of such a chance. He had to learn to control his feelings for Prophecy or at least not let them affect his awareness of the things that were happening around them.
    It seemed so impossible whenever he thought about how it had felt to share such a quiet intimacy with her. He’d never be able to control his feelings.
    He closed his eyes and sighed.
    His ears pricked when he heard Prophecy shifting on the seat beside him and then he relaxed when he felt her hand on his shoulder.
    Her other hand came to rest on his other shoulder and she slipped them about him, clasping them together in front of his chest while she leaned her cheek against his back. He placed his hand over hers and held them, letting her know that he was all right. When she leaned more heavily against him, he realised that she was falling asleep. The dawn was finally catching up with her.
    He gently unclasped her hands and put his arm around her shoulders, letting her head rest against his chest. Pressing a solitary kiss to her hair, he thought about what was coming. There was still a long way to go before they got to the Romanian border. Once they did, it would take at least another half a day to get to the valley where the Tenebrae had their home.
    Glancing across the car, he saw that Mia and Dmitri were fast asleep, curled up in each other’s arms. He shifted in the seat until he was in a more comfortable position and held Prophecy a little tighter when she sighed in her sleep. He looked at her right hand, which was resting against his chest, her amulet centred directly over his heart. Bringing his hand up, he took hold of hers.
    The best thing they could do now was sleep. The battle that lay ahead of them was going to be hard and they would need to save all of their strength for it. Closing his eyes, he sighed out his breath and let sleep take him.

Chapter 34
    Prophecy looked up at the rickety building in front of her. It looked as though it had been thrown together in a hurry. The sky above it was rapidly darkening, the sun having set a few minutes ago. She listened to Mia talking to Dmitri and heard the car door close. A hand on her shoulder drew her attention away from the inn and she turned to look at Valentine. He seemed concerned. She’d been quiet for most of the journey and she knew he’d noticed. She placed her hand over his and smiled to alleviate his worry. She wasn’t out of spirits or feeling down about the things she’d learned about herself back at Dmitri’s bastion, she was just tired. She wanted this battle over with already so she could move on with her life, hopefully with Valentine by her side.
    A noise in the street caught her attention. A hay cart was trundling towards them. She’d never seen anything like it. It wasn’t the kind of thing she’d been expecting. The whole village wasn’t what she’d imagined it would be. She stepped forwards, away from Valentine and towards the cart as it approached. It was drawn by a tired looking horse that must have been older than her. The hay was piled haphazardly on the back and great chunks of it were falling off, covering the dirt road. The man sitting at the front of the cart had a kind face, worn with age and care. He pulled the horse to a halt when he saw her. She smiled. He lowered his head, almost in a bow. She was surprised when he made the same gesture to Valentine, Mia and Dmitri. It was strangely respectful, as though he knew what they were.
    She nodded in return and frowned