The Abandoned by Amanda Stevens Page A

the side of her neck, first with his tongue, then with his teeth. The sharp sensation shocked Ree at first, evoking something foreign yet familiar, something a little unsettling. But already the sting had subsided, and she could feel him between her legs, pushing into her and she turned dreamily toward the window. Above the open sash, the glass had frosted and for one eerie moment, Ree could have sworn she saw a pattern start to form.
    But Hayden was moving inside her and with very little effort, Ree found his rhythm. It went on for a very long time. Impossibly long, it seemed to Ree. So many times she found herself on the verge, only to have him pull back, making it last and last as she dug her nails into his flesh.
    The room grew cold but their bodies were molten. Mist crept in through the window. Ree felt a prickle of fear, but Hayden gathered her up in his arms and held onto her tightly as his movements became more urgent. The mist seemed almost alive now, coiling and writhing and pulsating with energy. Something told her to stop, push him away, but she couldn’t. The pleasure fed on her fear. She opened herself to him and he pressed more deeply into her, against her. With a gasp, she closed her eyes and clung to him as the mist began to envelop them.
    And then it was over. An explosion of white light, and Ree was spiraling back to earth as Hayden collapsed against her with a shudder.
    When she opened her eyes, they were swathed in nothing but moonlight.

    Ree awakened to sunshine. She bolted upright and glanced around. It took her a moment to remember where she was. Then she saw Hayden. The bathroom door was open and he stood at the sink. He wore jeans but no shirt and his hair was still damp from the shower. She thought for a moment that he was shaving. She swung her legs over the bed and walked over to the door to watch him.
    He wasn’t shaving. He stood with his hands propped against the sink, staring into the mirror. Just…staring…
    “Is something wrong?” she asked.
    “Wrong?” He was still studying his reflection. “I feel a little strange.”
    “Strange how?”
    “Like I just woke up from a dream.”
    Was that good or bad? she wondered.
    And then she saw the silver medallion dangling from his neck. Not the one she’d grabbed from her attacker last night because that medallion was in the pocket of her scrubs.
    She gasped. “Oh, my God. You’re one of them.”
    His gaze met hers in the mirror and for a moment, he seemed to snap out of his lethargy. “I can explain.”
    Ree took a step back from the door. “What’s to explain? Are you or are you not a member of that despicable group?”
    “It’s a legacy thing.” He turned to face her.
    There was something so different about him. Something so odd about the way he’d been staring into that mirror…
    If Ree didn’t know better, she’d swear he was a different man than the one she’d met in Oak Grove Cemetery.
    Her scalp tingled in apprehension. “What does that mean? A legacy thing? You were automatically recruited because of your family’s history?”
    “Yes, but it doesn’t have anything to do with us. You and me.”
    As he moved toward her, sunlight sparked off the medallion. Ree averted her gaze and took another step back from him. “It doesn’t have anything to do with us? After what I told you about Ilsa? And you didn’t say anything?”
    “It was so long ago, Ree.”
    “What about your family? What about other initiation rituals?”
    His voice turned cold. “You’re making a lot of assumptions that I don’t much care for.”
    “And I don’t like that you lied to me! You know you should have told me.” She drew on the bloodstained scrubs she’d discarded the evening before. “I have to get out of here,” she muttered.
    “Where are you going?” He followed her into the living room. “Come on, Ree. It’s not safe for you out there.”
    She whirled at that. “I’m not sure it’s safe for me in here. How do I know