† Braddock †
Feeding Yalena took barely a few moments, then Braddock watched her sleepy eyes droop with exhaustion. Her battle with the monster had been fierce and had no doubt taken every ounce of energy she had.
Braddock rose from her bedside and left her to rest in peace. He headed for the camp fire and watched the sun rising with dread. The scouting party began to trickle in, one by one taking up a seat by the fire or continuing straight into their individual tents to rest.
It had been a long night and he had no intention of preventing them from getting all the sleep and rest they deserved. Finding the monster would take all of their time and energy, over the next few nights, as it appeared obvious that no one had discovered the culprit this night.
"Sir." Eryk's voice was quiet and tired, as he approached the fire and withdrew his uniform cap to speak. "We scoured the entire woods, but were unable to find any sign of the monster. The trail led back to Yalena's camp and there were signs of a struggle, but nothing to indicate another person was present," he admitted. "I hate to ask, but perhaps if I could speak with Yalena, she could provide clues we may follow tomorrow evening?"
Braddock nodded, unable to argue with the logic of such a request. "You are right. She has just fed, so now would be the best time to speak with her. Then she must rest."
With Eryk's nod of understanding, he led the way into Yalena's tent and pulled a small chair to her bedside.
Yalena looked exhausted, as she lay curled on her side, her hands tucked beneath her head.
"Eryk needs to speak with you," Braddock announced, as he gestured for Eryk to take the seat.
Eryk watched him closely, until he got a nod of approval from Braddock. Then he began speaking. "Yalena, if you could tell us about the attack and what you saw, we may learn something about this monster that has not yet occurred to you. Then we may leave you to rest, while we continue to search," he said, with all the compassion and importance that the situation demanded.
Braddock swung his hands behind his back and clasped them, in an attempt to keep himself under control, if Eryk's questions became too demanding or he had the urge to intervene.
Licking her lips, Yalena sat up and drew the blanket over herself, to contain her modesty. After all, she had changed into a loose nightgown, to alleviate the pressure of clothing against her injuries. "I made camp and all was quiet for a while. Then the horse began to act strangely, so I rose from the fire and attempted to soothe him," she began, her voice hoarse and sounding painful.
Discreetly, Braddock grabbed a cup from the side counter and bit into his wrist, to let the blood drip into it. Standing behind Eryk, the young soldier never saw him providing sustenance for Yalena, which he handed over when the cup was half full. The cuff of his shirt, and a quick whispered word, adequately disguised the wound.
"Thank you." Yalena smiled and nodded to him, as she accepted the cup. After a tentative sip, she continued. "The horse acted as though it had been injured and there was blood on its mane. But no wound. I made a torch and began to search the area for a sign of where the blood had come from. Then I was attacked from behind," she said, taking a deep breath as she paused.
Eryk smiled consolingly and reached out to place his hand on Yalena's arm.
Braddock's jealousy rose furiously, until he had to dig his fingernails into his palm to stop himself from overreacting and demanding that Eryk remove his hand before he tore it from his arm.
"You are doing very well, Yalena. Just a little longer," Eryk asked, seeming aware of her struggle.
She nodded and averted her gaze, deep in thought. "I did not see a face, but I believe it was a vampire who attacked me. Male, from the intensity of the attack, unless it is a female with the gift of strength," she admitted, with a wrinkle on her brow that was all too familiar.
Braddock had learned to read Yalena's facial features, over the time spent with her, and this look was not a good one. She only frowned for two reasons; in anger and in confusion. This one said that she knew her recollections were confused and did not make any sense, but she could not seem to recall anything more definitive.
"The speed and voracity of the attack could only be a vampire, as the figure was that of a man, not a monster," Yalena went on, trying to clarify what she knew. She shifted uncomfortably, forcing Braddock to dig his nails in further, to stop himself from rushing to help.
When Yalena struggled to sit up in comfort, Eryk reached forward to plump a pillow at the base of her spine. She offered him a smile of thanks, before continuing with her description of the attack. "I tried to fight back, but their strength was immeasurable. I could not grip a piece of cloth or an arm, without it moving out of my reach within seconds. And when I healed, there was a growl before I was attacked again, as if the attacker wished to cause the most damage."
Taking another sip from the cup of blood, Yalena took a moment to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. "After a vicious attack, they were not pleased that I could still move. I do not believe they intended to kill me, but that I was bait for something bigger. Or perhaps they were waiting for me to die from my injuries," she guessed. "Whenever I healed, it would make a larger, deeper injury. It felt as though the more blood I shed, the happier they were."
Braddock turned that possibility over in his mind, curious over her perceptions. If it were true that her attacker was more interested in causing pain or spilling blood than feeding or making a clean kill, then they truly were dealing with a monster. It did not matter whether it was a human, a vampire or some wild animal; they were a monster by their actions and that was all Braddock needed to know.
"Thank you," he said, speaking up for the first time. "We will leave you to rest now."
He gave Eryk a nudge, to remind him that Yalena would need time to recuperate.
The young soldier nodded and offered Yalena a smile, before rising and following him out of the tent.
Once out of earshot from Yalena's quarters, Braddock raised his concern. "If this monster is indeed a vampire and is killing for sport, then they may be escalating. The attacks on the previous women began as a physical attack and ended in murder. What he did to Yalena is something else."
Eryk rubbed his chin, where a scruff of stubble was beginning to show. "That is most troublesome," he agreed. "But what can we do against such a foe?"
Braddock took a breath of the early morning air and calculated that they only had two or three more hours left before the sun would send them into their tents. "We will plan and wait. If they are escalating and becoming more violent, then they are also more reckless. They made a mistake this night," he confessed, turning to meet Eryk's confused gaze.
"What mistake?"
"Yalena is still alive."
***
As the sun rose, Braddock lay in his tent, unable to sleep for the thoughts churning around his brain.
This monster unsettled him. But even more unsettling was the revelation that Yalena was his life mate. It was partly terrifying and partly wonderful. He had waited nearly seventy years of his vampire life to find his life mate and had worried that it may never happen. His lifestyle did not make finding a life mate easy or a priority. His entire life revolved around fighting, killing and being surrounded only by other men. There had never been a female warrior in their ranks before.
Yalena was a revelation in more ways than one.
Yet, knowing the monster had left her alive was not such a good sign as he had implied to Eryk. There was every risk that it may hunt her down and return to finish the job. But, though that could assist them in locating the monster, it would also put her at constant risk. No one could guard her day and night, without imposing on her privacy.
To protect her would mean their entire camp watching over her, while neglecting their duties to the humans in the villages they had sworn to protect.
Braddock turned onto his side and stared at the blank surroundings of his tent; there were no family memorabilia, as he had lost all of his natural family members decades ago, and there was no one in his life now that could take that place. Not until Yalena.
Now that he had her in his life, he had to face one of the most difficult decisions of his military career. Could he risk putting his personal feelings first, to keep Yalena in his life and grasp this opportunity to have a family again? Or did he stick to his training and put the humans, defenceless as they were, before his own needs and desires?
It was a choice he had never thought he would have to make. A choice he was unsure he could make.
Without the guidance of his father, who had always known what to say when he was lost, Braddock's mind was consumed with doubts and hesitations.
These were not the thoughts of a leader or a commander of an army. These were the thoughts of a child. A boy, not a man. Someone who saw fifteen directions before him and did not know the destination of any.
He turned again, to face the opening of the tent, sure that he must be dreaming when he found Yalena standing there. The flaps were closed and she wore only the chemise that she had changed into earlier that morning.
"You are suffering for my actions," she said, with a serious look that did not match the open necked chemise that showed off far more skin than a few hours ago.
"I suffer from my own inability to think clearly," Braddock corrected her, sitting up and pushing the cover aside. He placed his feet on the floor and felt no shame in his state of undress; a pair of linen pants and a thin vest to stave off the night chill. "Since I discovered our bond, I cannot fathom what is right and what is wrong anymore. I cannot separate my head from my heart," he confessed.
Yalena smiled and crossed to him, to lace her fingers through the hair above his ears, around to the back of his head. It felt so heavenly that he closed his eyes and allowed his unsure hands to raise and hold her waist.
"I feel the same," Yalena whispered to him, as lips brushed his forehead in a gentle caress. "I cannot think...cannot sleep...cannot do anything that I should. I have spent so long fearing this day would never come. That I would never find you," she rambled.
Tightening his grip on her waist fractionally, Braddock tried to curb his desires. But his touch slid over her chemise and to the dip at the base of her spine. His head drooped against her stomach, afraid to look at her, in case her beauty blinded him or took away what was left of his senses.
Tender fingers stroked his hair and a soft mouth continued to drift over his forehead.
"If you do not leave now, I cannot be responsible for what I may do," he warned her. "This bond that I now feel is unbearable, with you so close. I have been so alone, so lost without my family. I had forgotten how it felt to be wanted," he confessed.
Yalena sighed and a nail scraped over the back of his neck. "What can I do to relieve you of this pain?"
"Nothing." Reluctantly, Braddock brought his hands to Yalena's hips and gently pushed her away. "We cannot risk Commander Lee discovering our bond. His first act will be to separate us and my heart could not survive that," he said, feeling a lead weight sinking to the pit of his stomach, at the very thought. "We must do all we can to keep this a secret from him. Even if that means we are to suffer being so close, but unable to be together."
He feared how she may take his words. It was not ideal, to think of spending months or years in this army by Yalena's side, yet never able to act on his feelings on their bond. That was not how life mate bonds were meant to work, but he feared separation from her more than the consequences of being with her and unable to have her as his own.
After a few moments, Yalena took a step away. "I understand the logic of your words and the sense of remaining together, rather than risking a separation," she said, in agreement. But then she shook her head and his tired eyes spotted tears glistening in her eyes. "but my heart aches all the same. To accomplish this, we must not ever be alone again. We must never allow ourselves to be within touching distance or I fear I may not be able to contain myself," she warned.
Braddock nodded, hating that she was right.
His heart contracted painfully, as Yalena turned and left his tent, without a word.
It may be the last time they ever saw each other with enough privacy to speak freely. And they had not even shared a single kiss.