He lay back on the bed and pulled her down with him. They cuddled with tangled legs and arms until he was snoring softly. It was a contented, peaceful sound that made Danielle's heart swell. This was what she had been searching for-total acceptance. And after her behavior in the club with Chase, she didn't deserve it.
Hours later, she slowly slipped out of bed, not wanting to wake Jared. She recalled the dream she'd had the night they went to the club that first time. Jared had come to her and told her to take what she needed from him. He wanted her to have it. It was a premonition. She knew, even back then, that Jared would be there for her.
People were stirring in the hall. Jared was still sleeping, and she didn't want to get him in trouble for having a girl in the dorm. Unable to find her shoes in the dark, she crept barefoot into the hall and quickly exited the boys' dorm. She found crossing campus barefoot that early in the morning an experience she would like to have missed. It was too early to go into her room without waking Olivia and Lindsay, so Danielle turned on a TV in the common room and promptly dozed off. All the things she should be thinking about could wait. For now, she just needed some sleep.
The rogue looked out over the park beneath the window of his downtown penthouse. He watched the humans milling about, moving through their lives with no idea of the powerful and dangerous breed of predators living among them. His people had become cowards, hiding in plain sight from the humans. He was sick and tired of living that way, and he was fed up with the council's rules. He was getting closer to the power needed to breach their ranks and live his life as it was meant to be, without fear of retribution from that panel of weaklings and power junkies. He would rip them apart, turn them against each other, and bring about a new era of leadership.
He had almost done it all those years ago. He'd been gathering power by absorbing the lifeblood of the local vampire youth and, along with it, their abilities. That was a unique talent handed down to him from his grandmother. She could see they shared the trait, and she taught him never to use his horrible gift. But he had grown sick of that restriction. He didn't believe he'd been given the talent by mistake, or that it should not be used.
Leann Vaughn had ruined all his plans. David Deidrick had died by his own hand to protect his family and his mate, Leann. It was a valiant deed. David was to be the bait to lure his mate out into the open. The fact that the couple had been mated was a secret, and David's capture alone hadn't been enough to get Leann out in the open. Her family was doggedly protecting her and her ability.
The rogue had been certain the news of David's death would bring her out to attend his memorial. Instead, it had crushed his plans entirely. Leann Vaughn-Deidrick had ended her own life when she learned of David's death.
He'd wanted the Vaughn girl's precognitive abilities. She was a talented beauty with the sight. He hoped he could convince her to join him. Then he could keep her for himself and not have to kill her to take advantage of her sight. The problem was the unforeseen complication the bond between them caused. It had been the undoing of his plan, because the girl so loved her mate that she followed him to the grave.
"What a waste," he scoffed. He'd had to retreat into the shadows and wait for an opportunity to present itself again. The memory of hiding, of being thwarted by a love-struck girl, made his stomach turn. How romantic, how pathetic, that the bad guy's evil plan had been foiled by true love. It sounded like the plot from a bad made-for-TV movie.
Recently, he had acquired a handy tool in his search for the perfect abilities. The Davis boy's talent would move things along. Instead of resorting to snatching kids off the street and testing them for extrasensory abilities, he could now discover their abilities with just a touch. With the power he absorbed from the Davis boy and the lucky find of the mystery girl at the club, he could put his plan into motion.
Smiling in anticipation, he stepped over the body he'd just drained. Sending the kids back alive had proven to be too big a risk. The council had been drilling the Prince girl since she awoke from her drug-induced haze. It hadn't done them any good, but he wouldn't continue to take that chance. He still had one hostage-the son of a council member and a wonderful bargaining chip, not to be wasted. The young male had no extraordinary power, so there was nothing to be gained. He would detain the kid until he was ready to cash in the chip.
Kayden sat in the lobby waiting for Chase to come down from his penthouse. Chase had discovered the convenience of having his "meals" delivered to his home after he was forced to try it when Danielle was under his care. After that, he enjoyed it. At the moment, he was finishing up with a sweet little redhead.
They were going to lunch with Griffin Vaughn that day, so Chase needed to get a move on before the limo arrived. Mr. Vaughn needed all the information they could give regarding Danielle and her attacker. Kayden's mind began to wander over the events of that night when he was startled by a voice that sent chills down his spine. Her voice was like fingernails on a blackboard.
"Are you boys ready? Daddy is waiting in the car." Samantha peered at him over her designer sunglasses. How could such an annoying creature come in such a pretty package?
"I didn't realize you were coming, Sam. Chase hasn't come down yet. I'll call him again." Kayden went for his cell.
"No, wait. I'm kind of glad to find you alone. I think we should talk. And could you please stop calling me Sam?" She put her hand on Kayden's arm to stop him from retrieving his cell.
"What could you possibly want to talk to me about, Sam?" He enjoyed watching her grimace at the use of her childhood nickname. She tried so hard to be a grown-up but she was just barely eighteen, and to him she was still the little girl who would run and cry to her mom because he and Chase wouldn't play tea party with her. Some things never changed. She was still pissed because they wouldn't play her games; only recently, she wanted to play adult games.
"You see, Kayden, I believe we have a common interest. I am interested in keeping this new toy of Chase's away from him. She's all shiny and new to him now, so he's obsessed and doesn't want to play with anything else. He thinks he loves her, but he'll grow tired of her, just like he does with the rest of his playthings." Samantha waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, as if to wave her competition away.
Kayden's brow creased in annoyance. "What's your point, Sam? This has nothing to do with me."
"The point is that I didn't miss the way you looked at the half-naked tramp when we were in Chase's room the other day. I also didn't miss the lost-puppy expression on that sweet face of yours when you came back in from chasing her down. Neither did I miss the dreamy way you described her collapsing sadly into your arms in the hall. I can't believe Chase hasn't seen it yet, but I see it clearly. You want that girl too; don't you, Kayden?" Sam raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Kayden, daring him to deny the truth. He kept looking at the elevator, hoping Chase would hurry. Kayden wanted nothing to do with Sam's conniving ways.
"I don't need an answer because it's all over your face, Kayden. Why should Chase always get what he wants? He has tons of girls, and he is going to be bonded in the near future. Why can't you date her if he can't be with her anyway? She walked out on him, right? I mean, who could blame the girl? He did lie to her to get her into bed." Samantha was encouraging him to see things her way and planting the image of Chase in bed with a girl Kayden so clearly wanted. A muscle in Kayden's jaw began to work, and he could feel his eyes flash to black.
"He did not sleep with her! We were helping her. He was doing what Doc said. That's all, Sam." Kayden didn't want to think of what Chase might have done with Dani if Sam hadn't shown up. He'd never been so happy to see Sam as he was that day. She had busted up Chase's little love nest right on time. Kayden was doing his best to pretend he had no interest in Dani until Chase lost interest. Chase always lost interest after a while.
The night they met her, Kayden had hoped it wouldn't take too long, due to the way Dani dissed Chase. He'd made the mistake of calling Chase the night he came across her drunk and in need of a hand at a party. He should have just moved in on her then, but he knew Chase would have caused trouble for him if he weren't done pursuing her. Kayden always deferred to Chase's wishes. It was just how it had always been. Then Danielle told him he was beautiful. She thought the rough-edged, arrogant guy who did all he could do to exude angry vibes of aggression to keep others away was beautiful. The words and the soft, honest expression on her face had stunned him. He'd decided to take her home with him and let Chase sniff around in circles all night. Then Chase had shown up and snatched Dani right out of his car. Damn it!