Ironic Sacrifice Read Online Free Page A

on Jayden’s neck to heal them, fighting off this new and alien urge to leave them displayed to the world.
    He tucked the blankets around his new charge before burying his face in his hands. What had come over him? First he took a crazy woman off the streets, then he Marked her, then he had sex with her despite her weak condition and his policy about not fucking his food. What was it about this woman that made him lose his mind?
    He sent her a mental command to sleep through the day, feeling an uncomfortable twinge at how easy it was in her weakened state. The Mark flared between them again with its unsettling yet pleasurable electric heat. Razvan sighed. At least he would have plenty of time to figure out this enigma. He had seen the woman’s memories. She truly was alone in the world without family or a mate to be concerned with her fate. But did that make what he was doing right? He shook off the disconcerting thought with a growl.
    As he left the resort to return to Spokane for the day, he pulled out his phone and called the Lord of the city.
    “Hello, Razvan,” the vampire immediately answered.
    “ Lord of Coeur d’Alene, I beg permission for a short visit. Also, I have brought something interesting.”
    Immediately came the reply: “ Was it so interesting as to delay your announcement of your arrival in my territory? If we were not friends, Nicolae…”
    Razvan chuckled and broke the connection before Lord McNaught could build up to a full tangent. It was good to keep the man on his toes.

Chapter Three
    When Jayden awoke, the vampire was gone. She would have thought all that happened was a dream but for the luxurious room she was in.
    “Oh my God!” Her voice seemed loud in the emptiness, but not as overwhelming as her memories of the previous night.
    She’d given herself to a vampire . Not only had he drank her blood, he’d made love to her. On the heels of that realization, another intruded.
    I am still alive; he didn’t kill me.
    Those surreal facts took awhile to absorb. It was all she could do not to tear at her hair and scream like a maniac. Then she looked at the clock and realized it was six p.m. A whole night had passed. Her darting gaze settled on the door and her mind was momentarily cleansed with a goal.
    Jayden slid out of the bed and stood up, pausing as a wave of dizziness threatened to drop her. How much blood did he take? When she regained composure she searched the room and bathroom for her clothes. They were gone. Why the hell had he taken her clothes?
    At least he left the robe. She put it on, tied the belt securely, and crept to the door. The knob was cool on her sweaty palms. It turned easily. She’d expected it to be locked. She opened it and tiptoed into the hallway, praying no one was around to see her in nothing but a robe. Maybe she could steal some clothes from the lockers in the pool area.
    The corridor was empty and quiet besides the tinny sound of Mozart playing from the ceiling speakers. So far, so good. Jayden took a deep breath and continued walking. The plush royal blue carpet muted her footsteps. Then dizziness struck again, making her head swim and spots flash before her eyes, but she kept going, determined to escape.
    She was just rounding the corner when she came face to face with the vampire.
    “Going somewhere?” Razvan’s lips curved into a malevolent grin.
    Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. All he had done to her last night flashed in her mind with startling clarity as his midnight eyes threatened to trap her in their depths. Her gaze darted frantically to avoid them, focusing instead on the old fashioned black frock coat that he wore. An urge to run her fingers along the folds, to see if it was soft as it looked, made her hands ball up at her sides. When she looked up at the wavy mass of hair that caressed his shoulders, her stomach clenched painfully as she remembered the soft feel of it in her hands. Defeated, she dropped her gaze to