with a sarcastic tongue, smart as a whip and one hell of a cook. It was obvious she loved Dupree, and clear to Luke the hybrid returned that sentiment. Yet Dupree kept his distance as much as possible. Luke wasn't sure what that was about but he thought it was fucking stupid. He'd waited three hundred years for Gia, and Dupree was throwing away a chance with Kara?
But tonight, Luke saw more emotion from the hybrid than he'd ever expected. Maybe he was coming around. He'd arrived thirty minutes ago, expression murderous, hands shaking, eyes glowing and scared. Luke hadn't said a word, simply turned and started walking until Dupree fell in step at his side. He snuck a sideways look. The hybrid seemed to be regaining his famous control.
"What happened?" he asked softly. He didn't expect to get a response.
"She was attacked. Leaving our headquarters last night."
"I'm sorry." That would explain a few things. His blood ran cold at all the possibilities of what might be happening to Gia right now. "She's okay?"
She must be or Dupree wouldn't be here now. He nodded. "This time."
Friendship with someone of another race was new to Luke, and Dupree was harder to befriend than most. He debated saying more. He was certain the other man wouldn't welcome it. In the end, frustration loosened his tongue. Gia wouldn't admit it, but she wouldn't want him to stay silent while her friend was hurting.
"I don't understand why you haven't claimed her. Why you haven't bonded with her. Gia expected you to. She said you'd fight it till the end but eventually you'd take this one thing for yourself."
Dupree glared. "Gia spoke to you about me?"
Luke shrugged. "Just once." And he'd had to really push her to open up about herself and her friends.
Dupree shook his head. "I should have been a nightwalker. Then I wouldn't have to worry about having a woman who didn't understand it goes against everything in my nature not to lock her up and keep her safe."
He laughed. "Yeah that worked so well for Marcus and me."
Dupree gave him a sour look. "You brought that on yourselves."
"There is that." And it had taken much too long to realize he didn't want it any other way. "Seems to me though, the woman you want is the one you have. If she was willing to live in your safe little fantasy world, she wouldn't be Kara."
The hybrid shut down so tightly Luke could feel the cold radiating off his skin. "That won't help," Luke pointed out. Ignoring her wouldn't make Dupree yearn for her less, even Luke could see that.
Dupree stopped and turned around to face him. "Why do you care so much? Where is this coming from?"
The man's eyes were red and his body shook with tension, with the restraint of holding back.
"You're important to Gia and Winter, and they're important to me. If you lose this battle you're fighting, someone will have to hunt you. Do you want that for them? Because I don't."
Dupree took a deep shuddering breath and slowly his eyes faded back to brown. He resumed walking. "I won't let it come to that," he said softly. "I won't do what Ben did."
"Or you could avoid the possibility entirely."
He snorted. "No. I won't tie her to a monster."
Luke was stunned that Dupree saw himself that way. He was damned good at reading people and this was one of the most honorable men he'd ever met.
"She gets no say in that?"
Dupree only shook his head.
Interesting. Luke was ready to tear the world apart for Gia. Would sell his very soul to have her returned to him alive. Yet Dupree was unwilling to take the woman who meant his salvation.
"What are you afraid of, man? She may fight with you about some things, but she'll never leave you."
It was silent for a long time as they ambled along. "You don't know that, walker. You have no way of knowing that."
Maybe. But he did know people. "I know. And you are a fool if you let her go."
Luke couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. Gia had run from him, but Dupree wouldn't accept what was right in front of
But tonight, Luke saw more emotion from the hybrid than he'd ever expected. Maybe he was coming around. He'd arrived thirty minutes ago, expression murderous, hands shaking, eyes glowing and scared. Luke hadn't said a word, simply turned and started walking until Dupree fell in step at his side. He snuck a sideways look. The hybrid seemed to be regaining his famous control.
"What happened?" he asked softly. He didn't expect to get a response.
"She was attacked. Leaving our headquarters last night."
"I'm sorry." That would explain a few things. His blood ran cold at all the possibilities of what might be happening to Gia right now. "She's okay?"
She must be or Dupree wouldn't be here now. He nodded. "This time."
Friendship with someone of another race was new to Luke, and Dupree was harder to befriend than most. He debated saying more. He was certain the other man wouldn't welcome it. In the end, frustration loosened his tongue. Gia wouldn't admit it, but she wouldn't want him to stay silent while her friend was hurting.
"I don't understand why you haven't claimed her. Why you haven't bonded with her. Gia expected you to. She said you'd fight it till the end but eventually you'd take this one thing for yourself."
Dupree glared. "Gia spoke to you about me?"
Luke shrugged. "Just once." And he'd had to really push her to open up about herself and her friends.
Dupree shook his head. "I should have been a nightwalker. Then I wouldn't have to worry about having a woman who didn't understand it goes against everything in my nature not to lock her up and keep her safe."
He laughed. "Yeah that worked so well for Marcus and me."
Dupree gave him a sour look. "You brought that on yourselves."
"There is that." And it had taken much too long to realize he didn't want it any other way. "Seems to me though, the woman you want is the one you have. If she was willing to live in your safe little fantasy world, she wouldn't be Kara."
The hybrid shut down so tightly Luke could feel the cold radiating off his skin. "That won't help," Luke pointed out. Ignoring her wouldn't make Dupree yearn for her less, even Luke could see that.
Dupree stopped and turned around to face him. "Why do you care so much? Where is this coming from?"
The man's eyes were red and his body shook with tension, with the restraint of holding back.
"You're important to Gia and Winter, and they're important to me. If you lose this battle you're fighting, someone will have to hunt you. Do you want that for them? Because I don't."
Dupree took a deep shuddering breath and slowly his eyes faded back to brown. He resumed walking. "I won't let it come to that," he said softly. "I won't do what Ben did."
"Or you could avoid the possibility entirely."
He snorted. "No. I won't tie her to a monster."
Luke was stunned that Dupree saw himself that way. He was damned good at reading people and this was one of the most honorable men he'd ever met.
"She gets no say in that?"
Dupree only shook his head.
Interesting. Luke was ready to tear the world apart for Gia. Would sell his very soul to have her returned to him alive. Yet Dupree was unwilling to take the woman who meant his salvation.
"What are you afraid of, man? She may fight with you about some things, but she'll never leave you."
It was silent for a long time as they ambled along. "You don't know that, walker. You have no way of knowing that."
Maybe. But he did know people. "I know. And you are a fool if you let her go."
Luke couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. Gia had run from him, but Dupree wouldn't accept what was right in front of
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